BioWare interviewed

[Pavlos]

Aside from questionable editorial technique (unfounded statements are always so much fun) this article about the BioTechnique is a rather interesting read.

 

  Quote

"There's so much you have to do before starting on the dialogue, especially with a new game like Jade Empire, as you have to establish the world. So for Mass Effect we spent about nine months planning everything out before we started to lock down characters or the story. It's trying to establish what's your setting, what's the tone, your art style, and your narrative style."

 

Laidlaw adds that it's important that writers also ensure they ask themselves what the game is actually about: "You have to think what are we trying to do? What are we trying to say? What is the point of this story? If you think about Mass Effect, a prime theme of the game is 'Is it us versus them, or is it us with them?', which could very easily be carried into an allegory for modern times. It helps us set a purpose for the story and the characters."

Although I didn't think that BioWare being "consistently the greatest RPG creators for the past decade" was a universally held fact. Oh well, value judgements are always fun.

[Pavlos]

Source

 

IGN have managed to grab a hold of BioWare's Ray Muzyka, strap him down to a chair, and -- under pain of listening to Mission Vao's dialogue -- ask him questions about Mass Effect and Dragon Age. They recorded the whole thing and then used computer technology to remove the scotch tape holding him down.

[Serpentine Cougar]

  \ said:

"I think the PC market right now is a very strong place. It's stronger than it's ever been. The business models have changed, consumer tastes have changed, the way people pay for content, microtransactions, downloadable content, online services, in-game ads, these are all kinds of different flavors…You know at the end of the day it all comes down to can you make a really great game really fun for your fans? And if you can do that and you understand who your fans really are, I think it's an incredibly great opportunity to develop for PC."

Hint, hint, Lucas Arts?

[Pavlos]

Source

 

Gamasutra -- a site dedicated to all things essay-based (naturally I love it for this reason) -- has posted a new interview with Ray Muzyka about BioWare's place in the empire on which the sun never sets.

 

Mr. Muzyka must be on some sort of lecture circuit at the moment. I have to keep on checking the BioWare website to make sure he hasn't turned into a middle-aged politician who's beginning to enjoy his retirement.

 

  Quote

Maybe there's some different ways to look at narrative. There's more than one way to tell a great story. But I think beyond that, our vision is emotion. So yeah, we're going to be pushing it hard to make you feel really compelled by the game as we deliver it. And if we need to deliver more compelling characters, we're going to be doing that.

 

Anyone else think that I should just accept the inevitable and change my user name to "News Bot"?

[mur'phon]

Make that nerdy news bot, or savior of the lazy nerd:D

[Miltiades]

IMO, when it comes to narrative and dialog in games, BioWare can still learn from Obsidian (or Avellone, for that matter). Anyway, at first, I was really scared for BioWare's future under EA, and I'm still not completely convinced, but the collaboration has some obvious benefits, of course. I hope it works out for BioWare, and I'm following their projects with interest and curiosity.

[Corinthian]

Bioware may not have as good a narrative or dialog as an Obsidian work, but they do have one thing on Obsidian - Obsidian has, to date, always worked with a foundation Bioware raised. They've also got something Obsidian doesn't - A history of satisfactory endings.

[adamqd]

  Corinthian said:

Bioware may not have as good a narrative or dialog as an Obsidian work

 

IMO opinion Bioware's storytelling shows tact and a closeness to Star Wars, whereas Avellones musings and self indulgence took TSL to a Galaxy too far away...

 

  Corinthian said:

but they do have one thing on Obsidian - Obsidian has, to date, always worked with a foundation Bioware raised. They've also got something Obsidian doesn't - A history of satisfactory endings.

 

Amen

[Miltiades]

  adamqd said:

IMO opinion Bioware's storytelling shows tact and a closeness to Star Wars, whereas Avellones musings and self indulgence took TSL to a Galaxy too far away...

To each his own.

 

@Corinthian: Yes, of course, I'm aware of that. It's just that I find Obsidian's work on dialog to be underrated and BioWare's to be overrated.

[Lance Monance]

Wasn't impressed with TSL's dialog at all, but Motb..that's another story.

[Emperor Devon]

  adamqd said:

IMO opinion Bioware's storytelling shows tact and a closeness to Star Wars

 

You are assuming this is a good thing to have in an RPG?

 

  adamqd said:

whereas Avellones musings and self indulgence took TSL to a Galaxy too far away...

 

Indeed. One with depth of character, gray morals, dialogue not written by a 12-year old, and an underlying theme beneath it all.

[SpaceAlex]

  adamqd said:

IMO opinion Bioware's storytelling shows tact and a closeness to Star Wars, whereas Avellones musings and self indulgence took TSL to a Galaxy too far away...

 

I consider that to be the best thing about TSL... the mystery. It makes me feel like I'm really somewhere in the galaxy far, far away. Can't say I get the same feeling when I'm playing KOTOR I, even through I love that game aswel. I suppose it's a matter of taste. "And what isn't?" we should ask ourselves.

[Serpentine Cougar]

KotoR 1's good voice acting made up for any complaints I would have had with the writing of the dialogue. Note that I haven't played TSL yet.

[SpaceAlex]

  Serpentine said:

KotoR 1's good voice acting made up for any complaints I would have had with the writing of the dialogue. Note that I haven't played TSL yet.

 

Yeah, the voice acting was well done in both KOTOR's. In particular, the voice actress who did Kreia in KOTOR II (Sara Kestelman, I believe she's called) was just amazing. She made the character look completely believable. Honorable mention goes to Kristofer Tabori for an excellent job on the HK's.

[Bee Hoon]

  Miltiades said:

It's just that I find Obsidian's work on dialog to be underrated and BioWare's to be overrated.

Aye, aye! TSL and MotB has absolutely awesome dialogue! When I played KotOR 1 (I played TSL first), I was pretty surprised by how...infantile some of the dialogue was. "zOMG Bastila stares at me cuz I'm HAWT":p

 

Jade Empire was good though:)

[adamqd]

  Emperor Devon said:

You are assuming this is a good thing to have in an RPG?

 

Correct ED, it is purely assumption, as I play KotOR for Star Wars, I play no other RPG's, so I have no argument regarding other RPG's, just my opinion on these.

[Prime]

  Emperor Devon said:

Indeed. One with depth of character, gray morals, dialogue not written by a 12-year old, and an underlying theme beneath it all.

That then went nowhere.

[The Source]

  Corinthian said:

Bioware may not have as good a narrative or dialog as an Obsidian work, but they do have one thing on Obsidian - Obsidian has, to date, always worked with a foundation Bioware raised. They've also got something Obsidian doesn't - A history of satisfactory endings.

Lol... Don't forget, BioWare also knows how to manage their time and work, so the consumer will get something worthy of $30.00. Hahaha... From my perspective, BioWare is superior in both business and consumer affairs.

[JCarter426]

  The Source said:

Lol... Don't forget, BioWare also knows how to manage their time and work, so the consumer will get something worthy of $30.00. Hahaha...

So does Obsidian. It's LucasArts that doesn't quite understand the matter.

 

Oh, and where are you getting games for only $30?!

[Corinthian]

It's probably not USD.

 

I frankly like KotoR's general story more than KotoR IIs. I mean, there were some good things about TSL's storyline, but come on, EVERYONE on the Ebon Hawk hates each other's guts with the possible exceptions of Mira and Handmaiden. It's a wonder there wasn't a sidequest where one of your party members got murdered and you had to figure out whether Handmaiden did it in the Cargo Hold with the Lead Pipe or if Atton did it in the Cockpit with the Revolver.

[SpaceAlex]

  Corinthian said:

It's probably not USD.

 

I frankly like KotoR's general story more than KotoR IIs. I mean, there were some good things about TSL's storyline, but come on, EVERYONE on the Ebon Hawk hates each other's guts with the possible exceptions of Mira and Handmaiden. It's a wonder there wasn't a sidequest where one of your party members got murdered and you had to figure out whether Handmaiden did it in the Cargo Hold with the Lead Pipe or if Atton did it in the Cockpit with the Revolver.

 

I believe they were actually supposed to start working together at the very end of the game, when Kreia betrays the Exile. Visas and Mandalore are a good example: they were supposed to form a bond inboard the Ravager where Canderous gets shot, and Visas encourages him not to lose faith and keep fighting. Sadly, that was cut from the final game. But no worries, TSLRP will restore it... at least partly.

[JCarter426]

I find K2's crew to be a more realistic depiction of how ten complete strangers would act after living together in close quarters for some time. K1 made the crew out to be one big happy family...not buying it. Though it is a shame we never got to see the four Jedi working together to take down Kreia...well, it will be until TSLRP comes out, that is.

 

Also, a KotOR II Clue mod (or film) would be hilarious.

[Miltiades]

  JCarter426 said:

I find K2's crew to be a more realistic depiction of how ten complete strangers would act after living together in close quarters for some time. K1 made the crew out to be one big happy family...not buying it. Though it is a shame we never got to see the four Jedi working together to take down Kreia...well, it will be until TSLRP comes out, that is.

You won't be disappointed, I can assure you.

[Emperor Devon]

  adamqd said:

Correct ED, it is purely assumption, as I play KotOR for Star Wars, I play no other RPG's, so I have no argument regarding other RPG's, just my opinion on these.

 

Oh gross, a Star Wars fan.

 

  Prime said:

  Emperor Devon said:

Indeed. One with depth of character, gray morals, dialogue not written by a 12-year old, and an underlying theme beneath it all.

That then went nowhere.

 

Where is there for aforefronted things to go? They don't have to advance the plot. If anything, the plot should work to advance them.

[Bee Hoon]

I believe he was referring to the ending that had everyone scratching their heads and saying"That's it?"