SHADOWTEXT'S PROFILE

author=Mewd link=topic=152.msg2299#msg2299 date=1186171939
I have the misfortune of loving gaming ten times more than novels or film, yet realy only having writing skills almost exclusively.

There's the whole current conceptual movement going on that games should stop trying to be as deep as films or books in terms of story telling and focus primarily (Or exclusively) on gameplay. Such argument has managed to be poigiant, as too many games try too hard to inflate their shallow stories to bloated bursting. Though the idea that games CAN'T tell stories well threatens my livelihood. I'd really like to see more games that push the envelope in terms of story telling. GOOD writing doesn't mean quantity, it's about telling a potent story effectively in the medium provided. Good writing in games is an avenue I consider highly under-developed, but I can hardly truly mouth off about it if I do not produce anything myself worth arguing the point. Here's hoping.

I think the bigger issue, Mewd, isn't that games can't tell stories well, it's that they can't tell the same KINDS of stories well. And most of the people who are obsessed with the stories in video games seem to be stuck in oldschool narrative things. I often tell people to focus more on gameplay than story (and I'd still hold to that), but the really innovative and skillful storytellers working in the medium need to pioneer new methods of storytelling that are unique to games, rather than trying to adapt the methods available to film and novels.

Huh. They're really pushing the Dragon Quest on DS thing. There was a lot of mutterings that Dragon Quest IX was going to be a temporary jaunt onto the DS and that X would be on a home console....with this, I'm starting to wonder if they're not going to make Dragon Quest a portable franchise permenantly.

Considering how freaking huge the DS is in Japan, not to mention how freaking huge Dragon Quest is in Japan, I can't say where it would be an unwise move.

The thing is, even as far as Visual Basic has come (and believe me, I was a VB apologist for some time), it's still not that great for games. If you're going to go full programming language (and not some middleware option), some variant of C is probably your best bet. C# is popular lately, and Microsoft's XNA framework for C# actually seems to be pretty competent for game making (even 2D games....and the latest versions of DirectX for VB really aren't)....not to mention, you can get the latest versions of Visual Studio Expressfor free from Microsoft these days, although the express edition's programs require the .NET framework to be on a player's computer to run. Anyway, once you've learned any programming language, it's not too hard to pick up the others. It's not like you'll have to learn assembler or anything.

Trance. All "unfinishable" game projects must be completed/released in 20005, not 20003. It's a rule. It's when Line's End, Reve (and basically every other Seventh Wish game), Hurricane Simeon and Taret Blade are all being released, anyway. Whether or not Lys has "abondoned" ABL is a moot point because Club 20005 is all-powerful.

Though you couldn't tell it from my own projects (because I don't really have any musical talent or convenient access to anyone who I could strongarm and/or beg music out of), I think that a good original soundtrack is extremely important to a good gaming experience. When that's not available, one that uses tracks that aren't usually heard in the context of games is my preference....I really hate to hear music from a game I've already heard used in another game unless it's a sequel to that game. And even then it should probably be a remix or variation on the original theme. Like with the (awesome) remix of "Fighting of the Spirit" from Tales of Phantasia that Tales of Symphonia used. Too bad that's about the only song I remember liking from ToS.

And while "brandonabley" (what's up with dropping the handle, Him?) might well be right about it only being important to games that have a cohesive vision, I think that a cohesive vision is pretty important to a good game as well. I think it might be the biggest part of what raises a game from "amateur game" to "indie game." That or being paid for it, I suppose.

Also, in regards to credit given for the work....I'd say they definitely deserve a great deal of credit. I'd say they ought to be mentioned in the opening credits if there are any, as well as on any project page the game has, and I'd even encourage the use of the title "Musical Director" over "Composer." And given pretty much full creative control over the music in the game, although perhaps with a few guidelines from the Director/Project Lead dealie.