Can you introduce yourself and talk about your role on the project? How did you get into the game industry and what drew you to the field?

My name is Emil Pagliarulo, and I'm Fallout 3's Lead Designer and Writer. It was basically my job to come up with the game's main story, quests, and gameplay and guide the other designers as they implemented all of my insane ideas.

I first entered the industry as a writer and editor of the Adrenaline Vault website back in the day. My first design job was with Looking Glass Studios, working on Thief 2. I had actually reviewed Thief 1 for the Adrenaline Vault (and worshipped it), so that helped get my foot in the door at Looking Glass. It was a dream job back then, and it still is to this day.

Like Oblivion the game has a moral choices though out the game, based on customer feedback/your own stats do most people tend to play it good, evil, or somewhere down the middle? Does that impact your design decisions at all?

I don't know what it is, but for some reason, I love designing “evil” gameplay. I love letting the player get into that really dark place, and experience something really sinister. I always have a sense of humor about it, but it's something I can't resist. That sort of started with some of the work I did in Thief 2, and definitely carried over into the Dark Brotherhood questline in Oblivion, and boy of boy is there some of that stuff in Fallout. I mean, even beyond the gameplay videos that have been released. You have no idea! But part of this - and this is the interesting thing - I have real difficulty playing an “evil” character in a game. So I love designing that stuff, but when it comes time to playing it, I just can't do it. I think I have a serious Catholic guilt complex, to be honest.

Fortunately, most people don't seem to share my aversion, and love to play the evil characters, so at least I know it's not wasted work! Bottom line, it's just really fun to let loose and be evil and do whatever the hell you want - which is to say, everything you can't do in the real world.

Is there anything important about the game that we didn't talk about? Safe to assume we won't see a demo for the game?

Nope, no demo. We prefer to put our resources into making the actual game, and besides, with a world this big, you just can't get an accurate assessment after playing a small demo and there's no way to just rip a part of the game out and have it work. It's one big, giant, interconnected “thing.”

One thing I think your readers should know is that, whether you played the old Fallouts or not, Fallout 3 is its own beast. We created what we feel is a really fun game, and we want you to experience it any way you want - good, evil, or somewhere in between. We're really proud of what we accomplished, and hope you can find a home in the Capital Wasteland!

A lot of Emil's Fallout 3 decisions have been... questionable, to say the least.

Q: [...]What are some of the more "interesting" feedback you've received with your approach to the game?

A: [...]And that’s what’s great about the internet – that “interesting” feedback is just a click away! It doesn’t take long to find some of the more colorful comments.

A lot of Emil's Fallout 3 decisions have been... questionable, to say the least.
If anything, following the development of Fallout 3 has made me realise he's not actually that great.

Might be better to reserve your judgment on this until, oh I don't know, maybe when the game actually is released?

And proud!
Nah, not a plant; sure, NMA was one of the first pages I visited when I got web access, but I didn't register there until this year (the presence of Roshambo was enough to make me steer well clear).
I'm just a traditional Fallout fan who's been playing since the original Fallout demo was released, and I don't like seeing one of my favourite game franchises spoiled by corporate greed.

Yer still a traitor though ;)