Random Chatter Thread

[Nissa]

So I went to a gaming convention this week. It was small, but pretty good. I got to see John Romero, and that was cool. Kinda surprising how many of his games were inspired by all the Dungeons and Dragons he played with the other ID co-founders. I also met SC2 writer Brian Kindregan. That was pretty cool, and I managed not to say anything bad about SC2 to his face (although he's not at Blizzard anymore). Apparently he was hired specifically to try and fix the mess that WoL's story had been about a year before release. There was also a panel of game writers who talked about getting a job and all the things one can do to enter the game writing scene. That was my favorite part.

[KaiserStratosTygo]

"he was hired specifically to try and fix the mess that WoL's story had been about a year before release."

Alas his efforts were in vain!

[TheEconomist]

Sounds pretty awesome!

[Turalyon]

I also met SC2 writer Brian Kindregan. That was pretty cool, and I managed not to say anything bad about SC2 to his face (although he's not at Blizzard anymore).

Bawk bawk, bawk, bawk.

[Nissa]

Hahaha! Come on, Tura, I want these people to like me so that I can network and get a job somewhere. I did tell Kindregan some stuff about me being a publishing editor at heart, and how I viewed SC2 that way, so I casually implied my criticism. Just as he casually implied that Blizzard totally has nepotism and such going on, where they're really loyal to the old crew -- and Starcraft apparently has the oldest team in Blizzard. Like, there's guys who have been there for years, and some people aren't really sure what they do.

I'm so excited about gaming now. The panel with all the game writers got me really excited, because they all made careers writing games, so why can't I? Though, admittedly, I may be on the way to text adventure land -- which another developer said was actually more viable today than it has been for the past 20 years. He said I should go for developing on the iPad.

And yes, Kindregan could do nothing to save WoL. Crap ingredients do not a good story make. On the other hand, WoL almost makes sense. On the first hand again, Kindregan was also partially responsible for Romance Novel of the Swarm and Legacy of the Retcon, so he must rightfully accept his share of the blame.

[Turalyon]

Hahaha! Come on, Tura, I want these people to like me so that I can network and get a job somewhere.

Ah, the conundrum and conflicting ideals of sucking up to people or being honest.

I'm so excited about gaming now. The panel with all the game writers got me really excited, because they all made careers writing games, so why can't I? Though, admittedly, I may be on the way to text adventure land -- which another developer said was actually more viable today than it has been for the past 20 years. He said I should go for developing on the iPad.

I guess I should've figured that with your little experiment you tried out on me awhile back. It'd be cool if text adventure games are making a comeback. I remember loving those fighting fantasy RPG gamebooks by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone when I was a kid (god, I'm old).

And yes, Kindregan could do nothing to save WoL. Crap ingredients do not a good story make. On the other hand, WoL almost makes sense. On the first hand again, Kindregan was also partially responsible for Romance Novel of the Swarm and Legacy of the Retcon, so he must rightfully accept his share of the blame.

I got nothing against the guy, he did what he could. I actually think that HotS, which he became lead writer on, was actually better than WoL in terms of its narrative structure/flow and general pacing. I think it was because the story in HotS was a bit more cogent in what it was about/ how it was delivered, that exposed even more the dearth of creativity, undercooked ideas and authorly conceits underlying all of it and that which was inherent since WoL.

WoL's story was barely coherent as a narrative and was spotty in what it was trying to say. They had some good ideas here and there which people noticed but narratively, they didn't mesh well when you see the thing as a whole. I think it's these small discrete good spots within WoL that make people think it's better, when really, it's a narrative mess compared to HotS and LotV.

[TheEconomist]

A job in the video game writing industry? Welllllllll, good luck with that Hope you have other sources of income.

(That's a critique of the industry, the economy, not you)

[Nissa]

Oh, I certainly understand. I'm at school now, wondering why I can't just get some practical job somewhere. And then I remember it's because last time I tried that, I ended up with an accounting degree that only makes me marginally more hireable.

I'm best at the things that don't pay well. >.<

Anyway, it was fun to learn the real inspiration of Doom. Romero said it came from the D+D sessions he and the other ID cofounders played. Romero screwed it all up by trading a demonic book to the demons, enabling them to overwhelm and destroy everything in the material plane. Everybody died. The best part is, Romero had traded the book for a daikatana.

I'm now obsessed with trying to find a way to save that world. Wizards of the Coasts should really make a campaign on it.

[sandwich_bird]

If you could build out a reliable system to make good procedural generated short stories, that would be a killer asset on your resume I'd think.

[TheEconomist]

If you could build out a reliable system to make good procedural generated short stories, that would be a killer asset on your resume I'd think.

Saaay whaaaaaaaat?

I ended up with an accounting degree that only makes me marginally more hireable.

LOL, everyone always told me I should've gone for a Business or Accounting degree instead of Economics.