Ken Rolston's big game.

[Lesifoere]

As a storyfag, the one thing that makes me hold out hope for the game is R.A. Salvatore.

*pausing for effect as rage-filled fingers begin slamming keyboards across the world*

Salvatore is a hack writer. His books are banal shit boring. He's the Stephanie Meyer of fantasy literature. I know this. I've suffered through the Dark Elf Trilogy. BUT... I'd wager he's a better writer than Gayder. His writing may actually play out better in a video game than on paper. Given that game stories aren't exactly pulitzer prize winners anyway, it's all a matter of perspective. A shitty novel writer might actually be a decent game writer.

I've never imagined this to be some sort of coming of the Messiah of RPGs. I already knew it'd basically be a hack n' slash clone of Oblivion, and so... it might be good for what it is.

Salvatore's a much, much, much worse writer than Chris Avellone. Hell, Salvatore's a worse writer than the people who worked on ME2. You've read him, you know what that shit's like:

Elbereth’s silvery eyes flashed, a moonbeam sparkling off a cresting wave, and he gave Cadderly a derisive, sidelong glance. “I have seen the birth and death of three centuries, young human. You will still be young at the time your death, though you might live more years than all others of your race.”

Cadderly bit back his retort, knowing that he would find little support in antagonizing the elf.

“Do not underestimate that which I, Prince of Shilmista, might know,” Elbereth continued haughtily. “We are not a simple folk wasting our years dancing under the stars, as so many would choose to believe.”

It's utter excrement. "Run, Maric! And run he did" is about on the same level as Salvatore.

 

[Zomg]

I'm glad he inserted that the line was spoken haughtily, the tone was pretty unclear

 

[waywardOne]

R.A. Salvatore’s storytelling mastery

this is some kind of inside joke, right?

 

[Data4]

Salvatore's a much, much, much worse writer than Chris Avellone.

I don't disagree, however MCA is an author of games. Does he have any books to his credit? If so, I'd like to read them. I'd pay good money to read them in fact. And no, this isn't to say Salvatore is any better by virtue of being published, either. The media are different in that a game gives you the visuals to go with the text, while a book has to be more descriptive. It's in that description-- the scene-setting and exposition-- that Salvatore sucks, and that includes the "Elbereth continued haughtily" bits.

 

[Lesifoere]

PS:T didn't have descriptive prose?

But see, Salvatore also sucks at dialogue, which comprises a huge part of video game writing. "I, Prince of Shilmistra"?

“That is Danica,” Avery replied. “She is beautiful, is she not?” Indeed Danica was, with perfect, delicate features and a thick mop of strawberry blond hair dancing about her shoulders. “Do not allow that beauty to deceive you, elf prince,” Avery went on proudly, as though Danica was his own child. “Danica is among the finest fighters I have ever seen. Deadly are her bare hands, and boundless is her discipline and dedication."

I mean, that's just fucking horrible. Real people simply don't talk like that; Salvatore has no ear for rhythm and natural speech whatsoever.

 

[Data4]

PS:T didn't have descriptive prose?

But see, Salvatore also sucks at dialogue, which comprises a huge part of video game writing. "I, Prince of Shilmistra"?

“That is Danica,” Avery replied. “She is beautiful, is she not?” Indeed Danica was, with perfect, delicate features and a thick mop of strawberry blond hair dancing about her shoulders. “Do not allow that beauty to deceive you, elf prince,” Avery went on proudly, as though Danica was his own child. “Danica is among the finest fighters I have ever seen. Deadly are her bare hands, and boundless is her discipline and dedication."

I mean, that's just fucking horrible. Real people simply don't talk like that; Salvatore has no ear for rhythm and natural speech whatsoever.

Eh, well, I won't argue. I'm just willing to wait, at least, for some user reviews before I pronounce the game trash. I didn't really intend this to turn into a Salvatore vs. Avellone thing.

As for dialogue, I find it ironic that Salvatore is better at it than David Eddings. Eddings was a literature professor for god's sake, yet his dialogue made me throw books at walls. I never had that with Salvatore. Just angry, bitter tears.

 

[Lesifoere]

What, he taught lit? Where, at Community College of Dropouts?

 

[kris]

Why, for the love of God, is the audience... cheering?

I'd talk about peer and group pressure, but the audience is likely there because... they like this.

. There are four playable races: The Almain and Varani humans, and the Ljosalfar and Dokkalfar elves. You'll meet other races in Reckoning, and many will be playable in future Kingdoms of Amalur games. Fridley chose the Almain, which he described as a traditional warrior race.

I like what they did with races, I am really interested to learn more about those new interesting races they had.

As for dialogue, I find it ironic that Salvatore is better at it than David Eddings. Eddings was a literature professor for god's sake, yet his dialogue made me throw books at walls. I never had that with Salvatore. Just angry, bitter tears.

Knowing about writing and literature has little to do with knowing how to write a conversation. That is more based on your social skills

 

[BeholderX]

Since my new heavy-effort thread got MOVED TO RETARDO LAND I'm gonna repost this here instead:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7lzDYDJT1Q

Gonna be worse than Arcania.

 

[circ]

Despite being a weirdo, Ken sure is selling that shit a lot better than the biogay docs and Todd.

 

[SCO]

What, he taught lit? Where, at Community College of Dropouts?

He graduated with a BA from Reed College in 1954 and an MA from the University of Washington in 1961. He wrote a novel for a thesis at Reed College before being drafted into the U.S. Army.

8)

 

[Marobug]

Having watched the interview from start to finish, I was like wtf for most of it but at the same time it did manage to make me curious about the game, much more so than the generic CG animations I've seen so far which probably cost 10% of the project's budget.

 

[Jaesun]

I WANT TO BE A HAMMER!

 

[Kos_Koa]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7lzDYDJT1Q

Wait for the video to fully load then skip around every couple of seconds to watch Ken Rolston go senile.

But in seriousness despite the people heading it up I can't see myself looking forward to this at all.

 

[Stabwound]

Even our elderly can't escape the clutches of console decline.

 

[octavius]

Funny...I looked at screenshots of those ridicilously oversized weapons of ass destruction, and the pointy eared, pointy chested elf female with such a sad excuse for armour and thought to myself "this game must be designed for 12 year old boys", and then I clicked on the video and was warned that it "may contain content inappropriate for children".

 

[Azrael the cat]

Salvatore's a much, much, much worse writer than Chris Avellone.

I don't disagree, however MCA is an author of games. Does he have any books to his credit? If so, I'd like to read them. I'd pay good money to read them in fact. And no, this isn't to say Salvatore is any better by virtue of being published, either. The media are different in that a game gives you the visuals to go with the text, while a book has to be more descriptive. It's in that description-- the scene-setting and exposition-- that Salvatore sucks, and that includes the "Elbereth continued haughtily" bits.

True re: difference between book-writing and game-writing. I'd be more inclined to seek the services of a playwright or good screen-writer for a game, rather than an author.

Re: MCA - from what I gather, his main non-game writing credits are comic books, of which he did a couple (never read them myself, but from I gather they were pretty good. Not 'Alan Moore' good, but good nonetheless.)

 

[Mastermind]

Salvatore's a much, much, much worse writer than Chris Avellone.

I don't disagree, however MCA is an author of games. Does he have any books to his credit? If so, I'd like to read them. I'd pay good money to read them in fact. And no, this isn't to say Salvatore is any better by virtue of being published, either. The media are different in that a game gives you the visuals to go with the text, while a book has to be more descriptive. It's in that description-- the scene-setting and exposition-- that Salvatore sucks, and that includes the "Elbereth continued haughtily" bits.

True re: difference between book-writing and game-writing. I'd be more inclined to seek the services of a playwright or good screen-writer for a game, rather than an author.

Re: MCA - from what I gather, his main non-game writing credits are comic books, of which he did a couple (never read them myself, but from I gather they were pretty good. Not 'Alan Moore' good, but good nonetheless.)

The one that came with the NV collectors' edition was pretty good. Avellone would stop being such a shit writer if he stopped trying to milk the long lost glory of Torment and tried some new things more often.

 

[Zlaja]

42 minutes gameplay video

 

[octavius]

Anyone know if that behind-the-ass-camera is hard coded, or is it possible to play it in first person?

 

[Micmu]

Looks like some oblivious clone with bioware/rimjob infulences ("dialogue" wheel, two stats, accessibility aids...). Art is horribly oblivious, too.

What a shocker.

 

[Mastermind]

42 minutes gameplay video

Looks like it'll make a decent hack and slash, despite the mmorpgish spell effects.
When will devs learn that a wizard is not a christmas tree?

 

[4m3rica]

RPGCodex's Best RPG of the new Decade:

 

[sgc_meltdown]

That just looks like a typical old school rpg like titan quest. How about you think like an rpg designer and really look into the future of roleplaying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Q1dgegSIo

 

[4m3rica]

Perfect, RPGs are finally becoming what they've always wanted to be.
Fable: The Journey is streamlined so you don't even need to worry about boring things like character movement and all that lame old-school stuff.