Interview Annie Carlson: From English Bachelor degrees to video games

[Mantiis]

Why does she still have obsidian dev as her avata?

She doesn't and hasn't for quite some time now.

 

[Thrasher]

No, the reason she said she left was because she didn't like living in the LA area.

 

[Murk]

Its because she fell in love with KC and moved to Texas

 

[BethesdaLove]

I think its completely wrong to let this so called "designers" build levels, areas. Artists should do it. Look at Icewind Dale for example. Areas are done by Massive Black (concept art contractors) and it looks nice.

 

[PrzeSzkoda]

I think its completely wrong to let this so called "designers" build levels, areas. Artists should do it. Look at Icewind Dale for example. Areas are done by Massive Black (concept art contractors) and it looks nice.

Did they do the area desing itself or just art for it? Probably the latter. First comes the design, then the artists do their work according to the outlines, at least when pre-rendered areas are concerned (based on what I read in interviews with Troika on ToEE. No links for you 'cuz I'm lazy).

 

[BethesdaLove]

I don't know but I think they give the concept artist the general idea what should be
there. The artist creates his vision of the said lvl and presents it to the client. When you
got somebody who does enviro art for a living, he will create something pretty. I think
making it playable is far easier then making something playable pretty. Those employees
who work on everything (but excel at nothing - its harsh but imo true) are the norm but
they shouldn't be the standard.
Though I do understand the Rules of production: quality, on time, within budget. Pick 2.

 

[PrzeSzkoda]

Probably. That's the problem with toolsets like those in both NWNs - they were created in order to allow the designer himself or herself as the case may be to have complete control over the design. I don't really know if an awesome kerpwn artist would be able to produce something much better or prettier using the toolkit, given its limitations. One of the reasons I luv "hand drawn" backgrounds.

Though I do understand the Rules of production: quality, on time, within budget. Pick 2.

I'd say, screw the pick 2. It's all possible, although "on time" and "within budget" need to be flexible by design. I'd fire everyone who doesn't think so. CLEANSING THE GAME BIZ WITH FIIIREEE.

 

[Annie Mitsoda]

CLARIFICATION: designing areas basically comes down to laying out a 2D design, building out the basic skeleton of an area, and then - once you can run through it and the gameplay works - handing it over to art like "Here ya go, make it pretty." I built out the basic structure of things like the Openpalm Bazaar and the Dragon Caves, but it's art that made them loverly. The functionality is pretty much always the designer's problem (and always should be, otherwise you may get a very beautiful area but also one that gives you no fucking clue of where to go next), and the artist's job is to make the area look good. Ideally, the two work closely together, so the layout of the area doesn't stomp all over aesthetics, and vice-versa.

 

[HardCode]

Which is a bit odd as I don’t think English is that weird of a degree to transition into videogames from.

Don't English majors who write for a living know that you do not end a sentence with a preposition?

 

[denizsi]

^^He got you by the balls! (and I don't mean the pretty ones you got up there).

She is the First Woman of the Codex.

Deja vu.

 

[Forest Dweller]

Which is a bit odd as I don’t think English is that weird of a degree to transition into videogames from.

Don't English majors who write for a living know that you do not end a sentence with a preposition?

No, but they're likely able to tell the difference between people who truly know grammar and those who like to pretend they do by criticizing things that are actually correct.

 

[Occasionally Fatal]

ah, i see ITS is where everyone from here goes when they feel like being nice. Intriguing. :monocle:

 

[Forest Dweller]

ah, i see ITS is where everyone from here goes when they feel like sucking cock. Intriguing. :monocle:

Fixed. Sorry VD, couldn't pass this up.

 

[Mantiis]

ah, i see ITS is where everyone from here goes when they get their admin status revoked. Intriguing. :monocle:

Fixed. Sorry VD, couldn't pass this up.

 

[made]

Which is a bit odd as I don’t think English is that weird of a degree to transition into videogames from.

Don't English majors who write for a living know that you do not end a sentence with a preposition?

No, but they're likely able to tell the difference between people who truly know grammar and those who like to pretend they do by criticizing things that are actually correct.

It's not incorrect but can sound awkward at times, which is why some people make the effort to avoid it. You could argue, of course, that in this particular case the effort would be wasted.

 

[HardCode]

Which is a bit odd as I don’t think English is that weird of a degree to transition into videogames from.

Don't English majors who write for a living know that you do not end a sentence with a preposition?

No, but they're likely able to tell the difference between people who truly know grammar and those who like to pretend they do by criticizing things that are actually correct.

It's not incorrect but can sound awkward at times, which is why some people make the effort to avoid it. You could argue, of course, that in this particular case the effort would be wasted.

:decline of English:

 

[Burning Bridges]

We should breed her with Cleve, maybe their offspring would become some sort of codex supermen.

 

[Gragt]

An interesting idea but I fear we'll only end up with another Volourn.

 

[Lesifoere]

Which is a bit odd as I don’t think English is that weird of a degree to transition into videogames from.

Don't English majors who write for a living know that you do not end a sentence with a preposition?

No, but they're likely able to tell the difference between people who truly know grammar and those who like to pretend they do by criticizing things that are actually correct.

I always love people who scream "YOU DO NOT START SENTENCES WITH AND."

 

[denizsi]

The immigrant-brit-grandma-turned-teacher (ie. not a real teacher) we had for one term in high school, did that. One day, I spotted a sentence starting with "but", in a novel (one of Stephen King's shorts), and showed it to her. She couldn't find anything to say, as if Stephen King is the ultimate authority on English grammar and the whole world was falling apart on her with the confrontation.

 

[Andhaira]

Stephen king utterly rapes the english language in his novels. Even a non english speaker like myself knows that.

And his obsession with idiotic words..

tak
tak
tak
tak
tak ah lah
tak
tak

The above is a summary of desperation, one of the stupidest books I have ever read. (it even had product placement inside; king was being paid $$$ by Jolt Cola or something.)

 

[Darth Roxor]

The above is a summary of desperation, one of the stupidest books I have ever read.

It's hilarious how awful is your taste in just about... everything.

 

[tunguska]

Don't English majors who write for a living know that you do not end a sentence with a preposition?

I have no doubt she is well aware of all of those rules. Real writers, ones with actual talent, know that such petty rules are less important than how a line scans or word choice or proper use of analogy or good ideas. Anyone can follow such basic grammar rules, but the ability to write well is a gift that is exceedingly rare. Read any truly great writer and see how much attention they pay to those sorts of rules. I find it is usually the people who can't write for shit that are the most pedantic about following "the rules". The point in fiction writing is to make the reader see what you want them to see and feel what you want them to feel. To immerse them in your world. Everything else is subordinate to that goal.

 

[tunguska]

Stephen king utterly rapes the english language in his novels. Even a non english speaker like myself knows that.

As a native speaker and a former English major I have to agree with that one. Although I did like some of his novels as a kid. I recently tried to reread an old copy of Pet Semetary. The same copy I had read like 25 years ago. My god is it bad. Yikes. It's amazing how many popular authors are just horrible at the act of writing itself. Like many scifi novelists, Stephen King relies almost completely on his ideas to tell a story. At the art of wordsmithing he is a complete failure. He (occasionally) does have some interesting ideas though. Or at least he used to.

 

[OSK]

You fucking grammar failures. It's perfectly acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition in most cases. The general rule is this: if you can remove the preposition without changing the meaning of the sentence, then remove it.

You fucktards were probably taught the "Me and John want to go" is wrong because you're supposed to place others before yourself. That's not the real reason at all. Me is an object pronoun, and I is a subject pronoun. Placing the pronoun closer to the verb simply makes it more obvious which is correct. Both "She invited me and John" and "She invited John and me" are correct.

Your English teachers were telling you whales were fish because they were too lazy to explain the truth.