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It's been an embarrassingly long time but we are BACK! Again!!! And this time we've brought returning guests Adam Dolin and Jolie Menzel to discuss breaking in, how they define narrative design, the differences between creative directors who come from narrative versus other displiclines, the three c's, can game writers exist without knowing narrative design, favorite narrative tools, what makes a good opening to a game, tutorials, letting players have choices where the results lead to them missing lots of content, bad habits they've noticed in younger writers/narrative designers, the future of the industry, pieces of media they go back to get reinvigorate/inspired, the themes they're always writing into their stories, stuff they're always editing out of their writing, how to write good dialogue, and maybe one or two other things. It's great!Our Guests on the InternetJolie's Linkedin. Adam's Linkedin and BlueSky, and his ELVTR class starts in April!Stuff We DiscussedLarian Cinematics: A Top-Down Look at Our Bottom-Up Approach in 'Baldur's Gate 3'Jolie's 3C's of Game Design PresentationTwineVisual Studio CodeHighland 2 (FYI looks like a Highland 3 launch is imminent)InkYarnSpinnerCastlevania: Symphony of the NightPentimentAgainst the StormUFO 50BalatroMagic: The Gathering Drive to Work Podcast The Callisto ProtocolGod of War (2018)Detroit: Become HumanThe Darkness 2Another Crab's TreasureThe Videogame Industry Does Not Exist by Brandon KeoghSonic Adventure 2Hank confronts Walter in Breaking BadBarryThe Adventures of Brisco County, JrBurn NoticeClerksDogmaNick's Dialogue PlaylistGame Narrative Summit: Building Rome in a Day: A Sociological Storytelling PrimerTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle ZevinFuturama Commentaries Tetris ForeverListen To a MovieScript Lock BlueSkyOur Theme Music was composed by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita. The vampire sucking noise was created by Robinhood76.
Send us a textIn this episode we look at the world of gaming and discuss the many and varied storytelling styles and approaches within games. Our guests are games industry expert, actual-play podcaster and author Oscar Clark and novelist, audio drama author and game writer Emily Inkpen. If you would like to watch a video version of this conversation you can find it on the Alternative Stories YouTube channel here Find out more about Oscar Clark and his work in the games industry by following him Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscarclark/Twitter / X https://x.com/AthanateusBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/athanateus.bsky.socialYou can watch Oscar's actual play podcast Anything Can Happen on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/@AnythingCouldHappen-showand listen via Spotify here https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anything-could-happenYou can find out more about Emily Inkpen and her work by visiting her websitehere https://www.emilyinkpen.com/Find out more about The Dex Legacy herehttps://www.emilyinkpen.com/thedexlegacy-homeFollow Emily on social media Twitter / X https://x.com/emilyinkpenBlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/emilyinkpen.bsky.socialInstagram https://www.instagram.com/emilyinkpen/To find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can follow us on social mediahttps://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/or visit our website https://alternativestories.com/and Linktree here https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStoriesContact us by email at office@alternativestories.comSupport the show
The moment you've been waiting for is here! Can the Fixer escape 1945 with his TARDIS and history intact? Facing the Cybermen means there's no room for error—it's strictly Pass/Fail in the Fixer's Final Test! Learn the fate of our Time Traveling Heroes in 'The Gadget'!
It's here! Part one of our season finale! The Fixer and company land in New Mexico, on one of the most important dates in human history: the testing of *the first Atomic Bomb.* Join Brand Osorio, Caiden MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones as Team TARDIS try to save History by ensuring it gets blown to smithereens! *Do* stick around for interviews with the players. Your ears are in for a treat! If you'd like to run a game of D&D or Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Come say hi on our Discord! Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates! Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloZencastr Offer Link: https://zen.ai/mkprJopWW73CH-zo_n6zJwZencastr Discount: anywherebutnowWith tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Game Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.socialYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnywhereButNowLearn more about Cubicle7!Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-editionTwitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
Hey hey! We're back with our second episode that we recorded at this year's GDC, and it's a doozy! In a switch from how we normally do things, we brought a grab bag of simple questions to the conference and hit up people who were free, and so y'all get to see how everyone's answers differed. In our first group, we had Ben Starr (actor, Final Fantasy XVI), Alexa Ray Corriea (senior writer at Cliffhanger Games on Black Panther), Kait Tremblay (narrative director at Soft Rains), and Kelsey Beachum (writer / narrative designer). In our second group (starting at 35:21) we had Adam Dolin (writer), Kate Dollarhyde (senior narrative designer at Obsidian Entertainment), and Kelsie Mhoon (senior narrative designer at Obsidian Entertainment on The Outer Worlds 2). Our third group (starting at 1:19:39) had Emma Kidwell (writer at Firaxis), Nessa Cannon (game writer), and Calliope Ryder (lead producer Weta Workshop on Tales of the Shire). And we closed things out (at 1:47:33) with Chandana Ekanayake (co-founder / creative director of Outerloop Games, and director of Thirsty Suitors). Topics include: hobbies that aren't related to game development, current game of the year, favorite villains / antagonists, a time you messed up and what you learned from it, how you stay positive, games you keep returning to, favorite choice you've ever made in a game, people in this industry who did something nice for you, favorite NPCs, games you're always referencing that nobody else has ever heard of, games that made you think differently about something, first game you played where the story really affected you, what you'd force devs to change during production, games you wish you'd gotten to work on, how to get team members to read documentation, something in your process that saves a ton of time, advice for people wanting to get into game narrative, and so SO much more it's kinda insane!!!Our Guests on the InternetGroup 1: Ben Starr, Alexa Ray Corriea, Kait Tremblay, Kelsey BeachumGroup 2: Adam Dolin, Kate Dollarhyde (wants you to play Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire), Kelsie Mhoon (wants you to play Jak 2)Group 3: Emma Kidwell (wants you to play Hindsight and Midnight Suns), Nessa Cannon (wants you to wishlist Star Trucker), Calliope Ryder (wants you to wishlist Tales of the Shire)Group 4: Chandana Ekanayake (wants you to play Thirsty Suitors)Stuff We Talked AboutPrince of Persia: The Lost CrownFinal Fantasy VII RebirthDave the DiverChants of SenaarGarden GalaxyAdvent RisingPrey - MooncrashPyre Original SoundtrackLonely Rolling Star - Katamari DamacyAquatic Ambiance - Donkey Kong CountryLiberi Fatali - Final Fantasy VIIITony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 creditsAnna Megill's Game Writing GuidesAdam's LLVTR game writing class is no longer being offered otherwise we'd link it :'[Packing Up the Rest of Your Stuff on the Last Day at Your Old ApartmentDredgeGrowthNina Freeman's GamesFull ThrottleBellatroA Short HikeLong Live the QueenGame Dev StoryOur theme music was composed by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
The Fixer, Maeve, and Calamity are up to their necks in danger as Lexii the 7th nears her coronation! The fate and free will of an entire solar system hangs in the balance! Enjoy the last great battle of wills between the Fixer and his best arch-frenemy, the Victor! Join Brand Osorio, Caiden MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones as Team TARDIS *explodes* the High and Mighty in the Ruling Class!And stick around for interviews with the players. Your ears are in for a treat! If you'd like to run a game of D&D or Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Come say hi on our Discord! Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates!Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloZencastr Offer Link: https://zen.ai/mkprJopWW73CH-zo_n6zJwZencastr Discount: anywherebutnowWith tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Game Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.socialYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnywhereButNowLearn more about Cubicle7!Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-editionTwitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
How do you create a video game from scratch? Welcome back to "Tell The Damn Story," where today's episode is a fascinating journey with Rob Stenzinger, an indie game designer who demonstrates that the union of passion and profession is the ultimate game-changer. In our dialogue, Rob recounts his quest, from years ago starting a fledging game creation studio with friends to pivoting careers while keeping creativity at the forefront. We explore his current project, Word Turtle Island, an innovative video game that blends action and words to shape a powerful narrative that mirrors our societal challenges. Have any questions or comments? Then please leave them in the Comments Section. Write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ... @Tell The Damn Story www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story Youtube.com/ Tell The Damn Story Want to support us so we can help you? Then just... Buy Me A Coffee!
Season 3, Episode 13 - Embracing Rejection and Failure in Your Writing Journey Hosts: Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid Episode Theme: Navigating Failure and Rejection in Writing Key Discussion Points:1. Personal Experience with Rejection: - Shared a recent rejection of their Cat's Rule picture book. - Importance of closure in rejections, even without feedback.2. Interpreting Rejection: - Sometimes, rejections hide internal conflicts within publishing companies. - Creating narratives around rejections can be a coping mechanism.3. Detaching Emotion from Rejection: - Lisa's approach: Rejection is not personal; it's part of the writer's journey. - The literary world's competitiveness requires resilience. 4. Strategies for Handling Rejection: - Reframe Rejection: It's not a measure of your worth as a writer or person. - Feedback is Gold: Use any feedback from rejections to improve. - Query in Batches: Small batches of queries can help identify and fix issues faster. - Celebrate Small Wins: Finishing a manuscript is a significant achievement.5. Learning from Rejection: - Every rejection is an opportunity to grow and refine your craft. - Success stories are often built on numerous rejections.6. Building a Support Network: - Importance of having a community that understands and supports you. - Sharing rejections and victories helps build resilience.7. Staying in the Game: - Writing is an endurance game; persistence is key. - The journey is as important as the destination.Conclusion:- Embrace rejection as a step towards growth.- Keep writing, submitting, and believing in your journey.Next Episode Teaser:- Discussion with Lisa Riddiough on rhyming picture books. Call to Action:- Support the show by subscribing, following, and recommending. Support the showWebsite: https://www.writerswithwrinkles.net/Threads: @WritersWithWrinklesInsta: @WritersWithWrinklesTwitter: @BethandLisaPodSupport Writers With Wrinkles - become a subscriberEmail: Beth@BethMcMullenBooks.comWriters with Wrinkles Link Tree for more!
The Fixer, Maeve, and Calamity are on their way to a once-in-a-lifetime event: the coronation of Lexii the 7th, Empress of the Brinese system! But with SnackEms throwing the celebration, anything goes... Join Brand Osorio, Cate MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones as Team TARDIS faces off with the High and Mighty in the Ruling Class!And stick around for interviews with the players! Your ears are in for a treat! If you'd like to run a game of D&D or Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Come say hi on our Discord! Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates!Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloZencastr Offer Link: https://zen.ai/mkprJopWW73CH-zo_n6zJwZencastr Discount: anywherebutnowWith tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Game Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.socialYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnywhereButNowLearn more about Cubicle7!Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-editionTwitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
The Fixer, Maeve, and Calamity are trapped in a dungeon! Their ally lies cursed and mouthless, and the entire kingdom lies in the iron grip of Queen Makonna-- along with the Keys to Fairyland! Join Brand Osorio, Cate MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones as they solve a mystery unlike anything they've faced before. And stick around for interviews with the players! Your ears are in for a treat!And if you'd like to run a game of D&D or Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Come say hi on our Discord! Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates!Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloWith tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Game Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.socialYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnywhereButNowLearn more about Cubicle7!Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-editionTwitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
Happy Holidays! We're closing out this year with the absolutely amazing Alexa Ray Corriea (Writer and narrative designer currently working on Black Panther in partnership with Marvel Games and EA, serving as both a writer and systems designer. Previously she worked on Aztech: Forgotten Cods, Call of Duty: Vanguard and the Call of Duty: Warzone Pafcific live service game, Bugsnax, and Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. She's also currently writing a book about the Kingdom Hearts series under Limited Run Games' Press Run publishing division) and Ben Starr (Actor who has appeared in such games as Final Fantasy XVI as Clive Rosfield, Arknights as Sharp, Warframe: 1999 as Arthur, and has acted in shows like You, Trying, Jamestown, Dickensian and more), and they join us to discuss their favorite game performances growing up, working in games being like the wild west, being kind in this industry, looking at the jobs you don't get/obstacles you face in another light, skills that are unique to games, banned words in scripts, being given the opportunity to add your ingredients to projects, the themes and kinds of stories that Alexa keeps returning to in her writing, the way games portray intimacy, IP white whales, stuff they do for their storytelling to help develop it, how they stay open-minded to unexpected ideas without losing shape of their visions, and a tonnnnnnnnnn more!Our Guests on the InternetAlexa's Twitter, and check out Black PantherBen's Twitter, and check out Warframe: 1999Stuff We Talked AboutFinal Fantasy XVIDie-Hardman's Confession from Death StrandingBen's official audition to play MarioA Thorough Look at Mass Effect by Noah Caldwell-GervaisChained EchoesKingdom HeartsThe Worst Person in the WorldMass Effect 2Legacy of KainThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomPeople, Places and ThingsLuthen Rael's Monologue from AndorSeveranceOur theme music was done by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.This episode was brought to you by Backlight Gem. If you're a narrative designer or writer in the world of video games, Gem is a powerful tool that empowers you to bring your stories to life by streamlining the narrative design process from ideation to release. Learn more at https://bit.ly/Gem-Script-Lock
The Fixer, Maeve, and Calamity wake in the forest with NO CLUE where they are, or how they got there! Now adrift in a fairy tale kingdom of clockwork villagers, mysterious wizards, and Jousting Judoon, our heroes must reach the Queen and try to track down the Keys to Fairyland! The Fixer's accidentally jumped the map, into a whole new genre!Enjoy thrills, chills, and laughs galore with Brand Osorio, Cate MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones. Stick around for interviews with the players! Your ears are in for a treat!Come say hi on our Discord! Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates!Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!And if you'd like to run a game of D&D or Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloWith tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Game Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_ Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.social Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnywhereButNowLearn more about Cubicle7! Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-edition Twitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
The Daleks rise anew in our scariest adventure yet! What do they want on a forgotten planet filled with the dead? How can the Fixer and his companions stop their plans from reaching fruition?? There's only one way to find out!Enjoy thrills, chills, and laughs galore with Brand Osorio, Cate MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones. Stick around for interviews with the players! Your ears are in for a treat!Come say hi on our Discord! Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates!Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!Brand's lovely new dice set is courtesy of Twelve Parsecs Designs!And if you'd like to run a game of Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloWith tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Game Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.socialYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnywhereButNowLearn more about Cubicle7!Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-editionTwitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
The Fixer's TARDIS crashes on an alien world littered with ruined starships, robotic ants, and a dark secret slowly waking to life. Prepare yourself for a gripping encounter with one of DOCTOR WHO's oldest foes!! Enjoy thrills, chills, and laughs galore with Brand Osorio, Cate MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones. Stick around for interviews with the players! Your ears are in for a treat!Come say hi on our Discord! Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates!Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!And if you'd like to run a game of Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloWith tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Game Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.socialYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnywhereButNowLearn more about Cubicle7!Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-editionTwitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
The Fixer & his brave companions are deep in a mystery involving a mine where no one digs for gold, miners who might spontaneously combust, and oh yes-- one incredibly ticked off Time Lord. What lies in store for our heroes?? There's one way to find out! Enjoy thrills, chills, and laughs galore with Brand Osorio, Cate MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones. Stick around for interviews with the players! Your ears are in for a treat!Come say hi on our Discord! Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates!Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!And if you'd like to run a game of Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloWith tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Game Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.socialYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnywhereButNowLearn more about Cubicle7!Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-editionTwitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
The Fixer's TARDIS lands in the Old West! Strange work is afoot, and it starts with the Forty-Niners digging for... briefcases!? What the devil's going on in the boomtown of Sweet Fortune? And can the Fixer really fit a horse in his lap?? FIND OUT TODAY. Enjoy thrills, chills, and laughs galore with Brand Osorio, Cate MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones. Stick around for interviews with the players! Your ears are in for a treat!Come say hi on our Discord! Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates! Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!And if you'd like to run a game of Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloWith tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Game Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.socialYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnywhereButNowLearn more about Cubicle7!Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-editionTwitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
The Fixer, Maeve, Calamity & Kitsy are trapped with Weeping Angels!! Terror creeps around every corner! Who makes it out alive?! Find out now in pt 3 of GALLERY OF FEAR!With tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Enjoy thrills, chills, and laughs galore with Brand Osorio, Cate MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones. Stick around for interviews with the players, including our special guest star, AE Jones! Your ears are in for a treat!Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates! And come say hi on our Discord!Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!And if you'd like to run a game of Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Music by Tabletop Audio Theme by RJ PirchinelloAddl. Music Gymnopedie No 3 - Wahneta MeixsellGame Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPod Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_ Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.social Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnywhereButNowLearn more about Cubicle7! Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-edition Twitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
The Fixer, Maeve, Calamity & Kitsy are up to their necks in it during a high-stakes robbery aboard the Abundance! The Slothten Clan have pounced on the Rich & Famous IN SPACE, but who truly holds the element of surprise?? There's only one way to find out! With tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Enjoy thrills, chills, and laughs galore with Brand Osorio, Cate MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones. Stick around for interviews with the players, including our special guest star, AE Jones! Your ears are in for a treat!Learn more about Kobek's inspiration, Performance Artist Marina Abramovic in her TED Talk!Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates! And come say hi on our Discord!Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!Brand's Little Worlds Dice courtesy of 12 Parsecs Designs!And if you'd like to run a game of Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloAddl. MusicNight on Bald Mountain - MussorgskyGymnopedie No 3 - Wahneta MeixsellString Quartet No. 15 in D Minor, Movement 1 - MozartThe Hebrides Overture, Op 26 (Fingal's Cave) - Felix Mendelssohn Game Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.socialYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnywhereButNow Learn more about Cubicle7!Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-editionTwitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
The Fixer, Maeve, & Calamity are off for a night of champagne, high fashion, and culture aboard the Abundance. It's a night for star-crossed lovers, dazzling artwork, and a nasty surprise lurking up the corridor!With tabletop gaming as a storytelling tool, the show features the Doctor Who roleplaying game from Cubicle 7, powered by the Vortex System, designed by David F. Chapman.Enjoy thrills, chills, and laughs galore with Brand Osorio, Cate MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones. Stick around for interviews with the players, including our special guest star, AE Jones! Your ears are in for a treat!Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates! And come say hi on our Discord!Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!And if you'd like to run a game of Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloAddl. MusicFur Elise - Ludwig van BeethovenPrelude and Fugue in C major - Johann Sebastian BachWaltz of the Flowers - Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPiano Sonata No. 14 - Ludwig van BeethovenString Quartet No. 15 in D Minor, Movement 1 - Wolfgang Amadeus MozartThe Hebrides Overture, Op 26 (Fingal's Cave) - Felix MendelssohnGymnopedie No 3 - Wahneta MeixsellIn the Hall of the Mountain King - Edvard GriegNight on Bald Mountain - Modest MussorgskyGame Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.socialLearn more about Cubicle7!Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-editionTwitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
The Fixer, Maeve, & Calamity Hap are trapped on the Sigourney, with fires to put out in Gas Processing, and ghosts to bust in the halls! Find out how they survive in part 2 of Lantern in the Smoke!Enjoy thrills, chills, and laughs galore with Brand Osorio, Cate MacCoyne, and Pandora Beatrix, along with GM Casey Jones. Stick around for interviews with the players, including our special guest star, Amy Flanagan! Your ears are in for a treat!Be sure to subscribe and leave a question or comment! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and BlueSky for more updates! And you can come say hi on our Discord!Send your questions and fan art to AnywhereButNowPodcast@gmail.com!And if you'd like to run a game of Doctor Who of your very own, find Casey on StartPlaying!Music by Tabletop AudioTheme by RJ PirchinelloGame Originally Created by David F. ChapmanAddl. Game Writing by Will Brooks, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Eleanor Hingley, Andrew Peregrine, John Sewell, Chris SpiveyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnywhereButNowPodTwitter: https://twitter.com/AnywhereButNow_Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/anywherebutnow.bsky.socialLearn more about Cubicle7!Website: https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-editionTwitter: https://twitter.com/cubicle7Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubicle7Entertainment
In this episode your nice hosts chat with Anna C. Webster lead writer on The Foglands, and her cat Montezuma. Anna talks about how writing for games is different than writing for other medias, including making decisions on what options the player can make (you can never let your player do anything because scope), and writing for players that role-play as the character vs. wearing the character's costume as yourself. And the importance of frequent Narrative Reviews and getting together with other teams to talk about how new elements feel.Stephen's journey in this episode takes him from declaring that writing is hard to being encouraged and pledging to write for the his next games jam project (Ellen will be coding in Godot). Writing for Games IRLNarrativeAtmospheric sci-fi western roguelike The Foglands launches on PS VR2 this year - Derek O'Dell, Playstation BlogThe Foglands - SteamTools for Game WritingConfluence - AtlassianScrivenerInk - Inkle StudiosTwine - TwineryArticyBitsyAnna C WebsterGuest Anna C Webster is a writer and narrative designer. She is lead writer on The Foglands. External link WebsiteTwitter
Game Writing at UWGB by UWGB Student Shows
On this episode we have award winning game writer, narrative designer and cast member of the Transplanar RPG and The Strix University RPG, Austin Taylor! We chop it up about everything from what is their origin story, the difference between game writing for analog games and digital games, utilizing our position in the gaming industry to help others, the Sega and Nintendo feud and more! Be sure to follow them on all their platforms and tune into Transplanar on Saturdays at 8pm ET on Twitch and The Strix University Season 1 on YouTube!TWITTERhttps://twitter.com/sailorsctaustinTRANSPLANARhttps://www.twitch.tv/TransplanarRPGTHE STRIX UNIVERSITYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AqZKXXNIbA&list=PLnV97zRrXQu8PP3XSEzJzH_UxfIikpDPOWelcome to the Unapologetically Black Gaming Podcast, a place created by black gamers for black gamers.Follow us at the platforms below:https://twitter.com/UBGPodhttps://www.tiktok.com/@ubgpodhttps://ko-fi.com/ubgpodhttps://www.twitch.tv/ubgpod
Ashley Poprick joined Justin and Paul to chat about the Austin Film Festival, game writing, and the new game writing panels the #AFF is putting on. From Ashley I'm Ashley “Ash” Poprik and I'm a game writer with 4+ years of game writing and 7+ years of screenwriting experience working in highly-collaborative studios. I have a knack for crafting memorable characters, snappy text, and whimsical stories. I have written for a variety of companies including Insomniac Games, Hasbro, and BonusXP. Here you can find my portfolio of professional works as well as some writing samples. Please, take a look around! I've recently redecorated the place :) https://ashleypoprik.com/
Somehow we're over halfway through the year, but this podcast is still going! Our guests this month are Sarah Baylus (Principal Writer at Larian Studios where she's currently working on Baldur's Gate III, and previously she wrote on Divinity: Original Sin, and its sequel Divinity: Original Sin II) and Mike Laidlaw (Chief Creative Officer at Yellow Brick Games working on an unannounced title, and previously was a creative director at Ubisoft, a Senior Creative Director on the Dragon Age franchise as well as a Lead Designer, and was the Lead Writer on Jade Empire), and they join us to discuss why Dragon Age's storytelling has struck such a chord with people (especially in game development), what they look for in a creative director, what makes a good game writer, the best ways to keep teams updated on a game's ever-evolving story, favorite software for collaboration, what's one thing they wished games delved into more often, whether their definitions of good writing and narrative design have changed over time, common mistakes they see writers making these days, favorite game writing/design experiences they've had, writing/directing nightmares, localization notes, resources they go back to a lot, things they would've changed to their favorite game narratives, the most effective narrative-based techniques they like to see being used in games to immerse the audience, and more more MORE!Our Guests on the InternetSarah has an Inactive Twitter, but Larian Studios has Baldurs Gate 3 on Early Access right now, and Larian's hiring!Mike's Twitter, and Yellow Brick Games is hiring! Stuff We Talked AboutThe Dragon Age franchiseGoogle DocsMiroJam BoardCitizen SleeperThe Stillness of the WindAn Essay on Criticism by Alexander PopeJade EmpireDivinity: Original Sin 2Understanding Show, Don't Tell: And Really Getting It by Janice HardyThe ending of TransistorThe last hour of Finaly Fantasy XIV: ShadowbringersStar Control IIMoon HuntersOur theme music was done by Isabella Ness, and our logo was done by Lily Nishita.
Las mejores narrativas de videojuegos son las que construyen los cimientos perfectos para que las historias visibles e invisibles conecten con nosotros. En este #NuevebitsPodcast hablamos de ello tratando los siguientes videojuegos: - Unmetal - 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim - Celeste - Braid - Half Life 2 - Undertale - This War of Mine - The Last of Us Parte II - What Remains of Edith Finch - NiER Autómata - Death Stranding - Figment - Anodine Si te gusta la narrativa de los videojuegos, este podcast de videojuegos en español te encantará
Greg and Eric cover a lot of ground with guest, Courtney Nicolson, Associate Director of Communications for Sportsmen's Alliance. Courtney shares her travels around the US and how she got into hunting and working in the outdoor/hunting industry. She's been a writer for several well-known outdoor and hunting publications. She also cooks exquisite wild game recipes sourced from her 'round the country hunts. From there, we dive into the world of politics and lobbying from the lens of the Sportsmen's Alliance and how they help to protect our heritage and rights as hunters. It's a well-informed articulation of how they operate and what you can expect from them as an organization as well as how to get involved in a practical way to ensure your voice as a hunter is heard. Be sure to check out our friends: Spartan Forge - https://www.spartanforge.ai/ use code: OHP for 25% off! GoWild - https://timetogowild.com/ - get $10 for just signing up, use CODE OHP for 10% off, and be sure to follow Okayest Hunter! Vector Arrows: https://vectorcustomshop.com/ - CODE OHP for 10% Off Latitude Outdoors: https://www.latitudeoutdoors.com/ - CODE OHP for 20% Off If you have a story you'd like to share you can submit it here: https://www.okayesthunter.com/pages/okayest-hunter-moments Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's time to get MEDIEVAL with our guests Zoe (currently an Associate Narrative Designer at Obsidian Games working on unannounced projects, and she is also the cohost of the Maniculum Podcast) and Franciska (currently the Narrative Lead on Around for Primal Game Studios, and also the Senior Narrative Designer on Ayna: Shattered Truth for Designmatic. And previously she was a Game Writer on Ori and the Will of the Wisps for Moon Studios, as well as a Narrative Designer on their unannounced ARPG)! They join us to talk about ousting J.R.R. Tolkien as the top fantasy writer of all time, untapped medieval stories that people in games should be thinking about, parallels between medievalism and game design, manuscript culture, how you balance between explaining things for players and letting them fill in the blanks themselves, would they rather tell stories with dialogue or without, are there any books or talks or resources they go back to a lot when working on a game, how to give good criticism and best piece of feedback they've gotten, how they think of the player's active role in the story when they're writing, what sort of imagery do they find most evocative in horror and medieval literature, and MORE! MUCH MORE!Our Guests on the InternetZoe has no twitter, but check out The Maniculum Podcast!Franciska's Twitch, Twitter, and check out Around!Stuff We Talked AboutThe Maniculum PodcastThe Witcher 3Franciska's Undergrad and Postgrad ThesesTáin Bó CúailngeThe Metrical CharmsThe Last of Us Part IIOuter WildsReturn of the Obra DinnHorizon: Zero DawnHorizon: Forbidden WestHadesGOBELINS Youtube Channel Like Stories of Old Youtube ChannelHow to be a Great DM Youtube ChannelGame Maker's Toolkit Youtube ChannelMiddle English CompendiumThe Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinary Literate by Eugene EhrlichMaster Lists - The Maniculum PodcastOur theme music was done by Isabella Ness, and our logo was done by Lily Nishita.
We are at a point in gaming history where it's no longer a question if video games could be considered art. The best games deeply affect those who play them. Whether it's to experience joy, amusement, or sorrow, perhaps the most important element in eliciting those emotions is the game's writing. This week, Brian & Ryan have the task of trying to rank which games they think have the best writing. One thing is for sure, we're blessed to live in a golden age where a mountain of games could be considered for this list!List OffMerch: https://list-off-podcast.creator-spring.com/ Socials: https://linktr.ee/ListOffPodcast Email: listoffpodcast@gmail.com
Justin and Paul spoke with Arie Kaplan on writing for kids in games, books, tv, and more! Arie Kaplan is the author of more than two dozen books, including "LEGO Star Wars: Face Off," "LEGO Star Wars: The Official Stormtrooper Training Manual," "The Jurassic Park Little Golden Book," "Swashbuckling Scoundrels: Pirates in Fact and Fiction," and the award-winning "From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books." He has also written several graphic novels, including "Speed Racer: Chronicles of the Racer," "Shadow Guy and Gamma Gal: Heroes Unite," "The Penguins of Madagascar: Penguins on a Mission," and "The New Kid from Planet Glorf." In addition to his career as an author, Arie is a screenwriter for television, video games, comic books, and transmedia. Links from Arie: 1) I'm currently writing the scripts for a mobile game called "eQuoo: The Next Generation: Lodestar," which is out now from PsycApps. Here's a link to the "eQuoo" page of my website. On that page, you can see an "eQuoo" game trailer, a poster, and some info about the core concepts behind the game: https://www.ariekaplan.com/game-writing/equoo-the-next-generation-lodestar/ 2) Recently, I wrote a freelance episode of the Netflix animated series "Charlie's Colorforms City." The episode, titled "Charlie and Little Bo Peep," is streaming now. For more info - including a clip from the episode - check out this link: http://www.ariekaplan.com/television-writing/charlies-colorforms-city/ 3) Here's the "Game Writing" section of my website, where you can see highlights from my career as a game writer (aka screenwriter for video games): http://www.ariekaplan.com/game-writing/ 4) Here's the link to the "Television Writing" section of my site, where you can see some highlights from my career as a television comedy writer (e.g. my work as a staff writer on the late, lamented TV series "TruTV Presents: World's Dumbest"): http://www.ariekaplan.com/television-writing/ 5) Here's my Amazon Author Page, where you can see some of the books (and graphic novels) I've written over the years: https://www.amazon.com/author/ariekaplan 6) Here's the link to the "Humor, Fiction, & Essay" page of my site: http://www.ariekaplan.com/humor-fiction-and-essays/
This week, Morrus and Peter are joined by Jessica Hancock to talk about the process of publishing an RPG book. In the news, Dragonlance rules in Unearthed Arcana, Critical Role's Call of the Netherdeep previews, TTRPGs dominate Nebula Award nominations for game writing, and more! Plus Our Favourite Game in All the World and a brand new sketch about the journey rather than the destination. -------------------- Our Guest Jessica Hancock https://enpublishingrpg.com/ -------------------- News Newest Unearthed Arcana is Dragonlance https://www.enworld.org/threads/dragonlance-lives-unearthed-arcana-explores-heroes-of-krynn.686532/ Call of the Netherdeep preview https://www.enworld.org/threads/call-of-the-netherdeep-previews.686566/ This Week in TTRPG for March 11 https://www.enworld.org/threads/this-week-in-ttrpg-11-march-22.686618/ Rob Wieland's review of Call of the Netherdeep https://www.enworld.org/threads/my-five-favorite-things-from-critical-role-call-of-the-netherdeep.686600/ Nebula Award Nominees for Game Writing https://www.enworld.org/threads/tabletop-rpgs-nominated-for-nebula-awards.686594/ ICv2 Sales Rankings for Fall 2021 https://www.enworld.org/threads/icv2s-latest-rpg-chart-pathfinder-up-fallout-arrives.686524/ News Digest for the Week of March 11 (Wizards of the Coast counter-sues TSR3, Itch.io Charity Bundles) https://www.enworld.org/threads/news-digest-for-the-week-of-march-11.686605/ Power Rangers TTRPG Accessories Announced https://www.enworld.org/threads/power-rangers-ttrpg-accessories.686519/ EN Live launches https://www.enliverpg.com/ -------------------- Kickstarters Astro Inferno https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/haxanstudios/astro-inferno Zin Never Dies https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/znd/zin-never-dies-the-roleplaying-game Furhaven https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kimbolt/furhaven Shiver Gothic https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/399308593/shiver-gothic-classic-horror-reborn Find all the TTRPG crowdfunding projects ending soon each week with Egg Embry's RPG Crowdfunding News on EN World https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-crowdfunding-news-%E2%80%93-2023-quest-calendar-pirate-borg-fragged-empire-2e-and-more.686522/ -------------------- RPG Publishing and Fulfillment EN Publishing https://enpublishingrpg.com/ DriveThruRPG (most popular print-on-demand) https://www.drivethrurpg.com/join.php ShipQuest (UK fulfilment partner) https://www.shipquest.co.uk/ Quartermaster Logistics (US fulfillment partner) https://www.qmlogistics.com/ BackerKit https://www.backerkit.com/for-creators -------------------- Please support us on Patreon at http://patreon.com/morrus Don't forget to join the Morrus' Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1033145023517295/ and join us on Discord at https://discord.gg/VAuxX8M -------------------- Hosts: Russ “Morrus” Morrissey and Peter Coffey Editing and post-production: Darryl Mott Theme Song: Steve Arnott Kickstarter Game Research: Egg Embry Kickstarter Game Theme: Lyrics by Russ Morrissey, Vocals by “drwilko”, Guitar by Darryl Mott Malach the Maleficent played by Darren Morrissey
We're BACK! AGAIN! And we swear we're gonna post more episodes this year than we did last year! Alyssa (writer of fiction, comics, and games. Winner of the Nebula Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the Locus Award, finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and her fiction has been shortlisted for the Hugo, Bram Stoker, and Shirley Jackson Awards. Comics credits include Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and Adventure Time, and she's also written for Overwatch, and Story and Franchise Development at Blizzard Entertainment) and Lauren (Senior Writer at Insomniac Games where she is currently working on Spider-Man 2, and was previously Lead Writer on Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. Before Insomniac she was a writer at Telltale Game where she worked on The Walking Dead: The Final Season and Batman The Enemy Within) joined us to talk about how a theater studies degree is useful in games, shipping characters, writing hours, how hot Emperor Nefarious is, interacting with actors, writing characters and situations you hate, what draws them to horror storytelling, sexy monsters, what they need to nail down first in a story, what makes a good villain, worldbuilding, types of stories they don't often see in games that they'd love to write, and a whole lot more!Our Guests on the InternetAlyssa's Twitter, and you should check out Doctor Aphra and Iron Fist!Lauren's Twitter, and you should check out Spider-Man 2 when it comes out!Stuff We Talked AboutJohn Carpenter liked Ratchet & Clank: Rift ApartParagonAlyssa's first tweet about Emperor NefariousUnpackingFears to FathomDevotionThe Walking Dead: The Final SeasonThe BoysStarboundDishonored: Death of the OutsiderDisco ElysiumDragon Age: InquisitionWhat You Left Behind by Alyssa Wong (the Overwatch short story about Baptiste) Our theme music was done by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Adam, Red, and Seán are joined by Greg Kasavin, the writer behind Supergiant Games' many titles such as Pyre and Hades. We discuss what it's like to write for video games as a medium, as well as the origins of Supergiant's critically acclaimed title, Hades. Then, we explore how to create mythologies, or adapt existing ones for our stories. Spoiler: we talk about doing research a lot, so pull out your bingo cards! Follow the hosts! Adam @adamcbassett Red @hikitsune_red Seán @caorabhan Greg @kasavin Dave @DJLProjects
Gwen and Chris catch up on: Lab Rat's development, comedy writing, writing in games, Psychonauts 2, BioShock Infinite, and much more!
Game Writer Jordan Defazio talks about the opportunity for westerners in the China market. He discusses the freedom game writing offers over screenwriting. He also shares that foreigners don't need to move to China to get a job with a Chinese game maker. China Hollywood Greenlight Podcast – Episode #34 Jordan DeFazio - Game Writer and Screenwriter Show Notes Host: Caryn McCann Website: The China List - where Hollywood and China meet https://chnlist.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheChinaList Twitter: @chnlist LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2H1sMLn The article mentioned: Why Screenwriters Should Embrace The Heroine's Journey https://bit.ly/3heF0nT Guest: Jordan DeFazio Website: www.jordandefazio.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-defazio-493328168/
In this introductory episode, Monica and Rai give a hearty shout out and thank you to all our Patrons and run down what's new for the upcoming season 4 of BXP.
Your Hosts: Mary Robinette Kowal, Cassandra Khaw, Dan Well, James L. Sutter, and Howard Tayler So, after all this talk about designing games and writing for games, it's time to address the big question: how does one go about getting a game-design/game-writing job? It's a competitive field, and there are no easy answers, but we do have some hard answers for you. And some homework... Credits: This episode was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson
A good storyline is not mandatory to enjoy playing video games but when there is a well-written plot behind the main character's adventures, the enjoyment of playing the game goes to a different level. That is the work of people like Geoffrey Golden; they ensure that we not only play the game but most importantly, we become a part of and lost in the characters and plot. Geoffrey Golden is a narrative designer and writer. He has worked on a number of games including Murder in the Alps, an award-winning mystery game on mobile platforms. Geoffrey has written for Capcom, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and indie studios around the world. Geoffrey was always passionate about writing, storytelling, and video games, although he never thought he would combine his two passions into his career. He enjoys building interactive stories for different platforms like mobile, console titles, tabletop RPGs, chatbot experiences, robot toys, and even email newsletters. In this episode, we talked about the differences between a game writer and a narrative designer, Geoffrey's beginnings as a writer, and his experiences during the internet's prehistoric beginning. Geoffrey kindly shared his experiences in Napster and MP3.com and how he became an influencer creating audio content. We also talked about narrative techniques, what makes a story interesting, and where he believes the gaming industry is heading. Tune in and join me on this journey into the heart of a good story with Geoffrey Golden. Some Questions I Ask:You've done comics, fiction, tabletop games, cartoons. How do you branch into all of them? (4:53)How did you transfer from being a parody songwriter to being a part of the gaming industry? (9:02)What type of education do you think you need to become a games writer? (17:38)How do you start to write a character? (21:54)Where do you see the gaming industry is headed? What kind of games do you think are coming up? (45:23)In This Episode, You Will Learn:How George became a famous parody songwriter on MP3.com (11:41)How George got into the game writing universe (16:01)The difference between creating linear and branching dialogues and stories (35:06)Where George sees the gaming industry is heading to (45:23)Some advice from George about success, quality of life, and work (52:30)Resources:Dirt Cheap podcastConnect with Geoffrey:LinkedInTwitterLet's Connect!InstagramTwitterYouTube Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
How are we almost done with May already?! It's bananas, and you know what else is bananas? Our guests for today's episode! Bahiyya (game designer, writer, and filmmaker who’s currently doing her masters in film, and is most well-known for her IGF award-winning game After Hours that will be released soon) and Son (writer who's currently the studio director and co-founder of Perfect Garbage, and director and co-founder of Chimeric Animation. They’re also a narrative designer at Silver Rain Games, and will be publishing their debut graphic novel soon, Thief of the Heights) join us to talk about writing processes, where they start when they’re creating a character, how often their stories change from what they originally planned, story structure, their greatest tools for storytelling, how they figure out their beginnings, when do they let other people see their work, whether they’re ever dissuaded by feedback, storytelling moments in games that they thought were special, silent protagonists, storytelling advice, major influences, what they’re reading/watching these days that isn’t video games, and way way more!Our Guests on the InternetBahiyya’s Twitter and Itch.io pageSon Twitter and Website, and you should check out the short film Death’s Diner, Thief of the Heights (when it's published by Harper Collins in 2022), and Love ShoreStuff We Talked AboutRain White Noise GeneratorDariaButterfly Soup PossessorBloodborneLimboFran BowDishonoredGuy RitchieCain by José SaramangoThe Catcher in the Rye by J. D. SalingerOur theme music was created by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
1.20 Welcome RPG Ramblings with Jeff Jones. This a weekly show exploring the various details of the TableTop RPG hobby through discussions with interesting people. This week Danielle Lauzon joins me to converse about her history in writing and Game Design for the RPG industry. Along the way we discuss her history with White Wolf, Onyx Path and Magpie games. We also got opinionated about Blades in the Dark, The Genesys System, and discuss the affect Vincent Baker has on modern RPG design. Be sure to check the show notes for Danielle's contact information as well as a link to her latest Kickstarter project: The Trinity Continuum. A high-flying pulp game that centers on a 1930's alternate history but also will explore various timelines and parallel realities. We have a lot of ground to cover. It is time to get rambling. Show Notes: ———————————————————————————————— RPG Ramblings Podcast: https://anchor.fm/jeffrey-jones6 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2804349736447278 ———————————————————————————————— Danielle Lauzon Twitter: @impernious Website: https://www.daniellelauzon.com Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/trinity-continuum-adventure-tabletop-roleplaying-game/description ———————————————————————————————— Jeff Jones Twitter: @I_Am_Jeffrey Itch.io: https://jeffrey-a-jones.itch.io DriveThru: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Jeffrey%20A%20Jones Intro and Outro Music: Jungle Juice by Wataboi from Pixabay.com/music Sound Effects: https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jeffrey-jones6/message
Happy New Year one and all! To celebrate yet another new beginning, we've brought back old guests Greg (Creative Director of Supergiant Games, and writer of Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and Hades) and Kate (Narrative designer on Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, all of its DLC, the Outer Worlds, and was a narrative co-lead on The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon) to chat with us about working from home during COVID, work/life balance, Early Access, the keys to writing memorable shopkeepers, the beauty of em dashes, themes that they gravitate towards, working with ensemble casts, what kept them up at night the most on the last game they worked on, murder hobos, games being adapted into film/TV, collaborating with other disciplines more closely, and more, more, more!Our Guests on the InternetGreg's TwitterKate's Twitter and InstagramStuff We Talked AboutHadesThe Outer Worlds (and its DLC: Peril on Gorgon)PyreTransistorBastionResident Evil 4 (specifically this guy)UltimaNetflix's Castlevania showAnnihilation (book and movie)InsideHouse of Leaves by Mark Z. DanielewskiElric of MelniboneBig Dead Place by Nicholas JohnsonStories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang (specifically the story: The Tower of Babylon)Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang (specifically the story: The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate)Our theme music was created by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
2020 has seen the world change drastically. How we socialize is more virtual than it has ever been. Join Tiffany and Steven as they chat about Board Game writing and how the platform may be changing on this week's episode of Pondo's Playground.
I mean, it's Steve Meretzky, one of the greatest game writers and puzzle designers of all time. He's also served as VP of Games at King, VP of Creative at GSN, and VP of Game Design at Playdom/Disney. Steve is a hilarious creative force for good, and in this interview he shares stories and insights from his wide ranging and impactful career making games. Interested in contacting or working with Steve? You can find his LinkedIn profile in the show notes.
Are you interested in writing for games but don’t know where to start? Are you already in the industry, but you’d like to pursue game writing? We all got into game writing in different ways, and we’re happy to share our knowledge with you! To learn more about the show or our online business matchmaking events for indie developers visit: http://indiegame.business Indie Game Business is produced by The Powell Group: http://powellgroupconsulting.com Watch the official live stream: www.twitch.tv/indiegamebusiness Watch INDIE's stream: www.twitch.tv/INDIE Join the Indie Game Business Discord: http://discord.gg/indiegamebusiness The Twitters to follow - Indie Game Business: https://twitter.com/BusinessIndie Powell Group Consulting: https://twitter.com/PowellGrp Jay: https://twitter.com/Powell_Jay INDIE: https://twitter.com/TheRealIndie Donate to Extra Life with our link: https://www.extra-life.org/participant/IndieGameBusiness Join the Indie Game Business Extra Life Team: https://www.extra-life.org/team/indiegamebusiness --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/indiegamebusiness/support
Today we've got Jo (writer of games and short stories, and has written on Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass Effect: Andromeda, and is currently at EA working on an unannounced project) and Paula (writing lead and story editor on Neo Cab. She's also adapted Let’s Play from Webtoon into an animated series and has had her fiction and essays featured in outlets like Salon, the Austin Film Festival, and more) talking with us about masters degrees, delivering criticism, the most helpful piece of feedback they've ever received, how they like to collaborate with others, things they've appreciated in games that might go generally unnoticed, keeping track of branching stories and how to maintain consistency and pacing, when to stop writing, parody games, writing tests that best represent their skills, whether games are too focused on learning from Hollywood blockbusters, the last story that surprised them, and more!Our Guests on the InternetJo's TwitterPaula's Twitter and WebsiteStuff We Talked AboutStar Wars: The Old RepublicNeo CabDoom (2016)Portal 2TacomaThe Pomodoro TechniqueStar Wars Jedi: Fallen OrderDance Dance RevolutionPortrait of a Lady on FireThe Dark Crystal: Age of ResistanceOur theme music was created by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
In this week's podcast episode, we discuss the strange film 'Serenity' (no, not that Serenity), Nintendo confirming that there won't be a new upgrade this year, The Sims developer recruiting for a brand new IP, Atari trying to get back in the game with Hotels this time, and our big topic is all about the importance of game writing with our special guest, Alyssa Payne! Time Stamps ⌛: ‘Serenity’ Review – 4:25 No Nintendo Switch Pro – 12:42 Maxis Has A New IP - 16:46 Atari Opens Up Six Hotels– 21:14 Alyssa Payne Interview – 26:32 The Importance of Game Writing - 44:26 Alyssa Payne Links: Twitter: @SmittenWritten Blog: www.alyssapaynewrites.me Itchio: https://alyssa-payne.itch.io/ Intro and Outro Music by Voltz Supreme Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voltz.supreme/ Galatic Cowboy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JZN9YUZt_E Social Media: Twitter: @GamingGroceries Instagram: gamesandgroceries Website: gamesandgroceries.com Equipment We Use
Happy holidays everyone! To close out the year we've got Walt (writer and creative director at New Game Plus, and has worked on games such as The Darkness, Bioshock 1 and 2, Spec Ops: The Line, and Star Wars Battlefront 2, and he’s also the author of the book Significant Zero: Heroes, Villains, and the Fight for Art & Soul in Games) and Mary (currently writes at Insomniac Games, and has also written for Certain Affinity, Techland on Dying Light 2, and Telltale on the final season of The Walking Dead and Batman: The Enemy Within) joining us to talk Narrative QA, their most important collaborators, narrative band-aid experiences, storytelling that they appreciate in other games that may go unnoticed by players, making "good" and "bad" choices, emotion-oriented goals, violence-based games, not giving your characters more story than they can handle, narrative pet peeves, things they've learned by slipping up, overwriting, digital media shelf life, what game project(s) they wish they'd been a part of, how important costume design is to their writing process, writing tests, and a thing or two more that you'll just have to find out for yourself!Our Guests on the InternetWalt's Twitter, Instagram. and check out Significant Zero: Heroes, Villains, and the Fight for Art and Soul in Video GamesMary's Twitter, and check out Read Only memories #1Stuff We Talked AboutSpec Ops: The LineHellblade: Senua's SacrificeWe Are Not Heroes: Contextualizing Violence Through Narrative GDC Talk by Walt WilliamsThe Walking Dead: The Final SeasonDisco ElysiumWhen the Streaming Platform Dies, What Happens to its Shows?What Remains of Edith FinchSpider-ManNight in the WoodsStar Wars Battlefront IIAlso Max and I worked on Neo Cab and Man of Medan, two great games that came out this year, and they're totally worth checking out!Our theme music was created by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Apologies to all for the slight delay, but the wait has TOTALLY been worth it because today we've got Nicole (Senior Narrative Designer at Crystal Dynamics, and before that a Creative Director on the unreleased The Wolf Among Us: Season 2, and a writer on season 2 of Minecraft: Story Mode, Guardians of the Galaxy, Batman, The Walking Dead: Michonne, Game of Thrones: Season 1, and The Wolf Among Us: Season 1) and Megan (Senior Narrative Designer Team Lead and Senior Writer on the recently-released Outer Worlds by Obsidian Entertainment, and before that she was a Senior Writer on Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire and Tyranny, and a Senior Game Designer and Content Zone Lead on Wildstar for Carbine Studios) joining us to talk writing/design tests, whether narrative design and game writing should be separate jobs, the hardest things to write and design, writers' rooms, rewriting processes, where they start with constructing branching narratives, what they look for in endings as creators and whether it's different than what they look for as consumers, meaningful choices, storytelling trends they'd like to see more of, NPCs, major influences, and a great deal more!Our guests on the InternetNicole's Twitter.Megan's Twitter, Website, and check out House of Ash and Brimstone (Gatewalkers Book 1)!Stuff We Talked AboutThe Wolf Among UsBioshockAnita Blake: Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. HamiltonSabriel by Garth NixUntitled Goose GameThe Walking Dead Season 1The Outer WorldsMore than Quest Givers: Why Good Characters Matter Konsoll 2019 Talk by Molly Maloney and Eric StirpePyreGod of WarTransistorBrave Fencer MusashiApex LegendsDota 2The Snow Queen by Hans Christian AndersenThe Twelve Dancing Princesses by the Brothers GrimmLuigi's Mansion 3Brothers - A Tale of Two SonsSchitt's CreekSpinning Silver by Naomi NovikOur theme music was composed by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
last episode, we talked about the classic Dungeons & Dragons adventure B4 The Lost City. it went so good we decided to do it again.like our last episode, we pick one page of the adventure and talk about what works and does not work for us. we soon discover that there is a lot that works. as we continue our discussion we realize that this is perhaps some of the best ideas we have seen in awhile. as we finish the discussion we realize that this adventure reminds us why we love this hobby so much.i can go on, but then you will have no need to listen. so, go listen.as always if you have comments or want to subscribe at your provider of choice here, you go.thegrumpyoldgamers@gmail.comtwitterapple itunesgoogle playspotifystitcherradio publicAlso if you like what we do, we will not say no to your money.
we switch up the format and do something we have wanted to do since day one.what?be positive about games and the hobby.no, we have not been replaced. we just have grown tired of all of the negativity that exists in this hobby.so what do we do? we talk about the classic Dungeons & Dragons adventure B4 The Lost City.by picking one page of the adventure we we discuss what works and what does not work for us. there is some good and some bad on this page and you learn what we think.as always if you have comments or want to subscribe at your provider of choice here, you go.thegrumpyoldgamers@gmail.comtwitterapple itunesgoogle playspotifystitcherradio publicAlso if you like what we do, we will not say no to your money.
Jeannie and Dave invite Doug Garrett and Ray Greer into the coffeehouse to talk about how they started writing for games, writing a first novel, process, and the general crossovers of game writing to mysteries and more … Continue...Episode Seventeen – From Gaming Beginnings
We've got Kelsey (game writer and narrative designer on Outer Wilds with Mobius Digital, along with Stormland for Insomniac, and wrote the unreleased Tales from the Minus Lab for USC’s Interactive Media & Games Division) and Olivia (script writer and narrative designer at Ubisoft Montreal on Far Cry 5 and Far Cry: New Dawn, and previously a scriptwriter at Ubisoft Quebec on Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and its DLC) in this month to talk about the hardest parts of working with nonlinear storytelling, stress, taking feedback, nonlinear murder mysteries, quantifying values that are hard to quantify, assuming that players are smart, tracking all the permutations in branching narratives, player assumptions when it comes to knowledge of the story and vice versa, letting players pull in information instead of pushing it on them, what makes a good opening and ending, DnD, and more.Our Guests on the InternetKelsey's Twitter and Website.Olivia's Twitter.Stuff We Talked AboutOuter WildsTwineGDC 2019: Technical Tools for Authoring Branching Dialogue by Carrie Patel and SzymczykSteven UniverseOverqualified by Joey ComeauOur theme music was composed by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
well, we talk about how you should not hide from other opinions. additionally, all games should not play the same. we do a bad job at writing show notes but really the topics we cover lend themselves to this. as always if you have comments or want to subscribe at your provider of choice here, you go. thegrumpyoldgamers@gmail.com twitter apple itunes google play spotify stitcher radio public Also if you like what we do, we will not say no to your money.
Calling in from the far reaches of Los Angeles AND Toronto, Kait (currently the Team Lead Narrative Designer on Watch Dogs: Legion at Ubisoft Toronto, and formerly the Lead Writer on A Mortician’s Tale for Laundry Bear Games. She’s also written the book Ain’t No Place for a Hero: Borderlands, and is the co-director of Dames Making Games) and Sam (currently a Senior Writer at Insomniac Games, where she recently worked on the Turf Wars DLC for Marvel’s Spider-Man, and formerly an Associate Writer at Bioware on Anthem. She’s also an author of books like Girl Squads and Wonder Women, and has written for comics like Captain Marvel, Star Trek, and Jem & the Holograms) join us to talk writing tests, how to give good feedback, important soft skills to have, writing processes and "muses," staying organized, things that tap and sap their creativity, what makes a good video game opening/ending, NPCs, storytelling quagmires, diverse dev teams, whether there's anything in their work that takes forever that people wouldn't expect, work/life balances, what they're consuming that isn't video games, why writing WWE fanfiction can be helpful for your game writing, major influences, and MOREEEEE! Our Guests on the Internet Kait's Twitter and Instagram, and you should follow all of the rad Watch Dogs: Legion writers and narrative designers on twitter! Sam's Twitter, Instagram, and Website, and you should check out Captain Marvel and preorder The Unstoppable Wasp. Also you should follow all of the good folks at Insomniac Games on twitter! Stuff We Talked About ASMR Hair Treatment | Mic ON Brush | Oils & Crinkle Cap What Makes a Good Video Game Ending? by Kait Tremblay Mass Effect 2 Borderlands Portal 2 God of War Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Bioshock Hellblade Observation Dames Making Games The 18-month fence hop, the six-day chair, and why video games are so hard to make by Blake Hester Chernobyl Fleabag The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss Stargate SG-1 Cleopatra 2525 Farscape Andromeda seaquest DSV Star Trek: Voyager Our theme music was composed by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
How do you end up the editor in chief for a major online Zine? You volunteer, of course. David Speakman joins Jeannie and Dave (Web Spider) to talk about his writing career progression, Tightbeam Magazine, and more. … Continue...Episode Twelve – Online Zines and Game Writing
we let it rip. the crux of the episode is the outdated cliche of every game requiring it to be written in a hand-holding manner. a game should not waste the pages with the cliched "what is a role-playing game." it should get to the point and get you playing. it should talk to you, not at you. additionally, we clarify the issues we have with casual games. it is not just a silly hatred, but a fundamental view of games needing to be better. to further illustrate this point we shift to d&d and discuss the tired belief that we should take that game into account. as always, we are honest. if you thought we've mellowed out, this one proves otherwise. once again, we swear. a. lot. brace yourself. we do a bad job at writing show notes but really the topics we cover lend themselves to this. as always if you have comments or want to subscribe at your provider of choice here, you go. thegrumpyoldgamers@gmail.com twitter apple itunes google play spotify stitcher radio public Also if you like what we do, we will not say no to your money.
And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer. SPIKES FOOTBALL That's right! We made it to FIFTY episodes, and to help celebrate such a monumental achievement in podcasting, we snuck a couple of past guests in through the back door for a victory lap. Which guests, you ask? How about takes a somewhat deep breath, Carrie Patel, Tyler J. Hutchison, Laura Michet, Richard Lemarchand, Sarah Elmaleh, Jon Paquette, Brendon Chung, Cat Manning, Kate Dollarhyde, Eric Stirpe, Janina Gavankar, Ben Esposito, Claire Hummel, Graham Reznick, Ryan Benno, AND Molly Maloney? So what, you say? Well, what if I told you we talked with them about the main things students should know about interactive storytelling, how it's OK to be silly, storytelling confessions, extreme programming, whether game stories can be apolitical, what the differences between a good collaborator and a great one are (and how to work with a bad one), favorite underappreciated bits in games, anything they'd do differently with their past work, things you might not need to worry about with your storytelling, major influences, the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen, auteurism in games, the greatness of Yakuza 0, stuff they've worked on that they wish people appreciated more, and so! Much! More! I mean, do you see how long this episode is?! ROUND ONE Our guests on the Internet Laura's Twitter and Website, and you should check out Pathologic 2 Carrie's Twitter, and you should check out The Outer Worlds Tyler's Twitter Richard's Twitter and Website Stuff We Talked About Ep 45: Molly Maloney & Eric Stirpe Mass Effect 2 Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton The Doves Type® Revival Doom (2016) Mario is Missing! The Trust Equation ROUND TWO (begins at 49:35) Our guests on the Internet Sarah's Twitter, and you should check out Afterparty and GamDev.World Jon's Twitter Brendon's Twitter, Website, and you should check out Skin Deep Cat's Twitter, Website, and you should check out Pathologic 2 Stuff We Talked About The Sims 2 Alien: Isolation The Curse of Monkey Island Oxenfree Super Mario Odyssey Civilization VI Ico The menu from Medal of Honor (1999) Honeysuckle by Cat Manning Collaborative Approaches to Getting Great VO Performances (if you have GDC vault access, you can find it there!) Where the Water Tastes Like Wine ROUND THREE (begins at 1:42:12) Our guests on the Internet Eric's Twitter Janina's Twitter, and you should check out Stucco Kate's Twitter Ben's Twitter, Website, and you should check out Donut County Stuff We Talked About Joanna Newsom mewithoutYou Samuel R. Delany Jeff VanderMeer The Secret of Monkey Island Van Cliburn Portal 2 The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen ROUND FOUR (begins at 2:36:27) Our guests on the Internet Ryan's Twitter, and you should check out The Environment Art Podcast Claire's Twitter, Website, and you should check out In the Valley of the Gods Molly's Twitter, and you should check out Yakuza 0 and Return of the Obra Dinn Graham's Twitter, and you should check out Deadwax and Visitations with Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah Stuff We Talked About Red Dead Redemption 2 Yakuza 0 Undertale Firewatch Mother 3 The Walking Dead Season 1 Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series Until Dawn Westworld VR Experience Our theme music was composed by Isabella Ness, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
NARRATIVE DESIGN! WHAT IS IT? Today we're super lucky to have Rosa (narrative designer at Criterion Games, previously an audio designer there, and her credits include Battlefield 1, Star Wars Battlefront: Rogue One X-Wing VR Mission, Star Wars Battlefront 2, and Battlefield 5's Firestorm mode) and Ben (writer at Insomniac Games, where he worked on last year's Spider-Man, and he's also a writer and director of film and TV) joining us to answer answer one of the most perplexing questions of our times, plus chat about going from audio to narrative design, building narrative teams, enthusiasm being undervalued, how to sustain yourself through dark periods, how to nail the voices of established characters/IPs, the greatness of Yuri Lowenthal, methods for getting the best possible performances from your actors, whether directing has impacted their storytelling processes, storytelling quagmires they've found themselves in, how do you know when you're done with something (especially when you don't have a deadline), do they feel obligated to play other games to stay up to date with the state of storytelling, games that impressed them recently, stuff that takes them out of a game's story, things they want changed in game development, and one or two more things! Our Guests on the Internet Rosa's Twitter. Ben's Twitter. Stuff We Talked About Writing and Narrative Design: A Relationship by Eric Stirpe and Molly Maloney Return of the Obra Dinn Brawl Stars Mortal Kombat 11 Spider-Man Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One: X-wing VR Mission God of War Detroit: Become Human Another Case Solved Guildmaster Story Alto's Odyssey Celeste Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Mark and Dale are at GDC so Ellen Burns-Johnson joins us to talk all about Team Building and Game Identities! Join us for this chill evening recording session and discuss the more existential side of game development. If you change a game completely is it still the same game you started with? Stephen builds a house, Ellen is a game feedback therapist and Martha gets lost in the waveform. Mark and Dale are at GDC! The episode of their adventures actually came out *last* week (calendar math) so you can listen to it RIGHT NOW if you haven't already GDC 2019 Special Team Building 0:01:57 Stephen McGregorIRLProductionDicer and Clasp: Dungeon Skedaddle - Stephen's Global Game Jam Team, GGJClaw Breaker - Steam Our episode on topic on Game Writing "Steal this episode."Cat Crib - Ellen's Global Game Jam Team, GGJ Game Identities 0:22:37 Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame DesignProducer Bootcamp: How Saying 'No' Can Help You Make a Better Game - Ruth Tomandl, Oculus Research, GDCRuth Stone, Poet who caught poems on the wind - Wikipedia
Mark and Dale are at GDC so Ellen Burns-Johnson joins us to talk all about Team Building and Game Identities! Join us for this chill evening recording session and discuss the more existential side of game development. If you change a game completely is it still the same game you started with? Stephen builds a house, Ellen is a game feedback therapist and Martha gets lost in the waveform. Mark and Dale are at GDC! The episode of their adventures actually came out *last* week (calendar math) so you can listen to it RIGHT NOW if you haven’t already GDC 2019 Special Team Building 0:01:57 Stephen McGregor Category IRL Production Dicer and Clasp: Dungeon Skedaddle - Stephen's Global Game Jam Team , GGJ Claw Breaker - Steam Our episode on topic on Game Writing "Steal this episode." Cat Crib - Ellen's Global Game Jam Team , GGJ Game Identities 0:22:37 Ellen Burns-Johnson Category Game Design “Producer Bootcamp: How Saying 'No' Can Help You Make a Better Game” - Ruth Tomandl, Oculus Research , (GDC Vault Video) Ruth Stone, Poet who caught poems on the wind - Wikipedia
Awards season has ARRIVED, and to mark the occasion we've invited two writers representing two of the games nominated by the WGA this year for Best Game Writing : Jon Paquette (Lead Writer on Marvel’s Spider-Man, Sunset Overdrive, and Resistance 3, and formerly a Creative Director at EA, writer on Medal of Honor, and Medal of Honor: Airborne, and QA Lead on Jurassic Park: Trespasser) and returning guest Mel MacCoubrey (Narrative Director on Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, and formerly the Assistant Director of Narrative Design on Assassin's Creed Syndicate, scriptwriter on Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry, and scriptwriting intern on Far Cry 4)! Incredible topics discussed include Jurassic Park Trespasser, writing internships at Ubisoft and Insomniac, whether the core pillars of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey and Spider-Man stayed consistent throughout development, scoping challenges, game length, making big changes to the story once you have a playable build, preventing problems before they happen, always putting your best ideas forward, hardest part about writing for an open world, the worst professional advice they've ever gotten, maintaining a healthy work/life balance, underrated people working with game narratives, the value of voice actors, if there's anything they would change about game development, AAA games that don't have combat as main mechanic, the importance of Farming Simulator 19 as an esport, and moreeeeeeeeee. Our Guests on the Internet Jon's Twitter. Mel's Twitter. Stuff We Talked About Jurassic Park Trespasser What Remains of Edith Finch Florence Brie Code Return of the Obra Dinn Gris Inside Farming Simular 19 Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Happy holidays! We're sneaking in right before Christmas to give all of you the very special gift of Rhianna Pratchett (game writer, narrative designer, comic book writer, and former journalist. She's written on such titles as Heavenly Sword, the Overlord series, Mirror's Edge, the Mirror’s Edge comic series, the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot, the sequel Rise of the Tomb Raider, and the Tomb Raider: The Beginning comic series) AND Jill Murray (Lead Writer and Narrative Designer for AAA games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed Liberation, and AC Freedom Cry, winner of the WGA award for game writing in 2013, and previously published two YA novels with Random House of Canada. She is currently the Narrative Director for an unannounced indie project, as well as working on Boyfriend Dungeon with Kitfox Games, and writing an episode of Later Daters for Bloom Digital) AND Cara Ellison (former games journalist and current game writer, narrative designer, and screenwriter. She served as a narrative consultant on Dishonored 2, produced and designed the TV show Last Commanders for CBBC, and is currently a narrative designer on Media Molecule's Dreams, and Void Bastards by BlueManchu Games), who've joined us to talk prime writing hours, freelancing advice, how to network (and how NOT to), game writing agents, negotiating for yourself, being a narrative paramedic, red flags to watch out for on potential jobs, what they wish more people knew about the kind of work they do, skills to have that are unique for working in AAA, how to handle when people are constantly telling you that your work isn't good, being aware of studio politics, writing mistakes/failures that they've learned from, the state of the industry, worldbuilding, and a few other things that you'll just have to find out yourself! Our Guests on the Internet Rhianna's Twitter and Website. Jill's Twitter, Website, and Instagram. Cara's Twitter, Facebook, and Website. Stuff We Talked About Kitfox Games Writing for Videogames - Writers' Guild of Great Britain Game Workers Unite UK Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Recorded at Metatopia 2017 Presented by Elsa Henry and Lauren Roy. Fiction writing and game writing are definitely two separate skillsets, but they are complimentary. This panel will feature people who do both, discussing how to develop these skillsets to further both parts of your career, with extra attention to the ways they diverge and how to know which skills to use. Where do these skillsets not overlap, how do they fight against one another? What are the best ways to develop both skills without shortchanging one or the other.
Freelancing! Blessing or curse? Today Laura (writer and editor of such games as Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, Frog Fractions 2, Swan Hill, You Got This, Brutadon!, The Brigand’s Story, and more, and is currently an editor at Riot Games.) and Cat (writer and narrative designer of video games and narrative fiction, who's worked on titles such as Invasion, Pathologic 2, What Isn't Saved (Will Be Lost), Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, and the forthcoming Leader of the Pack) join us to talk about that independent life with topics like how to find work, what to look for in contracts, rates, renegotiating, the importance of maintaining a social media presence, whether you should go to festivals, why you maybe shouldn't go to the Write Zone at GDC, and non-freelancer stuff like how to match another writer's voice, reflective choices and how to make strong ones, how to give a player the feeling that their decisions have an impact on a story (especially when the story isn't actually changing at all), writing mistakes, the importance of editing, getting feedback, and I dunno, a few more things. Our Guests on the Internet Laura's Twitter and Website Cat's Twitter and Website Stuff We Talked About The parser game scene from the Tom Hanks movie Big Slug-In-Hand Tavern Twitter Bot The Writers' Guild of Great Britain Videogames Guidelines DoContract Game Writers Facebook Group Where the Water Tastes Like Wine Successful Reflective Choices in Interactive Narrative by Cat Manning Planescape Torment With Those We Love Alive Invasion Sub-Q American Vandal Brendan Patrick Hennessy Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Going from game journalism to game writing isn't something you see too often, but today Mitch Dyer (former editor at IGN, freelance writer for Gamespot, ArsTechnica, The Escapist, Gamesrader, and more, and current writer at EA Motive where he recently finished working on Star Wars Battlefront 2) and Demian Linn (former executive producer at Ziff Davis Media, 1UP.com, and GameVideos, co-founder of BitMob Media, and current game writer at Ubisoft San Francisco, where he just finished working on South Park: the Fractured But Whole) join us to talk about their experiences doing just that, as well freelance life, assumptions they had about game writing that ended up being incorrect, aspects of games we all wish fans and/or the media understood better, the biggest storytelling mistakes they've learned from, writing tests, how to stay objective about your writing, the approval process on big IPs, writing processes, toolsets, what takes them out of games, what to do when you're struggling with a writing problem, what's inspiring them lately, why comedy in video games is so hard to pull off, what they struggle most with with writing and how they conquer it, storytelling trends over the last decade, when we're going to see a AAA studio make a game with no combat, verbs they'd like to see more, and -- wow, this sentence is just going on forever, huh. Our Guests on the Internet Mitch's Twitter. Demian's Twitter. Stuff We Talked About Trey Parker and Matt Stone: 'This happened, and then this happened, and then this happens -- that’s not a movie, that’s not a story' Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Spring is here, and so are Charlene (writer at Larian Studios on Divinity: Original Sin 1 & 2) and Jana (game writer and narrative designer on Battlestar Galactica: Squadrons, Assassin's Creed Origins, and currently at Guerilla Games where she just finished working on Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds)! They join us to talk about what makes a good bark, writing a good tooltip, finding inspiration in others, doing different types of writing at different times of day, solving a writing problem by articulating it to someone else, working with different team sizes, best practices for breaking through creative ruts, honing your judgment, the need for simplicity and clarity in game writing, the craving for more narration through items, and never retiring a tool in the storytelling toolbox. Our Guests on the Internet Charlene's Twitter. Jana's Twitter. Stuff We Talked About Hag-Seed: A Novel by Margaret Atwood Borne: A Novel by Jeff VanderMeer The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds by Michael Lewis The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron Caves of Qud Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
2017's coming to a close and who better to spend it with than Halley (writer, actress, currently co-writing The Last of Us: Part II, and has written on the TV shows Banshee, Westworld, and Emerald City) and Graham (writer, director, sound designer, currently writing and directing Rapid Eye, and has co-written Until Dawn, Until Dawn Rush of Blood, and Hidden Agenda)! They join us to talk moving from TV to games, writing solo vs with a partner, staring at the ceiling being work, pacing for the player's time, garbage passes, Steven Soderbergh’s Mosaic and his thoughts on video games, what makes something a game vs an interactive experience, how everyone is gaming literate now, lining up performances in a modular narrative, writing and recording out of order, trusting your actors and going easy on those parentheticals (unless you’re making a modular narrative), fan expectations, fan fiction, getting the audience to trust you, writing exposition, story burritos, characters saying their feelings, and challenging your audience. Note: This episode has spoilers for Inside. Halley said she played a Game Gear game called Gems, but she wants you to know that she actually meant to say Columns. Halley was right about Playwright’s Horizons. Our Guests on the Internet Halley's Twitter. Graham's Twitter. Stuff We Talked About Mosaic Steven Soderbergh on Filmmaking, the Weinstein Scandal, and Why You Shouldn’t Call Mosaic a Video Game by Matt Zoller Seitz The Three Levels of Dialogue Woodcutters from Fiery Ships Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Samantha (narrative designer at ArenaNet, and previously a writer and narrative designer on titles such as SumoBoy, Fallout: Lonestar, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Mass Effect Andromeda) and Brooke (writer and narrative designer on The Gardens Between, Paperback and Florence) call in to talk about breaking into the industry, binging the Mass Effect trilogy, writing processes, why character should be the plot, trying to get a story across without using text or speech, creating well-rounded characters, transitioning from a literary writer to a narrative designer, writing for MMOs and the writing process working on The Old Republic, episodic and 100+ hour narratives, special difficulty modes for people who just want to experience the story in a game, NOT being able to kiss Nick Valentine in Fallout 4, different approaches to storytelling within Bioware, career advice and tips for breaking into the industry, and oh man so much more it's crazy. Our Guests on the Internet Samantha's Twitter. Brooke's Twitter and Website. Stuff We Talked About HULK PRESENTS CHARACTER TREES by Film Crit Hulk The Gardens Between The Writer Between: Thieving Literary Plot to Design Game Narrative by Brooke Maggs Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Ashly (actress, writer, and singer, who's acted in such games as Borderlands 2, Mortal Kombat X, Life is Strange, and Horizon Zero Dawn, and has written for Rocket Jump, Adventure Time, and Glitch Techs) and Kate (writer of speculative fiction, with her stories appearing in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Gamut, and Lamplight, and currently the co-Editor in Chief of the online magazine Strange Horizons as well as a narrative designer at Obsidian Entertainment working on Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire) are here to talk fan fiction, writing processes, letting your work breathe vs brute forcing it, whether games need their stories to be great or not, dealing with bad notes, voice acting and having too much or too little info to work with when you go into the booth, staying true to an IPs voice while also bringing your own, writing as a fan, ways to handle the problem of crafting stories when players might not be paying attention to/remembering key information, making players feel helpless, and much more! Our Guests on the Internet Ashly's Twitter, Website, and OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes. Kate's Twitter and Website. Stuff We Talked About The Science and Entertainment Exchange Hey Ash Whatcha Playin? Codex Writers' Group Fueling the 'Pyre' With Supergiant Games' Greg Kasavin Epistle 3 Jam (Half-Life 3 Game Jam) Epistle 3 by Marc Laidlaw Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Kim (scriptwriter at Ubisoft, co-author of the novel "Pure Steele", and co-host of the weekly podcast, "The Sexiest Podcast") and Harrison ( game designer at Telltale on seasons 1 and 2 of The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: 400 Days, and co-creator of Tales from the Borderlands. Recently a world designer at Hangar 13 on Mafia 3) are here to talk about whether modern games leave enough to the player’s imagination, introducing a New Game Minus feature, if you have a lot of money, you can’t afford faith (from a corporate level), the weirdness of Earthbound, feeling obligated to share lore because you have it instead of holding it back, studios valuing plot logic over emotional logic between characters, open world design problems, giving players more verbs, being able to ask for help more in games, making choices explicit to players, too many twists, and the need for lower stakes. Our Guests on the Internet Kim's Twitter and Podcast. Harrison's Twitter and Podcast. Stuff We Talked About Pure Steele by Kim Belair and Ariadne MacGillivray Imagination vs Immersion by Kim Belair List of games that support Tourism compiled by JP LeBreton Arms' lore just gets weirder and weirder by Allegra Frank The Door Problem by Liz England Prey vs. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided: why one intro works and the other doesn't by Tom Francis Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Josh (designer on Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, writer and designer on over a dozen tabletop RPGs for White Wolf, Dream Pod 9, and Steve Jackson games, lead designer on Company of Heroes and Homeworld 2, initial creative director on Far Cry 3, game director on Diablo 3, and current design/game master in residence at Bonfire Studios) and Darby (Writer on several Game Boy Advance and DS games like Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Sims 2, but most recently has been a writer on the Assassin’s Creed series and was the lead writer on Revelations and Black Flag) call in to discuss tabletop gaming, the benefits of an english degree, being a game director at Blizzard, the business realities of game development, the relationship between narrative design and game design, the importance of the player's story, the problem with plot in video games and how to deal with it, the storytelling of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, whether games will ever be remembered for their stories, bad writing, working with established franchises, dealing with the expectations of players, and much more! Our Guests on the Internet Josh's Twitter and Bonfire Studios's website. Darby's Twitter. Stuff We Talked About Pandemic by Matt Leacock Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds The Simple Art of Murder by Raymond Chandler The Witcher III: Wild Hunt - Best Detective Game Ever Made - Extra Credits Abel Gance's Napoléon Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
This week’s episode is a special discussion panel all about game writing: What it is, what it means, and how you can be doing it better! Panel members include Nathan Meunier, Rick Davidson, and Chris Solarski. Topics discussed: How do you pin down and define game writing? How game writing works in open world […]
It's our last episode of the year! Emily Grace Buck (narrative designer at Telltale Games where she worked on The Walking Dead: Michonne and Batman - The Telltale Series, and previously designed and wrote educational games at Kognito) and Julie Marchiori (level designer, mission designer, and current Assistant Narrative Director at Ubisoft Montreal, and has worked on such games as the Army of Two franchise, Far Cry 3, Assassin's Creed 3, and Assassin's Creed Unity) drop in to talk about using agency to empower players to build their own stories, gameplay verbs, the narrative potential of systems, environmental storytelling, level design, the research phase, design processes, subtext in games, the importance of downtime with your characters and why it's difficult for studios, minority content, examining the choices of players, and a heck of a lot more! Our Guests on the Internet Emily's Twitter and Tumblr. Julie's Blog about going from gamer geek to gamer geek mom, and her other Blog where she talks about things like her beef with gendered games. Stuff We Talked About Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor Dragon Age: Inquisition Fallout 3 Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard Assassin's Creed: Unity Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective Batman - The Telltale Series Gears of War 4 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Until Dawn Life is Strange World of Warcraft Mystic Messenger MR. ROBOT:1.51EXFILTRATI0N Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Mel (writer and Director of Narrative Design at Ubisoft Quebec, and has worked on such games as Far Cry 4, Assassin's Creed Freedom Cry, and Assassin's Creed Syndicate) and Ann (writer and narrative designer on such games as Mass Effect 3, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Mass Effect: Andromeda, and is a co-writer of the book The Game Narrative Toolbox) are here to talk about whether going to university is necessary for becoming a game writer, being a salesperson to other departments, Ubisoft internships, the length of game stories, being a narrative director, one thing they wish all departments knew about narrative to start with, dealing with players who don't care about story, how narrative is everything, the possibility of AAA studios making smaller open world games, being scientifically accurate in Mass Effect and historically accurate in Assassin's Creed, coming onto a franchise that has already started, fan fiction, how to acknowledge every possible action of the player without diluting the story you want to tell, whether we should be concerned about side content overshadowing the main narrative, the hardest and easiest characters to write, the importance of communication, and jeez, so much more! Our Guests on the Internet Mel's Twitter and Website. Ann's Twitter and Book. Stuff We Talked About Civilization VI Why Most People Don't Finish Video Games Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Thomas Grip (co-founder and Creative Director of Frictional Games, makers of the Penumbra series, the Amnesia series, and SOMA) and JT Petty (writer on such games as the first three Splinter Cell titles, Batman Begins, Outlast 1 & 2, and The Walking Dead: Season 2) join us to discuss the Four Layers of Narrative Design, mistaking plot for story, how controllers affect the narrative, goals of storytelling, VR skepticism, the relation between narrative systems and emotional impact, Silent Hill, what a lack of combat can do for you, the lessons developers can learn from horror, and much more! Our Guests on the Internet Thomas' Twitter. JT's Twitter. Stuff We Talked About Frictional Games' Blog Games Telling Stories? by Jesper Juul The Aesthetic of Play by Brian Upton To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf Writings & Lectures on Game Design by Richard Rouse III Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film by Carol J. Clover Why VR Will Not Replace Movies by David Pogue Spec Ops: The Line Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Drew (Design Analyst on Star Wars: The Old Republic, Writer and Designer on The Banner Saga, and Lead Writer on The Banner Saga 2) and Greg (Creative Director of Supergiant Games and Writer of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre) call in to talk with us about the importance of being involved with the development process when you're a writer, worldbuilding, the writing process on Banner Saga 1 & 2, subtlety in games, how Supergiant decides on which game they're gonna make, writing as the most disposable of the creative disciplines, the divide between thinking something is good and what ends up shipping, storytelling structures, revising and never being comfortable in knowing how close you are from the finish line, the phrase 'We made the game we wanna play,' dealing with branching narratives, and the storytelling potential in fighting games. Our Guests on the Internet Drew's Twitter and Stoic's Twitter. Greg's Twitter and Supergiant's Twitter. Stuff We Talked About Brandon Sanderson The Banner Saga Puzzle Quest Raid on Rise: Narrative Creation on 'Rise of The Tomb Raider' Pyre Bastion Greg Kasavin Reads the Introduction of Samurai Showdown 2 Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
NPCs! VR! AR! Rob (game writer, narrative designer, voice director, and writer on Wonderbook, Fallen London, Sunless Sea, and The Assembly) and Emily (game designer specializing in interactive narrative, dialogue, and social interaction modeling, and writer of Galatea, First Draft of the Revolution, Alabaster, Counterfeit Monkey, and more) are here to talk about the importance of streamlining the implementation of your script, looting silos of information and the problem of them not being widely accessible, the value of knowing programming, the storytelling possibilities of VR and who you “are,” disempowered experiences in VR, interactive theater’s influence on games, different solutions for offering branching narratives to players, writing for augmented reality, and the lack of games about maintaining relationships. Our Guests on the Internet Rob's Twitter and Website. Emily's Twitter and Website. Stuff We Talked About Punchdrunk Sleep No More Beyond Branching: Quality-Based, Salience-Based, and Waypoint Narrative Structures by Emily Short Firewatch Wonderbook: Book of Spells Love Stories for High-XP Characters by Emily Short The Novelist In Your Arms Tonight VideoBrains Youtube Channel Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Ian (Design Director at E-Line Media and has worked on Gamestar Mechanic, Gamestar Mechanic Jr, and Never Alone) and Anna (Senior Gameplay Programmer at Double Fine and has worked on such games as Psychonauts, Brütal Legend, Broken Age, and Headlander, and was the lead on Dear Leader during Amnesia Fortnight 2014) join us to discuss falling into the industry, the benefits of an education that doesn't just focus on programming/computer science, the work involved with implementing dialogue, planning for localization, Never Alone's development, cultural expression in games, dialogue systems, why text to speech isn't the future (for now), the costs of voiced dynamic dialogue, authored vs simulationist vs player-centric approaches to story in games, and a couple of other rad topics! Our Guests on the Internet Ian's Twitter. Anna's Twitter. Stuff We Talked About Never Alone Amnesia Fortnight 2014 Dialogue Systems in Double Fine Games Molyjam: How Twitter Jokes Can Save Video Games Making the World of Firewatch Netrunner Crusader Kings 2 Dwarf Fortress' Creator on How He's 42% Towards Simulating Existence Practice 2015: Anna Kipnis The Novelist by Kent Hudson 7 Grand Steps Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges Viriconium by M. John Harrison The Yawhg by Emily Carroll & Damian Sommer Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
This week's coming in hot with Karla Zimonja (researcher and sound tech person on Bioshock 2, narrative and 2D art on Minerva's Den, story editor and 2D artist on Gone Home, and currently working on Tacoma) and Eric Stirpe (writer on The Walking Dead Season 2, Tales from the Borderlands, and Minecraft: Story Mode) joining us to talk about writing and editing processes, writing at Telltale and working with design, player trust, gaming literacy, the importance of Minecraft, trying to balance giving the player an experience that feels unique and tailored to them with the desire to tell a coherent story, ludonarrative dissonance, whether there's a place for cutscenes, how to handle pacing, things you can and can't do with a first person narrative, and so much more! Our Guests on the Internet Karla's Twitter and Tumblr. Eric's Twitter. Stuff We Talked About Double Fine Adventure! Darmok "Playdate" (Chris Ware's story about playing Minecraft with his daughter) VIDEO GAMES CAN NEVER BE ART by Roger Ebert The Witness Firewatch Growing up Weightless by John M. Ford Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor Seveneves: A Novel by Neil Stephenson Hail, Caesar! Frontier | Youth in Decline Learnt Until Dawn Tearaway Roommates The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling Kaptara The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Social simulations and the storytelling potential of hardware-based games are the main topics in today's discussion with Mitu (Creator of Redshirt, PhD holder in Aesthetics of Interactivity in Video Games, and current Assistant Arts Professor at NYU's Game Center) and Jerry (Game designer and developer behind Robo Mama’s Cooking Kitchen, MysteryPhone, Discourse, The Choosatron, and Afterglow)! We talk about the importance of player choice, The Witness and the dialogue that happens between a creator and the player, why freedom in games isn't always a good thing, how controllers and interfaces affect the way we think about games, why Animal Crossing is an amazing social simulator, how fleshing out a game's world can influence the design, the problems with making a social simulation, what happens to our engagement with games as interfaces become more mimetic, slaying Chris Crawford's Dragon, and man, that's just the stuff that's off the top of our heads! Our Guests on the Internet Mitu's Twitter and The Tiniest Shark Jerry's Twitter and Website Stuff We Talked About Mitu's GDC Talk - Thinking About People: Designing Games for Social Simulation ELIZA and The ELIZA Effect Loved by Alexander Ocias The Immersive Fallacy (excerpted from Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals) by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman Lygia Clark Redshirt Notary Bear by Lisa Brown Chris Crawford's Dragon Speech Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
2016 has been put on notice by our guests Jill (writer on Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and the Assassin’s Creed series, including Liberation, Black Flag, and Freedom Cry) and Corey (writer on Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, The Two Thrones, Batman: Arkham Origins, and lead writer on Assassin's Creed 1, 2, and 3), who are here to talk about how everything is writing even if nobody will believe you, staying creatively refreshed, the brain’s thirst for motor activities during procrastination, how one is never done writing a game even after shipping, the insularity of the games industry vs other mediums, the treatment of making games as software instead of entertainment, why it's so hard to get rid of the cutscene/gameplay/cutscene structure, how games have a lot to learn about nonverbal storytelling from dance, the need to embrace failure, how pressure does NOT make diamonds in game development, working with a nonexistent creative vision, being forced to make decisions and live with them as early as possible, not holding out for a better idea, and more things The Good Wife can teach us about narrative design. Our Guests on the Internet Jill's Twitter, Website, Discoglobe Interactive Inc., and Moon Hunters. Corey's Twitter. Stuff We Talked About The Other Side of Paradise: A Memoir by Staceyann Chin Time Machine VR The Good Wife Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Our last episode of the year is here and it's super writing-focused! Cara Ellison (Writer, game critic, narrative designer, creator of Sacrilege, and writer on Dishonored 2) and Jack de Quidt (Writer/composer of Castles in the Sky, and writer of Veracity & Purpose and Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist) join us to talk about their writing processes, working on a narrative when it's fractured across an entire team, why fetch quests occur even though everyone HATES them, the narrative design in The Witcher and Kentucky Route Zero, why a lot of studios are afraid of trusting the player, narrative problem-solving, the verbs that happen in games, navigating breaking the fourth wall, the portrayal of relationships in games, the importance of humor, how to handle pacing, required reading for people working in the industry that isn't about making games, and much, much more. Our Guests on the Internet Cara's Twitter, Website, Dishonored 2, Sacrilege, and you can buy Embed with Games here. Jack's Twitter, Crows Crows Crows, and Friends at the Table. Stuff We Talked About On Pointlessness by Steve Gaynor Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist (it's free!) TO THE WRITERS OF THE UNIT by David Mamet On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King Clint Hocking's Blog Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino Spider and Web by Andrew Plotkin Kentucky Route Zero and the Poetics of Space by Cara Ellison Werner Herzog's Rogue Film School Jessica Jones on Netflix Fargo on Hulu Fiasco Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
Come for the discussions about writing on an open world game with C.J. (lead writer on Homefront, scriptwriter on Rainbox 6, Your Shape, Far Cry 4, Assassin's Creed, and currently senior narrative designer on Homefront: The Revolution,) and Liz (scriptwriter on Far Cry 4, Far Cry 4: Valley of the Yetis), stay for the talks on how to write a good bark, working with localization, pickled toes, writing Far Cry 4, exposition, maintaining urgency in an open word, catching players back up with the story, the importance of asking why manhole covers are round, and GTA 5 role-playing. Our Guests on the Internet C.J.'s Twitter Liz's Website and Twitter Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
We're all about ARGs and procedural generation on this week's discussion with Tanya (designer on Age of Conan, Dungeons of Fayte, The Secret World, Shattered Planet and Moon Hunters) and Rob (writer on ALFA-ARKIV, Gears of War: Judgment, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, Playmation, and Battlefield Hardline). Our sprawling conversation includes chatbots, transmedia narratives, creating mythologies, binary morality systems, pacing in a procedurally generated game, why haven't we moved past cutscenes in games, how procedural and systemic gameplay affects development and writing, and games based on information retrieval. Our Guests on the Internet Tanya's Website and Twitter Rob's Twitter Stuff We Talked About Moon Hunters on Steam ALFA-ARKIV app itch.io Chatscript Versu The Fake 'Terrorist' Conspiracy Game That Fooled People For Years by Patricia Hernandez GDC Talk: AI-driven Dynamic Dialog through Fuzzy Pattern Matching by Elan Ruskin Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
We've brought in Brian (who has a huge reel including: animator on Boogerman, storyboard artist for Warner Bros, writer on Jade Empire and Mass Effect 2, and lead writer on Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3) and Diandra (editor formerly at Bioware, Riot, Snail Games, XSEED, and currently Carbine Studios) for discussions on Boogerman, working at Bioware, what being an editor in games is like, application processes for writers, writing born from constraint, why we haven't seen The Wire: The Game yet, and what RTS' can do with storytelling that no other genre can do. Our Guests on the Internet Brian's Website and Twitter. Diandra's Twitter. Our theme music was composed by 2Mello, and our logo was created by Lily Nishita.
There's a huge amount of great video game writing out there. Too much for your humble hosts to ever digest by themselves. This week, we take advantage of 2010's embarrassment of riches and discuss some of our favorite pieces of video game writing from last year. As always feel free to join in and spread the word about your favorite game-related posts, essays, novellas, treatises, and tweets!Pieces discussed:- “Okay, Kids, Play on my Lawn,” by Roger Ebert, via Chicago Sun-Times- “Groping the Map”, by Justin Keverne, via Groping the Elephant- “Video games: The Addiction,” by Tom Bissel, via The Guardian- “Making Men Uncomfortable: What Bayonetta Should Learn From Gaga,” by Tanner Higgin, via Gaming the System: Tanner Higgin- “Castrating the Straight Male Gaze on Bayonetta (or at least making room for other ones!),” by Amanda Phillips, via The Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory- “The Presence of the Past in Fallout 3,” by Trevor Owens, via Play the Past- “Riffing on the Flagpole,” by Michael Abbott, via The Brainy Gamer To listen to the podcast:- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking the title. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.- Run time: 34 min 25 sec- Music provided by Brad Sucks
One of the biggest areas of professional creative writing these days is game writing, and who better to talk to about it than Steve Jackson--yes, THE Steve Jackson. We start off trying to talk about game adaptations, and the challenges they present for writers, but then we devolve into a more straightforward discussion of writing for games. This week's Writing Excuses is brought to you by The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
One of the biggest areas of professional creative writing these days is game writing, and who better to talk to about it than Steve Jackson–yes, THE Steve Jackson. We start off trying to talk about game adaptations, and the challenges they present for writers, but then we devolve into a more straightforward discussion of writing for … Continue reading Writing Excuses Episode 31: Talking RPG and Game Writing with Steve Jackson →
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