Are Writers Obsolete?
by Scott Lail · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 05/01/2001 (12:04 pm) · 19 replies
I have seen lots of discussion on gameplay and graphics but what of Plot? Isn't it the job of the writers to pull you in? If I write a story and you the programmer brings it to life, aren't I just as responsible as you the artist, or you the programmer, for the direction and content? Answers, flames, condolences, all appreciated.
#2
Implementing *real* plot devices is tough work. Take a look at Deus Ex and all the extra code and design work necessary for the conversation system, variety of paths, cut scenes, etc. That's a LOT more work on top of the gameplay itself. Of course, take that away from Deus Ex and you get a very bland game.
It's so much easier to use simple plot devices and leave it at that. You're a prisoner in Nazi Germany. You're a commander of the Protoss army. You're a hitman. You're the owner of a theme park. You get the idea. I think the amount of work involved in developing a plot thick enough that it requires a real writer is often not worth the trade off in the depth it adds. As much as I loved Deus Ex, it wasn't a huge blockbuster. Most people don't appreciate the depth, or don't like the trade off compared to other games (i.e. lower quality graphics, slower pace).
05/03/2001 (12:42 am)
I think many today games are gameplay driven rather than plot driven. Take the plot out of Red Alert 2 and its still Red Alert 2. Take the plot out of Final Fantasy, and you have... Diablo 2. :) Others such as NOLF are sorta inbetween. NOLF would certainly not be as cool without the plot, but replacing all that plot supporting work with simple "go here kill shit" notices at the beginning of each level would work. Implementing *real* plot devices is tough work. Take a look at Deus Ex and all the extra code and design work necessary for the conversation system, variety of paths, cut scenes, etc. That's a LOT more work on top of the gameplay itself. Of course, take that away from Deus Ex and you get a very bland game.
It's so much easier to use simple plot devices and leave it at that. You're a prisoner in Nazi Germany. You're a commander of the Protoss army. You're a hitman. You're the owner of a theme park. You get the idea. I think the amount of work involved in developing a plot thick enough that it requires a real writer is often not worth the trade off in the depth it adds. As much as I loved Deus Ex, it wasn't a huge blockbuster. Most people don't appreciate the depth, or don't like the trade off compared to other games (i.e. lower quality graphics, slower pace).
#3
05/11/2001 (8:21 am)
Many times writers are REALLY worth it. (take a look at the Final Fantasy series) Its genre specific. In an RPG, the story is crucial.
#4
On one side, storylines ARE important, and I accept all the points made so far... but has anyone considered about how they are unimportant or at least bad in their traditional sense?
I still feel that people are trying to emulate the movies - however games is an interactive medium, and therefore should it not be the player who decides the story and the designer providing background? Recently, it has mainly been the designer providing the story and the player being forced through it... the designer in question should probably write a novel instead of games.
Now, I'm not being harsh, perhaps the statement I should be making is that great plots CAN work outside of movies... but as long as the player still feels some sense of freedom... which kind of makes it difficult to write a predetermined story if the player can do what he/she wants.
And there's also the question of multiple endings... in a book I read, Roberta Williams said that she had received messages from people asking how to get the 'right' ending... and thus instead of all multiple endings being accepted, the player had seen one ending and 'known' that the hero hadn't supposed to die, etc... and therefore multiple endings have to all make sense, and it may be difficult to create a number of storyline strands all of a consistant high quality.
-Alf-Life.
05/18/2001 (1:47 am)
Hi,On one side, storylines ARE important, and I accept all the points made so far... but has anyone considered about how they are unimportant or at least bad in their traditional sense?
I still feel that people are trying to emulate the movies - however games is an interactive medium, and therefore should it not be the player who decides the story and the designer providing background? Recently, it has mainly been the designer providing the story and the player being forced through it... the designer in question should probably write a novel instead of games.
Now, I'm not being harsh, perhaps the statement I should be making is that great plots CAN work outside of movies... but as long as the player still feels some sense of freedom... which kind of makes it difficult to write a predetermined story if the player can do what he/she wants.
And there's also the question of multiple endings... in a book I read, Roberta Williams said that she had received messages from people asking how to get the 'right' ending... and thus instead of all multiple endings being accepted, the player had seen one ending and 'known' that the hero hadn't supposed to die, etc... and therefore multiple endings have to all make sense, and it may be difficult to create a number of storyline strands all of a consistant high quality.
-Alf-Life.
#5
05/18/2001 (6:45 am)
b
#6
Games like RPGs and simulations do not do this at all.
>, if you think about it, video games have infinitely more potential. Movies is merely sitting and watching stuff happen, whereas videogames offer you a chance to actually interact with the experience and become deeply involved with the characters, not letting the silver screen act as a barrier.
I really agree with this.... In a movie you are more constrained to the plot and story than in any game.
>to make the connection on the mental level, rather than the physical level, a strong story is necessary.
I believe the story in many cases is one of the most important aspects of many games, and this is what I am designing my RPG around, but I also want to keep in mind other factors, to let the player be free.
>videogames are an infinitely untapped medium of creative expression
Yes, exactly. You can make a player live through scenes, not watch other people live through them, which is why games like Final Fantasy are so good. My RPG will have a story that in my opinion beats any RPG story out there.
You have just about said it all, so I will try and stop commenting on it. There is so much video games can do that movies can't.
>I guess the general point I'm trying to make is that videogames have the potential to be the centerpiece of our culture like the movie industry
Exactly!
>Nobody would go to the movies anymore.
Doubtful, but we get the point.
I think games provide a completely different, more engaging aspect of story and plot than anything else ever possibly could. I know my story would be ten times better as an RPG game than a book or a movie, it would never fit into a movie, and it would be to graphically challenged, and as a book, there would be too little graphics to nearly explain what I am tryiong to explain, and it would be ten times less engaging, with no interactivity.
05/18/2001 (3:57 pm)
>It was suggested that games attempt to emulate movies Games like RPGs and simulations do not do this at all.
>, if you think about it, video games have infinitely more potential. Movies is merely sitting and watching stuff happen, whereas videogames offer you a chance to actually interact with the experience and become deeply involved with the characters, not letting the silver screen act as a barrier.
I really agree with this.... In a movie you are more constrained to the plot and story than in any game.
>to make the connection on the mental level, rather than the physical level, a strong story is necessary.
I believe the story in many cases is one of the most important aspects of many games, and this is what I am designing my RPG around, but I also want to keep in mind other factors, to let the player be free.
>videogames are an infinitely untapped medium of creative expression
Yes, exactly. You can make a player live through scenes, not watch other people live through them, which is why games like Final Fantasy are so good. My RPG will have a story that in my opinion beats any RPG story out there.
You have just about said it all, so I will try and stop commenting on it. There is so much video games can do that movies can't.
>I guess the general point I'm trying to make is that videogames have the potential to be the centerpiece of our culture like the movie industry
Exactly!
>Nobody would go to the movies anymore.
Doubtful, but we get the point.
I think games provide a completely different, more engaging aspect of story and plot than anything else ever possibly could. I know my story would be ten times better as an RPG game than a book or a movie, it would never fit into a movie, and it would be to graphically challenged, and as a book, there would be too little graphics to nearly explain what I am tryiong to explain, and it would be ten times less engaging, with no interactivity.
#7
In fact, this ties in with my point between the two types of ways the plot can be brought across in games.
Firstly, movies have an advantage over games in the way that books have an advantage over movies. Books use intricate language and can delve into characters' thoughts and into different scenes much less confusingly than movies can and also allow the reader to create their own pictures of the locales and what the characters look like, however movies are more visual and can be more aesthetically stunning. In the same way, movies are better in some ways than games, while games have their own advantages.
With regard to games being an untapped medium, I agree... however because they are so untapped, I believe things from the movie industry should not be aped into the games industry... the games industry should find its own unique way of telling a story, if it even needs to - perhaps the player should tell him/her own story through the interactive medium of games?
With regard to Metal Gear Solid... good game, but I honestly was annoyed every time I ran down a corridor to be slapped out of the playability into yet another cut scene. Now, the set-pieces and cut-scenes did make playing Metal Gear Solid akin to watching a movie, except for the fact if I died, I had to redo a bit, and also I was being let by the hand to the next part of the story instead of having an infinite world of possiblities.
This may have worked well... and indeed the so-called 'annoying' cut-scenes did allow the player to see other viewpoints simply not possible if this was attempted in Half-Life, for example.
However, Half-Life is also a storytelling gem... unlike the detatched 3rd person of Metal Gear Solid and seeing Snake react, I *was* Gordon Freeman, and even though it was kind of linear seeing events unfold around me felt like I was more inside a world rather than watching events happen but not being able to move around during them.
However, Half-Life's set-piece approach does have downfalls... for one, for these set-pieces, the player may not be looking in the correct direction and then misses one... of course this wouldn't matter if there were plenty unfolding (it may even encourage replayability) however the set pieces were made out as major events that came along once in a while (maybe a next-generation game will have set-pieces happneing continuosly around the player) and so missing them usually caused a quick hit of the Quick Load key. The other fault this system, however involving it is, has is that certain things simply cannot be done... you cannot convey another characters thoughts, force a player to watch a main character die or other, perhaps better examples that escape me now, - even clever gimmicks within the gameplay to allow for that (such as trapping the player in a train on a trin-ride to work) can only go so far.
To conclude, as I said earlier, books and movies have their own structure of narrative and so too should games. Perhaps this will develop more with time, but I just feel that instead of trying to make their games 'like a movie' developers should attempt to carve their own type of plot for the games industry. Does a game even need a storyline? If so, can, say, a dozen plots be created and wrapped up in a world in which the player unwittingly folllows one of those storylines depending on his/her actions? Can a developer craft a world bound by a transparent and 'light' plot for the player to expand on himself/herself? Or can a player be given an entire world with seemingly infinite possiblities and allowed to 'play' it as a game, like a child plays in the playground with the only rules being gameplay-rules, without worrying about a storyline?
A slight link to this is the example of Black & White, I know this has certain missions to fulfill, but would it not just work as a 'virtual pet with good graphics' game? Games like Mario 64 hardly rely on their story to be stupendously good... rescuing the princess is more of a goal at the end, up until 3/4 of the way through, players are more interested in the levels than defeating the 3rd Bowser.
Then there are games like Phantom Menace with a decent storyline but poor gameplay.
Other examples include SWAT 3, which has excellent missions, but just uses a storyline to string the missions together so they act like a unit,
The Longest Journey; heavy on storyline,
Driver; an enjoyable game even without the story, infact I usually only play the 'driving games' bonus/novelty stages where you have to say 'lose the tail' or 'survive 4 crazy veteran cops',
European Air War: Where everyone knows the story of WWII, so the aim is merely to enjoy the campaigns.
And of course, many many many N64/console/handheld games which have good gameplay but virtually no (or clich
05/20/2001 (3:33 pm)
I agree with your points... however, I do not believe that games will *replace* movies...In fact, this ties in with my point between the two types of ways the plot can be brought across in games.
Firstly, movies have an advantage over games in the way that books have an advantage over movies. Books use intricate language and can delve into characters' thoughts and into different scenes much less confusingly than movies can and also allow the reader to create their own pictures of the locales and what the characters look like, however movies are more visual and can be more aesthetically stunning. In the same way, movies are better in some ways than games, while games have their own advantages.
With regard to games being an untapped medium, I agree... however because they are so untapped, I believe things from the movie industry should not be aped into the games industry... the games industry should find its own unique way of telling a story, if it even needs to - perhaps the player should tell him/her own story through the interactive medium of games?
With regard to Metal Gear Solid... good game, but I honestly was annoyed every time I ran down a corridor to be slapped out of the playability into yet another cut scene. Now, the set-pieces and cut-scenes did make playing Metal Gear Solid akin to watching a movie, except for the fact if I died, I had to redo a bit, and also I was being let by the hand to the next part of the story instead of having an infinite world of possiblities.
This may have worked well... and indeed the so-called 'annoying' cut-scenes did allow the player to see other viewpoints simply not possible if this was attempted in Half-Life, for example.
However, Half-Life is also a storytelling gem... unlike the detatched 3rd person of Metal Gear Solid and seeing Snake react, I *was* Gordon Freeman, and even though it was kind of linear seeing events unfold around me felt like I was more inside a world rather than watching events happen but not being able to move around during them.
However, Half-Life's set-piece approach does have downfalls... for one, for these set-pieces, the player may not be looking in the correct direction and then misses one... of course this wouldn't matter if there were plenty unfolding (it may even encourage replayability) however the set pieces were made out as major events that came along once in a while (maybe a next-generation game will have set-pieces happneing continuosly around the player) and so missing them usually caused a quick hit of the Quick Load key. The other fault this system, however involving it is, has is that certain things simply cannot be done... you cannot convey another characters thoughts, force a player to watch a main character die or other, perhaps better examples that escape me now, - even clever gimmicks within the gameplay to allow for that (such as trapping the player in a train on a trin-ride to work) can only go so far.
To conclude, as I said earlier, books and movies have their own structure of narrative and so too should games. Perhaps this will develop more with time, but I just feel that instead of trying to make their games 'like a movie' developers should attempt to carve their own type of plot for the games industry. Does a game even need a storyline? If so, can, say, a dozen plots be created and wrapped up in a world in which the player unwittingly folllows one of those storylines depending on his/her actions? Can a developer craft a world bound by a transparent and 'light' plot for the player to expand on himself/herself? Or can a player be given an entire world with seemingly infinite possiblities and allowed to 'play' it as a game, like a child plays in the playground with the only rules being gameplay-rules, without worrying about a storyline?
A slight link to this is the example of Black & White, I know this has certain missions to fulfill, but would it not just work as a 'virtual pet with good graphics' game? Games like Mario 64 hardly rely on their story to be stupendously good... rescuing the princess is more of a goal at the end, up until 3/4 of the way through, players are more interested in the levels than defeating the 3rd Bowser.
Then there are games like Phantom Menace with a decent storyline but poor gameplay.
Other examples include SWAT 3, which has excellent missions, but just uses a storyline to string the missions together so they act like a unit,
The Longest Journey; heavy on storyline,
Driver; an enjoyable game even without the story, infact I usually only play the 'driving games' bonus/novelty stages where you have to say 'lose the tail' or 'survive 4 crazy veteran cops',
European Air War: Where everyone knows the story of WWII, so the aim is merely to enjoy the campaigns.
And of course, many many many N64/console/handheld games which have good gameplay but virtually no (or clich
#8
05/20/2001 (8:35 pm)
b
#9
I think you misunderstood me regarding Metal Gear Solid... I did enjoy it... and didn't exactly die that often (although I did play the PC-CDROM version rather than the PS one) ... however, what I meant was that scenes felt 'truncated' and 'forced'. For example, the best example I can think of right now is the Hind Helicopter battle on the rooftop. After defeating it sufficiently, the only way out is to abail down the side of the building with the rope. Not only does this force you to go about it like that, but the view changes and it becomes a simple process of jumping and moving down the building. Once you get down the side, after having just witnessed two movies of the HIND, firstly when you see it and secondly when you 'beat' it the first time, you are allowed to kill three guards and walk all of 10 metres before once again you are subjected to another movie. I beleieve this cuts the player off from the game, and as stated earlier, although cutscenes allow you to see things you wouldn't be able to see in a Half-Life type set up, it does isolate the player, and as interesting as the cutscene is, I would rather be playing the game.
You mentioned that you haven't played Half-Life, well the setup is basically that I think there's only ever one short cut scene in the whole of the game, and that's still from your perspective as you're being carried off by two guards. However, the rest of the game, even the intro is seen from your eyes. What I meant with scripted sequences was that in the game Half-Life, which is an FPS - it's out soon on DC and PS2 if you're going to buy one of them and your MS Works computer can't handle it :) -and in the FPS, events happen around the player but NOT in cutscene form. For example, you walk into a room and two scientists are trying to escape, one gives the other a leg-up into a vent, but you hear a noise and the scientist gets dragged into the vent, with blood and guts flying out a few seconds later. Another examples include seeing events through windows or overhearing conversations while crawling through vents, etc. Now, Valve the company who made the game admit they have only just scratched the surface with scripted sequences; they could have been improved to help the storyline out more... but for their time, it was great.
I would strongly recommend you to try an obtain a copy of Half-Life as it is a great game, with a good, well-told story and a great hook in that you, Gordon Freeman, are kind of the reluctant hero... I believe the advertising campaign summed it up perfectly when it said "Save the world? That's a small price to pay compared with saving your own skin." Or words to that effect.
Finally, you mentioned Perfect Dark. What did you think of the storyline? Rare were seriously dissed about their plot for PD... perhaps unfairly, because of three reasons. Firstly, Goldeneye's story was known to the public due to it being essentially the same as the film's, so Perfect Dark had a lot to live up to. Secondly, Rare didn't force the players to read the briefings (they were optional and were easily bypassed) unlike in Goldeneye, and thirdly they introduced aliens into the plot later on which was feasible for the story, but in-game many players hated having to fight the Skedar rather than normal 'men' which were more satisfying to kill... and so people blamed the story for what was really a bad choice in the game... the aliens could have been human-like in form or mainted their Mr.Blonde disguise...
Besides that, I actually thought the story of Perfect Dark was OK. It was perhaps a tad clich
05/22/2001 (5:25 am)
Hi (again) :)I think you misunderstood me regarding Metal Gear Solid... I did enjoy it... and didn't exactly die that often (although I did play the PC-CDROM version rather than the PS one) ... however, what I meant was that scenes felt 'truncated' and 'forced'. For example, the best example I can think of right now is the Hind Helicopter battle on the rooftop. After defeating it sufficiently, the only way out is to abail down the side of the building with the rope. Not only does this force you to go about it like that, but the view changes and it becomes a simple process of jumping and moving down the building. Once you get down the side, after having just witnessed two movies of the HIND, firstly when you see it and secondly when you 'beat' it the first time, you are allowed to kill three guards and walk all of 10 metres before once again you are subjected to another movie. I beleieve this cuts the player off from the game, and as stated earlier, although cutscenes allow you to see things you wouldn't be able to see in a Half-Life type set up, it does isolate the player, and as interesting as the cutscene is, I would rather be playing the game.
You mentioned that you haven't played Half-Life, well the setup is basically that I think there's only ever one short cut scene in the whole of the game, and that's still from your perspective as you're being carried off by two guards. However, the rest of the game, even the intro is seen from your eyes. What I meant with scripted sequences was that in the game Half-Life, which is an FPS - it's out soon on DC and PS2 if you're going to buy one of them and your MS Works computer can't handle it :) -and in the FPS, events happen around the player but NOT in cutscene form. For example, you walk into a room and two scientists are trying to escape, one gives the other a leg-up into a vent, but you hear a noise and the scientist gets dragged into the vent, with blood and guts flying out a few seconds later. Another examples include seeing events through windows or overhearing conversations while crawling through vents, etc. Now, Valve the company who made the game admit they have only just scratched the surface with scripted sequences; they could have been improved to help the storyline out more... but for their time, it was great.
I would strongly recommend you to try an obtain a copy of Half-Life as it is a great game, with a good, well-told story and a great hook in that you, Gordon Freeman, are kind of the reluctant hero... I believe the advertising campaign summed it up perfectly when it said "Save the world? That's a small price to pay compared with saving your own skin." Or words to that effect.
Finally, you mentioned Perfect Dark. What did you think of the storyline? Rare were seriously dissed about their plot for PD... perhaps unfairly, because of three reasons. Firstly, Goldeneye's story was known to the public due to it being essentially the same as the film's, so Perfect Dark had a lot to live up to. Secondly, Rare didn't force the players to read the briefings (they were optional and were easily bypassed) unlike in Goldeneye, and thirdly they introduced aliens into the plot later on which was feasible for the story, but in-game many players hated having to fight the Skedar rather than normal 'men' which were more satisfying to kill... and so people blamed the story for what was really a bad choice in the game... the aliens could have been human-like in form or mainted their Mr.Blonde disguise...
Besides that, I actually thought the story of Perfect Dark was OK. It was perhaps a tad clich
#10
It will be extremely unique in every way I can make it unique and still be fun. It would be impossible as a movie as it would be too long, and impossible as a book, because of no interactivity.
I am thinking of inviting you guys to a design forum for my RPG, where you can help with the story and other things if you wish.
Most of my game ideas are trying to make something truly unique and amazing, different from the rest of the world. I want to create things that have never been done before and create amazing experiences that players will awe in disbelief at. I guess my company name sort of fits this new genre of game development...
Anyway.... My RPG will be something completely new and different, with a story as engulfing and engaging as Final Fantasy 7, but trying to add much freedom and tons of uniqueness.
05/22/2001 (1:50 pm)
This has given me many ideas for my RPG.It will be extremely unique in every way I can make it unique and still be fun. It would be impossible as a movie as it would be too long, and impossible as a book, because of no interactivity.
I am thinking of inviting you guys to a design forum for my RPG, where you can help with the story and other things if you wish.
Most of my game ideas are trying to make something truly unique and amazing, different from the rest of the world. I want to create things that have never been done before and create amazing experiences that players will awe in disbelief at. I guess my company name sort of fits this new genre of game development...
Anyway.... My RPG will be something completely new and different, with a story as engulfing and engaging as Final Fantasy 7, but trying to add much freedom and tons of uniqueness.
#11
05/22/2001 (9:20 pm)
v
#12
Anyway, which company are you in, and what type of RPG are you designing, will it be based on V12?
Justin: I agree with the Perfect Dark thing; the gameplay is amazing... however, I only bawlk at the story since after playing Half-Life, you will release how immersive stories in FPSs can be... a newer game which I particularly like is "No One Lives Forever" for the PC (Soon PS2, too) - a game which requires high PC specs... but the storyline is really good as there are so many twists which I wouldn't want to spoil for you.
In my mind, after reading books by Robin Jarvis (look him up on Amazon.co.uk/com) his books always have a twist and I have realised how much I love twists in storylines... and like all good twists, Jarvis' are really really original. With this in mind, I have to admit I expected one twist in NOLF... wanted a 2nd twist, and suspected a 3rd twist, although I thought I'd be lucky with 2. However, NOLF even surprised me with 4/5 amazing twists, each one better than the last all at the end... the first twist made me think 'oh, cool' the second twist was the one I had expected but it came so late on that I thought they hadn't included it, and the 3rd/4th (2 or three in one later on :)) twist was kind of a bonus. Then, after the credits, thinking that was it - probably the best twist I have ever seen in a game... (and, incidentally along the lines of an idea I had had previously). So, to sum up, if you're getting a PS2, I'd reccommend Half-Life and NOLF.
Also, you mentioned you'd completed a game, and have 2 in progress... is this professionally? May I ask which game/company/shoe size?
Finally, I do understand what you mean... I was at work experience once at Gremlin (now Infogrames) and a designer there told me that when you close your eyes, you have to be able to visualise and play your game in your head. And, like Chris said, I think everyone strives to create something new and untold - which is why I admire Shigeru Miyamoto so much because he actually does! :) However, I think the stench of mediocrity in society and the maturing of the games industry into a business/serious matter makes companies/publishers/developers not want to take risks and also creates designers who think the same and, for lack of better phrasing "can't be bothered if their industry isn't bothered".
And, not to disrespect Electronic Arts, as however franchising their FIFA/Madden/NFL/NHL/etc games are, and however much they are created seasonally, like the sports season, and for money, I still feel they do put effort into making them playable, however, I just hope that by the time I get into the industry (if I do) it hasn't become an industry of major corporations, and there are still the Free Radical Design's and the Lionhead satellites out there. (Oh, and Republic looks fantastic! :))
By the way, what did you think of E3? I was only looking out for GameCube to be honest, and although I have to say the graphics look amazing (- check out WaveRace's water effects and splashes and reflections) the games looked like same game; better graphics... I mean, however good WaveRace looks, in the movies it still has the same HUD and the same 'feel' to play (even though I havenn't actually played it :))... I'd say only the turbo feature is new regarding gameplay, let's hope Spaceworld's showing of Mario and Zelda make a difference...
-Alf-Life/Martin Badowsky.
05/25/2001 (4:17 am)
Chris: Hehe, a priceless quote there: "My RPG will be something completely new and different, with a story as engulfing and engaging as Final Fantasy". Heh, only joking... sorry, couldn't resist :pAnyway, which company are you in, and what type of RPG are you designing, will it be based on V12?
Justin: I agree with the Perfect Dark thing; the gameplay is amazing... however, I only bawlk at the story since after playing Half-Life, you will release how immersive stories in FPSs can be... a newer game which I particularly like is "No One Lives Forever" for the PC (Soon PS2, too) - a game which requires high PC specs... but the storyline is really good as there are so many twists which I wouldn't want to spoil for you.
In my mind, after reading books by Robin Jarvis (look him up on Amazon.co.uk/com) his books always have a twist and I have realised how much I love twists in storylines... and like all good twists, Jarvis' are really really original. With this in mind, I have to admit I expected one twist in NOLF... wanted a 2nd twist, and suspected a 3rd twist, although I thought I'd be lucky with 2. However, NOLF even surprised me with 4/5 amazing twists, each one better than the last all at the end... the first twist made me think 'oh, cool' the second twist was the one I had expected but it came so late on that I thought they hadn't included it, and the 3rd/4th (2 or three in one later on :)) twist was kind of a bonus. Then, after the credits, thinking that was it - probably the best twist I have ever seen in a game... (and, incidentally along the lines of an idea I had had previously). So, to sum up, if you're getting a PS2, I'd reccommend Half-Life and NOLF.
Also, you mentioned you'd completed a game, and have 2 in progress... is this professionally? May I ask which game/company/shoe size?
Finally, I do understand what you mean... I was at work experience once at Gremlin (now Infogrames) and a designer there told me that when you close your eyes, you have to be able to visualise and play your game in your head. And, like Chris said, I think everyone strives to create something new and untold - which is why I admire Shigeru Miyamoto so much because he actually does! :) However, I think the stench of mediocrity in society and the maturing of the games industry into a business/serious matter makes companies/publishers/developers not want to take risks and also creates designers who think the same and, for lack of better phrasing "can't be bothered if their industry isn't bothered".
And, not to disrespect Electronic Arts, as however franchising their FIFA/Madden/NFL/NHL/etc games are, and however much they are created seasonally, like the sports season, and for money, I still feel they do put effort into making them playable, however, I just hope that by the time I get into the industry (if I do) it hasn't become an industry of major corporations, and there are still the Free Radical Design's and the Lionhead satellites out there. (Oh, and Republic looks fantastic! :))
By the way, what did you think of E3? I was only looking out for GameCube to be honest, and although I have to say the graphics look amazing (- check out WaveRace's water effects and splashes and reflections) the games looked like same game; better graphics... I mean, however good WaveRace looks, in the movies it still has the same HUD and the same 'feel' to play (even though I havenn't actually played it :))... I'd say only the turbo feature is new regarding gameplay, let's hope Spaceworld's showing of Mario and Zelda make a difference...
-Alf-Life/Martin Badowsky.
#13
05/28/2001 (12:54 am)
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#14
I just downloaded the Final Fantasy movie trailer (from fileplanet.com) and from what I've heard of the FF games, they have amazing plots, however the one in the movie doesn't look good at all, really chich
05/28/2001 (5:33 am)
Just a quick reply today :)I just downloaded the Final Fantasy movie trailer (from fileplanet.com) and from what I've heard of the FF games, they have amazing plots, however the one in the movie doesn't look good at all, really chich
#15
05/29/2001 (12:50 am)
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#16
06/01/2001 (3:04 pm)
Oh, and just to keep this thread on-topic... I don't believe writers will (or have) become obscelete, in fact, quite the opposite I believe as the industry develops and specialisation becomes more widespread the role of the writer will become a job title on its own with skilled movie/game writers or novellists being drafted in to add a touch of professionalism. How long before we see development team credits include 'casting by...', Director of Photography, best boy, best grip and stuntman #2? :-)
#17
06/01/2001 (5:13 pm)
b
#18
And...since games are getting more specialised careers... I definately think there's a place for writers in the development team, although nulike designers who, depending on the company they're in) can be anywhere from a leader of a design team to the designer of the characters, the story writer and the game and produciton designer, I think writers will become it's own discipline of the game design career, and as you say, as games get 'hyper-real' how long will it be before people scrutinise the plot of games as much as films?
06/15/2001 (4:04 am)
Hehe... well stuntman would probably come under 'motion capture actor' or something :)And...since games are getting more specialised careers... I definately think there's a place for writers in the development team, although nulike designers who, depending on the company they're in) can be anywhere from a leader of a design team to the designer of the characters, the story writer and the game and produciton designer, I think writers will become it's own discipline of the game design career, and as you say, as games get 'hyper-real' how long will it be before people scrutinise the plot of games as much as films?
#19
I guess what I am trying to say is that if you have a story, and really want to adhere to the integrity of the story, also allow for the player to wander within the bounds of the story. Some games are so structured in what you have to do, that if you get stuck, the game is horrible... Just a thought
07/23/2001 (3:33 pm)
I think one element to games that is rather hard to grasp is the limitless imaginations of the players. I find that in games that have a specific story, or genre, or even just direction, guides the players to do what they want, just as a book does or a movie. The interesting challenge to writers, is how do I get the game to be the story I have created, yet still give the players the freedom to go about it their own way. One genre of games that does this well is the citibuilder types. For instance I am playing Zeuse right now and it has some objectives, but if I want to build a town that is all about actors I can. Even if it bends the objectives of the level. I guess what I am trying to say is that if you have a story, and really want to adhere to the integrity of the story, also allow for the player to wander within the bounds of the story. Some games are so structured in what you have to do, that if you get stuck, the game is horrible... Just a thought
Torque 3D Owner Brian Smith