Troika Memories

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  • Опубликовано: 14 дек 2024

Комментарии • 104

  • @knightornstein5902
    @knightornstein5902 Год назад +207

    Between the office, the dog and much of your games, you seem to have a habit of taking something scuffed that no one else wanted or believed in, and turning it into something everyone wants to claim as theirs.

    • @CainOnGames
      @CainOnGames  Год назад +156

      That is an amazing (and very kind) way of putting my life and career into perspective. Thank you.

    • @Vladimyrful
      @Vladimyrful Год назад +9

      Wow that's so well-said. That might be one of the key ingredients to the secret sauce if you think about it!

    • @NotRandomHero222
      @NotRandomHero222 Год назад +11

      Island of misfit toys.

  • @ExxyPlays
    @ExxyPlays Год назад +127

    Tim getting drunk and teamkilling in Counter-Strike is the kind of legend that gets passed down through the generations.

  • @aqualung2000
    @aqualung2000 Год назад +6

    I interviewed at Troika (as a programmer) and the interview went pretty well and it was looking like I was going to get an offer. But then a couple of weeks passed, and no offer came so I started to think maybe the interview didn't go as well as I thought! I reached out to the lead programmer who was running my interview (forget his name now) and tried to politely ask, you know, "should I continue my job search" but he was non-committal saying the company was working out some things but that they should all be worked out soon.
    A week or so later I found out Troika closed its doors. Bummer! I got a job somewhere else but I never ended up getting to work professionally on an RPG. Double-bummer.

  • @Tiavals
    @Tiavals Год назад +4

    All three games Troika made are masterpieces. They all do the things I care about in CRPGs completely right.
    Sure, there were bugs, sometimes game mechanical issues, etc, but the immersion, writing, dialogue, story elements, non-linear progression, variable beginnings, all of it was all that I ever desired.
    And all of it is something we totally lack in the RPGs of today, if you ask me.

  • @TylerMcVicker1
    @TylerMcVicker1 Год назад +9

    Troika sounds like Valve pre-Steam, and it’s a shame things didn’t work out, but Mr. Cain sounds like a good boss.

  • @michaelblosenhauer9887
    @michaelblosenhauer9887 Год назад +9

    You trained new programmers to give your dog treats and kept the children in a warehouse. Troika sounds like a dream place to work.

  • @scbtripwire
    @scbtripwire Год назад +34

    Aw it's so sad Troika didn't survive, it sounded like a wonderful place to work at!❤

    • @mortenelgaardpedersen892
      @mortenelgaardpedersen892 Год назад +7

      "Other than Obsidian whats the best game studio of all time?"
      "Troika"
      "Other than Obsidian whats the worst game studio of all time?"
      "Troika"
      ruclips.net/video/n2CXtrPkT2M/видео.html

  • @drithius4801
    @drithius4801 Год назад +52

    Never regret watching your daily videos, Tim. What lovely memories. What was your dog's name?

    • @CainOnGames
      @CainOnGames  Год назад +58

      His name was Cooter. The shelter volunteers had named him after the mechanic in the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. It was not the name I wanted to use, but he had been in the shelter for six months and knew that name, so I didn't have the heart to change it. Some people called him Scooter, though.

    • @maxwllcool
      @maxwllcool Год назад +8

      @@CainOnGames Would you have gone with Dogmeat given the chance? Hahaha

  • @bloodaxis
    @bloodaxis Год назад +10

    When you feel like your work matters, and like you matter, you're more willing to put work in, and it can also enhance a pre existing passion. Troika sounds like a great place to work at, where workers were actually valued.

  • @chandler224
    @chandler224 Год назад +26

    Sounds like a wholesome workplace - I love how you had an on-site daycare and after work activities!

  • @about10ninjas
    @about10ninjas Год назад +52

    Hey Tim, thank you for making all these videos.

  • @Mordrevious
    @Mordrevious Год назад +10

    Honestly it's kind of sweet seeing that Troika did the startup thing where they threw money around like crazy to make a nice office building, but instead of dumb crap like Foosball tables and tax-dodgingly expensive artwork, they got a dog and showers and built a daycare.

  • @PaulRGauthier
    @PaulRGauthier Год назад +2

    RUclips suggested your video about Carbine for some reason. I'm really enjoying your talks and stories. As it happens, VtM: Bloodlines and Wildstar are two of my favourite games ever and here you are, involved in both of them :D
    You talk fondly about Troika, even though it was very stressful. I think I get it. You were making something you believed in, something you loved. The fact that you had weekly D&D sessions to get the staff up to speed on the experience of tabletop. That says everything to me. You don't "edit yourself" when you're doing a passion project, man. The hard work doesn't feel like hard work as muchh when you love and are committed to what you're making. And, you *were* making great games, games that are beloved to this day.
    That's all I think I have to say.

  • @leinadisjourneys
    @leinadisjourneys Год назад +20

    Love hearing about the Troika stuff. Seems like such a special moment in time, one of those crazy whirlwinds that results in some truly creative stuff.

    • @endlessstrata6988
      @endlessstrata6988 Год назад +7

      3 games, 3 seriously buggy releases, 3 absolute classics. There was definitely something in the water.

  • @michaelklamerus1
    @michaelklamerus1 Год назад +10

    The daycare is such a big deal for parents and it rules that you did that

  • @TorQueMoD
    @TorQueMoD Год назад +5

    You literally just described my life-long fantasy. Right down to the dog running around the studio and hanging out with everyone!

  • @ProfJimbles
    @ProfJimbles Год назад +1

    I've been fascinated by stories of the profit-sharing, on-site daycare and community minded culture of Troika for years. I know you don't want to make enemies in the industry you're still half-retired in, but I do feel like publishers gave Troika a really raw deal. The passion for the projects felt genuine, not exploitative. The hard times were from a hard situation, not to wring profit out of artists and artisans.
    Thank you.

  • @Morlok616
    @Morlok616 Год назад +2

    Timothy Cain and the story of how the pariah dog became dogmeat.

  • @_TristanGray
    @_TristanGray Год назад +4

    I can’t believe these are still coming out every day

  • @kevinhill5165
    @kevinhill5165 Год назад +1

    Arcanum was some of the best gaming experiences of my life. Sunked so many hours into that game. Always super excited to start a new game with a new custom character. Thank you for it.

  • @GypsumGeneration
    @GypsumGeneration Год назад +2

    Thanks for sharing Tim. At times in my life I've worked harder than most would think is reasonable, and what I've found is that the comraderie led to a level of satisfaction that outweighed the work life balance concern. The people I've found that relate best to this are military folks, though my time was in hospitality. It can feel great to have a tribe with buy-in, and i imagine this must have been what early human living was like a fair amount of the time.

  • @foghornfoggyface
    @foghornfoggyface Год назад +2

    Such a wholesome man who can make you smile and laugh. Hope you never stop making these videos Tim!

  • @ded2thaworld963
    @ded2thaworld963 Год назад +5

    Arcanum…oh god the nostalgia. I loved that game as a kid more than i should.

  • @GoBeyond4Balls
    @GoBeyond4Balls Год назад

    Troika sounds like a beautiful place to work. Thank you for sharing Tim.

  • @facelesscoward321
    @facelesscoward321 Год назад +2

    That was a really sweet story. Thank you for sharing.

  • @MetalAriel
    @MetalAriel Год назад +3

    You sound super passionate when talking about Troika, I hated the crunch during my finance job but I get your experience is a different one, since y’all had a vision and passion - something I clearly lacked :D

  • @gustavomaldonado6159
    @gustavomaldonado6159 10 месяцев назад

    Would have loved to work in that environment. You really cared for your employees ❤

  • @LordRefa
    @LordRefa Год назад +2

    Loved your dog story. Every work place should have a dog as employee, a motivational support animal. Hehe.
    But even more happier you adopted instead of purchased from breeder. Always the best option.. 😊

  • @flamingburitto
    @flamingburitto Год назад +23

    If we could visit alternative timelines I would wanna go to the one where Troika got Fallout.

    • @JB-pu3oj
      @JB-pu3oj Год назад +12

      This is really one of the sadest moments in gaming history. I must admit, Bethesda made Fallout huge where there was once only a (big) niche of die hard Fallout fans, on the other hand Bethesda ripped the soul out of the franchise and really made it "Elder Scrolls with guns". On the other hand, as much as i love Fallout 2, it too already lost a bit of it's soul then and there.

  • @rabbitcreative
    @rabbitcreative Год назад +1

    10:28 LOL Thank-you for the laughs.

  • @anorax001
    @anorax001 Год назад

    Such a wonderful series of videos. Thank you for making them!

  • @brettabraham
    @brettabraham Год назад

    Crunch and tough times are infinitely easier when you are doing it with the right people

  • @kylenewberry9792
    @kylenewberry9792 Год назад

    This is one of my favorite videos you have done so far. Keep it up Tim! I look forward to these every day.

  • @asdfjkl227
    @asdfjkl227 Год назад +1

    "I don't know who I am. I don't know where I am. All I know... Is I must kill."

  • @jamesedwards2869
    @jamesedwards2869 Год назад +10

    Just wanted to say thank you for these videos and your pivotal work in rpg development! I think crunch culture has taken a whole new level when it comes to 60-80 hour plus games being forced in a corporate environment. It's not so team like anymore and so the developers are obviously passionate but the constant long crunch is just burning them out

  • @incrementis2860
    @incrementis2860 Год назад

    Great stories! Thanks for sharing.

  • @Sihion
    @Sihion Год назад +5

    It's really sad that the studio closed down. Maybe in parallel universe it would ended differently.

    • @Li_Tobler
      @Li_Tobler Год назад +1

      I still curse activision to this day lol. Like my hate for their stupidity, shortsightedness and greed is just immeasurable. I also kind of hate HL (pretty unreasonable, ik) and scoff at it just because of what happened to VtmB partially due to its popularity

  • @10mmenjoyer
    @10mmenjoyer Год назад

    Troika is gone but look at all of the amazing projects your games inspired. You and your teams are legendary!

  • @aNerdNamedJames
    @aNerdNamedJames Год назад

    Genuinely wonderful things to hear.

  • @locnar1988
    @locnar1988 Год назад

    thanks for posting these. i am a huge troika fan and fan of other games you worked on too

  • @JB-pu3oj
    @JB-pu3oj Год назад +1

    Troika was a glimmer of Hope in the gaming industry and Arcanum, as flawed as it was, is still a Masterpiece!

  • @retrolinkx
    @retrolinkx Год назад

    Very cool hearing the Trioka memories, sounds like a bunch of friends all coming together to make games and have fun and you guys actually seemed like a family as opposed to the modern day corporate "we're a family" idea. While I've been under crunch a few times for projects and such, I do somewhat enjoy it and reminisce about those times even if they were hell. I hope to one day have a similar experience to you, Tim.
    Also, it's interesting hearing you talk about that Chinese TV show you all watched and never understood because the writers of the SImpsons had a very similar experience which eventually lead to the creation of Bumblebee Man. IIRC the TV the writers room had wasn't very good or couldn't get a lot of reception or somehow had reception from Mexico and because of this they were always watching some weird Mexican TV show about a guy in a suit bumbling everywhere talking in Spanish and no one really understood what was going on but they found it hilarious enough to replicate it with Bumblebee Man.

  • @polly_pasta
    @polly_pasta Год назад +1

    These stories are very cute 🍦

  • @MaxPetak
    @MaxPetak Год назад

    All this sound like having non blood related family. Im envious. Glad that you got to experience such thing.

  • @hamidious
    @hamidious Год назад +5

    Evwrybody loves Arcanum but I just found Temple of Elemental Evil awesome for the time.
    Chris Avellone guided me here, glad I found your channel.

  • @7billionbees671
    @7billionbees671 Год назад

    People can put up with crunch time and such for a short while but when it’s the standard it’s easy to see how fast things go bad

  • @gargamellenoir8460
    @gargamellenoir8460 Год назад +19

    I'm a big work/life balance guy, but I'd imagine that the crucial difference between what you describe from Troika and the stories we hear these days is that it wasn't a bunch of soulless executives getting fat off exploiting passionate young devs, you were seemingly all working hard to get genuinely artistic projects done.
    What was the name of that lovely dog?

    • @gordo6908
      @gordo6908 Год назад +5

      in a reply from tim to a similar question he said the shelter named him cooter, but some people at troika called him scooter

  • @calebszyszkiewicz719
    @calebszyszkiewicz719 Год назад

    This is my favorite Vidoe yet!

  • @JimUK
    @JimUK Год назад +1

    Workplaces like that should be the norm, people are far more productive if they like being there. I worked for a data communications company in the 80's, there were over thousand people there but it still had a family atmosphere, everyone was on first name terms, I'd even address members of the board by their first names and I was only a lowly trainee tester.
    I've worked at many places since and I've never seen the levels of productiveness that I saw at that data communications company, employees didn't feel like family at these places, they didn't feel as valued and as a result were nowhere near as loyal.

  • @kavinskysmith4094
    @kavinskysmith4094 Год назад

    8:13 yeah they did that, they covered that in red dead redemption II, the old sears and Robuck catalogue, they used to be thee biggest big chain company in the united states, and that was how you got stuff, you would go through the catalogue, and order it and send the money and a return adress, as theirs a reason why tampering with the mail is such a high crime, it was literally one of the only ways people were able to buy things out in the wilderness up until the internet age came about
    and judging by that soap opera thing, the woman bit the dust and they thought it was her ghost, sounds almost like a soap opera taking place in the middle of feudal japan, like some ghost oni thing.

  • @MFewwy
    @MFewwy Год назад

    Arcanum is my favorite game of all time. I spent so much time in it! Played for every available option/combination of weapon/magic/engineering. I really hope, that Inexile will get access to the license through Microsoft (if the microsoft - blizzard deal with go through) - maybe then, we can see an Arcanum 2!!!

  • @dannypockets
    @dannypockets Год назад

    More dog stories please! ❤

  • @Bum_Numba_One
    @Bum_Numba_One Год назад

    Vampire is definitely a cult classic. The modding community is one of the most healthy and active ones out there. It was one of the best games I've ever played.

  • @gordo6908
    @gordo6908 Год назад

    that in house childcare sounds amazing.
    i volunteered at a place like that and to this day no paid position has commpared to its fun and purpose

  • @KrisPelley
    @KrisPelley Год назад

    Yes, Sears sold mail order houses. My inlaws live in one.

  • @xczechr
    @xczechr Год назад +12

    More developers should make custom underwear.

    • @FlymanMS
      @FlymanMS Год назад +2

      And have YT channels dedicated to history of their lives and work!

  • @NotRandomHero222
    @NotRandomHero222 Год назад +1

    Unrelated to Troika, so forgive me, but related to Fallout.
    There was an interview given, on (I think) No Mutants Allowed with Chris Taylor, and he mentioned this:
    Saint_Proverbius: What happened to the Overseer after Fallout? It's mentioned there was a revolt that overthrew him in Fallout 2, was he banished?
    Chris Taylor: Dunno. In the "future" history that we wrote for FO1, he was killed by the Vault Dweller. They must have changed that for FO2, or didn't know about it.
    So I was wondering if you could expand upon the "future" history of the original Fallout.
    I know you mentioned wanting to move on to other projects after Fallout shipped, as well as leaving before Fallout 2 really got into motion, but I was curious if there was already intended lore for a Fallout sequel from the team.
    I know you made mention of the Enclave specifically in a previous video, so how would that have been different from your version? Very curious.
    Thanks for considering the question if you do!
    Hope all is well!
    P.S. As someone who no-life's Counter-Strike currently and has for many years, also as someone who loves Fallout, this was funny to hear!

  • @FluffySylveonBoi
    @FluffySylveonBoi Год назад

    The only Chinese thing I used to watch contained Son Goku, the moneky king and he fought various battles, but I was too small to remember what it was about.

  • @solaufein3029
    @solaufein3029 Год назад

    May we ... may we get a picture of said dog ? Please sir ?

  • @loudradialem5233
    @loudradialem5233 Год назад

    I love Vampire Bloodlines! ❤

  • @Grrymjo
    @Grrymjo Год назад

    3 games, and now 3 offices, huh.

  • @KeiNovak
    @KeiNovak 2 месяца назад

    lol @ someone putting Crabtree & Evelyn lotion on the dog.

  • @maxkline8985
    @maxkline8985 Год назад

    I kind of just want your opinion on this, but it seems like small companies like the one you founded are rarer and rarer these days(I could be completely wrong though, I haven't really done much research it just seems that way). Im wondering if you could do a video about what it was like to start a company then and how you feel about people trying to start companies like yours today.

  • @MrTophatcat
    @MrTophatcat Год назад +1

    You've mentioned disliking "development by committee" or something to the effect of disliking having too much input when developing(I believe this was mentioned more specifically when an art director was causing problems and you asked everyone in the studio if they liked your idea or his idea more and then mentioned how you disliked doing that). I was just wondering why that is. I'm a sociology student with an interest in worker cooperatives which tend* to be more efficient then traditional top down businesses and being an expert in what you do I was wondering why you felt that way.

    • @CainOnGames
      @CainOnGames  Год назад +6

      My best analogy would be four friends taking a vacation by car. During the early sessions where you decide where to go, how to get there, and what to do along the way, I think that having group meetings is certainly the way to go. And once the trip is started, you can certainly talk along the way and decide on changes to the route and the planned stops. But I think one person should drive the car, and I certainly don't think all four people should be driving the car at once, whether its four pairs of hands on the wheel at the same time or one person steering, one person on the brakes, one on the accelerator, and the last one handling the turn signals.
      Similarly, in game development, I think there is time for group decisions and time for a designated driver. I have seen too many groups steer badly, whether professionally or in school projects, for me to believe the group leadership is as effective.

    • @MrTophatcat
      @MrTophatcat Год назад

      @@CainOnGames Thanks for the response TIm! Always fascinating to see the inner workings of game development from your perspective, especially since you've been both low and high on the totem pole. Keep up the great content 🛐

  • @nutherefurlong
    @nutherefurlong Год назад

    Oh wow, now I have to learn what that soap opera was! Did they manage to learn what the title was, since the characters would have been pretty much the same? Was it a Hong Kong production, do you think? Did it look old, like on film or more filmed on video? I realize it's been a while...

  • @booradley6832
    @booradley6832 Год назад

    For the love of God someone share this video with a bunch of people in China so they can tell us the name and plot of that soap opera.

  • @nebeskisrb7765
    @nebeskisrb7765 Год назад

    I wish I can get a job where I will have a good time working hard.

  • @thegrimm54321
    @thegrimm54321 Год назад

    So...since the company doesn't exist anymore, could you make Troika shirts (or boxers lol) for us to buy?

  • @gilgamecha
    @gilgamecha Год назад

    These videos have inspired me to buy Arcanum but I can't find Temple of Elemental Evil anywhere. Any clues? Do we know who bought the rights when Atari folded?

    • @Esquarious
      @Esquarious 8 месяцев назад +1

      It's on Good Old Games now

  • @MarcinWanago
    @MarcinWanago Год назад +2

    Hi Tim 👋
    What are your thoughts on the Bloodlines sequel?

  • @DungeonDiving
    @DungeonDiving Год назад +1

    "They found a BB lodged in him" 😞

  • @fredrik3880
    @fredrik3880 Год назад

    Perhaps the fact you didnt know how to edit yourselves is what made the legendary games of Fallout and Arcanum (creativity and fun flowed). Once you knew (and started to edit yourselves) the magic died.

  • @Fitser
    @Fitser Год назад

    I'd pay upwards of $229.99 for a pair of Troika boxers

  • @Alex.Holland
    @Alex.Holland Год назад +1

    "Work/life balance" is something that's generally more important to people who don't like their jobs. However you may also have a different perspective due to being an owner or boss or whatnot. Employees often feel somewhat trapped, don't like their jobs, are not financially invested in the company etc., and just want to get out of there, but may feel pressure from co workers or bosses to stick around. The complaints about work life balance I think are more generational than anything else, younger people are more likely to be regular employees, and more likely to be online complaining about it. I just googled and a brief perusal of the results say that the large majority of people like their jobs, and the older demos are more likely to enjoy their jobs.

  • @damikdk
    @damikdk Год назад

    Why troika, btw? Russian word, like “pair” for 2, troika for 3. Russian cofounders? Three of them, this part is understandable

    • @souluss
      @souluss Год назад +4

      Tim mentioned they (Tim, Leonard, Jason) were called as such already at Interplay. Leonard has eastern european roots and has leftish inclinations. Probably enough to make connection in people's minds.

  • @LordEvilmancer
    @LordEvilmancer Год назад

    Well modern work life balance for me has been, no one your age or has the same interests is anywhere near you, also the culture is about maximizing time working, so going home needs to be spent recovering and your profits need to be spent on paying other people for the upkeep you don't have time to do while your at work. I would love to work 14 hours if it meant for anything

  • @ArcanumLover
    @ArcanumLover Год назад +2

    I would be really interested in a video about work-life balance since so many jobs of passion usually really struggle with the balance (and hearing what searching for that balance was for you)
    Also 13:58 "glimpse into the brief..." and Troika boxers in the same video -> onlyfans confirmed!?!?

  • @wszczebrzeszyn
    @wszczebrzeszyn Год назад

    Did you have separate showers for men and women?

    • @CainOnGames
      @CainOnGames  Год назад +12

      The office had a men's restroom, a women's restroom, a private single restroom, and a private single restroom with a shower. The two private restrooms were lockable.
      For people who biked to work or who wanted to go out in the evening straight from the office or who had worked over night, that shower was awesome.

  • @Exilis
    @Exilis 8 месяцев назад +1

    How hired someone to run a daycare center at Troika? As nice as that sounds, no wonder the company went bankrupt...

  • @BuddyStromboliDrums
    @BuddyStromboliDrums Год назад

    Hey Tim, flip those boxes around would you? Let's see those skid marks!

  • @wildcat8985
    @wildcat8985 Год назад

    I Heard that some of the guys at Obsidian, were disappointed with Xenonaughts 2, or was it Jagged alliance 3...I Forget which one...
    @Obsidian judging so quickly and keep in mind context for players. Not everyone likes everything except Violence and bad language.
    Guys....Its cool to just sit back and dont rush to judge, I Mean thats not how i judge your games right.
    Understand gamers, and the bar that is set. Don't be cocky....Not everything is about "*Violence and bad language*"
    -Alan

  • @VK-sz4it
    @VK-sz4it Год назад

    Why won't you assemble team Alpha (or Sigma) and kickstart some not very expensive project?
    Like Wasteland 2 but better?