Oh yes. I did another. I hope anyone who reads it finds it to their liking.
Also, Erik's here! Amazin'. Someone I know actually joined this place. o3o Now to deviously get everyone here to join my place! Moo ha ha!Or, at least, you know, the cool people. You know who you are.I suppose I should poke HPE sometime soon and get those of you care an update proper, but as previously stated I really need to get my printed stuff up to speed first. :x Very behind! But slowly trying to recover. For now, consider the rant my update on development, for it is very much a reflection of my thoughts on it.Short journal is short, but at least it's not padded with sixteen images and a couple Youtube videos trying to pretend it's not. Link for length! This for concise. How different, for me. -rambling- The irony!
Another? I still haven't read the last one :( These reports are piling up
Edit: I just realized you weren't on my fav user list D: (fixed)Granted the one I just put up the other day was like two weeks old, so going by my usual pace you've lots of time to catch up. ;)
EDIT: I just realized hardly anyone's on mine!! D: I should remedy that immediately.I started reading it, I really did, and I really must agree with your general opinion…that saying, it was a little long. It is sad how big game developers lean more towards visuals then actual story and believable characters. And damn those long pointless conversation pieces that do nothing to improve the experience.
Nice read, although it always strikes me as unnecessary when people make an argumentum ad Yahtzeem.
And a word from myself: it'd probably help storyline-based games if the stories weren't idiotic and cheesy. Which is exactly what results in player's character/player dichotomy, like the Edge example you gave.I have to disagree with some of that. For one, not all NPCs will know where the evil pig king is hiding. As long as they don't say the same thing over and over again, I say the NPCs' dialog shouldn't be 100% useful.
Dialog contributes not only to the story, but to the characters as well. There are lots of minor characters in RPGs that become popular from the way they speak and act. I don't see why having these details is unnecessary.Take it from me. I'm a writer, as is a good part of my family. I know this stuff pretty well, I've taken a class on this stuff. A game where people either tell you where the secret treasure is or say nothing would never sell. And if it somehow did, it wouldn't get many good reviews unless every other aspect was absolutely badass.But yes, the DKC cartoon sucked.I never said there was anything wrong with NPCs having their own lives and stories. I think you're misinterpreting my intentions.
I'm saying RPGs, particularly JRPGs, steal your control completely far too often when they don't have to. Half the cut scenes and cutesy events that happen could go on regardless of if the player's there, so why do they have to initiate them, and why are they forced to stand still and stare like a stalker?Anything else you're gleaming from it probably comes from my thoughts on how bad JRPG writing usually is. If it's good writing, I'm less inclined to complain, but it usually isn't.Sometimes game writers get lazy and put in filler. Some RPGs suffer from this more than others and it pads the game's length, which is like a key feature RPG junkies look for.