Game News Harebrained Schemes is hiring writers - new Shadowrun Returns expansion on the way?

[Infinitron]

Tags: Harebrained Schemes; Shadowrun Returns

One of our users spotted this new job opening on Harebrained Schemes' website, which they also tweeted about two days ago.

Writer (Contract)

Harebrained Schemes seeks a freelance game writer to work onsite in their Kirkland, WA studio contributing to the next HBS title. This writer will be responsible for conceiving of and executing upon well-written, engaging game dialog using Harebrained Schemes’ proprietary editor while collaborating with the Creative Director, Lead Writer and design team.

This freelance contract will begin immediately and run through the end of December, 2014 with the potential for work in the future. Candidates must deliver a short audition piece using the Shadowrun Editor to be considered for this position.

REQUIREMENTS

• 1-3 years professional writing experience in the game industry.
• At least one shipped digital game title.
• Outstanding talent for crafting dialog. Character conversations flow naturally with good diction and grammar.
• Deep understanding of RPG dialog design – dialog trees, variables, best practices.
• Technically proficient – able to quickly master in-house tools for creation of RPG conversations.
• Attention to detail – high accuracy with grammar, spelling and punctuation is critical.
• Able to match the style and tone of our previous Shadowrun campaign writing.
• Strong creative collaboration and communication skills – game writing takes iteration.
• High-energy, self-motivated, and flexible.

BONUSES

• Experience with the Shadowrun Returns Editor or with the Aurora Game Editor.
• Working knowledge of the Shadowrun game setting a big plus.
• Prior experience writing in the style and tone of the Shadowrun world.
• Has played Shadowrun Returns or Shadowrun: Dragonfall.

If you’re interested in this position, please send your resume and writing sample to jobs@hbs-studios.com.​

Are they making a new Shadowrun Returns campaign? It certainly looks like it! Plus, the stated length of the contract (through the end of December) should give us some idea of what its release date is going to be. Great news - just don't call it "DLC" this time, guys.

 

[DeepOcean]

This is good news, with Dragon Fall they were going on the right direction. An Arcology Shutdown campaign or one in Hong Kong would be great.

 

[Crooked Bee]

I hope they improve the formula even further. Dragonfall was a step in the right direction and the combat was more or less okay, but I found too much about it lacking and just outright boring (though still better than the OC).

 

[Eyeball]

I'd buy more Shadowrun official campaigns.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Great, more of this horrible iPhone game.

 

[Kem0sabe]

I think the limitations of their engine wont allow for anything too complex, like a persistent world and exploration. As it stands, any additional campaigns will just be some combat vignettes thrown together.

Not that Dragonfall wasnt fun to play, i actually enjoyed it, but i think it's time we got a proper rpg out of this instead of what Harebrained has managed to produce so far.

 

[J_C]

- just don't call it "DLC" this time, guys.

I'm seriously thinking that today's sheeple gamer don't understand the word expansion, that's why everything has to be DLC.

 

[Zed]

Hope they make a proper sequel with more out-of-combat interactions, proper inventory/item system and more (including optional) content in general. Oh, and world map travel, with non-linear progression. Mmm.

 

[Metro]

More Shittyrun Retards? Excellent... for 75% off.

 

[Spectacle]

I think the limitations of their engine wont allow for anything too complex, like a persistent world and exploration. As it stands, any additional campaigns will just be some combat vignettes thrown together

Why do people keep insisting on exploration in a shadowrun game? You play as a shadowrunner, not a fucking tourist.

 

[Infinitron]

https://twitter.com/WeBeHarebrained/status/476787881176879105

Frank Fernandez ‏@FrlightExclbr Jun 10
@WeBeHarebrained Is Dragonfall it or will there be more official campaigns? Please say there will.

Harebrained Schemes‏@WeBeHarebrained
@FrlightExclbr We have an announcement coming soon! Stay tuned!

 

[ghostdog]

I think the limitations of their engine wont allow for anything too complex, like a persistent world and exploration. As it stands, any additional campaigns will just be some combat vignettes thrown together.

More like the limitations their programmers. Having such a hard time implementing a save game feature speaks volumes about their skill. I don't think Unity has anything to do with the simplistic nature of the hubs, the small detail in the world and the linearity. It's a goddamned 2,5D isometric game for fucks sake, Fallout/BG complexity and non-linearity is easily achievable with Unity.

And apart from having sub-par programmers, it was obviously their design choice. They would have never finished the game so quickly if they had more complex design in mind.

 

[Infinitron]

Those sub-par programmers did manage to release two games + editor in significantly less time than it's taken certain other companies to release one.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Nothing made by suburban modern day Seattle hipsters can ever be good.

 

[Decado]

I do not get all the SRR hate. Especially around Dragonfall. Can't decide if it is stupidity or failed edginess.

 

[twincast]

They should've coded, released and marketed Dragonfall as an alternative stand-alone base game. It baffles the mind that they didn't.
But apparently it still sold enough after all. Seriously hoping for a Hongkong campaign, because A) that's an interesting setting and the runner-up in the poll, and B) given 2050's Japan, it's unlikely they'll ever release a Tokyo campaign, but combined with what we already have, those should be enough assets to craft one myself (if I find the time for it).

 

[Eyeball]

I do not get all the SRR hate. Especially around Dragonfall. Can't decide if it is stupidity or failed edginess.

It's the Codex. Tossup, I'd say.

 

[ghostdog]

I do not get all the SRR hate. Especially around Dragonfall. Can't decide if it is stupidity or failed edginess.

I hope this isn't aimed at me. I don't hate SRR, in the contrary, I like it. My post was about why it was less complex and more linear than most of us would have wanted.

 

[PatataFamilia]

Huzzah, maybe they can they can fix the in combat/out of combat bug that made exploring somewhat cumbersome. That said, I would definitely buy / play some more SRR if it's like Dragonfall. I hope they go to China or Japan this time.

 

[Gord]

They should've coded, released and marketed Dragonfall as an alternative stand-alone base game. It baffles the mind that they didn't.

IIRC, there wasn't even a good bundle offer (buy Dragonfall + DMS together at a lower price) targeted towards new customers.
There was talk about it before (and much butthurt from some codexers because it would have meant that newcomers woud have paid 5 bucks less or so), but I don't think it happened.

 

[Infinitron]

Like I said before, there may be a licensing issue involved. Ie, they only got the license to make one Shadowrun game.

 

[throwaway]

I do not get all the SRR hate. Especially around Dragonfall. Can't decide if it is stupidity or failed edginess.

Isn't it always edginess?

 

[tuluse]

Like I said before, there may be a licensing issue involved. Ie, they only got the license to make one Shadowrun game.

Surely they could still work around this so you could buy whichever campaign you wanted as the base campaign.

 

[Whisky]

I do not get all the SRR hate. Especially around Dragonfall. Can't decide if it is stupidity or failed edginess.

I should give it another chance. I actually was slightly enjoying myself until I read the Codex comments. Usually I'm not effected by edginess though, so I probably was legit disappointed.

It was way, waaaaaay more linear than I wanted though.

 

[Morkar Left]

I do not get all the SRR hate. Especially around Dragonfall. Can't decide if it is stupidity or failed edginess.

I actually was slightly enjoying myself until I read the Codex comments.

This is RPGCodex.


Anyway they're obviously improving. Going from a 4/10 vanilla to a 6/10 DF, they could really make something great if they expand their scope a bit (realistically) after the next expansion.

My only complaints are the inventory system and not providing different approaches/choices in a mission with actual consequences (but was better in Dragonfall compared to none in DMS) AND the difficulty was way, way too low (a stitch in time has good balancing).
It would have been nice if the expansions would allow you to choose your char from the last game you played. But would only make sense if your char can't get maxed out in a single campaign. SR is about doing jobs and getting paid for it (most of the time at least) and works well with mission modules.
This way you could make other missions/campaigns more attractive to players by digging out their old chars again (think about NWN).
Could be solved with a real hardcore mode where you get less karmapoints (only half or even a third of it).

Anyway I'm curious and I'm pretty sure I will get the new one, too.

EDIT: Oh and I forgot cyberware needs a major boost to become really useful.