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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Jul 18, 2009 10:35:17 GMT 1
----------------------------------------------------------- Aka: Oh boy... I think I'm going to get kicked for this -----------------------------------------------------------
Well, I've decided to do something absolutely bizare and totally arrogant soon. I've decided to start something on the likes of "Let's Play" session.
My first victim to be ripped into a new one would have to be... yes, you got it correct, Mass Effect.
Now don't get me wrong, I love this game a lot and I have a feeling it will always be on my list of "All time favourites." However... being a game analyst and soon-to-be-a-designer, I have to disect it in my own labs down at The Critical Fiction Den blog.
Reason why I've decided to start up on something like this? Well apart from doing it for kicks, I have to start looking through a magnifying glass on what is working and not working in games. Most importantly, due to the name of the blog, I have to start discussing about storytelling in games in a accademic sort of way.
Yeah, that's the main reason I've started up my blog is because of a single debate that happened in last semester. A girl in my class discuss how storytelling and gameplay to not fit well together in terms of making the game more "fun". Hence I have to prove that storytelling and gameplay do come in hand in hand, it depends on the involement between the two.
So yeah, now I'm going to wait for that boot to give me a good kick for being a mean spirited scholar.
*whistles*
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Post by Mister Buch on Jul 18, 2009 13:56:47 GMT 1
This sounds like a good idea Go to it! I'll be reading/watching. I really think that storytelling can be a great asset to a game's 'fun' factor. For me - as a casual gamer and a fan of stories and imagination - I love a game with a strong story. Hence my preference for RPGs, and Bioware. It makes the game a lot more fun for me. Then again, a story can detract from the simple shooting/platforming/whatever fun simply by interrupting it. I think not everyone enjoys a story enough to consider it a plus to a game. Many people buy a game just wanting a test of skill and a bit of interactive fun, not to watch a movie.
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Jul 18, 2009 17:05:51 GMT 1
Then again, a story can detract from the simple shooting/platforming/whatever fun simply by interrupting it. I think not everyone enjoys a story enough to consider it a plus to a game. Many people buy a game just wanting a test of skill and a bit of interactive fun, not to watch a movie. That's true, I suppose there are reasons why older gamers yerned for the old times where games are ment to be simple pure fun. Like Tetris. However like the early black and write films in the olden day when film was first invented and discovered, Video Games were... basic and have no plot what so ever. The closest you can get with a storyline in those games were simple objectives, eg: You must destroy all the invading alliens with your starship ( Space Invaders ). Like the history of film itself, as time went on, people have start to add more embelishments, twists and elaborate variations to the objectives of the game. It later envolved into a storyline for the game itself that leads to the present times with the games. Although I can't blame my classmate for making such debates about it in her presentation at the time. Even today, most game developers were really clumsy in trying to have storylines and interactive media work together. As you might recalled, there are a lot of RPGS have really long lenthy cutscenes that ruins the imersion within the game for the player themselves. It might work back then because of the technology at the time but today it wouldn't work now because the technology and gamers themselves are becomming picky in the late. Due to the clumsiness in putting storylines and gamply together, that's is why I've created The Critical Fiction Den. It's chance for me to give some insights about this, mark some referance points and hopefully I can learn something from this, so it will help me to make a better game in the future when that times comes. Hmm... I've should have write up a detailed eassy about this... Hopefully it didn't sounded like a fansite like Remmak though...
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Post by Mister Buch on Jul 18, 2009 23:47:33 GMT 1
For some reason I find the history of video games very very interesting, and I've read stuff about it for fun.
I see your point about storylines growing stronger - like Pong compared to Space Invaders, to Donkey Kong to Mario Bros to RPGS to modern RPGS. The story gets more detailed with each generation. Will it peak, or just keep going until it's like virtual reality kinda thing...
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Jul 19, 2009 10:41:28 GMT 1
I guess it depends on the technology's progression and where it leads up to. For me I haven't have the faintest idea where it might lead up in the future but I can say for certain now it's the time discover new tricks and trades for gaming techniques in regaurds to seemlessly blend storylines and gameplaying together. I have to admit, BioWare is on the right track about it in regaurds to the ME conversations and trying to have a more interactive way to creating storylines rather than force the players to sit through to listen to theirs, like most JRPGS.
As for the history of games, I have to agree that it's a colourful history, a little obscure pehaps but fun. Still there's one certain history I really want to look into and that's the "Video Game Crash" around the late 70's and early 80's. I really want to know how Video Games almost cause a massive wipeout at the time!
Btw, sry to ask this, but have ever pondered a bit joining into the games industry someday? Just asking.
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Post by Mister Buch on Jul 19, 2009 19:03:00 GMT 1
Yes I find this video game crash interesting too. Apparently it was all the fault of Pac Man and ET on Atari. It is very hard to believe that a booming industry with so much potential for growth could just grind to halt. Btw, sry to ask this, but have ever pondered a bit joining into the games industry someday? Just asking. It's never occurred to me. I'm not very good with technology and I only really play RPGs and retro games (and anything with the words 'Star Wars' in the title), so I don't think I have much to offer. I tell you though, I'd do anything for Drew Karpyshyn's job.
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Jul 20, 2009 8:05:13 GMT 1
Now working on the prolouge section of "Let's Play" in Mass Effect. Now I have to wait for the screen shots to finish uploading to Photobucket, goddamn it! That'll teach me to switch to JPG format NEXT TIME!!! >.<
Grrrrr... anyways the blog is on it way now, tonight or maybe tomorow, the blog will be going live on The Critical Fiction Den
Well, let's put it this way, Buch. I know a couple people in my class are not savvy in their gaming skill wise or technologically. I guess what it comes down to is understanding the idea of how to make the game engaging (or in your terms, 'fun') and knowing what it's working or not.
Also when working in the games industry, it's about team work and knowing your strenghs and weakness and how to ustilise it into the project. Say for example, you're a writer. You may suck in coding and art but you have a good idea how to meld it into the game itself and make it work in a fun thing.
It doesn't matter if you're leet in gaming skills and technology, if you're an arse in the team, don't know how to do make the game fun and being ignorant to the project's need. You're not going to go anywhere really.
At the end of the day, being a writer on the games industry, it boils down to dedication, passion, team work, understanding the concept of gameplay and storylines; and talent to get in I suppose.
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Post by Mister Buch on Jul 20, 2009 11:02:54 GMT 1
Interesting..... I could definitely write the stories for games. So this is your career then - you seem dead set on it?
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Jul 20, 2009 11:06:50 GMT 1
Almost but I'm still conflicted in deciding weather I should go designing games, write plots for it or paint concept art for it.
But yeah, after you learn a thing or two about the idea of making games fun then you should be alright, Buch.
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Post by Mister Buch on Jul 20, 2009 11:09:16 GMT 1
Almost but I'm still conflicted in deciding weather I should go designing games, write plots for it or paint concept art for it. Do all three!
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Jul 20, 2009 11:11:07 GMT 1
Yeah you're right, I should not be limited to one!
*pulls out a rocket launcher, digital pens and a notebook*
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Post by Hodster on Jul 20, 2009 15:50:35 GMT 1
Joining the game industry is my goal to eventually join it.
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Jul 21, 2009 6:05:49 GMT 1
Same here.
Unfortunately as I've said before, the games industry in Australia is kinda limited at this time, so I have to go overseas for a while.
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Jul 21, 2009 12:14:08 GMT 1
Good news, I've manged to upload all my screenshots for my "Let's Play" I'll be doing the prologue in no time at all. After this I can move on to the good bits of the main storyline and the sub quests *cough* Anyways, while I'm here I want to ask some advice from you guys about this: Should I run through the blog post with the usual MST scarthing of Spoony Experiment or go more a more... narrative appoach in the Paragon Shepard's but still have the scathing sacasim? (As a parody and homage to all the fanfics that constantly write the whole game in the authors perspective without a single interesting twist.) What do you guys think? EDIT: Changed my mind. I'm not going to do it in Shepard's PoV. First it sounds stupid and secondly, We already have Mock effect, so yeah. i'll go for the SpponyOne's appoach Double EDIT: The LP Mass Effect: Paragon Edition is now live for the first part. Let's Play Mass Effect: Please confirmed that you're over 18 years of age, commander.
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Post by Mister Buch on Jul 21, 2009 16:31:43 GMT 1
I think you're doing it the right way Till. I had a good laugh.
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