Veteran RPG designer Josh Sawyer, known for his work on titles like Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and Pentiment, has embraced the idea that game development is an ongoing process of learning and improvement. Sawyer shared that even a writer from Disco Elysium once suggested that current game design could surpass previous approaches, a sentiment he wholeheartedly agrees with.
In a recent interview on the Human Can Opener Podcast, Sawyer discussed how developers constantly draw inspiration from one another. He recounted an instance where a writer from Disco Elysium reached out after the game's release, proposing a talk that would build upon Sawyer's own 2012 presentation on narrative choice. The writer, as Sawyer recalled, expressed a desire to demonstrate how game design had advanced, with the underlying message being, "we can do better than this now."
Sawyer welcomed this critical feedback. "I'm like, 'I certainly hope, fuckin', 10 years we can do better!'" he stated, emphasizing that he does not possess all the answers in RPG design and is always striving to do his best. He views such critiques as beneficial, inspiring others to innovate. This cycle of inspiration and iteration is something Sawyer actively participates in, often looking at the work of other developers and thinking about how it could be enhanced.
"I look at stuff and I go, 'Hey that's cool, but I have an idea how to make it better,' and then I do something and someone sees that and says 'Hey that's cool—or it's not cool—I have a way to make it better,'" Sawyer explained. He believes this continuous feedback loop is fundamental to the evolution of game design, a process that will continue indefinitely.
Sawyer pointed to branching dialogue as an example of a long-standing RPG tradition that, while often approached in a similar manner, still finds avenues for innovation. He expressed confidence that new methods for implementing such features will continue to emerge, even after his own career has concluded. Ultimately, Sawyer views this dynamic as a positive force, stating, "We just keep inspiring each other. It's not an animosity thing. It's just, do the best you can, [and] get inspired by other people."