How The Outer Worlds 2 fixed a 30-year old development problem

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Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds 2 has been available for about a week now, and if you’ve been playing, you’ve likely already encountered the solution to a challenge the developers have been working on for thirty years – without even realizing it!

Just before The Outer Worlds 2 came out, I spoke with the game’s creative director, Leonard Boyarsky, about how the series has evolved since the first game. You can see the full conversation in the video above.

Our conversations cover a wide range of subjects. While starting a new colony brings fresh planets and characters, we discussed whether the core identity of The Outer Worlds has become too fixed since the original game, and Boyarsky shared some interesting thoughts on that.

The game features hidden companions and NPCs you can defeat. Want some advice on how to navigate it all? Check out the complete video – you can find it on our YouTube channel!

So, I was curious about a challenge that’s been bothering game developers for thirty years. I read on Rock Paper Shotgun that Tim Cain, a well-known figure from the Fallout series, had complimented the team working on Outer Worlds 2 for finally solving a problem he’d been wrestling with since 1995.

I had the chance to talk with Boyarsky, a veteran of the Fallout series going all the way back to the first game, over Zoom. I was curious about The Outer Worlds 2 and asked what key issue the team had tackled during development, and if he knew what Cain had been hinting at.

Boyarsky explained that he believes the issue likely relates to the story and overall feel of the project, as that’s his primary concern. He admitted he might be interpreting things specifically from that perspective.

We’ve often had trouble with players not realizing when their earlier choices affect later options. If we don’t clearly signal that a previous decision has limited what they can do now, it just feels like a natural part of the game, which isn’t ideal.

In this update, we’ve made it so you can see incomplete lines, showing you what still needs to be done. This also lets us provide helpful hints.

They realized they were stumbling over their words and needed to refine their argument. They decided to pause the conversation, gather their thoughts, and return with a more polished response.

Even if you’re certain you’ll fail, you can at least tell yourself, ‘I could have tried speaking up.’

As a player, it’s usually something like, ‘Ugh, I’m stuck because I missed a piece of info, haven’t done a necessary side quest, or messed up a previous quest, and now I can’t move forward the way I expected!’

I believe this is a positive change in how we explain to players why they are receiving specific dialogue and not others.

I shared that it’s really rewarding in the game when you discover new dialogue options. This happens because you’ve taken the time to find the correct information – like a specific log – which then unlocks those unique voice lines during conversations.

Boyarsky told us: “That was it was really tricky.”

As a big fan, I heard him talk about how they actually built a system to keep track of everything – almost like a case file system. He mentioned spending a solid two or three months just writing the conversations for it, and that was only for one or two different sets of dialogue!

We explained that everything players discovered would be recorded in a central database, and they’d have a system to help them piece together the information they found.

It ended up feeling like a game within the game. The biggest issue was that it took too long. We already had skills and rewards for completing tasks, and then we added these complex conversations, making each one feel like an extra puzzle to solve.

Boyarsky continued: “That was really, really just a daunting task.

Honestly, what really made us rethink things was realizing the game had become all about just grabbing info. It wasn’t about strategy or fun, just a mad dash for the data. We needed to simplify things so players could actually enjoy the game, not just rush through it.

Okay, so I’m really waiting for this character to tell me certain things – it’s how I progress, I guess, like I get a notification or something when I learn something new. I remember noticing that the important bits of info were highlighted somehow, maybe with a different color or a special font, so I knew to pay attention. It’s like a little ‘ding’ when I get it!

I realized I had gotten the information I needed from that character. It completely shifted my focus away from the story and the people I was speaking with, and it became all about just getting what I needed from the conversation.

Looking at where we are now, I think simplifying things was the correct decision. It ensures the story remains captivating and keeps the audience interested.

I found the information I was looking for, but more importantly, I’m understanding the overall story and what’s happening with the characters.

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2025-11-07 18:09