Comments on: About that creepy postmodern twist http://james.the-situation-room.com/260/about-that-creepy-postmodern-twist Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:25:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: james http://james.the-situation-room.com/260/about-that-creepy-postmodern-twist/comment-page-1#comment-13 james Fri, 29 May 2009 17:14:52 +0000 http://james.the-situation-room.com/?p=260#comment-13 It's a fair cop. Ideally, the game would have to be thematically related to issues of mind control, choice, predestiny, and all that stuff, so the ideas would mesh. Bioshock only deals with all that very superficially. 'the dissonance between control of the character and no actual control of a very major sequence (especially given Ryan’s rant) would irritate more than a few people.' I don't think this is any different from how games like HL2 already give the player 'no actual control' during very major sequences. I also think the dissonance you mention is nothing compared to the frustration of the inconsistent interactive/non-interactive dissonance already present in Bioshock. At least for me. I'd be interested in writing some dialogue for you. Hit me up on MSN. It’s a fair cop. Ideally, the game would have to be thematically related to issues of mind control, choice, predestiny, and all that stuff, so the ideas would mesh. Bioshock only deals with all that very superficially.

‘the dissonance between control of the character and no actual control of a very major sequence (especially given Ryan’s rant) would irritate more than a few people.’ I don’t think this is any different from how games like HL2 already give the player ‘no actual control’ during very major sequences. I also think the dissonance you mention is nothing compared to the frustration of the inconsistent interactive/non-interactive dissonance already present in Bioshock. At least for me.

I’d be interested in writing some dialogue for you. Hit me up on MSN.

]]> By: Jon http://james.the-situation-room.com/260/about-that-creepy-postmodern-twist/comment-page-1#comment-12 Jon Fri, 29 May 2009 14:12:50 +0000 http://james.the-situation-room.com/?p=260#comment-12 I just scrolled down to read your article on Panzer Dragoon and it prophesied this very article RIGHT where my browser stopped scrolling. More than mere coincidence, I'm sure. Anyway, I agree with this article wholeheartedly but I do wonder that even if the designers had gone the route you suggest if it wouldn't have been quite as successful. Unless you pointed out that the sequence was in fact a commentary on how illusionary all players actions are in games and how the designer is really forcing your actions, I think a lot of people would be frustrated in the obvious linear nature. If they didn't 'get' it, the dissonance between control of the character and no actual control of a very major sequence (especially given Ryan's rant) would irritate more than a few people. Then again, I suppose the attitude you should adopt is that that's their problem; art should pander to the lowest common denominator and if they don't understand that that is the very point of the sequence then they're all the poorer for it. Anyway, more importantly I'm now very reluctant to ask you to help me write the 'dialogue' for my mod; given that the mod is about possessing other people I was going to nick an idea from Ghostwritten (or was it Cloud Atlas?) of an alien consciousness entering your body and manipulating your actions (through suggestions in 'dialogue' and linear design restrictions). So the oh-so-ironic gameplay twist would have been that although you have the power to possess others and control them, ultimately you're being manipulated by something which to some extent has possessed you. Now I just feel like I'm ripping off Bioshock AS WELL as Dave Perry. I'm so unoriginal. I just scrolled down to read your article on Panzer Dragoon and it prophesied this very article RIGHT where my browser stopped scrolling. More than mere coincidence, I’m sure. Anyway, I agree with this article wholeheartedly but I do wonder that even if the designers had gone the route you suggest if it wouldn’t have been quite as successful. Unless you pointed out that the sequence was in fact a commentary on how illusionary all players actions are in games and how the designer is really forcing your actions, I think a lot of people would be frustrated in the obvious linear nature. If they didn’t ‘get’ it, the dissonance between control of the character and no actual control of a very major sequence (especially given Ryan’s rant) would irritate more than a few people. Then again, I suppose the attitude you should adopt is that that’s their problem; art should pander to the lowest common denominator and if they don’t understand that that is the very point of the sequence then they’re all the poorer for it.

Anyway, more importantly I’m now very reluctant to ask you to help me write the ‘dialogue’ for my mod; given that the mod is about possessing other people I was going to nick an idea from Ghostwritten (or was it Cloud Atlas?) of an alien consciousness entering your body and manipulating your actions (through suggestions in ‘dialogue’ and linear design restrictions). So the oh-so-ironic gameplay twist would have been that although you have the power to possess others and control them, ultimately you’re being manipulated by something which to some extent has possessed you. Now I just feel like I’m ripping off Bioshock AS WELL as Dave Perry. I’m so unoriginal.

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