Backstory (was RE: [MUD-Dev] New poll)

[Lee Sheldon]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mud-dev-admin at kanga.nu
> [mailto:mud-dev-admin at kanga.nu]On Behalf Of
> Raph Koster
> Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2000 3:18 PM
> To: mud-dev at kanga.nu
> Subject: RE: Backstory (was RE: [MUD-Dev] New poll)

Zak Jarvis wrote:

> > Agreed, as Lee Sheldon has complained, most of the stories
> in games are
> > conceived by coders, [snip] On the other hand there *are* notable
> > counter examples. Personally, I found the storytelling used in
> > Half Life to be quite effective and fun.
>
> Half-Life's story was written by Marc Laidlaw, an experienced
> SF writer. If
> you check in the locker at the beginning of the game, you'll
> find some of
> his books amongst your character's personal belongings.

Oh, I'm sure it's just coincidence that the "storytelling used... [was]
quite effective and fun."  and he was "an experienced SF writer.". :)

In my experience writers from other media (as opposed to other genres) slip
very easily into writing backstory and cut scenes.  My union, the Writers
Guild of America, is forever having panel discussions about writing for
games, the internet, etc.  The thinking is invariably 5-10 years behind the
curve, e.g. Brilliant Entertainment's branching interactive movies.  I
forgive them.  Many writers only want to write using the tools that are most
comfortable to them from IBM Selectrics to Strunk & White.

It's when writers from other media are asked to write in bits and pieces
that can connect in odd, non-linear ways that the training period begins.

Lee




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