oops sorry

mustard

cf Paranoia RPG, it''s old, but it''s absolutely hilarious.
One of those RPG that can recreate an atmosphere as mad as a Terry Gillian movie (Brazil, 12 monkeys army, etc)

youpla :-P

Since this thread looked like it was going to die I decided to revive it and push it in a new direction. The computer game is necessarily a mixed media artwork (i.e. it has sound, graphics, words, force-feedback controllers for some things (no, not what the thread in the lounge is about!)) What parts/percentage of worldbuilding is best done with words, and what with some other media? Should the writer be able to veto artwork that doesn't have the right atmosphere?

Edited by - sunandshadow on October 5, 2000 8:25:04 PM

Well ... there are two sides to the problem. A picture can illustrate hundreds of words. But what you see is all you get. And you need a very evocative picture to make the player wonder "what is behind, what is this, what does that mean" etc.
On the other hand, words allow each player plays in his own little world, the grail of player customization. The problem is that a computer is not a nice medium for reading... in the sense that you can do much more than that with it. Hence, while reading, you always imagine "they could have done a movie for that, I can picture it"... that''s good, because it means your writing is evocative. But that''s bad as the player always feel like he is kinda losing time. Of course they don''t realise that a movie sequence wouldn''t be so evocative, as it wouldn''t be necessarily what the player is imagining as he read the words.

Personally, I would love Computer games to take a more RPG approach, by providing more reading material on paper. A nice little booklet, describing what I need to know of the background universe, of the characters, and of the plot, to start playing.

Then in the game, and this is probably a heresy for most of you, movies would be much more appropriate, and would probably carry as much information as lengthy texts. Personally, I would rather look at a comic style illustration, with a lighter textual content, than a whole page of text.
I *adore* books. But I just get bored of reading them on a computer.

As for the relationship between writer, and other illustrative media (music, pictures, etc). I see that as a script writer relating to a realisator. Since there is a big chance there are more artists, musicians, etc, than writer. I think the writer should show the way.
But in the end, it''s the guy with the vision you have to follow...

mmm, not an easy answer I guess

youpla :-P

I think this is one of those fields that demands a director. The director should be the one responsible for keeping the vision. Right now it''s the producer, but I think his economic thinking sometimes overrules creative thinking, and as a result can make a game pale and colorless.

As far as text goes, always remember that it''s one of the cheapest forms of content you''ve got. It''s a lot cheaper than voice acting, motion capture, animation, etc., which means that you''re more likely to see new, original work.

Unfortunately, text is seen as low budget. I think the more brainy / intellectual your work is, the more you can tolerate text (like strategy games can tolerate crappier graphics). Which is great for RPGs!!!

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Just waiting for the mothership...

The use of text vs. graphics/fmv/voice acting also is effected by how linear and pre-conceived a game is. If a game is very loose & non-linear then it''s harder to use anything but text most of the time.

"'Nazrix is cool' -- Nazrix" --Darkmage --Godfree

I agree with ahw - Someone needs to make a Paranoia game, preferably a MMORPG.

The one thing that text can do well ina game is provide information without breaking the illusion of disbelief. I recently played Zork Nemesis where you wandered around an old temple. The graphics and sound were great for creating mood, but much of the details were found in books scattered around. Notebooks from previous residents, sketchbooks and library books that game characters used, etc.

A game character can encounter and use text in the form of a book or note. They can''t easily carry around a cutscene as an object.