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Interview Ray Muzyka Speaks to GameSpy

Sol Invictus

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Tags: BioWare

<a href="http://www.gamespy.com">GameSpy</a> has taken the <a href="http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/neverwinter-nights/527198p1.html?fromint=1">opportunity to speak to</a> one of <a href="http://www.bioware.com">Bioware's</a> founders and joint-CEO, Dr. Ray Muzyka on the subject of our favorite RPG development house, the aforementioned BioWare, gleaming insights on the goings-on in the company as well as its future ventures. Here's a taste:
<br>
<blockquote><b>GameSpy: Grand Theft Auto made open-ended gaming hip. KotOR made it really trendy to have good/evil branches in games. What do you think the next big trend in gaming will be?</b>
<br>
<br>
Ray Muzyka: I think there's a lot of effort being placed on story. More than that, it's really creating the virtual actors -- having the right facial animations and having great voice actors. These things help bring characters to life and really help progress storytelling in games. </blockquote>
<br>
Insert <i>zing</i> about 'more interesting gameplay and story-defining choices' here.
 

voodoo1man

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Ray Muzyka said:
I think there's a lot of effort being placed on story. More than that, it's really creating the virtual actors -- having the right facial animations and having great voice actors. These things help bring characters to life and really help progress storytelling in games.
Click to expand...
(Emphasis mine)

Well, it's nice to see that the top dogs at Bioware seem to have their priorities in order. I suppose plate-mail thongs also have a great deal to do with bringing characters to life and progressing storytelling.
 
Saint_Proverbius

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After the hype on KotOR and the facial expression acting that went on in that game, it's kind of funny seeing him talking about it further. I just got back from a movie, and I didn't notice the actors in it changing their expressions constantly, but that's what happens in KotOR. It's nice the models were able to do it, but the fact they constantly did it the entire time was fairly distracting.
 

StraitLacedDeviant

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Didn't they also invent sugar and spice and everything nice?

Also good/evil path is not a good thing. Its almost as restrictive as the plain ole hero deeley. Especially when the game only forks 20 minutes from the end.

I loved the way , yes i'm going to say it, fallout allowed you to play whatever karmic shade of grey you wanted. From a nice guy who enjoyed shooting people in the balls, to an evil maniac who was suicidally loyal to his friends or anything in between.
 

Rosh

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StraitLacedDeviant said:
I loved the way , yes i'm going to say it, fallout allowed you to play whatever karmic shade of grey you wanted. From a nice guy who enjoyed shooting people in the balls, to an evil maniac who was suicidally loyal to his friends or anything in between.
Click to expand...

GameSpy: "But the whole good/evaal thing is far better because um...BioWare made it trendy and cool and they gave me a free game, okay? Get off my back."
 

Transcendent One

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Good/evil. Bah, they might as well just include one of them. Won't change much, considering that as soon as you decide which one you go with it becomes just as linear as if one of them wasn't even there.

I love that "KotOR made good/evil trendy" line. Seeing as how that existed, five, ten, fifteen years, most likely even more, before KotOR in CRPG's. And also that since KotOR there haven't been too many RPG's released with that feature implemented as blatantly and "in-your-face" as in KotOR. What's the definition of "trendy" again?
 

taks

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Transcendent One said:
Good/evil. Bah, they might as well just include one of them. Won't change much, considering that as soon as you decide which one you go with it becomes just as linear as if one of them wasn't even there.
Click to expand...
i don't think that was his point... i think he's referring to "picking a path" that determines how the game progresses, albeit linearly. when was the last time that was done? i suppose some unpopular games did it, but the last big seller was M&M 7 or 8... can't recall which one. you actually picked an evil or good path..

taks
 

Spazmo

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Escape Velocity Nova had you pick from one of six major storylines that would then play out linearly (with a few branches and opportunities to hop into other storylines). But I bet indie games don't count as 'popular' for taks.
 

mr. lamat

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when was the "picking a path" aspect featured in kotor? i remember the jedi-kwan-do being badass but there were no branching story paths. you either had the wookie off the twi'lek or you didn't. you either kept the robes of qui-gon and the crystal or you didn't. you either offed jolee or you didn't.

that's resource management, not a plot branch.
 

Sol Invictus

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Hah. I couldn't have said it better, Lamat. The game definitely did not have anything in the way of branching story paths, except in the last 20 minutes when you decided to go evil or go good depending on what you said to Bastila. That was kind of funky, too - because even if you were completely light side, you could still go with her and turn evil just like that. Weak.

Resource management. I like that. I'll be sure to use that in the future.
 

taks

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Spazmo said:
Escape Velocity Nova had you pick from one of six major storylines that would then play out linearly (with a few branches and opportunities to hop into other storylines). But I bet indie games don't count as 'popular' for taks.
Click to expand...
and you base that last bit on what? what have i ever said negative about indie games for such a sarcastic comment?

popular would imply lotsa sales, btw, so generally speaking, indie games wouldn't count... just because you may like a game (or even me for that matter) doesn't make it popular.

taks
 

taks

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a better term, btw, probably would have been "mainstream."

taks
 

taks

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well, you can't say indie games are mainstream, can you? given that the quote said "trendy," that would imply something that's either popular, mainstream or at least prevalent...

i did not realize, however, that you don't even choose your "path" in KotOR till the end... i think in the M&M game you choose about half way through. it was a rather long game so it made a substantial difference in how things played.

taks
 
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