Developer Q&A (deusex.tumblr.com)

This page is a collection of notable Q&A posts from Eidos-Montréal's official Tumblr account for the Deus Ex series, which is located at https://deusex.tumblr.com/. The account was managed by Eidos-Montréal community manager Kyle Stallock and includes developer commentary from various developers, including game director Jean-François Dugas (or simply "JF"), narrative director‎ Mary DeMarle, and art director Jonathan Jacques-Belletête.‎‎‎‎ Some of the posts are not signed by any developers or are attributed to "Frank," a pseudonym not attributed to any specific developer. 
Since the account was most active from 2011-2012, most of the Q&A posts pertain to Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Only posts that contain substantive developer commentary on the Deus Ex series are included in this collection. For example, posts that merely describe well-known game features without additional developer commentary are omitted from this collection. Similarly, post that are clearly meant to be for humor only, and thus not containing substantive commentary, are also omitted. 
For simplicity, the usernames of question submitters of have been omitted from the beginning of the question titles. Errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax are original. 
== Setting, plot, and narrative ==
What's the current status of JC Denton? (Feb 24 2016)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/139926630589/whats-the-current-status-of-jc-denton
Not born yet
This is a story design question that has been nagging at me ever since I finished the game. I know story elements and levels get modified or cut all the time, which I'm fine with, but I'm wondering: was there a sequence where the rioters would breach the front doors of Sarif Industries and the player's lethal/nonlethal alignment would dictate how the guards react? (Nov 26 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/36614191570/this-is-a-story-design-question-that-has-been
Not to my knowledge, no… But you never know WHAT made it to the editing room floor. Very interesting idea!
I have been thinking about this for a while, is there a canon, official ending for Human Revolution or not? From what I understood from the commentary from characters in-game in that and the first Deus Ex, either the "Panchea" choice or supporting Taggart makes the most sense to me. May I have some clarification? Thank you. (Nov 26 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/36613869207/i-have-been-thinking-about-this-for-a-while-is
What ever you chose is the ‘correct’ ending - but you’ll have to wait to see what the Deus Ex universe has in store for you for further clarification I guess ;)
Just finished DXHR the other day, and I have to say it's awesome! I regret not to jump on the DX bandwagon sooner. I have a question. How do you make the story and the dialogue for this kind of game which you have choices and the main storyline? Not to mention the NPCs and the side stories. Does Mary DeMarle did all the works for that? Or is there a team for that? Thanks for answering, and thanks for the awesome experience! (Sep 26 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/32328662014/just-finished-dxhr-the-other-day-and-i-have-to
Mary DeMarle here. First, I’m glad you enjoyed the game. Thanks very much for your question!
Creating the story and dialogs for Deus Ex: Human Revolution was a long, multi-step process that involved the combined talents of a lot of very diverse people. I was the Lead Writer/Narrative Designer on the project – which basically meant it was my job to come up with the initial story concept and characters, then work with a team of contract writers and staff game and level designers, sound engineers, artists, and programmers to develop and produce it. (So no, it wasn’t me doing all the work by myself!) It really was a collaborative effort, and I feel pretty lucky to have worked with some very talented people along the way.
In terms of coming up with and keeping track of actual story choices in the game, who did what and how all depends on which aspect of the story you’re looking it. Choices that affected the main plot were all designed by myself and a core group of game and level designers before any writing or production of levels began. Smaller role-play or dialog choices that play out in specific conversations between Adam and various game characters were largely designed on the spot by writers as they wrote the specific dialogs. As for side quests, these were designed almost exclusively by one 3-man team of writers /level designers working together (with core members of the creative team supervising and approving their ideas).
So you see, creating the Deus Ex story experience was very much a team effort.
Because I am an ignorant fool I must ask this question. Does HR take place in the same universe as the first two? I have read a dozen different things; it does, it doesn't, it's a reboot, it's a 5 dollar foot long. None of it makes sense to me! So before I break down from the mental strain of all this info and start weeping in the corner... again. Will you answer me that. And, yes, I am asking for this. (Aug 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/29569504706/because-i-am-an-ignorant-fool-i-must-ask-this
Same universe. 
first i'd like to say that, after playing the first DX about 120 times, i find that your game has so much of the original in it, that it's now hard for me to think of one without the other. And that it's a shame that people so easily see the differences and overlook some really amazing similarities. one question: why didn't belltower track jensen to panchea? aside from the crazy augs, he pretty much has the run of the place. (Mar 19 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/19578504108/first-id-like-to-say-that-after-playing-the 
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“Belltower forces have been crippled extensively over the journey and it Panchaea, it would not have been a great idea to show up there for a covert op with all the medias, etc.”
Dear Mary, don't you think it could be interesting to start the next DX game with the SWAT operation when Adam Jensen refused to obey orders ? It could be a good intro as a tutorial for the players to adapt to the gameplay, and thus we could understand a bit more the character of Adam. (Raphael Dupoux) (Feb 29 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/18499405508/dear-mary-dont-you-think-it-could-be-interesting
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
“I definitely agree that there is great dramatic potential in that scene – almost every writer involved in the game and/or in developing story lines for licensed products related to it has wanted to use the scene in their stories. It almost went into the Icarus Effect novel and the Comic Book series skirts very close to it.
Bear in mind, though, that Adam wasn’t augmented when that incident occurred. So if we ever decide to include it in a game, we’ll have to get really creative about how we tell it (or whose perspective we tell it from)!”
May I ask who wrote the ending speeches? They were extremely well-written. (Feb 29 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/18499280707/may-i-ask-who-wrote-the-ending-speeches-they-were
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
“Thanks! JF Dugas likes to say it’s his only writing credit in the whole game, since he and I ended up writing them together. If memory serves me, it took us about three weeks straight to get them all finished – we would meet at his desk at close to 7 each night (having had to spend the previous 8 hours working on other aspects of the game). Then we’d open a bottle of wine; one of us would start writing, the other would start crossing out and adding ideas; we’d argue over clarity, drink some more wine, and then fine-tune the idea and write some more together. Most nights we’d do this until very late (sometimes past midnight) and then go home exhausted, only to come back the next day and start all over again!
(It was kind of like the process we just used to answer this question – minus the wine, unfortunately). 
Who came up with the THE BIG BANG THEORY easter-egg in one of the in-game emails that is sent from an "Penny Cuoco" ?! I admit that discovering that was probably my most loved part of the game. (Feb 27 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/18382875282/who-came-up-with-the-the-big-bang-theory
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said: 
“That particular email was written by JF Champagne, one of the side quest designers who jumped in to help us write emails when we realized just how huge a task it was turning out to be. He wrote most of the mails you find in Picus (and can’t you just tell when reading them that he had a blast doing it?!)”
In the Sarif Industries lobby after the Milwaukee mission, you hear two NPCs mention the Texas Succession. What was this exactly? (Feb 27 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/18382748557/in-the-sarif-industries-lobby-after-the-milwaukee
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
“I believe the actual line mentions “Texas Separatism,” not “Succession” (or “Secession,” in case you were thinking that). The speaker is referring to the fact that, according to the Deus Ex timeline, Dallas became a self-declared “protected city-state” in 2017, paving the way for several other so-called fortress cities to come into being over the next decade. Sadly, American discontent with the federal government continued to grow worse after that; in 2020, a California Secessionist Movement was narrowly defeated in a public referendum! By the time 2027 rolled around, Secessionist groups were popping up all over the South and the West, leading to the formation of ‘terrorist groups’ like the NSF – but I’m getting a bit ahead of myself here. J
First of all I want to thank you for the excellent game! I admire DeusEx since I was 13 years old, so HumanRevolution was something of great importance to me. Thank you! As for my question: having finished the mission Acquaintances Forgotten I continued to play. But after some time I returned to Michelle Walters` apartments and there were just Police "crime scene" stripes. Does it mean that Michelle was killed? (Feb 27 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/18382694564/first-of-all-i-want-to-thank-you-for-the-excellent
“I’m glad you enjoyed the game! Regarding your question, are you sure you haven’t confused apartments? There should be police crime scene tape appearing in Brent Radford’s apartment (UNLESS you manage to convince him to live), but as far as I know, there shouldn’t be any in Michelle Walther’s apartment.
At the end of the Acquaintances Forgotten quest, Jensen asks Pritchard to send a temporary security detail from Sarif Industries to Mrs. Walther’s apartment to make sure she’s safe. So you MIGHT encounter some Sarif Industry guards there. (If you don’t, and if, in fact, you really do find police tape there, let’s just assume that the guards took Michelle to a safe place and left the police tape behind to confuse would-be assassins. ;-) )”
Do augmentations contribute to increasing one's lifespan? I don't remember seeing anything on this in the game, so I would like to be enlightened. (Feb 27 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/18382660623/do-augmentations-contribute-to-increasing-ones
DX:HR lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
I imagine they can extend your life a bit – after all, the Sentinel RX Health System augmentation has a “limited ‘regenerative’ capacity” that helps your body fight infection and repair injuries. Yet, I also imagine that in 2027 the science behind the augmentations isn’t as advanced as it will be in years to follow, so the average lifespan of an augmented person would probably only be a few years more than a non-augmented person.
(Keep in mind, too, that the augmentations themselves aren’t ageless. Like any machine, they will break down over time and may eventually need to be replaced.)
Any plans for another novel? Icarus Effect was really good and I'd love to read more about some of the characters, like Megan. Basically, get James to write a book about Megan. (May 22 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/23544349701/any-plans-for-another-novel-icarus-effect-was
Here’s a response from Icarus Effect writer James Swallow!
“Thanks for the kind words, I’m glad you liked Icarus Effect; I had a blast writing it. Right now, there are no plans for another Deus Ex tie-in novel, but I’d love to write another one. The DX universe is so rich and broad that there are hundreds of other stories that could be told about it. Megan Reed certainly is an interesting character and I’m sure her backstory would have some interesting twists and turns; but I guess if I could write another DX novel, I’d be drawn toward telling the tale of Faridah Malik’s life before Sarif Industries. There’s a lot of great hints about her past working in China for less-than-legal groups and I think it would be cool to know how Malik got to here from there. But if you’d like to see more Deus Ex fiction, drop a line to the folks at Del Rey Books and let them know!”
Why don't we see Jensen one last time after the final decision is made? It frustrated me, I feel like we didn't have the chance to say goodbye properly to the character we spent time with for hours. Is it because you wanted to focus on the RPG side of the game, this isn't as much Jensen's decision as it is ours. Or you didn't have enough $ to do 4 different cinematics? Ty for the answer. (Jan 9 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15582382667/why-dont-we-see-jensen-one-last-time-after-the
We answered this on a minisode! http://soundcloud.com/eidosmontreal/emp-minisode-12-the-end Click for the…you know…audio.
I'm curious, has anyone ever asked you guys to compare the anti-augmentation protests to the Occupy Wall Street Movement? If it's a no, I'm asking you now. (Jan 5 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15355452979/im-curious-has-anyone-ever-asked-you-guys-to
We answered this on an EMP Minisode!
http://community.eidosmontreal.com/blogs/EMP-Minisode10
I have Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. To me, the most interesting mechanical augmentation was CASIE. However, CASIE, not counting its pheremone emitter, actually made me worse at in-game interactions. I thought long and hard about why CASIE hindered me rather than help. I concluded that Adam's CASIE was calibrated for his non-autistic mind. For an autistic, CASIE, I imagined, would have to be specially calibrated for his or her autistic mind. Does that sound plausible? (Dec 14 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14175427522/weird-question-but-i-know-you-guys-follow-some
We answered the question on EMP!
http://soundcloud.com/eidosmontreal/emp-minisode-2-casie-and
Hi, Please can you tell me why there are elements of Deus ex in the machinima trailer that are not in the game? For insatnce there are no scenes where Adam is recovering from his augmentatiion and dealing with the loss of Megan. There was also a rooftop fight with Barrett that I didnt see either and one two other things (off the top of my head). Will Eidos Montreal redo the original Deus Ex? Thank you! I LOVE THIS GAME :D (Dec 13 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14175293219/hi-please-can-you-tell-me-why-there-are-elements
We answered the question on EMP Minisode 1!
http://soundcloud.com/eidosmontreal/emp-minisode-1-the-missing
Should augmented athletes be allowed to compete with non-augmented athletes? If not, would participation in sports for augs be akin to use of steroids or should there be separate leagues? (Sep 8 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9963451901/should-augmented-athletes-be-allowed-to-compete
Frank says:
“I don’t think it’s realistic to pit augmented and unaugmented athletes against each other.
Well maybe now we could (using simple prosthetics), but eventually the gap between the two will be too wide to bridge.
I believe we’d see the rise of separate leagues or even completely different sports for that matter.
With the ability to leap 2 stories into the air could also come sports with much more verticality to them.
Another side effect of augmentations would also be the integration of men and women into the same events. With augs, perceived gender inequalities would become obsolete.”
What is in those boxes at Detroit FEMA camp? The ones with radiation warning sign on them. (Sep 6 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9876921008/what-is-in-those-boxes-at-detroit-fema-camp-the
Frank says:
“Boxguards. A metric shit load of them.”
Was there a reason that you made a prequel and not a sequel? (Sep 1 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9667112454/was-there-a-reason-that-you-made-a-prequel-and-not
Frank says:
Yes, flexibility.
The five main points we considered:
1)      With a prequel, playing the previous games is not a requirement. It gave us a lot more freedom about how we connect to the established cannon.
2)      We didn’t have to deal with DX1’s or Invisible War’s multiple endings.
3)      Being a true sequel would put us after Invisible War and a bit too far into the future.
4)      There was a lot of untapped material in the timeline before DX1.
5)      Exploring the time surrounding the introduction of mech augs just struck a chord with us.
1) Is the Picus Building suppose to be the Eidos Montreal building with the layout and their location? 2) Why was Hengsha Island more expansive and diverse than Detroit? 3) Did the team actually take time to make sure most of the Mandarin was correct in Hengsha Island, or did you just get lucky? (Sep 26 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10686706082/1-is-the-picus-building-suppose-to-be-the-eidos
Frank says:
“1)      No. The building used to house Picus is Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. The interior layout is completely fictional.
2)      Because of the way it was designed. It came organically. Also, Detroit was the first Hub we attempted. Hengsha benefitted from many lessons we learned while building Detroit.
3)      There was some luck involved. But we also had a few people on staff that spoke Mandarin and we had the help of our localization department.”
Why did you include the concept of neuropozyne? As far as I know, the human body would only reject foreign living tissue- after all, people already have pacemakers and hip replacements made of synthetic materials inside the body, and they have no problems. I understand that it may have been difficult to exacerbate social divides without an expensive drug to drive society apart, but surely the prevalence, initial and running costs of the latest biotech would have been enough? Fantastic game btw! (Sep 20 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10446261268/why-did-you-include-the-concept-of-neuropozyne-as
Possible spoilers below:
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle says:
“Including the concept of Neuropozyne in the game did help us to exacerbate the social divides in the game – as you point out – but it was also important for several other story reasons. First, it gave us a way to clearly illustrate Adam’s uniqueness. Second, it made for a cool side quest. And third, it allowed us to make some nice tie-ins to DX1 and a certain drug company that’s run by Illuminati members…”
Why was the decision made not to end the game with a quote (like previous Deus Ex games)? Thanks in advance and thanks to the whole team for an amazing game! (Sep 20 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10446231942/why-was-the-decision-made-not-to-end-the-game-with
Here’s a response from lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle:
“Actually, the game does end with a quote – in at least four of the end game voice-overs. We originally wanted to weave different quotes into all 12 voice-overs, but when we tried it, the endings sounded forced and formulaic.  So we dropped the idea.”
First off, thank you so much for this incredible game. You've said that The Missing Link DLC will be directly accessible from the main menu, but will it also appear automatically at 'that' point in the normal game, slotting in where Jensen goes 'off grid'? If so, will the player's augmentation choices during the DLC stages be permanent, and carry through to the rest of the game? For what it's worth, I really hope the answers to those two questions are both 'yes'. (Sep 19 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10404575304/first-off-thank-you-so-much-for-this-incredible
DBed says:
“The Missing Link will not appear in the main game narrative, and your augmentation set in The Missing Link will not carry over to the main game after you’ve completed it. While gameplay-wise The Missing Link is not tied back into the main game, narratively you will find out things that will shed some much needed light on some of the …shadier sections of the Human Revolution world.”
Who is writing the story for the Missing Link? (Sep 19 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10404376568/who-is-writing-the-story-for-the-missing-link
DBed says:
“Mary DeMarle, lead narrative designer on DX:HR was the lead writer on The Missing Link. Most members from the DX:HR writing team were back for writing duty on The Missing Link as well.”
Why was Jaron Namir linked to Belltower when in the book Ben Saxon was working for Belltower when Jarons ship shot them down. They never mention the Tyrants and Gunther Hermann is never mentioned either. (Jan 27 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16582315015/why-was-jaron-namir-linked-to-belltower-when-in
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
“Namir is linked to Belltower in both the game and the book. The elite black operations unit that he commands (codenamed ‘The Tyrants”) is part of Belltower’s Special Operations division. Belltower has several  departments that cater to a variety of security needs. For example, it has a “Disaster Response Unit” and a cyber-specialist division known as “Hackwall Data Protection Services.” It also has an array of M.O.S. Divisions that handle a variety of warmongering clients.  The Special Operations division is one of these divisions, and most of its operations are classified. As a member of Belltower’s regular divisions, Saxon would have known there was a special operations division, but he never would have heard the name of any of its units, operations, or soldiers. (So he would never have recognized the name “Tyrants”.)
Now, I know it might seem a bit odd to learn that a Belltower spec ops division would shoot down another unit of its company, but The Icarus Effect novel explains why this happens. As for why we never  mentioned the name “Tyrants” in the game, it was because there really wasn’t an appropriate location or way to do so that made sense. (Being that the name is so classified, no one would have mentioned it directly in any communication.)”
So this is a bit spoilery, but do we ever meet any of the real Illuminati in the game? Zhao came across as a underling who wanted into the inner circle. Darrow was a separate agent working with (then against) the Illuminati. I didn't get the impression that Taggert was part of the Illuminati elites, just another agent. So who are the Illuminati? Or is that exactly what you wanted me to wonder? (Jan 27 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16582274684/so-this-is-a-bit-spoilery-but-do-we-ever-meet-any
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
“Zhao, Darrow, and Taggart are all part of the Illuminati, but you’re right: they aren’t part of its highest circle. Those people would be the ones who make up the “Council of Five” (i.e., five individuals who hold the most power and basically make all the really important decisions, while delegating “less important projects” to members of lower circles of power to carry them out. In HR, the Council has delegated the problem of widespread mechanical augmentations to the man we see at the beginning of the game. He, in turn, is using Zhao, Taggart, and Darrow to make it happen.”
While designing the content of the emails in the game, have you actually been inspired by some of yours? Especially when it came to emails from HR departments, for example? - Eildalior (Jan 24 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16408821580/while-designing-the-content-of-the-emails-in-the
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
“Yes – many emails were inspired by emails the writers have received both at work and in our personal lives. Though of course we put our own original spin on most of them!”
what is the in-story explanation for all the secret praxis kits we find in the cities? (Jan 24 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16408788428/what-is-the-in-story-explanation-for-all-the
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
“Several years ago, believe it or not, I found a 20 dollar bill on the sidewalk! Sometimes, people just drop things. 
How come we didn't find out more about some story aspects like Eliza's background and information on White Helix, as well as in game information on the tyrants. Was this left mostly as easter eggs towards Deus Ex and The Icarus Effect? (Jan 24 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16408703122/how-come-we-didnt-find-out-more-about-some-story
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
“No, not really. Our original intention was to enable players to learn more about Eliza and the Tyrants by exploring specific locations and finding books, emails, and/or characters who might be able to tell you more about them. But we needed to have locations in the game where it made sense to find this information, first. For a long time, we planned to have an entire mission take place inside Belltower headquarters – the most logical place to learn about the Tyrants. We also planned a more extensive mission in the city of Montreal, where you would discover a lot more information about Eliza. Unfortunately, late in production we realized had to scale back, and both of these locations got axed. By then it was difficult to find places where it made sense to uncover this information. So it ended up getting cut.”
I have heard rumors of an intimate scene featuring Adam and one of the female characters which was was eventually cut from the final product. Can you shed some light on this? (Jan 18 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16063572537/i-have-heard-rumors-of-an-intimate-scene-featuring
Check your sources. No such scene was cut.
Heyo, the one thing I remember most of all in DX:HR, is the street prophet-guy in Detroit. I could stand there and listen to him for hours. Who wrote his monologue and who's voicing him? (Jan 17 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16011549801/heyo-the-one-thing-i-remember-most-of-all-in
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle says: 
“That particular monologue (which is also one of my favorites, by the way!) was written by Mark Cecere, one of our very talented staff writers here at Eidos Montreal. The actor who voiced the character is Brian Wrench. (Brian also voices several other characters in the game.)” 
I'm wondering; how do you connect the dots? When creating stories as intricate as DE:HR (or various others), how do you stay on top with respect to what results in what happening? Do you lay out all possible choices/paths first and then construct the story around it or do you first build the world, the characters (with a general idea of what you want to do) and then let the specifics materialize from there on out? (Jan 17 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16011500618/im-wondering-how-do-you-connect-the-dots-when
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle says:
“My approach to story creation is to build the world, characters, and underlying conspiracy plan with all involved conspiracy groups (ie, corporations and the like) first, then start working out the actual plot. I know other writers who work in the complete opposite direction, but I personally need to feel grounded in the motives, desires, intentions, and backstories of characters first before trying to work out plot details. When I work in this way, it becomes easier down the road to both come up with and keep track of all the possible choices and paths that might arise.”
I've got a simple question, was Bob Page being involved in the story an idea from the start, or was he worked into the equation later in development? (Jan 17 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16011469190/ive-got-a-simple-question-was-bob-page-being
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle says:
“Yes and no. At the start of conception, we weren’t sure what characters from the original game would play into our story. We only knew that: 1) we wanted to make a prequel; 2) the plot should involve an Illuminati-driven conspiracy aimed at controlling mankind’s evolution (aka transhumanism); and 3) our hero and main villain should be completely new characters. As we developed the conspiracy itself, two more elements became clear: 1) each  aspect of the Illuminati’s plan needed someone to be in charge of it (this is why we ended up creating Taggart and Zhao, for example), and 2) that the Council would not have trusted any of these new characters with overseeing their ENTIRE plan. At that point, it was pretty clear that Bob Page would be involved in the story.
So yes, we knew he would be involved long before the entire plot was figured out, but no, we didn’t know immediately how or why. J
My question is only a yes-or-no question, but I have to know: when Darrow says he intends to tell the world the "unadulterated" truth, does that include the fact that it was he who was driving the mechanically augmented into a murderous rampage? I can't help but feel he'd conveniently leave that out. If I heard his message and it confessed even that, I'd get really, REALLY mad at Darrow for betraying humanity. It would not have set me against mechanical augmentations. (Jan 12 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15725173200/my-question-is-only-a-yes-or-no-question-but-i
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle says:
“Yes, Darrow’s “unadulterated truth” does include the fact that he was the one who had “pressed the red button,” so to speak, and by doing so, had sent mechanically augmented people into a murderous rampage. I am sure, though, that he would have worded this confession in such a way as to make it clear that the technology itself made it possible. Darrow was merely exposing the weakness to show people how vulnerable they had become. If not him, it would have been someone else. And that someone else might have chosen to exploit this weakness in far more devastating and dangerous ways.”
What was the design decision behind making the Panchaea level pretty much a zombie level? As someone who played the game pretty much completely stealthily I think it ruined the flow of the game and made the level a chore to get through. (Jan 11 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15679991396/what-was-the-design-decision-behind-making-the
Game director JF says:
It’s all related to the story. Actually, we did run out of time to make them look the way they should have. They’re simply people with the chip, hallucinating because of what Darrow did. They’re not evil or whatever, they’re just in pure suffering seeing things that don’t exist and therefore acting unpredictably.
And it is totally possible to play the map in stealth mode.
Will we have any flash backs to the Mexicantown Massacre? Will Jensen ever live this event down? (Jul 29 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8214908745/will-we-have-any-flash-backs-to-the-mexicantown
Frank says:
“There are no direct flashbacks in this game, no.
But since this is such a major part of Adam’s story, it’s not impossible it might be explored at a later time.
I would like that myself very much!”
Is the similarity between Sarif Industries and the word "serif" intentional? (Jul 18 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7761344451/is-the-similarity-between-sarif-industries-and-the
Frank says:
Wouldn’t that be interesting? ☺
But we’re not that intelligent.
Unless we are…
How come the augmented people in 2027 don't put some type of silicon like skin covering over their prosthesis so none knows? That way they won't get hassled by everyone. Is it a form of passive protest? (Jul 18 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7761254389/how-come-the-augmented-people-in-2027-dont-put
Frank says:
Well actually, there’s a lot of people with skin coverings. You just didn’t notice… that’s kind of the point isn’t?
Deus Ex has always been centered around mechanical augmentation whether macro-robotic or nano. At any point, was biological augmentation through gene therapy or manipulating DNA to significantly alter the capability of human life ever considered as an antithesis to mechanical augmentation? Giving the humanity purists another thing to worry about and possibly splintering those groups as well (Jul 15 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7652413588/deus-ex-has-always-been-centered-around-mechanical
Big Frank says:
We never considered that, not that I remember.
We knew from the beginning that we wanted to remain faithful to the DX timeline, so mech-augs were pretty much self-evident.
Using biotech instead would’ve been possible, although a bit more complex to implement. Mech-augs are in your face. They are easy to see and thus discriminate against. Biotech is easier to conceal.
the first deus ex didn't shy away from explicitely going into real world conspiracy theories (ones that are prominent even today), will this game be equally as topical and relevant to the 'conspiracy theories' floating around today? (Jun 21 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6765964688/the-first-deus-ex-didnt-shy-away-from-explicitely
The Great JF says:
Albeit the fact that our game is fictional I hope that it can convey some of those aspects for those who are looking for it.
How, why and when did you decide to center the game's story around Human Augmentation? (Jun 20 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6725918856/how-why-and-when-did-you-decide-to-center-the
The Great JF says:
It was 2007. A Monday. I just had my coffee. I think my last sip was at around 9h45 am. Then I remember turning my head 15 degrees to the right looking at JJB. By the time he realizes that I’m looking at him it’s about time to go to lunch, so, noon. Our eyes meet and I say: “this game should be about augmentations, right?” At 12h01 he answers “damn right!”. And we never looked back.
Some smart asses would argue that it didn’t exactly happen like that. They would say that we thought it’d be an interesting topic to explore since it’s at the heart of the DX game experience and we’re already in an era where transhumanism is happening to various degrees. Some would push it by saying that ethical, sociological and political issues would be at the heart of such progress…
But nah… It really happened like I described it in the first place ;) 
== Adam Jensen ==
Why doesn't Adam receive his replacement mirror? Does it have something to do with that semi-threatening email from Athena on the landlady's computer about evicting people, and/or the other email saying someone upped and left without explanation? Or does the landlady just hate him >.> (Nov 26 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/36613773952/why-doesnt-adam-receive-his-replacement-mirror
Keep investigating - my hint is to look towards the landlord :)
Is Adam the type of guy who wears y-fronts or boxers? (Aug 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/29569437121/is-adam-the-type-of-guy-who-wears-y-fronts-or
We’re sad you didn’t suggest “going commando."
Is Adam Jensen augmented to avoid smiling? (Aug 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/29569197208/is-adam-jensen-augmented-to-avoid-smiling
One might say his smile is augmented.
I like Adam's fighting style. It's like bar-fighting mixed with MMA. What was the inspiration for this? (Mar 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/19399208897/i-like-adams-fighting-style-its-like
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“Our initial inspiration came a lot from Brazilian’s Capoeira. We thought it had elegance to it and yet, it was spectacular. But we struggled quite a bit with that one for too long and eventually, our animation director took it in a more street brawler kind of direction because we couldn’t nail the original feel we were going for.”
I was wondering, why does Adam have an interest in fixing or making clockwork machinery? (May 22 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/23554153617/i-was-wondering-why-does-adam-have-an-interest-in
Mary DeMarle says:
“Adam has always liked to work with his hands. He’s also always had an innate curiosity about how things work. He’s been frequenting pawn shops and/or antique stores for as long as he can remember, looking for unusual, mechanically-powered clocks or wind-up toys to take apart, clean up, and restore to mint working condition. Since the attack on Sarif Industries, this hobby has taken on renewed importance to him. Having lost so much of his own body to mechanical pieces, perhaps he’s seeking to understand who he is.”
How does Adam Jensen get through airport security? What about regular augmented people who don't have swords in their arms and bombs in their chests? Do they have to take their arms off, or...? (May 8 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/22653909783/how-does-adam-jensen-get-through-airport-security
DX:HR game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“Well, as society evolves, laws, rules, processes, politics evolve too. So, my guess is that the society infrastructures are somewhat adapted to this new reality of augmentations.
And when you look at it, what do airports do when a passenger is filled with metal parts for a knee or a tibia, etc.?”
How would Adam act if he met JC or Paul? (Aug 6 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/28841140343/how-would-adam-act-if-he-met-jc-or-paul
He’d ask them “Who is your daddy and what does he do?" 
How does Adam maintain that perfect point at the tip of his beard despite everything he goes through? (Jan 6 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15413019646/how-does-adam-maintain-that-perfect-point-at-the 
We answered this question on an EMP Minisode. http://soundcloud.com/eidosmontreal/emp-minisode-11-adams-beard
Some of us have noted similarities between Adam Jensen and Christian Bale playing Batman, especially voice-wise. So to settle our debate once and for all. Is Adam Jensen actually Batman? (Dec 19 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14470753527/some-of-us-have-noted-similarities-between-adam
We answered this question on a minisode! 
http://soundcloud.com/eidosmontreal/emp-minisode-5-batman
What about Adam's body heat? Now that hes' just a head n' a torso would he lose heat faster? How does he compensate for this? If he goes into cold weather, wouldn't his metal augs just seep out all the heat in his body? Also, what about his metabolism? Now that he's, y'know, just a head n' a torso all that Crunchy Pirate must be just shooting right through him. (Nov 24 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/13255397742/what-about-adams-body-heat-now-that-hes-just-a
Frank says:
“Augmentations are insulated to preserve body heat, otherwise patients would die from hypothermia.
As for the Crunchy Pirate, Adam still has all the internal organs you and I have. So his digestive cycle is the same as ours.”
I should have stuck this question in with the others I put forward about an hour ago, but no matter. If the main character was a female, would they be modified any differently? Anything you'd outfit a female lead with that you haven't Adam or anything you'd take away from what already is the lead's modifications like the glasses maybe or change the blade shapes or anything like that? (Sep 8 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9963429875/i-should-have-stuck-this-question-in-with-the
Frank says:
“I’d like to think that if Adam was a woman we’d treat the whole thing exactly the same.”
Would Adam loose body heat faster due to the metal augmentations? Also, does he have sensation in them? (Sep 7 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9917472041/would-adam-loose-body-heat-faster-due-to-the-metal
Frank says:
“I don’t believe he would. The connection between metal and flesh would have to be insulated, since you wouldn’t want extra heat coming from the augs to be transferred to the body either.
And yes, he does have sensation in them, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to control the strength of his grip.”
Having in mind that Adam's body is 2/3 replaced by augmentations .. is Adam sexually capable ? I mean does he have his original ... parts down there ? (Sep 6 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9876975667/having-in-mind-that-adams-body-is-23-replaced-by
Frank says:
“What a shame we cut the sex scene from the game.
You would’ve gotten your answer. ;)”
In the trailer Jensen grabs a glass and it freezes the drink. How come i cant do that to the beer and wine i get from the streets? i like my drinks cold. (Sep 27 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10727243461/in-the-trailer-jensen-grabs-a-glass-and-it-freezes
Frank says:
“If you look more closely, you’ll see that the drink doesn’t freeze, it’s the glass that cracks because Adam has trouble controlling the pressure he’s exerting on it.”
With all due respect, loving the game, but one detail is bugging me: Why are Adams arms so short? I always find arms a bit on the longish side more aesthetically pleasing, do you prefer tiny t-rex arms over there? Best / Emanuel G. (Sep 26 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10686714489/with-all-due-respect-loving-the-game-but-one
Frank says:
“I believe this was due to equal parts stylization and modeling.”
Why are Adam's armblades never discussed in game ? Not only are they unorthodox weapons, they are also part of Adam's body. Someone at Sarif must have designed them, and he must have had practice with them. (Sep 26 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10686655439/why-are-adams-armblades-never-discussed-in-game
Frank says:
“I guess it just got lost in the cracks.
It wasn’t a conscious decision.”
Adam's legs are augmented, right? What do his feet look like? Please tell me they're not creepy Namir-feet... (Feb 13 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/17558556504/adams-legs-are-augmented-right-what-do-his-feet
Art director JJB said:
“Yes they are. We did design them, and drafted quite a few versions of what his legs could look like. Some of the things we came up with were quite spiffy! However, because we knew the legs would not actually get shown in the game, we mostly came up with those ideas to inform ourselves of the possibilities (either aesthetic or technological) more than to create the actual final design of his legs. Now, as far as his feet are concerned, some designs had them even more "twisted” than Namir’s. But those are not the designs I would have settled for. However, the human foot probably does have some flaws that would make no sense reproducing in an all new augmented and more efficient foot; and I definitely took these variables into account when designing Adam’s. So, in conclusion: no not as weird as Namir’s, but yes, different than a regular human biological foot.“
Well I have a question good sir. Why the H-E-double hockey sticks Sarif ordered these fancy face-plugged specs for Adam? (Jan 23 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16349233382/well-i-have-a-question-good-sir-why-the
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“Good question. Nobody said that it was something implanted by Sarif. Those are normal glasses. Maybe after the operation, Jensen wanted to hide is artificial eyes from the public eye. Or maybe it was meant to symbolize that he needs to protect himself from the outside world, that he’s now more distant because of what he went through. Or something like that.”
Community manager Kyle Stallock here. Alternatively, there’s this explanation:
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=306
If you could add new augmentation that was non-combat but relevant to Adam as a character, what would you consider and why? (Jan 23 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16349163680/if-you-could-add-new-augmentation-that-was
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said: 
“An augmentation to detect liars because he meets a lot along the way and he wouldn’t be double-crossed as often. ;)”
There's a part about Adam only needing to have his chest and an arm replaced, did you ever consider putting the decision for additional augmentations into the player's hand instead of Sarif's? Like having to augment the legs to jump higher for example? (Jan 20 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16175436838/theres-a-part-about-adam-only-needing-to-have-his
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“Actually, Jensen is fully augmented from the get go (legs included), he needs to get accustomed to his new parts before being able to unleash their full potential. But it wasn’t always like that; early in development, player had to decide to go under surgery for new augs but it made the “leveling up” system rigid. You could only built up your character in certain places, moments. We wanted to give players more flexibility, hence the change to the system you know today.”
The main character Jensen & other Augmented super soldiers have great abilities with their mechanical organs. But why this Augmentation freaks can't withstand a simple Taser Shot or a EMP blast. It's just lame. Why's that? PS: "I asked this question using my CASIE implant. Hope the pheromones do their trick" (Jan 20 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16175391061/the-main-character-jensen-other-augmented-super
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“Because it’s a newly developing technology field that has still to iron out some technical deficiencies!”
So does Adam's coat auto-regenerate after using the backwards armblades, or what? This was seriously one of the top 3 things that bugged me in the game :) (Jan 20 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16175096092/so-does-adams-coat-auto-regenerate-after-using
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“The coat has been tailored according to Jensen’s surprising abilities. Like the holes allowing the typhoon pellets to come out.”
Exactly what body parts is Adam supposed to have had replaced or changed? I understand he retains his internal organs, but surely bones like his spine (and ribs, clavicles, pelvis?) would have need to have been replaced or bolstered to be able to withstand the forces his arms and legs are now capable of. And congratulations on the game - you've made a game that's truly belongs the Deus Ex franchise. I can't wait for more. (There is more coming, right?) (Jan 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15960705496/exactly-what-body-parts-is-adam-supposed-to-have
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas says: 
“Hmmm… Very interesting question. To be frankly honest, we never got that deep in those details so your answer is as good as ours.”
Adam Jensen - Revan from KoTOR.I want you to compare! (Jan 11 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15680085641/adam-jensen-revan-from-kotori-want-you-to
Game director JF says:
“Errr… Hard question. Jensen is blue collar that was saved by aug technologies making him more than human but he didn’t became evil because of that. We don’t know much about Revan (at least, I don’t). I just know he turned to the dark side, eventually redeeming himself, etc. So, for me, there are not much comparisons to make since our character never played with the 2 sides of the coin.”
Is Adam Jensen's look based on David Gandy? (Jan 11 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15680010914/is-adam-jensens-look-based-on-david-gandy
Game director JF says:
Not at all. I actually had to look on Internet to find out who this guy is. Adam was mainly based around a younger Clint Eastwood and Vincent Cassel.
Will we be able to style Adam's hair? Maybe dye it and get a nice perm? Better yet augment it with laser like abilities! OMG, is that what broke the mirror is Adam's apartment, the lasers?! (Jul 29 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8214890693/will-we-be-able-to-style-adams-hair-maybe-dye-it
Frank says:
“Yes, hair-lasers broke Adam’s mirror.
So now you understand why putting in a feature allowing you to style his hair would’ve been irresponsible on our part.
Imagine stealthing you way into a compound and finding a mirror. You’d probably feel an urge to fiddle around with your hair (yeah, I know you would) and – oh no – lasers!
You’d be dead in seconds.
I don’t need those angry letters.”
What is the back story on the face stamp that Sarif put on Jensen's face? Is that where the bullet entered and they were just lazy about covering it up? I would be pissed if they saved me but stamped my face, just saying. It does look cool though... (Jul 29 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8214875377/what-is-the-back-story-on-the-face-stamp-that
Frank says:
“Are you referring to the hexagon on Adam’s forehead?
I believe it’s just a cover plate to access his hacking augmentation.”
Today is my brithday! So... how Adam Jensen celebrates his birthday? I wonder if I give him a present he will say "I never ask for this" (Jul 28 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8170683747/today-is-my-brithday-so-how-adam-jensen
Frank says:
Happy birthday!
I believe Adam spent his last birthday alone in his apartment. I know, it’s sad, but it’s an important step if you want to maintain your dark and gloomy personality for everybody else to enjoy the other 364 ¼ days of the year.
As for what he’d say to you if you gave him a present, it all depends on what you’re giving him.
Praxis kits or bullets are fine. He loooves those!
A multi-million dollar surgery in which augmentations he doesn’t need are crammed into his body against his will, leaving him unsure of what he’s become… not so much.
Happy shopping!
== Other characters ==
Played DXHR for 129 hours now; it's fantastic, and only one thing really sticks out to me. In the director's cut trailer, Sarif, Eliza, and Taggart had a much more serious sound to their voices. but in the game, the voice actors played them as a little whiny, almost like caricatures of the trailer. Was that a stylistic change, to lighten the mood? If Sarif wasn't so whiny and condescending towards me, I wouldn't have arm-shanked him in Panchaea. Taggart too. (Nov 26 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/36613013907/played-dxhr-for-129-hours-now-its-fantastic-and
Hey, thanks for the question, that’s some interesting feedback. Tough to answer, but I’ll venture a guess (but bear in mind that I don’t speak for the audio team): Recording in-game dialogue is different than recording for a trailer. Delivery has to be different (more neutral) so that it will sound believable in context regardless of what is happening at that moment in-game, wheres recording for film (ie. a trailer) is a lot different because you know EXACTLY how the line will be heard and in exactly what context. Additionally, trailers and in-game dialogue are recorded at different times during development and in some cases with different methods/techniques. I’m guessing that any discrepancies you’re hearing are a result of the sum of these differences. Game on!
Hi. My name is Dean, I work for the Deus Ex wiki. I was wondering if you could clear up a problem for us. In the credits for the game, there is a character named Christian Charest, voiced by Vlasta Vrana. However, he has yet to be found in the game. Could you possibly tell us more about him, and his role in Deus Ex: Human Revolution? Thanks! (Oct 4 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/32896219307/hi-my-name-is-dean-i-work-for-the-deus-ex-wiki
The character in question is the retired police officer that Jensen goes to speak to during the “Motherly Ties” side quest. He was originally named “Christian Charest” in our story documentation, but somehow when the final dialogs were polished just prior to the recording session, his name got changed in dialog to “Detective Chase.” I’m not 100% sure why… or why we never caught it in the credits! J
Hi, first off you have created one of the greatest video games of all time so congrats! Now for my question: I found that your characters were very complex and had various motivations, yet there seemed to be almost no screen time to the most interesting female characters such as Megan Reed and Yelena Fedorova. Were these woman originally planned to be in the game more often? As I felt Yelena was a great opportunity to add some sex appeal to the game. (Mar 13 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/19236236526/hi-first-off-you-have-created-one-of-the-greatest
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said: 
“I really wish we could have given both of those women more screen time. We knew from the start that it would be hard to see much of Megan, given that [SPOILER ALERT] she gets kidnapped in the first few minutes of the game, so we initially planned a completely different opening sequence to counteract this. (This opening had you breaking into Sarif’s headquarters in order to test their security systems, using Megan as your “inside-man” and briefer. It also included a conversation boss fight against Megan at the end of the sequence so that you could learn more about Adam’s and her failed relationship. Unfortunately, too many people on the team didn’t think we could pull this opening sequence off – since we planned to “trick” the player into thinking they were actually breaking into a competitor’s firm for most of it, so we had to drop it.) In the end, I believe the opening we have works better for setting up the world and story, but it did mean losing valuable screen time with Megan.
As for Yelena, we designed her character before our blueprint was completed. (For those who don’t know, the “blueprint” is a document we create before production begins that merges story and gameplay together, resulting in actual missions that convey story.) We did hope that we’d see more of her and the other boss characters when we designed them, but unfortunately things didn’t work out that way.”
Question for Mary if I may? I remember her saying in an interview many months back that she develops characters using 4 main traits, is this something that she used only for Jensen, or was it used for all characters? Would love to hear more about that aspect of writing characters for the game! (Feb 29, 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/18499316670/question-for-mary-if-i-may-i-remember-her-saying
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
“Defining character traits in order to fully develop a character is a technique we used for all the main story characters, not just Jensen. Personally, I like to stick to four because I feel four gives a nice balance between choosing traits that can simultaneously complement AND contradict each other without diluting the personality too much. However, every writer has his or her own technique, and in the course of Human Revolution’s story development phase, I would often assign the task of fleshing out specific characters and their backstories to other writers on the team (once we’d discussed them thoroughly together and agreed on the essential personality). Some of those writers would list more than four traits, but even so it was pretty apparent which four were the strongest.”
A question for the lovely Mary DeMarle and the DX:HR Writing Staff: I just want to know more about the "Michael Zelazny" character from the Talion A.D. quest. For a character with such a small role in the game, it looked like a lot of effort was made creating the background for him. For example, his tendency to quote several passages from the Bible that reflects his current situation yet he's hardly a religious person. What are some of the inspirations for creating him? (Dec 20 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14511297204/a-question-for-the-lovely-mary-demarle-and-the
Eidos-Montreal community manager Kyle Stallock here as always.
I asked Mary to answer this, but here’s what she said: “Actually, Kyle, the person who should answer this is JF Champagne, since he wrote that quest and created that character.”
So, here’s game designer Jean-Francois Champagne responding:
I always liked the Warrior/Priest concept: a man of masterful martial ability driven by a deep intellect and a strong spiritual inspiration. In my opinion, these men are the ultimate leaders and the greatest generals. So the first part of my inspiration for that character was simply to create a cyberpunk version of that concept.
Secondly, I wanted to create a character that played around with classic stereotypes and turned them on their heads. Zelazny is an original take on the Mercenary, the Terrorist and the Religious Man stereotypes.
Instead of the classic gun-for-hire with no notions of morality, we have a man who enjoys military life and chose that life because of a genuine belief in his government. He didn’t sell his services to a private PMC because of greed or lack of principles, he simply rationally came to the conclusion that with the added budget and capabilities, these PMCs offered him a chance to serve his country more efficiently. That’s also why he accepted to take part in the experiment that’s behind this whole quest: dedication.
Also, I wanted to explore the Augmented Terrorist concept from a different angle: instead of the usual “blinded by his convictions” extremist, we have an intelligent man with a very rational approach to what he’s doing. He is perfectly conscious of the damnable nature of his actions, he simply decided that the penalty was worth it. I definitely do not condone terrorism, but at the same time I wanted to showcase that things aren’t always as black and white as they often appear.
Finally, the Bible quotations. I liked the idea of a religious man that was actually cool about it. I mean, it seems that every time we see a religious person pictured in works of fiction, they are always extreme, blinded by faith, obsessed, prejudiced or close-minded. But in real life, I know a lot of religious people who are very rational and poised. They are respectful and don’t bother people with their beliefs, they just have them. In some cases, these people are only conscious of the importance of spirituality and thus enjoy these subjects, the religious scriptures and history. This is how I pictured Zelazny: a man with a strong spiritual presence that is smart enough to take what he likes from the Scriptures and adapt it so it gives purpose to his life on his own terms.
Then again– part of me simply wanted an excuse to create a bad ass dude that could drop an incessant flow of bad ass one liners… and what’s more bad ass than a super-augmented dude with a huge gun quoting the Book ;)
why was namir not wearing any clothes in his boss fight? (Nov 24 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/13255319540/why-was-namir-not-wearing-any-clothes-in-his-boss
Frank says:
“To show off his ‘bod, of course. Wouldn’t you?
I do all the time…”
Has Namir's torso been replaced by an augmented counterpart, or is he wearing a suit over it? (Nov 24 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/13255306027/has-namirs-torso-been-replaced-by-an-augmented
Frank says:
“The fake muscle you see on him are a set of custom-made arms, legs and dermal plating.
Underneath the plating, Namir’s torso is still flesh and blood, like Adam’s.”
Regarding the Missing Link trailer, is the man with the southern USA accent (and who is partially seen) the current leader of the Illuminati, as of Human Revolution, Lucius DeBeers? Oh, and I will have a slight gush by saying that I think all of the dev team has done a brilliant job working every detail of Human Revolution to foreshadow the original Deus Ex. You have an excellent team of writers, designers, artists, coders, QA and support staff. I salute you. (Sep 14 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10207912421/regarding-the-missing-link-trailer-is-the-man
Dbed says:
“The man in the trailer is Pieter Burke, a high-ranking operative in Belltower Associates. And while he might not be the ultimate big fish, he is one mean son of a bitch… You will definitely want to kick his ass until he cries for help!”
How did David Sarif"s arm become augmented? (Sep 21 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10481226430/how-did-david-sarifs-arm-become-augmented
Frank says:
“He got it chopped off so he could play better baseball at the company picnic.”
Who are the new characters and will anyone from The Icarus Effect play a role in The Missing Link? (Sep 14 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10207926266/who-are-the-new-characters-and-will-anyone-from
Dbed says:
“The new characters are Netanya Keitner and Pieter Burke. Both work for Belltower Associates. More info on them soon!
And while it is not essential in any way to have read The Icarus Effect, it is certainly a good idea to do so not only because the DLC has subtle references to it, but also because it’s a great novel, period.”
[SPOILERS] About Megan's bracelet: During the side-quest 'Motherly Ties', Adam can find Megan's bracelet in a locked safe and either hand it to her mother or keep it to himself. My question is, at the end of the game when we finally reunite with Megan, she is wearing the same bracelet, which leaves me confused given the aforementioned side-quest. Was this an oversight or is there an in-game explanation for it? There is no indication of Megan getting another bracelet, either. (Feb 13 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/17558604395/spoilers-about-megans-bracelet-during-the
Art director JJB said:
“Megan had two such bracelets. The one she lost (and the one from the "Motherly Ties” sidequest) is the one that gave her +5 resistance to poison, and also nullified sleep spells. The bracelet she did not lose, which is the one you see when Adam gets reunited with her, is the one that gives her +43% Fortitude. The world of Human Revolution is full of neat goodies ain’t it!? ;P
Nah, but seriously, one of the most common continuity mistakes made in videogames (in my experience) happen when you have pre-rendered cutscenes. What happens is that the “real-time” asset management links are broken between the in-game assets and the pre-rendered assets. It can cause all sorts of problems when designs are changed or as the story evolves and transforms. What we have here is a classic case of that. The bracelet on the pre-rendered Megan model was probably never taken off, and this problem was either entirely overlooked, or it got lost in all the thousands of things we knew needed to get fixed at some point; which in the case of a pre-rendered cutscene would have meant re-rendering the entire scene or sequence. But as far as I’m concerned, we just didn’t see it happen at all. It’s a bit like all the wristwatches they forgot to take off from the extras in the movie Ben Hur. Thanks for pointing it out though ;D"
Was the radio guy talking about the bilderbergs supposed to be a parody of Alex Jones? (Jan 17 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16011525094/was-the-radio-guy-talking-about-the-bilderbergs
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle says:
“This character was inspired by several people, actually – both real and imaginary ones. Alex Jones was definitely one source of inspiration, but so were sports commentator Jim Rome and a fictional character from the movie “Eight-legged Freaks” – Harlan Griffith.”
What is Megan Reed's natural hair color, and are the changes reflective or symbolic of her and Adam's relationship or her character development? (Jan 12 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15725151946/what-is-megan-reeds-natural-hair-color-and-are
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle says:
“Megan’s natural hair color is a light brown; so light, it might also be classified as a “dirty blond.” She never changes her hair color in the game (if it appears to be different at any point, it’s simply because of the way various environments are lit).”
== Artistic design, art direction, and inspirations ==
One of my very few complaints about DE:HR is the ever-present "Roombas." Why don't they move? The first two games had rats and such, and it seems like the Roomba vacuum cleaners could have fulfilled that role here. Was it just a lack of development time? (Nov 26 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/36613677409/one-of-my-very-few-complaints-about-dehr-is-the
haha they *do* work, just not when you’re around… Did you ever notice any dirty carpet? ;)
There is a major difference with technology in the year 2027 and year 2052. In 2027, everything was clean and shiny, almost all tech was more advanced and augmentations were all over the place. In 2052, everything is dirty, techology seems to have gone backwards and augmentations seem very rare. Big cities such as Hong Kong and New York are nothing like Detroit or Hengsha. Most things are like out of the late 20th century. What happened between these years and why has everything changed? (Mar 19 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/19578598503/there-is-a-major-difference-with-technology-in-the
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“We didn’t try to visually match the old games at all. The real world has evolved dramatically in the last 12 years and our goal was to ground players in an anticipated future based on what we take for granted today, not on what we thought back 1999. It’s all about the credibility of the world we want to create. So, that’s why there is such a great visual disconnect. We didn’t want to artificially limit ourselves in what we wanted to do.”
I was replaying both DX1 and HR recently and noticed this thing in how characters act in the game world where DX1's are more relaxed and had a more "stable" vibe around them (if that makes any sense) while at the beginning of HR everyone seems to be very tense and prone to emotional outbursts (aside from the intro level). I'm curious if this was at all a conscious decision or if i'm overthinking it. Don't get me wrong, i love the game, hence my 3rd playthrough, but it seemed to make them dull. (Mar 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/19399276695/i-was-replaying-both-dx1-and-hr-recently-and
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said: 
“I think you over think it! LOL! Back in the day, character animation was much more stiff that what we can do today. Well, our characters look stiff too when I think about it… ;)”
why are the television screens showing the news in DE:HR motionless unlike the ones shown in the trailer? In my opinion it downsized Eliza's importance as a character in the game world. (Mar 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/19399254155/why-are-the-television-screens-showing-the-news-in 
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said: 
“For simple reasons, really. Memory, money, time.”
(Spoilers ahoy) How did a final level that replaced the excellent enemies from the rest of the game with boring zombies that only ever ran straight at you seem like a remotely good idea at the time? (Mar 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/19399106910/spoilers-ahoy-how-did-a-final-level-that
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said: 
“It’s all related to the story. Actually, we did run out of time to make them look the way they should have. They’re simply people with the chip, hallucinating because of what Darrow did. They’re not evil or whatever, they’re just in pure suffering seeing things that don’t exist and therefore acting unpredictably.
To be honest, I don’t think we did a good job on that one.”
I know that the golden colour scheme was meant to evoke a Renaissance feel, but what was the purpose of all the game's honey and bee imagery? DX:HR is littered with honeycomb patterns, from the windows and floor tiles to the HUD. The palette brings bumblebees to mind, there's a club called 'The Hive', and Faridah's plane is coded B-EE 008. Did you intend some kind of thematic comparison between the augmented future and a scurrying hive of insects? I feel like I'm missing something here. (Feb 13 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/17558696103/i-know-that-the-golden-colour-scheme-was-meant-to
Art director JJB said:
“Sadly, you are not missing anything. The only purposeful and thematic intentions in relation to the hexagons are in the Hive Club in Lower Hengsha. Because it is called the Hive, I thought it made sense when the concept artist proposed the honeycomb visual direction for the location. Also, because it is Tong’s hangout spot as well as some of his men, I thought the analogy with a bee hive made sense. This bee hive idea was even then included in some dialogues and extra story bits.
See, in reality, I truly dislike hexagons as an aesthetic choice. I think they are way too overused in futuristic video game designs. Now, this being said, it is true that they are still a certain amount of hexagons in Deus Ex: Human Revolution. But whenever they are present, it is either because I thought they made absolute thematic and contextual sense, or because I overlooked them when they were created (it such a vast game visually speaking that sometimes I just couldn’t review or see everything), or because I got lazy and just said what the hell (It happens… LOL).
To summarize, you are absolutely right about the black and gold being an informed analogy to the Renaissance. Also, the black represents the dystopian cyberpunk side of the game, and the gold represents the humanistic side. And as far as geometrical shapes are concerned, the true iconic shape of Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the triangle. It is thoroughly and deliberately layered all over the game, and it does have a true underlying meaning in relation to the game’s motifs and tropes.”
I think you did a great job of connecting the original Deus Ex together with Human Revolution, whilst creating a fully developed, original visual style that is not only striking to look at, but is effectively connected to the game mechanics and ensuring immersion. Are there any contemporary artists or architects in particular that inspired the art direction for the game? (Dec 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14125674720/i-think-you-did-a-great-job-of-connecting-the
JJB says:
“Absolutely. Here’s a short list for you:
*- Zaha Hadid
*- Gareth Pugh
*- Alexander McQueen
*- Izmojuki
*- Yoji Shinkawa
*- Arie Van Herpen
*- Issey Miyake
*- Liam Gillick
*- Tsutomu Nihei
*- Andrew Loomis
*- Alvar Aalto
*- Tommie Wilhelmsen
*- Damien Hirst”
Something that still bugs me about modern day games is how every mirror in the world is broken, blurred or replaced with something else. Are reflections that much of a factor in rendering times, that they have to be removed entirely? (Dec 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14125653146/something-that-still-bugs-me-about-modern-day
JF says:
“Technical constraints. That’s it. We could have done it but it taxes the hardware and we would have needed to compromise elsewhere which we didn’t want to.”
Where did you guys find the inspiration for the Panchea? It's an immense building project in the game, and the official goals of the project is rooted in actual science but I'm curious as to what made you pick that specific "solution" to global warming and how you came to think of the ring/hole to the ocean floor design. (Dec 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14120739830/where-did-you-guys-find-the-inspiration-for-the
JF says:
“When we brainstormed for locations, JJB (art director) really pushed to have a hole in the middle of the ocean. We thought it was kinda cool so when went forward with it. We retro-fitted the in-world justification of that structure after with real scientific foundations.”
You're ''Eidos Montreal''... so as a fellow Montrealer, Pourquoi est-ce que le Stade Olympique (tour PICUS) est collé au Centre Ville dans le jeu, et que géographiquement il est collé à la station Frontenac ? Merci :) (Dec 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14120636860/youre-eidos-montreal-so-as-a-fellow
JF says:
“Comme le background est un « fake » et que nous n’avions pas beaucoup de temps à mettre dessus, on n’a pas eu le temps de le « polisher » comme je l’aurais voulu. J’étais toujours sur le dos de l’artiste pour être sûr que ça ressemble à la réalité mais j’ai dû faire des compromis. Voilà ! ;)”
Why did you remove the black, yellow theme in the DLC? Is there a change in the message or tone? (Nov 25 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/13303692923/why-did-you-remove-the-black-yellow-theme-in-the
JJB says:
“We wanted to create a bit of a break from the main game. Create a slight disconnection in order to separate the two. The black and gold is still definitely there in the DLC, but there’s less of it. The idea behind this is that Adam kinda threads off course for a little while, almost into another main mission or story that is less connected to the main game; it’s slightly stand alone-ish. And to support this message and effect, we decided to part away from the main game’s color palette a bit in order to represent this concept that Adam is straying off course, that he is losing precious time. Also, but that’s a secret between you and me, I wanted to let the art team forget about the black and gold for a little while. Give them a bit of a color spectrum breather you know ;)”
Home come all the hobos look so fit and thin, and well, normal? Did JJB not want to make hobos a bit more hobo-tastic? (Nov 25 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/13303619547/home-come-all-the-hobos-look-so-fit-and-thin-and
JJB says:
“I have to admit that the homeless people did not in fact come out really "hobo-tastic.” See, production schedules can sometimes be really tight, and we end up having too much to do and things must be scaled back. That’s what happened with those characters. We did indeed planned for a truly hobo-tastic NPC “kit” where they would have looked just right. But in the end, we simply took the regular non-homeless-looking NPC “kits” and just add stains and dirt all over their already existing clothing textures. Not the most convincing results I would admit, but we did with what we had; and in the end the message still comes across even if not as hobo-tastic as it could or should have been.“
Love the game. How much did Gibson's Neuromancer influence the design of the game. (Sep 6 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9876892951/love-the-game-how-much-did-gibsons-neuromancer
Frank says:
“Impossible to say.
Everything we watched, everything we read kinda melded into our minds.
There was nothing we specifically took from the book, but it probably unconsciously influenced many decisions we made,”
How much/why do you love Blade Runner? I feel like I'm playing in the BR universe, which is AMAZING. I found an easter egg at the police station and I think I even recognized sounds from the movie in the streets of Shanghai... (Sep 6 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9876883851/how-muchwhy-do-you-love-blade-runner-i-feel-like
Frank says:
“I love it a lot.
We all do over here. It’s the grand-daddy of cyberpunk movies.”
Just watched "I, Robot" again, and the main character resembles Jensen a lot. Their apartment felt especially similar. Any inspiration taken from that movie? Was making Jensen a black man ever an considered? Cobra (Sep 27 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10727290764/just-watched-i-robot-again-and-the-main
Frank says:
“Nope, as far as I know this movie doesn’t figure as one of our inspirations.”
A bit of a weird question, but was Robocop an influence in the game? Seems a bit of a coincidence that Adam (sort of!) ends up the same way as Alex Murphy, both set in Detroit of the future :P (Sep 27 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10727193052/a-bit-of-a-weird-question-but-was-robocop-an
Frank says:
“There’s an overheard conversation in Detroit’s police station that answers this.”
what was the inspiration for heng sha (Sep 16 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10282065289/what-was-the-inspiration-for-heng-sha
Frank says:
“I believe the inspiration was twofold.
First was the desire to create a location that is visually striking.
The second was to explore just what a thriving corporation with too much money and manpower could accomplish.”
Who came up with the Robocop / Alex Murphy / Officer Lewis reference at the police station? :-) (Jan 24 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16408845384/who-came-up-with-the-robocop-alex-murphy
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
“I don’t think it was any one person. That is, I know that level designer in charge of the Police Station requested that we write a specific overheard conversation relating to Robocop, but his request might have come after several of us had already come up with ways to include subtle references to the film in the game. The great thing about working in games, and on Deus Ex: Human Revolution in particular, is that it’s a true collaborative effort. One person’s ideas spur another person’s, and in the end you really don’t know which idea was whose.”
Will Human Revolution feature child NPCs? The original game and Invisible War are some of the few games that allow you to kill children; is the option going to be there in HR as well? (Aug 8 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8644848671/will-human-revolution-feature-child-npcs-the
Frank says:
“Nope. No one under 18.”
Did you draw inspiration from Ghost in the Shell? (Aug 5 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8513629341/did-you-draw-inspiration-from-ghost-in-the-shell
Frank says:
Creation is often an amalgam of influences. So the answer would have to be yes.
I was curious, did you all draw any amount of inspiration from William Gibson's novel Neruomancer? (Jul 15 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7652369445/i-was-curious-did-you-all-draw-any-amount-of
Big Frank says:
Indirectly, yes.
When you’re doing cyberpunk, it’s kinda hard not to.
I believe Jean-Francois said at one point that he’d never read it.
But I did!
Ha!
Hi there... well I'm brazilian... and you should know... how own english is bad by nature... but I wanna know what's the artistic influences of Dx HE beyond Rembrandt and his Frame? can we see another famous renascentist frame beyond this? thank you, and congratulations... this game gonna be FUCKING EPIC! (Jun 30 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7090382250/hi-there-well-im-brazilian-and-you-should
The Great JF says:
This painting has been used as a specific analogy in our game. We didn’t start a collection of Renaissance galleries with all the famous artists of that period of time though, LOL!
Thanks man! Really appreciated!
I saw an interview that said you were inspired by some underground anime while making the game. Can you tell us some of the specific sources that inspired you? (Jun 20 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6725861252/i-saw-an-interview-that-said-you-were-inspired-by
The Great JF says:
I might have been talking about “Solty Rei”.
Did you guys take any inspiration from particular cyberpunk books/series? if so what were they and where would we notice them? (Aug 17 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9036879388/did-you-guys-take-any-inspiration-from-particular
Frank says:
“I know there’s some Gibson and some Stephenson in there.
Shadowrun was a good source of inspiration for the hacking.”
== Game development and production ==
Seeing how Deus Ex HR was published by SE, how did the game sell in Japan? Did people like it as much as people in the rest of the world? (Nov 26 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/36613356411/seeing-how-deus-ex-hr-was-published-by-se-how-did
Square Enix doesn’t release sales figures publicly, but I do know that they have a focus on making western games accessible to Japanese markets. As such, Deus Ex: Human Revolution was released in Japan with all of the preorder DLC included, plus the additional missions and weapons already unlocked.
How long did it take to develop deus ex h+ (Nov 26 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/36611763718/how-long-did-it-take-to-develop-deus-ex-h
4 years!
What are your thoughts on developing for the PC versus developing for a console? (Mar 19 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/19578546438/what-are-your-thoughts-on-developing-for-the-pc
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“I don’t really see a difference anymore. Back in the 90’s we were all about PC vs consoles, etc. I think those days are gone. Today, I do believe that people want to live great experiences. Whether it’s on PC, iPad, consoles or whatever, they want to be entertained and it is all that matters to me. So, I approach the different platforms with the same attitude but I recognize that we need to adapt controls, UI, some visual features, etc.”
How will you handle the DX11 features since OS X does not have Direct X? (Apr 24 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/21728799160/how-will-you-handle-the-dx11-features-since-os-x
Feral Interactive said:
“Because many of the features of DirectX 11 have only just become available in Apple’s implementation of OpenGL (Open Graphics Library, the API most Mac applications use to draw 3D objects), we haven’t included them in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, though we’ll be looking at doing so in the future.
However, people with non-augmented eyes will find it very hard to tell the difference.”
Will it be available on Steam as part of Steam Play? (As in: free for owners of the PC version and available as a package deal for others?) (Apr 24 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/21726081138/will-it-be-available-on-steam-as-part-of-steam
Feral Interactive said: 
“Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Ultimate Edition will not be released on Steam, nor will it use SteamPlay to allow PC users to download the Mac version game for free. Sorry! The game will, however, be available from a variety of download stores including the Mac App Store.” 
Will the Mac version of HR support existing and possible future DLC? (Apr 24 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/21726023348/will-the-mac-version-of-hr-support-existing-and
Feral Interactive said:
“Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Ultimate Edition will not only support but include all existing DLC. That’s The Missing Link, the Tactical Enhancement and Explosive Mission packs, the game’s soundtrack, a DC motion comic, a “Making-of” documentary, an artbook (a physical version for DVD customers, PDF for everyone else) and a selection of trailers.”
In terms of working with actors and writers, was it more expensive to work with them on CASIE if they acted with more subtleties? Or you give them a flat fee and say "thats what I paid you for". Also is there anything Ad Libbed? anything the actors or writers did for "free" that they did to make the game better above and beyond? Thanks! (Dec 15 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14265868634/in-terms-of-working-with-actors-and-writers-was
Audio director Steve Szczepkowski responds:
“We are in Canada so we work mainly with ACTRA ( the Canadian union that manages actors) They get paid on an hourly rate as well as by how many roles they are taking on….( Example : a 4 hr session allows me to have them do 3 different character voices maximum during that period)  SO we have to manage & work within those restrictions. The ACTRA union has very strict guidelines. Depending on the actor & role – we may have them play more than one character  for multiple reasons.
Regarding how much is ad libbed….the answer would be not much. IF the actor does something in studio that the Writers or myself like – then we’ll make the change in the script & keep it – especially if it feels more natural to the actor\character . Sometime we have lines that feel right when they were written but when we get to the studio and the actor doesn’t jive with the line for whatever reason – we’ll go with what feels right. We were fortunate in working with a very talented group of actors..no one did anything for free….hahah but they always went beyond to make the game better .If they felt they could do a better take – they would ask us if they could do it again.
As a funny side note- we did however add  a bunch or our names ( the devs )into pages that play in the Police station & LIMB clinics : ) I ended up being a doctor in the LIMB – I think my parents would have liked that : )”
How challenging/fun was it to develop audio assets for most of the game? Since many items and features are fictional or not fully developed in modern society currently. Also, with so much dialogue how did you fit the entire audio content into the game given the agonising space and resource restrictions that are always placed on the audio department. (Dec 15 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14263299156/how-challengingfun-was-it-to-develop-audio-assets
Audio director Steve Szczepkowski responds:
“It was a lot of fun ! There was so much stuff to create audio for.  The stuff that you mention ( fictional or not fully developed) can be more challenging because there is no reference in today’s world but that can also be liberating in that it gives you carte blanche to do what you think it should sound like – and that’s always fun ! Regarding the audio size issue – we knew early on that this was a Story driven game & therefore there would be a lot of dialog – so we made sure to reserve enough space on the disc to carry all the audio. We did have to compress some of the VO so that it would fit on the Xbox – whereas on the PS3 ( it being Blue Ray) it wasn’t necessary to compress it. Thanks for the question : )” 
Were the ingame cutscenes in Human Revolution done by people at Eidos Montreal or at Square's Visual Works studio? Or another studio entirely? (Nov 17 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/12928845177/were-the-ingame-cutscenes-in-human-revolution-done 
We worked with Goldtooth Creative to create those. Here’s a link to their company site. http://goldtoothcreative.com/
Can I ask you what you think about Looking Glass's games? I ask because you said that immersive sims are 'not always fun'. Do you think it's possible to make a game like Thief 1 and 2 nowadays, or would the gameplay need to be updated to suit the expectations of modern players? Thanks! (Sep 26 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10686968564/can-i-ask-you-what-you-think-about-looking-glasss
Frank says:
“System Shock 2 sits high on my top 5 games of all times, alongside the first Half-Life and Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Is it possible to recreate older titles nowadays without updating? Yes.
Is it viable for a company to do so? Maybe not.
Let’s take Human Revolution as an example.
The audience for games has changed, whether we like it or not. The reality of game-making has changed too. Content just costs a LOT more today than it did before. A company cannot risk investing millions in a game if the target audience is not large enough for them to recoup that money. This is a business after all. In 2000, you could break even by selling a few thousand units. Eleven years later, that number is much higher. 
That does not mean our decisions are all based on money, however, as some forum posts have been suggesting.
As devs, our aim is to reach as many people as possible, I’ll admit to that. But our primary motivation is not financial, it’s personal. As creative people, we want to share the experience we’ve crafted with as broad a public as possible. We want to matter; to make a difference both on the industry and in the lives of our players. So yes, we’ll change things to have more appeal with a wider audience.
We worked on Human Revolution because that’s the kind of game we like making and playing. Did each of us get to put everything we wanted in the game? No. Some people pushed for more simulation, while other pushed for something more action-oriented. In the end, it was our job as designers to set the direction and say no to some things.
I understand the frustration and anger that’s coming through from some people regarding the direction we’ve set with DXHR. No, it’s not exactly the same as DX1. But that was bound to happen, whether because of the time that has passed; the fact that we’re a new team with our own likes and dislikes or any number of other factors.
I prefer to concentrate on the positive aspects instead. I like to think that Human Revolution is another entry showing that games that push choices, consequences, exploration, narrative and that are a bit more difficult than the norm can be a viable business and we should make more of them.
Yeah, we can bicker all we want about what’s missing and why it’s not as good as the original. But for me, that accomplishes nothing.
I’m much more interested in knowing where do we go from here?”
why is this masterpiece releasing two weeks before my university semester starts? Is two weeks enough to fully experience the game? And also, what games are you really looking forward to as a gamer in the coming months? (Sep 8 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9963638418/why-is-this-masterpiece-releasing-two-weeks-before
Old question, but it’s still relevant.
Frank says:
“Hey Joel.
I’d say the first half of our production cycle was pretty nerve-racking.
While we were working on what’s called the ‘vertical slice’ (a feature-complete portion of the game), we’ve hit roadblock after roadblock, as we were trying to figure out the visual style, multi-pathing, multi-solution and various other mechanics.
I can’t say there was ever a feeling that we had bitten off more than we could chew, but there sure was doubt on the team as to whether all of this would work out in the end.
Fortunately for us, it eventually coalesced into an alpha prototype that we were able to playtest with external people.
To my recollection, that’s the first time we had confirmation from actual players that we had something worthwhile on our hands.
That was 2 years ago. (already?)
It was the moment when the whole team got traction and we really put our heads down to nail this sucker."
Here's a toughie... I heard that the release date was pushed back because the feedback from the previous playtest wasn't very good, so you decided the game needed polishing. What I wanted to know was, what changes did you make to the game over this period which made the game go from above-average to so awesome that it's drips drops of awesomeness onto the awesome people who play this awesome game?? :D (Nov 16 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/12884236261/heres-a-toughie-i-heard-that-the-release-date
Frank says:
“Actually, the game was pushed back to make sure we had enough testing time.
What you may have heard was probably about an earlier post when I talked about the game’s difficulty and the scarcity of ammo. 
I believe this should answer your question: http://eidosmontreal.tumblr.com/post/9963726074/in-a-developer-interview-i-think-it-was-a-facebook
Oh and this: http://eidosmontreal.tumblr.com/post/8998086294/have-you-considered-increasing-the-amounts-of-ammo”
In the recently released video about play testing you mentioned the matrix system that tracks play testers as they played the game and then collated all of the information to assist developers to make changes that improved the game. will this system be present when the game is released so that developers can gain even more understanding of how players interact within games so that future games will need less 'adjustment' during alpha and beta play testing? Just to be clear i, personally, think this would be a good thing! Although i can imagine alot of (paranoid) people would disagree! (Sep 19 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10401876124/in-the-recently-released-video-about-play-testing
Frank says:
“The actual term is ‘metrics’.
Yes, during playtests we were gathering information about each players, such as:
*-          How often do they die? Where? How?
*-          Which weapon did they prefer?
*-          How much ammo did they find?
*-          How long did they take to complete each level?
We used this data to balance the game.
We were asked to design a system that would also ship with the game, so that the knowledge we gain may be applied to the next games. However, I do not know if it’s been included in the shipped code.
Marketing may tell you more (hint: ask Kyle).”
Sorry, Frank. I’ve got nothing.
How does someone go about becoming a writer for a gaming company and writing for games? I am interested in this as a possible career path. (Jan 27 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16582710663/how-does-someone-go-about-becoming-a-writer-for-a
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
“I always say it takes a combination of talent, passion, persistence, and luck. First, you have to master the craft of writing. You need to understand what makes a good story; how to develop strong, compelling characters; and how to expose characters through what they say and what they don’t say. You also need to know what it means to explore a story’s theme and why theme is critical to creating a good story. Then, if you want to write for games, you need to know what a game needs, and the constraints those needs place on good story-telling.
After this, it really comes down to who you know. Sadly, writing jobs are very hard to come by in the games industry. While a game may need 50 programmers or artists working on it, they usually only need one or two writers. (Games which require more, like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, are very rare when you look at the industry as a whole.) Because of this, persistence, luck, and making industry contacts becomes very important in job hunting. Almost every game writer I know has told me that MOST of their writing gigs came their way because someone recommended them to a producer, narrative lead, or game designer. (Myself, included!)”
How much and what was mocap? How much and what was animated? (Jan 20 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16175222634/how-much-and-what-was-mocap-how-much-and-what
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said: 
“We use mo-cap as much as we can. But for certain things like some of the takedowns or the icarus landing system, for example, we did key frame them. We also use hand-animation for touch ups, etc.”
With modeling, coding and other aspects of game design becoming increasingly complex, do you think the modding communities of games are suffering? It's a rarity to see characters made from scratch these days. (Jan 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15960892957/with-modeling-coding-and-other-aspects-of-game
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas says:
“No, I think it has to do with what you want to achieve and what are your priorities. As simple as this.”
What would you say is the biggest flaw in todays consoles? What feature in he consoles would you guys add to have made Deus Ex: HR even better? Is it like all devs say: the lack of enough RAM? (Jan 11 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15680136158/what-would-you-say-is-the-biggest-flaw-in-todays
Game director JF says: 
“RAM is always something we struggle with (regardless of the console generation) and I’d say streaming (from the DVD).”
If EM were to create a feature-length Deus Ex video game film, how long would it take to render vs. creating a game? (Aug 5 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8513735163/if-em-were-to-create-a-feature-length-deus-ex
Frank says:
I don’t know. Probably as long as any other full-length CGI movie out there.
And since the game took us 4 years to create, I doubt rendering would take as long, otherwise we’d be screwed.
Are you as sick as I am about people saying your game has "bad" graphics? I think the Crystal Engine is fine and that the modeling, textures, animations, and lighting are fantastically stylized and appropriate. The PC version even has DX11 tech. Basically, what is wrong with peoples eyes, yep that's my question. (Jul 29 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8214812800/are-you-as-sick-as-i-am-about-people-saying-your
Frank says:
“Everybody is entitled to his or her opinion. Does it make me sick when I hear about bad graphics? No. The game is what it is. Not everyone will perceive it the same way. Personally, I’m astonished by the amount of flavor, atmosphere and detail the artists managed to cram in there. I find it quite a treat to look at… and no, I wasn’t paid to say that.”
It seems that much of the extended Director's Cut trailer is not the actual in-game cutscenes... is this an accurate statement? Because I loved the trailer and thought it was beautifully done, and had imagined that the game would be as cinematic. (Jul 19 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7802908940/it-seems-that-much-of-the-extended-directors-cut
Frank says:
You are correct.
When we started working on the trailer, we didn’t even have cutscenes yet.
How many screen writers where their that helped with the script? Also do you think you have a real moving story that will grab the gamer and make them think? (Jul 18 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7761236483/how-many-screen-writers-where-their-that-helped
Frank says:
Our writing team was comprised of Mary, our Lead Narrative Designer, along with about 5 other writers.
As for the second part, I cannot answer that for you. You’ll need to see for yourself. All I can say is that I personally enjoyed it a lot when I played through it.
A piece of advice: take your time. Don’t rush through the game; explore, read and you’ll be well rewarded for it, trust me. ☺
What is your favorite thing about Deus EX so far? (Jul 4 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7227092285/what-is-your-favorite-thing-about-deus-ex-so-far
The Great JF says:
I’m happy about the world we created, the richness of the experience and more over, that we managed to produce a worthy game in the Deus Ex franchise.
Have you implemented/thought about implementing a developer commentary system similar to what Valve puts in most of their games? I'd love to get some more insight into the creative process (Not that you haven't given us any of that already), especially about stuff you can't talk about pre-release. (Jun 29 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7045878262/have-you-implementedthought-about-implementing-a
The Great JF says:
It would have been awesome to do it because we have so many stories we could tell, but we took extra time to add an additional level of polish to the game, and not to add super nice extra features like that. I guess that you will have to invite me in your living room when you play the game so I can do the live commentary! ☺
Looking at Assassins creed for example it states that the game has been made by people from different cultural backgrounds, nationalities and religions - which when playing the game is very visible and has helped make it a lot better and varied. For DxHR do you also have a multicultural team and if yes what nationalities/cultures are present ? Also do you agree that a multicultured team makes a game more varied, broader and generally better ? (Jun 27 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6975197489/looking-at-assassins-creed-for-example-it-states
The Great JF says:
I think it’s always interesting to have people from different background (and ethnicity) because it helps infusing the game with much more influences. We had our shy and discreet Chinese people, we had our crazy Romanian guy, our poetic French people, our beautiful yet silent Moroccan girl, our sophisticated Brits, our exuberant Americans, our totally nut Armenian brothers, our sweet Guatemalan brothers, our crazy Brazilian motherfucker metal head guy, our very tall Dutch guy, our reserved English Canadian cousins, our German guitar player guy, and of course, our charming French Canadians!
That doesn’t count the fact that some of us have Haitian, Jewish, Amerindian, Spanish, Greek, Polish and Irish roots. And for all of those who I forget, please forgive me!
Is it multicultural enough for you guys?
In some gameplay footage the game's graphics appear slightly dated, can we expect to see good quality graphics in the final product or were sacrifices made? (Jun 22 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6801905235/in-some-gameplay-footage-the-games-graphics
The Great JF says:
The best way to judge it is to play the final product when it’s out because gameplay footages are not always presented the way they should and they can make your game look odd at times. That being said, when you have a huge game like ours, it’s hard to have every single part of the game to be more awesome than the next. So, quality might vary from time to time but I can ensure you that we really worked hard to make it as gorgeous as possible all the time!
== Gameplay ==
Is the mouse lag supposed to simulate the human reality of imperfection that still has a hold on Jensen? In my playthrough, it forced him to use very conservative cover and movement tactics or takedowns, since it made a run'n'gun approach impossible. (Mar 19 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/19578522169/is-the-mouse-lag-supposed-to-simulate-the-human
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“No, it simulate real world problems with technology!”
Here's one. In DX1, the GEP gun was a great knock-down-doors, carry-around weapon, whereas the LAW was a single-shot, "drop something in your inventory, fire a rocket, pick the thing back up" weapon. The Launcher in DX:HR is much more tactically aligned with the LAW than the GEP, being massive and having scarce ammo. What was the decision making process here--did the ER pack for the revolver supersede a need for portable boom, was the grenade launcher planned to have a bigger role, or...? (May 3 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/22323355934/heres-one-in-dx1-the-gep-gun-was-a-great
DX:HR game director Jean-Francois Dugas says:
“We wanted to make the launcher an object of desire. It’s powerful but you can’t go crazy with it since ammo is scarce. So, the question becomes: should I keep it in my inventory knowing it takes a lot of space? Or drop it and miss it when I face situations where it would have been handy?
In retrospect, I wish we had built more moments where the launcher would have been useful – the desire effect described above would have been much stronger than in the final game.
With the revolver’s explosive rounds, we definitely wanted to offer a classic weapon with the ability to hurt more than one target at once. It wasn’t much about the explosion-factor per se.
The grenade launcher was planned as a pre-order weapon and it ended up being what it was supposed to be.”
PC version suffers of stutter A LOT. The MAC version will have this same feature? (Apr 24 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/21728711673/pc-version-suffers-of-stutter-a-lot-the-mac
Feral Interactive says:
“If you play the game on a Mac that meets the minimum system requirements, you should not experience stutter.
However, the game will still run on machines that are slightly below the minimum specifications (for example, Macs with unsupported graphics cards) but it may stutter slightly when you enter large areas, like one of the city hubs.
We do not prevent the game from running on systems that are not officially supported because we know that many people would rather play the game with a little stutter than not play at all.
A list of the minimum and recommended system requirements can be found on the Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Ultimate Edition minisite at feralinteractive.com.”
I accept that everyone has a right to an opinion, yet I find it sad that many are using that right to take a gracious (and rare) opportunity to speak directly to a developer & bash something that you & your team have spent years on. Calling you 'stupid' or 'all about the money'. As a DX1 "sequel" I was disappointed with the lack of immersiveness, but outside of the comparison to DX1, I very much enjoyed the game, and I bet if it was released under any other name, there would be less complaints. (Dec 21 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14576070262/i-accept-that-everyone-has-a-right-to-an-opinion
We answered this on a minisode!
http://soundcloud.com/eidosmontreal/emp-minisode-7-criticism
Why was there no vehicle use in the game? Running from clustered street to clustered street in Detroit to find a side quest only to discover I needed to pass through a tiny backstreet or sewer that wasn't marked on my mini map was extremely frustrating. Surely Jensen owned a car or something? (Dec 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14120739830/where-did-you-guys-find-the-inspiration-for-the
Diving into the YouTube account for this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPnePqGduxo
This is a great game, and it managed to deliver that "you are in an action movie" feeling that many games try for but few achieve. I found the lack of NPC depth disappointing, but mostly because it was such a contrast to the very well-done conversations with named characters. In that vein, why can't you use your CASIE (or conversational skills) to talk guards into letting you past? That doctor in the morgue sure thought Jensen was with the shadowy part of the government. (Nov 24 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/13257475580/this-is-a-great-game-and-it-managed-to-deliver
Frank says:
“Conversations turned out to be a lot more time-consuming than we envisioned, which prevented us from adding as many as we planned. That’s why you can’t talk to guards or use CASIE on everyone." 
Is there a reason on why doing a non lethal takedown gets you more XP than lethal takedown ? Is it because of the fact that knocked out enemies can be waken up by other guards while with lethal takedown they are down for good ? (Nov 24 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/13255353207/is-there-a-reason-on-why-doing-a-non-lethal 
Frank says:
“Yes, that’s exactly it.”
Will we see a new hub in a DLC? (Sep 14 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10207915255/will-we-see-a-new-hub-in-a-dlc
Dbed says:
“No, The Missing Link takes place in what we call a “compound”. But it’s a pretty huge one! Alright, we’re lying, it’s actually two huge compounds. Did we say too much already?”
You asked for a hard question so here it is. Why did you abandon the principles of the immersive sim when it was one of the central philosophies driving the development of the original Deus Ex? (Sep 14 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10201431648/you-asked-for-a-hard-question-so-here-it-is-why
Frank says:
“Another “you defiled DX1” comment? J
Well for one, I don’t think we abandoned it.
We toned it down, ok, we missed some good opportunities too, but part of it is still there. We could’ve made the whole game in 3rd person after all, had we wanted to. It was a conscious decision to keep first-person in.
It was also a conscious decision to have gameplay conversations and hacking sequences in first-person.
However, when making a game, you can’t have it all. You cannot design a game that will appeal to everyone.
So we had to pick and choose.
We’re you hoping for a first-person-only experience? With no cover system, no regen, lean keys, no take-downs, melee combat and everything in the environment being interactive?
If you were, then I’m sorry for you, but that’s not the game we set out to create, because that’s not the game we felt the majority of players wanted to play.
Simulation may be very immersive, but it’s not always fun. It may even be quite the opposite in some instances.
Our primary focus was on making a game that works and that is fun for most people. We tried to remain immersive whenever we could, but we also pull you out when we think it’s best for the game.
The cover system wasn’t introduced because it’s trendy and the flavor of the month.
We put it in because it made stealth better and workable by allowing you to see your environment and move while remaining hidden.
Also, having the cover system puts new players in the right frame of mind regarding combat. This is no run-and-gun game and having a cover system is a clear indication of that.
Is it immersive to see Jensen in 3rd-person and still having the HUD show up on-screen? Maybe not, but it makes for better gameplay and I think the reviews validate those choices.
Maybe in the future we’ll figure out how to do stealth work beautifully in 1st-person (and please, don’t tell me DX1 nailed it in that respect, I don’t believe that), but this wasn’t the project and we weren’t the team to do it.
In the end, we tried our damndest to get as many things right as possible.”
In a developer interview, I think it was a Facebook unlock, you (all) were analyzing the response of some early game testers. During that video, a member of the development team said that he recognized that the game was "too easy." How was this addressed? What elements of the game contribute to its difficulty, and how did you increase these? (Sep 8 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9963726074/in-a-developer-interview-i-think-it-was-a
Frank says:
“It’s been a while, but if I remember correctly we made changes in 3 key areas:
1)      The player. We tweaked the values for health totals and regen.
2)      The AI. We made them tougher and more accurate.
3)      The loot. We hid the good stuff so you had to search for it and we reduced the amount of ammo to be found.”
i know you could play out the game without killing anyone. (exept for boss characters) but when you turn robots against your enemies does it count as a kill on your part? or does it only count when your directly responsible (Sep 8 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9963707094/i-know-you-could-play-out-the-game-without-killing
Frank says:
“If a robot kills someone because you turned off the friendly-fire prevention system, then you are responsible for that kill.”
Why did ATMs end up getting cut? In the original, hacking them was a pretty straightforward affair. Then again, in the original, hacking everything was a pretty straightforward affair. But yeah, couldn't you use the regular hacking system for it? (Sep 7 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9917409969/why-did-atms-end-up-getting-cut-in-the-original
Frank says:
“The goal was to use the regular hacking system.
However, any time you want to add something into the game, you need to account for more than the mechanics.
Just for the ATM, we needed a model, textures, UI screens, sounds, etc.
It doesn’t appear like a lot, but ultimately this translates into weeks of work which can be put to better use elsewhere.
We also envisioned a system in which you could hack various accounts, with some accounts being linked to NPCs you’d encounter in the hubs.
Putting something into a game is rarely an easy thing.”
Why didn't you guys make all the energy cells recharge through the game. with one it just gets frustrating to have to wait for another silent attack. (Sep 7 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9917375975/why-didnt-you-guys-make-all-the-energy-cells
Frank says:
“The waiting part is what we were after.
When we originally designed the game, energy wasn’t part of it. It’s something we’ve had to add later on to balance the take-downs and the augs, otherwise the game proved way too easy.
What you’re feeling as frustration is actually the game pushing back and asking you to think of other ways to get past obstacles. At least, that was our intention.
Had we given you guys all the energy you wanted, this would be a very different game. Not necessarily a better one…”
When playing this awesome game (and you truly did an outstanding job), one aspect of the game is still niggling me: The optimal way (in terms of XP and bonuses) of playing Human Revolution is to play non-lethal (amongst other things). Why did you decided to "punish" people who would choose another playstyle, and by doing so encourage the player to pick a way instead of another ? (Sep 6 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9876936601/when-playing-this-awesome-game-and-you-truly-did
Frank says:
“Our aim was not to punish.
While researching how stealth was done in other games, we realized people often resorted to a  combat-oriented approach because stealth is often more demanding, especially in the long run. (DX1 suffered from that too)
We just wanted to reward those that stick with it and maybe convince others to do so.
Had combat been more demanding it would’ve garnered more XP.”
Why not more usable items? It's a pity that there are so many cool things and sights that one cannot touch. (Sep 6 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9876903502/why-not-more-usable-items-its-a-pity-that-there
Frank says:
“Moveable items require physics.
Physics are CPU-intensive and we needed the CPU power for other things.”
The yellow border was part of the game design from begin on, I know it can be turned off now but: How did you manage to place hidden objects, doors, switches when there is a yellow glow around anything interactable ? Are there such hidden things that do not glow but are still interactable ? (Sep 1 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9667081885/the-yellow-border-was-part-of-the-game-design-from
Frank says:
“The yellow highlight was not a part of the original design.
It was added after we playtested the game a few times.
As for hidden objects, the highlight disappears as soon as we put another object in between them and the camera. So it wasn’t that hard to hide stuff.”
Curious - whatever happened to the augmented-reality ammo counters floating next to Adam's guns? (Sep 1 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9667004137/curious-whatever-happened-to-the
Frank says:
“We never quite got what we were looking for out of that feature so we yanked it.
We came to a point where we had to decide between sinking more time into it or moving on to something more useful (such as the augmentation trees and objective screens).”
the first game had a skill called regeneration, you guy have regenerative health in this as a staple but did you guys ever consider something practical and grounded like an adrenaline adminster aug or something to that effect initially? (Sep 1 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9666987300/the-first-game-had-a-skill-called-regeneration
Frank says:
I don’t remember a regeneration skill. There was an aug though…
If I understand correctly, you are asking if we ever considered having augmentations that are not mechanical in origin?
Well no we didn’t.
Having pharmaceutical or biotech-engineered abilities would’ve been perfectly feasible.
It just didn’t add anything either to the narrative or the gameplay.
Our game is about mech augs, so why bother with the rest?
That’s for another game…
Why was not there an option/concept for third person game play? (Nov 16 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/12884209609/why-was-not-there-an-optionconcept-for-third
Frank says:
“So you wanted more 3rd-person?
The first-person view was in the first Deus Ex, so it just made sense for us to continue this way. We never considered having 3rd-person only and could never have supported both.”
It feels like those who play for lethal take downs are punished, vs those who only do non-lethal take downs. What was the logic behind this, besides just encouraging players to not slaughter everything they see. (Oct 31 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/12160422844/it-feels-like-those-who-play-for-lethal-take-downs
Frank says: 
“Since incapacitated NPCs can be revived, we added a little XP to compensate for the added risk.”
Why no mirrors in the game? the cover art has mirrors. (Sep 27 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10727226692/why-no-mirrors-in-the-game-the-cover-art-has
Frank says:
“We didn’t want to create first-person body animations.
1)      We didn’t have the time to generate them.
2)      We didn’t want to spend memory on them.”
Why no cars driving in the city hubs ? How does Adam age with augmentations? (Sep 26 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10686762174/why-no-cars-driving-in-the-city-hubs-how-does
Frank says:
“Cars bring their own set of problems.
If we start having cars roaming around the city, then you’ll want to hijack them and drive them around and we just couldn’t support that.”
How come the animations for some of the take-downs (mostly the double take-downs) are broken/buggy and involve a lot of chipping through walls? Sometimes Jensen chips through the wall to take down someone, and other times characters are already down during Jensen's animation. Is it suppose to be like that, or is it only something relevant on consoles? (Sep 26 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10686743734/how-come-the-animations-for-some-of-the-take-downs
Frank says:
“Those are bugs inherent to the system. It’s not console-dependent.
It usually occurs during edge-case scenarios, where there’s not enough space for the animation to play properly or an object is in the way.
I’m not giving you this as an excuse justifying these bugs, but at least now you know why they occur.”
In the english version of the game why are many Montreal emails only in french while none of the Hengsha emails are in chinese? Also, are there any english emails in the french localisation of the game? (Sep 21 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10480980052/in-the-english-version-of-the-game-why-are-many
Frank says:
“We’re from Montreal. We had a little bit of fun with it, that’s all.
The French emails are in-jokes that don’t affect the overall game experience.
I don’t believe there are any English emails in the French version.”
Have you ever considered the differences between HR and the original Deus Ex and how these changes affect players who have been following the franchise since the original, people who praise the original game for its complexity. Do you believe that the loss of complexity (removal of skills, less complicated side quests, etc) has had a detrimental effect on the quality of gameplay overall? (Jan 23 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16350154069/have-you-ever-considered-the-differences-between
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“Not at all. What we did is keeping the Essence and the core values of what made the original a great game. Playing DXHR plays and feel like a DX game. But it’s not DX1 nor IW. It stands on its own with its strengths and flaws like the first 2 games. And that was our goal. Trying to replicate the first one would have been an error, in my opinion. We needed to bring our own stamp to the franchise and this is what we did.
Of course, certain decisions might have pissed some old fans or not. But in the end, I don’t believe it had a detrimental effect on the overall experience. The feedback we received since the game’s release goes in the same direction. And don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. If I had the chance to go back, I’d probably do certain things differently but it would still be DXHR, not DX1.”
Why in game is so small number of weapons. There is cyberpunk outside and many corporations must produce weapons ? And why the chief of security service of the biggest augmentation corporations must collect money fro enemies to by ammo ? (Jan 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15960823417/why-in-game-is-so-small-number-of-weapons-there
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas says:
“It’s because our budget to make games is limited, just like the time allowed. LOL!”
Why is the game so hard on the easiest (Tell me a story) difficulty? I pre-ordered the game, I've had it since release. I'm still on the first mission. Do you think it's right that the player dies so quickly from gun fire on the easiest difficulty?Assuming you won't answer this here, I'll probably email this to you the next time I attempt and fail to complete the first mission. (Jan 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15960739301/why-is-the-game-so-hard-on-the-easiest-tell-me-a
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas says:
“We did balance the game in such way that it encourages you to be tactical in your approach to situations. We also did conduct playtests to see if the game was a fair challenge and the results we obtained managed to confirm that. So, I’m sorry that you’re having a hard time.”
Did you guys ever consider putting pickpocketing into the game? It is very inconvenient for some playthroughs if you need a key/passcode/password and a guard has it. (Jan 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/15960639615/did-you-guys-ever-consider-putting-pickpocketing
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas says:
“No, not at all because it’s not the essence of the game. There is a 5 letter game that is about all those things. ;)”
Deus Ex 2 had incredibly bad loading times and small areas (much smaller than Deus Ex 1), will DX:HR have the same issues, or will the areas be large and expansive with minimal loading times? It can really ruin immersion and make the game less fun! (Aug 5 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8513644544/deus-ex-2-had-incredibly-bad-loading-times-and
Frank says:
Area sizes are much larger than in DX2 and in fact rival some of DX1’s. We do have some loading, but we also feature streaming, so it shouldn’t be much of a bother.
Is the core gameplay more like DE1 or DE2. Example do you have to upgrade gun skills or are you just amazing with everything (Jul 4 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7227012317/is-the-core-gameplay-more-like-de1-or-de2-br
The Great JF says:
We always said that DX1 was the inspiration, it never changed.
There are no skills in the game. That might as well be the only aspect where we’re closer to IW. However, your shooting ability is directly linked to your own ability to play FPS games.  If you suck at those games, then your Adam Jensen will suck too. However, you can improve your aim stability and reduce the recoil factor but you still need to know how to shoot on enemies.
We can combat, social or stealth right? Can i be a ninja? Killing all bad guys or good guys in stealth or do i have to just "stun/imobilize" them? (Jun 21 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6766127765/we-can-combat-social-or-stealth-right-br-br
The Great JF says:
The primary modes of playing are combat & stealth. I mean, you choose whatever you want. There is no concept of stealth or combat mission. It’s up to you to figure it out. As for social & hacking, they’re complementing the two primary modes to extend the possibilities in both or as general means of exploration.
Regarding being a ninja, we have different means to accommodate your evil plans. So, some deadly weapons are also quite stealthy.
Are shot enemies going to leave blood stains on the ground / pools of blood under their bodies? You can see that in some of the screenshots while they don't appear in the gameplay videos. We want those little, morbid details! (Jun 21 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6766044191/are-shot-enemies-going-to-leave-blood-stains-on
Yeah, there will be blood but that’s pretty much about it. We, starting with me, didn’t want to turn this game into a gore fest. Violence needs to feel visceral to some extent, because it shouldn’t be perceived as something light-hearted, since I don’t think it is. We didn’t want to glorify violence, and I hope we avoided this trap as much as possible. The only times where we pushed the graphic aspect a little further is when it was serving a purpose in the story; that it had state something.
Hello! For the Xbox 360 version of HR, will there be multiple thumbstick control settings (such as Southpaw, or more importantly: Legacy)? I'm a rather old school gamer and greatly prefer to play on Legacy setting (the left thumbstick controlling moving forward and turning left/right) as opposed to Default (the left thumbstick controlling moving forward and strafing). (Jun 21 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6764535671/hello-for-the-xbox-360-version-of-hr-will-there
The Great JF says:
Unfortunately, the control scheme of DXHR required a lot of thoughts and compromises for ergonomic sake. So, like the lefties in the 50s, someone will have to crack the whip on your hands every time you dare trying to play it southpaw style! One day you’ll be healed!
No legacy either… But hey! I got into Twitter and survived, so can you with our control scheme! 
==Miscellaneous==
The first time I saw the possible endings (at that time I just observed how my boyfriend played), we argued for hours about which possibility would be the most beneficial. My boyfriend chose the Sarif-ending without any hesitation. I was truly unsure (maybe Illuminati or I'm gonna blow up this whole place). After I got the game and played it through 2x and read a few essays about transhumanism, I changed my mind, and chose sarif's way. What does your team would choose or Adam? (Nov 26 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/36614151141/the-first-time-i-saw-the-possible-endings-at-that
Impossible question: We chose them all! :D
This isn't an official Edios tumblr, is it? (Aug 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/29569314321/this-isnt-an-official-edios-tumblr-is-it
As official as it gets.
Crunchy Pirate or Magic Gnome? (Mar 16 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/19399311991/crunchy-pirate-or-magic-gnome
Game director Jean-Francois Dugas said:
“Definitely “Crunchy Pirate”! There is less sugar, more fiber, generally healthier.”
Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:
Depends on the day. Sometimes, I want more magic in my life. Other times, more swaggering bluster. 
Hey, want to get a tattoo on my right shoulder, something related to deus ex or cyber-renaissance theme. What do you guys think would be cool and soooo hardcore? (Dec 22 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14632742172/hey-want-to-get-a-tattoo-on-my-right-shoulder 
We answered this on a minisode!
http://soundcloud.com/eidosmontreal/emp-minisode-8-tattoo
Are you guys happy or pissed that EA are trying to take on DX:HR with the reboot of Syndicate? (Dec 16 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/14319792647/are-you-guys-happy-or-pissed-that-ea-are-trying-to
We answered this question on a minisode!
http://soundcloud.com/eidosmontreal/emp-minisode-4-syndicate
Who's the Megadeth fan? I loved the Hangar 18 reference :) (Sep 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/10134253856/whos-the-megadeth-fan-i-loved-the-hangar-18
You’ve summoned game director Jean-Francois Dugas for one question.
JF says:
“I am but Bruce and/or JFC (some of our narrative designers) love them too. It came from one of them, not me. ;)”
Do you think Syndicate is a little too much like DX or the usual cyberpunk cut. It's said to be shooter driven but HR didn't have much RPG elements either. Would you devs check this game out? (Jan 18 2012)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/16064125783/do-you-think-syndicate-is-a-little-too-much-like
We kind of answered this during a minisode. http://soundcloud.com/eidosmontreal/emp-minisode-4-syndicate
There's a lot of games dealing with conspiracies. Not always as open as in Assassin's Creed or Deus Ex but most of the time you will get little hints and symbols like in GTA 4 or also L.A. Noire. So there's some egyptian symbols or the eye in the triangle and so on. I see there's a simular question that has already been asked but what I would like to know is how many of the developers of Deus Ex actually believe in the world conspiracy? Or is it pure entertainment values when you deal with the theme? (Jun 30 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7090572860/theres-a-lot-of-games-dealing-with-conspiracies
The Great JF says:
Well, now you’re entering in the realm of very personal beliefs. Personally, I’m not big on paranoid theories but it makes for great stories and intrigues. We’re all fascinated by mysteries but I believe that real life is way more simpler than some would like us to believe ;)
== (Uncategorized) ==
Will we meet the parents of Louis Pan in this game? (Jun 20 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6725784912/will-we-meet-the-parents-of-louis-pan-in-this
The Great JF says:
Ok let’s assume the unassumable: Louis Pan is 10 years old maximum in DX. Let’s say that his parents had him at around 25. It would mean they would be about 10 years old in HR and they are probably unknown to each other at this point. Let’s also assume they never left Hong Kong, thus making it impossible for Jensen to meet them since he doesn’t go to Hong Kong, as far as I am concerned.
And on top of that, if his parents are as annoying as Louis is, Jensen would have a hard time not using his blades if he met them, right? ;)
At what point in the rush to save Adams life did somebody say, "Sunglasses." How did they know what model to pick? Did Adam have a preferred designer stored on file in his medical records? (Aug 22 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9234700130/at-what-point-in-the-rush-to-save-adams-life-did
Frank says:
“Actually, they are a hybrid sunglasses / protective lenses.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed in some the trailers, but they often come out just before Adam is about to fight.
The fact that they are stylish does not mean that they are a useless novelty." 
Can we expect the same amount of basketball that we had in Deus Ex: Invisible War? (Aug 22 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/9234602788/can-we-expect-the-same-amount-of-basketball-that
Frank says:
“You can expect basketball.
That is all I will say.”
Have you considered increasing the amounts of ammo throughout the game? I mean, finding 1 bullet per weapon and 2~3 bullets per ammo pack seems ridiculous to me. (Aug 16 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8998086294/have-you-considered-increasing-the-amounts-of-ammo
Frank says:
“Hehe, I was dreading this question.
But since I’m directly responsible for this, might as well come clean.
Yes we have considered it.
In fact, that’s how the game was for a good while; every weapon dropped by NPCs would be fully loaded.
Early playtesters wound up with hundred of bullets in their inventory and never felt the need to scrounge for ammunition. That was around the time the game was reported to be too easy.
So we did a loot pass for the whole game, drastically reducing the amount of ammo in the game.
When our next playtest session came around, two things occurred:
1-      People were bitching and moaning about the lack of ammo.
2-      The fun factor went up. Drastically.
Turns out that reducing the amount of ammo in the game forced people to stop and think. People started to “get” what Deus Ex was about. We saw a lot more exploration and creative problem solving.
We could’ve reduced the number of pickups instead so they could be full when picked up, but that would’ve meant having levels that are almost empty and bodies with hardly anything worthwhile on them.
With less and less time at our disposal, we opted to leave things as they were, deciding that having pickups with fewer bullets was the best trade-off we could make given the circumstances.
So now you know…”
1. Is there a number, how many people are working to this project to be sucessful? 2. Have you made some sacrifices from your personal life to make this project come true in this life? 3. Are you sure, what is happening in the game, will not come true in our real lifes? Hope, to get answers! (And the game is great, waiting for it!) (Aug 16 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8998012556/1-is-there-a-number-how-many-people-are-working
Frank says:
“1 - There is no magic number of people for a project to be successful. On one hand, the less people there are, the better the synergy between them. On the other hand, you also want to make sure you have enough people on staff to get everything you need done.
2- None aside from some overtime.
3- Some of it will come true I’m fairly certain. Augmentations will be a reality someday and we’ll probably have a public debate about them.”
Was there anything you really liked that had to be cut for whatever reason? (Aug 15 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8951091133/was-there-anything-you-really-liked-that-had-to-be
Frank says:
“Oh yeah!
My favorites were remote hacking and ATMs.”
What's the ratio of trenchcoat Adam to non-tenchcoat Adam through the game? Because (and I don't intend to make any character designers cry here, but...) the trenchcoat is so much cooler. (Aug 15 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8951043621/whats-the-ratio-of-trenchcoat-adam-to
Frank says:
“In terms of levels or play time?
Trenchcoat Adam appears mostly in city hubs. They aren’t numerous, but you do spend a lot of time in them. Time-wise, it’s probably around a 60/40 split in favor of the non-trenchcoat Adam.”
Would the stealth system differ from the previous games, and if so, how? (Aug 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8825595013/would-the-stealth-system-differ-from-the-previous
Frank says:
Yes it does.
Our main complaint with DX1’s stealth was the lack of feedback. We personally found it hard to know when we were hidden and when we weren’t. To the point of frustration sometimes. (yeah yeah, I’m criticizing DX1. But bear with me…)
That’s why we decided to go with a detection system based on line-of-sight, rather than light and shadows. To us it felt easier to read, especially when combined with a cover system.
We read on the forums that some people felt we were dumbing down and consolizing the game.
Our perspective was that we were actually empowering players, by giving them better information and better tools to use stealth.
You be the judge.“
Are you tempted to go post mortem on the game before it's released? (Aug 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8825540487/are-you-tempted-to-go-post-mortem-on-the-game
Frank says:
“Already done.
It’s standard procedure for all team members (at least it was for designers) to produce a postmortem.
These are usually included in the ‘closing kit’, which is a reference for the future.
Now are we going to produce a published postmortem? I don’t know. Someone would have to take the lead and actually distill all the information into the accepted format of 5 pros and 5 cons.
I doubt it would come out before the release of the game.”
Alright, I've got a very important question for you guys. Is Adam a boxer or breifs kinda guy? (Aug 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8825498732/alright-ive-got-a-very-important-question-for
Frank says:
“Boxers.
And why wasn’t ‘commando’ an option?" 
What idea for HR looked amazing on paper, but simply did not work in the game? and what was it that didn't work? (Aug 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8825447764/what-idea-for-hr-looked-amazing-on-paper-but
Frank says:
“But there are so many!
Some dialogs were supposed to feature objects hidden in the background that you could find and analyze in order to unlock blackmail attacks that you could use to convince people to give you stuff. Unfortunately, you had to do this while the character was talking to you, so you had to concentrate on 2 things at once, which meant nobody was listening to what characters had to say.
The hacking was also supposed to be much more complicated than it is right now. Before accessing a device, you had to scan it for active ports. Some ports were slower but less protected, so you had to choose the best one for what you were attempting (whether you wanted to control or download something). Then you had to assign CPU cycles to various attack and defense programs while the system was trying to trace you. Anyway, we had it working in Excel and did three revisions before it was canned for the current node-centric system. People just didn’t get it.”
Since you said Jensen fears water, will that come up as part of his backstory? Like his shower doesn't work and he cleans himself another way? But wait, Jensen clearly is seen in the shower in the comics (pretty graphic at that too). So was that a fluke on the comic writers or Jensen's use of his femme fatale to get over his fears? (Aug 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8825379932/since-you-said-jensen-fears-water-will-that-come
Frank says:
“Adam doesn’t have any problem showering. What he’s afraid of is sinking to the bottom of the sea because of all the metal he’s got stuck to his body.
The rebreather aug can only help you for so long…”
Did your opinion on DX:IW change through development? It seems most of the fan community hated it. Did you incorporate any ideas at least in part inspired by Invisible War? Or was it entirely ignored? (Aug 11 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8787893790/did-your-opinion-on-dxiw-change-through
Frank says:
My personal opinion of it did not change, no.
Have I played it? Yes. Through the end.
I’m glad to finally have this question.
We’ve tiptoed quite a lot around the issue of Invisible War, but we’ve never fully answered people who wanted to know how much of it we actually used as inspiration.
I shall do this here and now.
My aim is not to start a flame war. But if we’re to peel back the curtain on how this game was designed, I want to be truthful.
And the truth about Invisible War is that I personally did not get as much enjoyment out of it as I did the original Deus Ex.
Looking at Invisible War was a cautionary tale. The game showed us how some apparently simple design decisions such as universal ammo could alter the essence of what Deus Ex is.
When you look at IW, all the staples are there: the future, augs, weapons, a conspiracy, dialogs, stealth, side quests, etc. Yet it doesn’t feel quiteright.
It made us realize that it would be very easy for us to screw up Human Revolution. We had a fine line to thread after all.
So in essence we used IW and compared it to DX1 in order to operate a “course correction”; which means we reverted most decisions in IW  in favor of what DX1 had done.
From my knowledge (and sometimes defective memory), there is nothing in Human Revolution that comes from invisible War alone.
Doesn’t mean Invisible War was a bad game.
But it’s not the game we were trying to live up to. 
Hm, good questions that haven't been asked yet... Have you prepared hidden bunkers just in case the slavvering horders of fans are disapointed and decide to string you up? Or are you standing by with wild optimism and blithely unconcerned? ;) (Aug 10 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8732810640/hm-good-questions-that-havent-been-asked-yet
Frank says:
“There are no bunkers.
I’ve spent four years on this game and I fully stand by it.
It’s not perfect, but it’s good and I’m proud of it. Not ashamed to say it.”
In the recent trailers I saw of gameplay, I noticed Jensen using his arm blades and even the Typhoon augmentation while wearing his coat. How is he able to use them without ruining the coat or he has a closet full of replacements? (Aug 10 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8732788804/in-the-recent-trailers-i-saw-of-gameplay-i
Frank says:
“If you look at the coat, you’ll see rings with holes in them on the sleeves.
These magnetically attach themselves to the Typhoon ports on Jensen’s arms, allowing for the projectiles to go through.”
Did you consider at any point of the process of development making Human Revolution a 3rd person perspective game? If so, why? (Aug 10 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8732763181/did-you-consider-at-any-point-of-the-process-of
Frank says:
“Nope. We were clear from the beginning: first-person was there to stay.
We felt it worked better for exploration and immersion.”
What have you learnt making DXHR that you will take into the next game that you develop? (Aug 9 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8688934981/what-have-you-learnt-making-dxhr-that-you-will
Frank says:
And we have a winner for one of the best questions I’ve gotten so far! (seriously)
Ok, let me think…
There may be some rambling in there, so be warned.
Also, I think some of my emotions got mixed up with the answers. Yikes.
Here are two:
1-      “Making games is not a democracy and that’s a good thing.”
It’s not something I’ve discovered on this game, but it’s the first time it’s been so important to my work.
A lot of people were wondering if we were reading the forums while making the game. Well… yes we were. For a while at least.
We saw the rants about regen health, cover, the fact that we would f**k this up, that we knew nothing, that none of the original members were on the team so the project was doomed, you know… the good stuff to really cheer us on.
We read it all and lived with it for years. It was hard. Especially because we couldn’t defend ourselves at that point.
It was also the first time, in 11 years as a designer, that I was faced with so much anger and derision.
But what kept us going was our belief that any good piece of entertainment has to come from somebody; there has to be a soul at the point of origin, somebody with drive and passion willing to inject some of his or herself into the game.
Making it our ‘own’ was the only way we felt we’d be able to live up to the franchise. There was no point in trying to replicate the first game. We aimed to be faithful to the original game’s essence, but not necessarily its mechanics. We kept what we liked and changed what we didn’t. Sorry if we angered you, but making these decisions was our job.
Are we sorry we didn’t listen to everyone? No, because that would’ve made a terrible game.
You can’t design by committee. You need a leader with a vision.
Ours was JF.
And you may disagree if you want, but I don’t believe he’s lead us astray.
Far from it.
Good job boss. :)
2-      “It’s the people, stupid.”
And by this I’m not only referring to the people making the game, I’m also including you, the players.
First, you need the right dev people in the right places. And on this we were fortunate. We had a lot of great people.
Secondly, never forget who you’re working for. That’s where YOU come in.
In all honesty, the decisions we made, we made them thinking of you; whether it was a popular decision or not.
We did not add regen health, the cover system or 3rd person to piss you guys off.
We did it in an attempt to make the game more enjoyable, more immersive and less frustrating.
I admit that it’s hard to see all the trade-offs that go on behind the scenes. Days, weeks and months agonizing about how such and such will be perceived, how it’ll work, how much it adds to the overall experience.
And when you’re designing a game of this scope, you just cannot cater to everybody’s whims or desires. You have to go for what will be relevant to most people.
In the end, we did not design this game for the consoles or the PC. We did not design it for hardcore gamers, nor for casuals. And no, it wasn’t designed specifically for DX fans.
We designed it for humans to enjoy. whatever their classification.
You may call it dumbing down or consolization.
I call it good game design and I’m not ashamed. (yeah me!)
Well, guess I had something to get off my chest…
I was thinking of the first game, and how they changed up the pacing by incorporating missions that were only for exploring. The Duclare mansion and Everett's house are great example's. Any of that in DX:HR? (Aug 8 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8646546169/i-was-thinking-of-the-first-game-and-how-they
Frank says:
“Not exactly the same, but yeah, city hubs are meant to be explored and areas unlocked. Some sidequests have non-violent, exploration-based elements too.”
Should I read Icarus Effect then play the game, or should i play the game, then read Icarus Effect. (Aug 8 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/8644858456/should-i-read-icarus-effect-then-play-the-game-or
Frank says:
“Since the book was released first, I believe it’s perfectly safe for you to read it before you play.”
Has Ask JF replaced Ask JJB? (Jul 13 2011)Not necessarily. They’re two different beasts, these different “Ask” initiatives, I mean.
Not necessarily. They’re two different beasts, these different “Ask” initiatives, I mean.
You get experience for killing enemies. You get more experience for taking them down non-lethally. Will there be a reward if you don't even touch them? Like when a part of a level(mission) is finished, and you have not been seen at all and also did not take down anyone, you get a compensation for all the EXP that you missed by not attacking enemies? The compensation would be nice, since the absolute-stealth-path would be the hardest way to complete the mission(If possible at all). I know that DX isn't a stealth game, ^_^;, but wouldn't it be fair(If possible at all, :D)? (Jul 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7533827271/you-get-experience-for-killing-enemies-br-you
Frank says:
I’m very glad to be asked this question! Whomever you are, thank you!
I have good news for you. The game does feature stealth-oriented XP bonuses which are pretty substantial. Depending on the objective you are tackling, the stealth bonuses could account for an increase of between 25-40% over the base award. Not only does it equal the amount of XP you would’ve gotten from combat, it surpasses it.
Will Deus Ex : Human Revolution feature a romance plot-line? (Jul 12 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7533793019/will-deus-ex-human-revolution-feature-a-romance
Frank says:
Yes. The extent to which it unfolds does depend on how deep you dig though…
What was the driving force to making the game a prequel rather than a sequel? Is this intended to be a reboot of the franchise? (Jul 11 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7492352570/what-was-the-driving-force-to-making-the-game-a
The Great JF says:
Yes, it was and we also thought that exploring mechanical augmentations would reinforce the concept of transhumanism on all levels whether it was philosophical or gameplay-oriented. 
I gotta know...why no hands when grabbing enemies? (Jul 8 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7385004613/i-gotta-knowwhy-no-hands-when-grabbing-enemies
The Great JF says:
It was a design decision made early on to save time on something that would have been nice but wasn’t critical to the experience. I’m not saying we won’t do it in the future but we had so much on our plate that we had to focus our energies where it counts. Honest enough?
From what I have seen, everyone on the DE:HR team has done a fine job that should bring about nothing short of the greatest of pride! However, is there, if anything at all, that you either personally or as a team, regret about DE:HR? This can include anything at all from not being able to incorporate some thought into the game, some design aspect, some level or even a single character. Thanks for answering my question and thanks for making DE:HR, I can't wait to play it! (Jul 8 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7384920856/from-what-i-have-seen-everyone-on-the-dehr-team
The Great JF says:
When you make a game, you always end up with things on the side. Fortunately, we were able to include “most” of what we had in mind. Personally, I was sad when I had to let go hackable ATMs. In the end, it doesn’t weaken the experience at all. But it’s a nice homage to DX1 that I wanted badly.
Are there any invisible walls? (Jul 8 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7384842106/are-there-any-invisible-walls
The Great JF says:
I’m a huge invisible walls hater. Ask the artists – however, in some instances we have no choice but to add some due to the nature of our game where clever players will still try to find a way out. In the end, before saying “yes” to an invisible collision, I always try to look at other solutions with the guys first.
What were the key driving factors behind making Jenkins older as compared to the previous two Deus Ex games where the protaganists were young and then younger for Deus Ex 2? (Jul 7 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7341377756/what-were-the-key-driving-factors-behind-making
The Great JF says:
Hmmm… What were the plans with Jenkins…? Can you just remind me who Jenkins is? Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure he’s a cool character but I just can’t replace him. It’s unfortunate because if you had asked me that question for Adam Jensen, I would have been happy to answer!
Aaaaarrrggg.!!!! My soft side emerges and I recognize that I’ve been rude to you… Ok, if you HAD talked about Jensen, I would have answered you that we thought it would be more interesting to explore a character with more background, more experience and maturity in life. We wanted him to fit with the kind of game we were making in some ways. We thought that going off with a young guy it would have removed some of the emotional impact we were shooting for.
To what extent will the Deus Ex experience be considered 'grand scale' or 'epic'? by this i mean will the player experience wide open vista's or will the player be stuck in narrow corridors for most of the game? (just for reference i considered the opening sarif sequence rather epic / grand scale) (Jul 7 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7341343502/to-what-extent-will-the-deus-ex-experience-be
The Great JF says:
Then our game is quite epic. We have a mix of oppressing tighter environments with more open environments. We try to mix them in such way that you always feel the variety in the levels. Hopefully, we succeeded.
(sorry if my english not so good), sarif charactr model's face animation very stiff, will be more expresive in final game? (Jul 7 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7341310060/sorry-if-my-english-not-so-good-sarif-charactr
The Great JF says:
No problem for your English. That makes two of us! LOL! (now it’s a good time to insert my maniacal laughter here). I already had that question – Like I said, Sarif is abusing Botox giving him his semi-rigid anal look.
you mentioned in an interview that fatal takedowns are more noisy than non lethal takedowns, but from the look/sound of it so far they're both just as noisy and sometimes you're taking down enemies literally within arms distance of another one but they don't overhear lol? will the animations be contextual in the final build to represent this? (Jul 7 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7341275025/you-mentioned-in-an-interview-that-fatal-takedowns
The Great JF says:
That was a tough one. On one end, you want a counter consequence between both styles of takedowns. On the other end, you want them to look impressive regardless of the style. We wanted to balance the game in such a way that it feels as good to be stealthy than it does to be a fighter. So, I guess, that’s the kind of odd compromise we made to balance out both gameplay modes.
Did you guys ever meet warren spector and asked him for his blessing or his thoughts on what your team was doing on the game? (Jul 7 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7341185380/did-you-guys-ever-meet-warren-spector-and-asked
The Great JF says:
We met him on several occasions, but I guess we’ll have to wait when he plays the game to get his thoughts!
Will Adam arms evolve visually too and not just in stats ? I want red arms with two rocket launchers if possible :) (Jul 6 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7301798426/will-adam-arms-evolve-visually-too-and-not-just-in
The Great JF says:
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to have that kind of customization. It’s something we toyed with early on but we dropped it for various reasons that I’m too lazy to explain here.
Aside from the takedowns, will there be other melee options (swords, riot batons, etc) like in the first Deus Ex? (Jul 5 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7264490500/aside-from-the-takedowns-will-there-be-other
The Great JF says:
It was offered to Jensen, but when he saw his rightfully awesome new arms he politely declined the offer.
The music during all the videos that have been released has been great. My question is will the same music be in the game as well? (Jul 5 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7264431220/the-music-during-all-the-videos-that-have-been
The Great JF says:
Yes. Michael McCann, our composer, did a fantastic job a creating a score for the trailers that ties in with the in-game one, making all the music coherent; immersing you in our universe, regardless if it’s a video or actually playing the game.
Has the game gone gold at this point, or are you still tweaking things? But what I really mean is - is it too late to win a contest to get my likeness in DXHR so that Adam can punch me in the face too? (Jul 5 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7264343289/has-the-game-gone-gold-at-this-point-or-are-you
The Great JF says:
Yes, it’s way too late. But you can still shoot for the best, fastest speed run of the game out there when the game is released. And you know why it would be awesome? Because, as a developer, when I move on a new project, I want to look back at how we did certain things on the previous game but I’m too lazy to play it again, so, I go on YouTube and watch the best speed run available. Ok, it’s not the same thing as having your likeness gracing a game, but you can be seen as an additional talent that made our life easier…
Considering from what we're hearing that you're not taking the same approach to boss type confronations that the first deus ex (being able to bypass them completely sometimes), will the 'bosses' be tough and intense and can you use stealth or takedown moves on them like normal enemies? (Jul 5 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7264191751/considering-from-what-were-hearing-that-youre
The Great JF says:
No, these are boss fights in the classic sense of the term. I wish we could have added more to them like you’re suggesting but we couldn’t. That being said, they will be more or less challenging depending on how you approach them. Using your wit will be as useful as with the rest of the game.
What exactly is this game like and how well do you think it is going to sell? (Jul 5 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7264142946/what-exactly-is-this-game-like-and-how-well-do-you
The Great JF says:
This game plays like an Action-RPG because it is one and I hope that the audience will enjoy it as much we loved making it. What happens beyond that is out of my control but I wish us the best.
What is your favourite ending in the original Deus Ex? (Jul 4 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7238884462/what-is-your-favourite-ending-in-the-original-deus
The Great JF says:
It’s none of your business. It’s a personal and private choice. I’m quite reserved, I only open up to good really friends. But if I were to give you a hint, I believe in Singularity.
who did the mocap and facial animations for the game, some of the models look awesome (even npc ones) but some facial animations look quite rigid/stiff even for main plot character ie) david sarif. Were there different teams tackling different sections of the game? (Jul 4 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7238865341/who-did-the-mocap-and-facial-animations-for-the
The Great JF says:
Botox, Botox, Botox. How many times will I have to talk about this societal compulsion on refusing aging?
Had a chance to play the game at the e3 boothes, was that a final build or pre-build demo? (Jul 4 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7238841949/had-a-chance-to-play-the-game-at-the-e3-boothes
The Great JF says:
Actually, the code was a few months old. For events such as E3, it’s always safer to branch out as early as you can so you can focus on stabilizing or adding specific components such as video trailers, different menus, etc.
How much open world/non-linear content are you packing in? (Jul 4 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/7238799315/how-much-open-worldnon-linear-content-are-you
The Great JF says:
As much as we can when it makes sense. Does that makes sense?
Is the increased XP reward for non-leathality designed to make the gamer lean towards playing in that manner or is it a meant to reward the perceived "higher difficulty"? (Jun 20 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6722576695/is-the-increased-xp-reward-for-non-leathality
The Great JF says:
That is correct. By nature, stealth is much more difficult than the frontal approach and we wanted to balance things out a bit on that respect. In the end, it’s all about different approaches with different rewards and drawbacks. Consequences aren’t only on the story level.
The pistol looks wonderfully overpowered. That is all. (Jun 20 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6722549456/the-pistol-looks-wonderfully-overpowered-that-is
The Great JF says:
It is powerful when you’re skilled, especially if you upgrade it quite a bit. I’ve seen some players managing to play most of the game with the pistol fully upgraded but, trust me, not all players can pull this off. You might be part of the players elite group even maybe the chosen one! Ok, let’s not push it too far. So, when you play the final game, don’t insult your own talent and choose “Give Me Deus Ex” right away! ☺
Do you wish you could erase your memories of making this game so you can see the final product as it was intended and enjoy it as a completed work of art? Or would you rather remember the game growing from an idea to what it will become when it goes gold and all the highs and lows of that. (Jun 20 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6722540123/do-you-wish-you-could-erase-your-memories-of
The Great JF says:
I think I’d go with the latter. I remember having a very vague idea of the direction I wanted to push the game but I wouldn’t have been able to imagine all the crazy ideas and work done by the team to make this very special game. There’s never something more satisfying than being part of a creative force and build stuff. Still, there is a tiny part of me that’d be curious to see this game from a totally external eye -  but like Vader said to Luke once: “it’s too late for me… my son…”.
how prominent is hacking in the game? (Jun 20 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6722437308/how-prominent-is-hacking-in-the-game
The Great JF says:
Actually, it is a big part if you decide to invest in it. If you don’t, you might have to do it 4 or 5 times (if I remember correctly) in the entire 30 hours of gameplay. And every time it’s forced on you for story or pacing purpose, it’s always on the lowest spectrum of difficulty because we can’t penalize players who decide to ignore this aspect of the game.
When we were developing it, we were worried that players would get tired after a while but in all the playtests we did, I’d say that 95% of the players did not only invest into hacking but they were hacking every single thing they could find. We couldn’t believe it and the feedback we were getting is that they weren’t getting tired of it. So, we then said, let’s f… put it all over the place even when it has no purpose at all, LOL!!! Ok, ok, I made up the last part ;)
Obviously there is some strong resistance to the Mechanical Augmentation in this game. Do you deal also with Eugenism like the best movie ever Gattaca ? The whole Purer than pure concept. (Jun 20 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6722383275/obviously-there-is-some-strong-resistance-to-the
The Great JF says:
Not in those terms. It’s not about the « purifying » of our species in Darwinian terms. The debate is more about accepting who we are and how we naturally evolve as opposed as “artificial evolution” as some groups see the Augmentation field in the game.
And I need to agree, Gattaca is an awesome movie! ☺
Okay if Adam's HUD is entirely in his eyes like you said, why does he have sunglasses... grafted to his face? (Jun 16 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6595195148/okay-if-adams-hud-is-entirely-in-his-eyes-like
The Great JF says:
“Because he’s a douche!”
Hey there! I really love the design of the new Deus Ex but I REALLY want to know one thing. I see so much symbolism in the entertainment industry, especially in games and I wonder, why you are using so much Illuminati symbolism. Especially the eye in the triangle. Of course it can also be seen as simple freemason symbolism but you know what I mean. Do you have a special intention when using it? (Jun 16 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6595172664/hey-there-i-really-love-the-design-of-the-new
The Great JF says:
“It might be related to the fact that our game is conspiracy-laden and that we deal with some of the ageless groups. I don’t know, it’s a good question ;)”
I would like to learn if cybernetic theory and ontological arguments will have a important part in the dialogues of the game? If so, could you please inform us about the resources you've used? (Jun 16 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6595138381/i-would-like-to-learn-if-cybernetic-theory-and
The Great JF says:
“It would be pushing it very hard to say that we went into ontological debates or whatnot but we do question our essence and what makes us who we are. However, we didn’t try to intellectualize it too much to the point where it becomes heavy and hard to digest but for a select few. We were interested in keeping on the emotional level more than on a rational or abstract level because it speaks to all, regardless of your background.”
will there be maps or cities with rain or is the weather going to change like in games like far cry 2? (Jun 16 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6595116158/will-there-be-maps-or-cities-with-rain-or-is-the
The Great JF says:
“The mood of each map is permanent. We do not have ToD system. This way, it makes it more confusing for the player to calculate are many days pass by during the game, LOL!”
Will Adam Jensen give female characters a smile, or just keep the SERIOUS style again ? (Jun 3 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6148476642/will-adam-jensen-give-female-characters-a-smile
“Hey! Jensen’s on a mission. He has no time for distraction, right? Do you think we spent the last for years smiling or laughing when we were on a mission to make this game? Well, I might not be the prime example since I have subtle smile and unnoticeable laugh… Well, nevermind.”
-The Great JF
Do they offer uh.. certain enlarging augmentations for individuals searching for those? (Jun 3 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6148464730/do-they-offer-uh-certain-enlarging-augmentations
Alright, so game director Jean-Francois Dugas is answering more and more questions these days, and I’m getting tired of writing his name and title out. How about we just refer to him from now on as “The Great JF.” Cool?
Here’s The Great JF’s response to this question: 
“Sarif Industries is there to make you happy and feel better about yourself. If it’s what you need to be happy, I’m sure Mister Sarif has something up his sleeves just for you ;)”
How many times, in-game, will Jensen shout "I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS"? Is there a mode where he randomly shouts "I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS"? If not, why not, and could it potentially be DLC? (Jun 1 2011)https://deusex.tumblr.com/post/6074144822/how-many-times-in-game-will-jensen-shout-i
Another answer from Jean-Francois Dugas, game director on DX:HR:
“Poor Jensen… His life is not the easiest one. Actually, it is a dialog choice the player has at some point. So, he might or not say it. In the end, the line is really more to establish the character and elude to the tragedy he went through.”
==External links==
*Reddit (r/DeusEx) collection of Q&A posts: Characters and Story; Art and Design; Cut Content
==Links to original posts==
Category:Developer interviews and commentary
Category:Deus Ex: Human Revolution