Interview Sex and the City: The Broken Hourglass interview

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: The Broken Hourglass

<a href=http://www.rampantgames.com>Rampant Games</a> has posted a very revealing <a href=http://www.rampantgames.com/blog/2007/04/beyond-gate-jason-compton-on-making-of.html>interview</a> with <a href=http://www.planewalkergames.com/content/view/32/46/>Planewalker Games</a>' Jason Compton:
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<blockquote>The way I got into D&D was kind of funny. I guess it was around that same time, ’85 – ’86, I thought that I was interested in chess. The local public library had a chess club, and I went, and <b>the young adult librarian</b> ran the chess club. I wasn’t a terribly good chess player, and she must have seen that. She must have seen something else in me that suggested that I might be interested in roleplaying games, because she said, “Well, Jason, why don’t you come with me,”...</blockquote>To protect our young readers we can't post what happened next openly.
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Btw, here is a new <a href=http://www.rampantgames.com/blog/uploaded_images/BrokenHourglassnekos-cup-724760.png>dialogue screenshot</a> with many options.

 

[Roqua]

Interesting interview. Talking interviews are nice since the interviewee's answers seem realer since they have to quickly respond, and the interviewer seems to be able to flow better with the questions.

 

[MountainWest]

Btw, here is a new dialogue screenshot with many options.

You call that many?

The ME-version:
Default: Grab collar.
1. "Hand over the trophy or I'll be forced to go rough on you."
2. "Give it to me!!!"
3. "THIS! IS! SHEPARD!" *Frontkick*
4. "Hand over the trophy or I'll kill you!"
5. "I'm federal commander Jack Shepard, and today is the longest day of my life"
6. "I'm warning you: my actions will reflect my mood, and my relays are all set on extreme!"
7. "Constipated bitch! Could you please bring out the bodybags, I've got a gun loaded with broken dreams and a mind set on killing."
8. "I will do anything to get that trophy. Anything. That's just who I am. I AM SHEPARD! Did I mention I'll do anything to get that trophy? Anything! Even if it means going to the EXTREME!"
9. Rumors.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

I like the actions sort of embeded in dialogue. Always a good thing. This game looks pretty good. Although my POS PC probably won't be able to run this game, I can look forward to it in 3 years or so....

The ME-version:
Default: Grab collar.
1. "Hand over the trophy or I'll be forced to go rough on you."
2. "Give it to me!!!"
3. "THIS IS SHEPARD!" *Frontkick*
4. "Hand over the trophy or I'll kill you!"
5. "I'm federal commander Jack Shepard, and today is the longest day of my life"
6. "I'm warning you: my actions will reflect my mood, and my relays are all set on extreme!"
7. "Constipated bitch! Could you please bring out the bodybags, I've got a gun loaded with broken dreams and a mind set on killing."
8. "I will do anything to get that trophy. Anything. That's just who I am. I AM SHEPARD! Did I mention I'll do anything to get that trophy? Anything! Even if it means going to the EXTREME!"
9. Rumors.

If Mass Effect has dialogue exactly like this, I'll be in campy/B-Movie-style/4chan meme heaven.

Either way, the Codex can sure write some funny dialogue.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

If Mass Effect has dialogue exactly like this, I'll be in campy/B-Movie-style/4chan meme heaven.

If someone created an RPG where the dialogue was made up entirely of distorted 4chan memes, I'd buy it instantly.

 

[Texas Red]

Btw, here is a new dialogue screenshot with many options.

You call that many?

The ME-version:
Default: Grab collar.
1. "Hand over the trophy or I'll be forced to go rough on you."
2. "Give it to me!!!"
3. "THIS! IS! SHEPARD!" *Frontkick*
4. "Hand over the trophy or I'll kill you!"
5. "I'm federal commander Jack Shepard, and today is the longest day of my life"
6. "I'm warning you: my actions will reflect my mood, and my relays are all set on extreme!"
7. "Constipated bitch! Could you please bring out the bodybags, I've got a gun loaded with broken dreams and a mind set on killing."
8. "I will do anything to get that trophy. Anything. That's just who I am. I AM SHEPARD! Did I mention I'll do anything to get that trophy? Anything! Even if it means going to the EXTREME!"
9. Rumors.

Nekos: " Yes, I have the cup from the championship. I won 5 matches that time without ever losing.

1. What the hell?
2. What are you talking about?
3. *Grab his collar*


This seems more realistic. Remember, kids, ME does not offer full dialogs as it is so 90s and uncool.

 

[sportforredneck]

This seems more realistic. Remember, kids, ME does not offer full dialogs as it is so 90s and uncool.

Reading involves the brain, that's just too much for the kids these days.

 

[User was nabbed fit]

This seems more realistic. Remember, kids, ME does not offer full dialogs as it is so 90s and uncool.

Reading involves the brain, that's just too much for the kids these days.

RPG fans these days must learn, much like with Surrealism, to abandon reason to gain access to virgin fields of the human mind. :honourblade:

No need for reading in that case!

 

[Texas Red]

This seems more realistic. Remember, kids, ME does not offer full dialogs as it is so 90s and uncool.

Reading involves the brain, that's just too much for the kids these days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysgenics

Our mission is clear. We must establish an isolated Codex colony that would serve to protect the achievements of mankind in the centuries of barbarism that will follow.

When watching Idiocracy you just cant help but be amazed at how damn true the situation is. *Especially* when going to the boards of Gamespot.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I talked to Jason about this dialogue screen, here is an explanation that you may find interesting:

VD: What do all these PC replies lead to? i.e. how many different outcomes? Also, are any of the replies skill-based, like #4 and #5?

Jason: Actually, 2 and 3 are skill-dependent. (I'm actually not crazy about theft-in-dialogue scenarios, but sometimes it's just the way to go...)

The outcome on 4 and 5 don't change based on skills--Nekos doesn't scare for the likes of _player1, even a really butch _player1, and 5 leads to more (reluctant) discussion.

In this particular case, each of the five options has a unique destination--although that's certainly not always the case, I am not above designing with common destinations for multiple replies.

1. has a unique but uninteresting termination
2. if you're skillful enough (currently a combo of Movement and Pickpocket) you can snatch the cup and get out of the joint before he goes red.
3. high diplomacy can carry the day.
4. Scoff, end
5. Skeptical follow up.

VD: Mind if I post your explanation at the Codex?

Jason: Sure, so long as it's clear that I'm not trying to oversell this one state of dialogue or anything. Here:

- They _do_ in this case all lead to a different concluding action/line. We are not promising that every time we put five replies on the screen that will be the case, however. Past performance is no guarantee of future gains, etc.

- 2 and 3 are skill-dependent. Theft is not often handled in dialogue but this is one of the cases where it's not strictly a "pickpocket" situation. (This is a situation where the options would show up regardless of skill level, but the outcome of taking that path depends on skill. In other situations, lines may only appear if you have sufficient skill "to pull it off.")

- The outcome on 4 and 5 don't change based on skills--Nekos doesn't scare for the likes of _player1, even a really butch _player1, and 5 leads to more (reluctant) discussion.

 

[Lumpy]

This is the spiritual successor to BGII, right?
Then, I suppose all options will lead to:
"You're trying to take the cup, aren't you? Die!!"
Then you'll get to use a diplomatic option which won't work no matter what.

 

[Amasius]

Don't be such an ass, Lumpy. Spiritual successor yes, but while they don't have biowares budget for graphics and an expensive licence they try to make it up - as far as I can tell - with their own, promising system of game mechanics, a unique setting and (hopefully) roleplaying options. I'm looking forward playing TBH - more so than Dragon Age or Ass Effect.

 

[Lumpy]

Just joking, heh. This actually sounds pretty good, although it's still strange that they're using BGII as a model.

 

[Amasius]

What do you expect from former avid BG2 modders? :wink:

 

[Lumpy]

What do you expect from former avid BG2 modders? :wink:

I don't know. But it's strange that they're making games with good role-playing options and Baldur's Gate II as a model. They just don't match up.

 

[Amasius]

Bioware games aren't role models for great roleplaying, but they aren't that bad. Sometimes there are consequences for your choices - as long as they don't interfere with the linear main story...

 

[Vault Dweller]

I see it more as "let's use BG2's strengths and fix its weaknesses" approach, which would be awesome. I'm really looking forward to this game.