Gaming Writing for the LCD: FPS games

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/2007/07/23/writing_for_the_lcd__fps_games/1

As part of a new series, Joe Martin has a chat with Rob Yescombe, screenwriter for Haze, and Martin Lancaster, writer for Crysis and Far Cry, about the process of writing first-person shooters and some of the problems involved.



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Well a good story makes a game more attractive. Like playing the first Half-Life. It was just plain amazing. I will always remember the "test-chamber" chapter. "test.. 1,2,3... ehm ehm.. freeman are you there?"

 

That was very interesting and well written article. Top work Joe.

 

Don't forget you can always show the love via digg as well.

As for article, top job Joe.

However, I must take issue with your dismissal of episodic FPS games. I think it's fair to say that not everything has gone perfectly just yet, but in SiN and Half-Life Episodes we've still only had two examples in a burgeoning arena. It stands to reason that it would take time for developers to settle on a formula that works. Moreover, although Valve has failed to deliver on a suitable time-scale for release - I blame console development for this btw - I still think the the Episodes have/will benefit greatly from the narrative flexibility that was outlined in the article. For all its brevity, I felt Episode One was very entertaining and densely plotted compared to Half-Life 2 which, although still brilliant, did rather plod along at times.

On a related note, I do hope we see a return of the likes of Opposing Force and Blue Shift - expansion packs that actually build upon what happens in the main story via differing means. To me these are great ways to build depth into a franchise/story without detracting from the main thread of the narrative. For example, you mentioned Halo 2 and the Arbiter and Master Chief plots. I can't help but think that actually the way in which that was done didn't work that well, especially since the ending was such a damp squib. I'd rather see something like the Arbiter story fleshed out separately, probably as downloadable content. Microsoft has the infrastructure for this, and I'm sure Halo fans would love it too.

 

That series title "Writing for the LCD" was clever.

 

Lol, there you go Joe. You're vindicated and I take everything back.

EDIT: About the name that is.

 

Haha - was there a big debate? It's like "Writing for the Big Screen" or indeed "Writing for the Small Screen" in terms of cinematic screenwriting vs TV, except we're talking about computer games.

 

I'd have to disagree that Duke spoke too much in Duke Nukem 3D. OK, so when he did, it may have made people feel like they weren't in control anymore, but so what, he was freaking hilarious. The one-liners were pure gold and the only time he really talked was during the end of game cutscene bit.

 

What if I use a CRT? Or play on my Plasma TV? eh?

 

Indeed. Btw Hugo, please change your sig or I'll give you a slap.

 

Archangel is also named Hugo?


H.B.

 

Yeah, Hugo Bojling. We all call him H.B in the office

 

The surname is Swedish in origin btw in case your curious.

My TR forum profile

My brother

 

ahhhhhh now I get the title haha

At first I thought it was going to be an article about LCD's that are good for FPS games or something...

oh and CRT's > LCD's

 

I'm surprised there's no mention here of Prey, which I thought used character voicing quite well. The main character talks all the time, and often says the same thing I'm thinking. It helped me, personally, to connect with the character.

 

Yep the character interactivity was pretty good in Prey. Too bad the enemies and guns were so bad

 

Prey is mentioned, though not for that aspect. I thought the character responses in Prey were excellent (I AM CHEROKEEE! sent a shiver down my spine), but its an exception to a ussually steady rule IMO. I can't think of any other games which had character voicing like that which had such an effect.

 

I liked "Surface Tension" as a chapter

 

Best chapter (you know its a good story when its a chapter, not a level. You know its trying to have a story when its an 'ACT', like in GRAW 2) was definitely Surface Tension. Just when you were bored of the labs then you got a chance to snipe from the cliffs. Excellent.

 

LCD bit was unclear because LCD also = Lowest Common Denominator but that works too (depending on how you define that).