Editorial RPG Codex Editorial: Darth Roxor on the State of RPG Writing

[Azarkon]

Interesting points Azarkon. Not sure exactly about the timeline tough. Seems to me that widespread elementary education is not something that recent. Jules Ferry passed into law mandatory primary education in 1882 in France. Was it only a local thing?

I was actually more talking about college and above, which is more recent.

Thus we can see that there has been a massive expansion of the college educated population in the last 60 years. To accomplish this goal, many new colleges and universities have had to be built, and existing colleges and universities expanded. The quality of education necessarily went down, on average, though the change might be slight at the very top programs.

It's useful to observe that while the sex difference has increased in favor of female students, it isn't nearly as significant as the general increase in students, period.

 

[Fenix]

Thus we can see that there has been a massive expansion of the college educated population in the last 60 years. To accomplish this goal, many new colleges and universities have had to be built, and existing colleges and universities expanded. The quality of education necessarily went down, on average, though the change might be slight at the very top programs.

But it has nothing with quality of education, comparing to what Ismaul said and wrote.
And Telengard.
Looks like you first have idea that mass education is bad, then you trying to pull facts to support this idea.

 

[vivec]

A linguistic analysis of Video game writing. We serious business now?

The first Deus Ex was great in that regard and avoided the lore dumps by providing information about the world and the plot in a gradual, organic way, you had to read newspaper, e-mails, books on your own, it's tied to gameplay and player agency, and you can ignore it if you want to; also slowly ''solving the puzzle'' by gradually piecing together bits of information is more compelling and stimulating than them walls of text over-abounding with adverbs a la PoE.

More than that it was 'well writen'. The characters were just deep enough that you could sympathize with them.

 

[janjetina]

One reason is that manual labour will be made redundant by technological advances in the near future, that kind of labour will be replaced by robots etc., hence it's prudent to make a large portion of the population better educated and become part of the knowledge or wisdom society in the present day, even if it will have a negative effect for a while.

The process of automation has affected the workforce since the advent of the steam engine. Achieving fully automated planning and control of an industrial process is a difficult problem. We inevitably end up with the requirement of human supervision (especially in the case of contingencies, like a machine going out of order, stalled material delivery, etc.) and especially maintenance (a complex system requires many man-hours devoted to maintenance and repair). There is an ongoing gradual net reduction in manual labor requirements and an ongoing job shift dynamics, but complete disappearance of jobs that do not require college education is a pipedream. If you claim otherwise, burden of proof is on you. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I do think that certain jobs (primarily transport related) are in danger over the next decades (I.e. much larger time period than the alarmists claim) and there should be a public debate on this, with the purpose of job reduction by attrition and (at least partially) publicly financed retraining of affected employees.

First place where we can, should and hopefully will see complete software based planning and execution with drastic impact on the job market are the administrative jobs. Unfortunately, those are government controlled, so there is a great resistance to automation - people in control don't want to cause their own redundancy.

However, even in the worst case scenario, inventing "digging a hole - filling a hole" type jobs is not a solution, but a problem in itself, because it forces working people to support this financially. Many college degrees belong into "dig a hole - fill a hole" category, especially those in humanities: "gender studies", "women's studies", "social "science"" and others. It is the nature of the institutions that belong into this category o be a breeding ground for the disruption of the working order and morality. Thus the invention of the third, fourth, fifth etc. sex and other rebellions against common sense and natural order fueled by delusion instead of enabling people to think and act rationally to make a better life for themselves, their families and society in general. In practice, degree inflation has produced longer unemployment lines, increase in internal debt and attacks on moral foundations on society.

There is also an argument that one cannot fit a square peg into a round hole. People have different talents. In most cases you cannot make a welder into a computer programmer or a philosopher, just like you cannot make the latter into a former.

In order that humanity will stop being so excruciatingly boring and that we sooner instead of later can reach a post-scarcity society structure on a global level so we can conquer the stars and make proper RPGs and whatnot - seriously. Though if the corporate whores that are the economic elite of the world today could, and have been able to for a long time, eradicate poverty on a global level why would they then do in the near future? Because their shallow values of power and money for the sake of power and money will become redundant too. It will become less and less practical to treat a human being as a tool. Of course humanity faces a lot of challenges and could instead of reaching a post-scarcity society structure enter a new dark age.

This meaningless drivel seems to have been produced by an automated speech generator, or a professional politician.

The facts are that there is an inflation of degrees and that there is an increase in unemployment for the people with those degrees.

 

[Jasede]

Speaking of bad writing, a hack screenwriter at my college who can't even be found using Google and who seems to have won exactly one prize for his screenplays is offering a creative writing class (150 EUR) and a writing workshop (200 EUR). No wonder people can't write; they focus too much on learning to write well. I did that for a long, long time. Read all the advice, followed all the guides. You know what? That's gonna make you a piece of shit writer. Just write your own thing. Emulate whoever you like and find your groove. Don't give a shit about what some external authority considers 'good' - just be true to yourself. Chances are you can't change the amount of your innate talent, but you can refine your storytelling and writing on a mechanical level over time with practice.

If you do that you'll end up with writing head and shoulders above Pillars of Eternity, which seems to have been churned out by a horde of people with bachelor degrees in English who also read all the guides, followed all the workshops and in the process managed to lose all their creativity, individuality and zest.

Yes, I'm saying I can do better. Anyone with a goddamn passionate soul can. Those people have no passion; they're zombies churning out a product. If there's no love in what you do there's no artistic merit whatsoever.

 

[Bohrain]

Tell that to the Hugo award, the Sad Puppies movement, and teh dramaz over leftism conspiracy in US paper publishing.

Are you suggesting that Chuck Tingle didn't deserve his nomination?

 

[Darkzone]

The process of automation has affected the workforce since the advent of the steam engine.

I agree with you entire post, but i like to point something out that seems from my current viewpoint not entirely perfect. And just for the sake of my autism i will try to point this out, despite my perception from your post that you understand quite well this topic.
For the automation process you could go back to the water and wind mills, but if you analyze what is the core point of this inventions, then you will discover that it is about the use of energy that is not part of the human body and then you understand this as an energy investment by reducing the necessary human work to achive a certain goal or execute a certain task. And then you can go as far back as domestication of animals and the use of their labor in agrecultural and building sector to conserve 'human' energy or work time and access the stored sunlight energy in for humans undigestable plant form.
And now this gets quite clear where and when automatisation processes can take place.

Achieving fully automated planning and control of an industrial process is a difficult problem.

Yes, but if you take my previous post into consideration, then you will recognise that the first work will be automatised that requires a lot of human capital or that is quite repetitive (here are two dimenstions: intesity and variability). The variability and the control over the task is what is currently hindering the total robotisation of the society.
Take as an example the robotisation in nursing of the old people: Because of the lack of control over the process the inventor of the human lifting apparatus has strangled himself in his own invention.
But due to a rising of computing power and minaturisation of sensors with sensorfusion we will achive the highly desired goal of lifting and turning the old people in their beds by an apparatus in near future. Without killing or breaking them.
So the only point remains is the task flexible 'roboter'. There are several approaches towards this problem and not all give all the desired solutions, but i suggest that machine learning and world simulations can solve this task in our lifetime. (About this i could write entire essays, so i will elaborate only if desired.)
Blue color worker will stay as long as we cannot adapt the environment towards the roboter, if we cannot adapt the roboter towards the environment.
White color are also in danger of being rationalised away at least to some degree (see the first part). Even the scientists are in danger and this began as the physicists began to use neural nets to analyze particle collisions pictures (because of the very high amount of taken pictures).
The last part i have cut short, because i have to do something and i cannot concentrate.

 

[Lurker King]

The process of automation has affected the workforce sinc

e the advent of the steam engine.

Economics 101

The point is to create wealth, not jobs. You don’t create jobs, this it’s something that a healthy economy does all by itself.

This is the point of the apocryphal story of an engineer who, while visiting China, came across a large crew of men building a dam with picks and shovels. When the engineer pointed out to the supervisor that the job could be completed in a few days, rather than many months, if the men were given motorized earthmoving equipment, the supervisor said that such equipment would destroy many jobs. “Oh,” the engineer responded, “I thought you were interested in building a dam. If it’s more jobs you want, why don’t you have your men use spoons instead of shovels” Dwight R. Lee, “Creating Jobs vs. Creating Wealth,” The Freeman 50 (2000).

This “say no to automation” mentality ignores technological progress create its own demand and jobs.



But who cares about facts, right? Let's spread layman nosense about some of the most basic dynamics of our civilization. Read "CAPITALISM IS DOOMED - Why “the system” is unlikely to collapse (despite appearances to the contrary)", in "Economic Illusions", by Joseph Heath.

 

[Azarkon]

Thus we can see that there has been a massive expansion of the college educated population in the last 60 years. To accomplish this goal, many new colleges and universities have had to be built, and existing colleges and universities expanded. The quality of education necessarily went down, on average, though the change might be slight at the very top programs.

But it has nothing with quality of education, comparing to what Ismaul said and wrote.
And Telengard.
Looks like you first have idea that mass education is bad, then you trying to pull facts to support this idea.

Of course it has to do with quality of education, as well as values transferred through it. Back when having a college education implied you were a member of the elite, elitist values were much more common, since both the professors and their students belonged to that class. The standards could also be higher, simply because the average person wasn't expected to have a college education, as only the elites had that privilege. Today, with the expansion of mass education, having a college degree is almost necessary just to find an above average job. It's no wonder, then, that standards have dropped - they have to, in order to pass nearly 40% of the population.

I'm not saying this because I think mass education is bad, but because I think it's worth knowing the costs.

 

[Fenix]

You don’t create jobs, this it’s something that a healthy economy does all by itself.

Delusion.

This “say no to automation” mentality ignores technological progress create its own demand and jobs.

Phrases like "technological progress" that demand something are garbage, technological prgress isn't a personality, it is designation of process, which is manageable, if you want to.

I have question to those in a state of enthusiasm about automatisation and robotisation - why are you so glad?
It is a procces drived by industry giants, who dreaming about cheapening of production, they can't paid less money they already paying, laws restricts them from slave's wage, but they can throw you into the cold.
When they acheve affordable level of automatisation, you all become useless for them.
So why are you so enthusiastic, in next 10-20 years there will be a hell with get employment, and masses of people will be duing from usual hunger, or will drag pity existence.

Spoiler

And think a bit - today things like estimated time for automatisation and robotisation are predictable.
And today is a final stage of automatisation and robotisation, it is all started in 70 at least.
So maybe someone calculated when huge masses of people become useless for them, and start to execute plans to gradual extermination of "surpluses"?

The standards could also be higher, simply because the average person wasn't expected to have a college education, as only the elites had that privilege.

You talk bullshit, because in USSR there were no elites like in West, but we see now in Russia exactly same reforms, and same proccesses.
It is again "two-headed people" that tryingto explane something out of nothing.

It's no wonder, then, that standards have dropped - they have to, in order to pass nearly 40% of the population.

No they haven't to, like in previous decades, where people get their education just fine.
All thing went bad when reforms started.

 

[Darkzone]

I have question to those in a state of enthusiasm about automatisation and robotisation - why are you so glad?
It is a procces drived by industry giants, who dreaming about cheapening of production, they can't paid less money they already paying, laws restricts them from slave's wage, but they can throw you into the cold.
When they acheve affordable level of automatisation, you all become useless for them.
So why are you so enthusiastic, in next 10-20 years there will be a hell with get employment, and masses of people will be duing from usual hunger, or will drag pity existence.

Glad? I don't know about that. But i know that this is inevitable if we continue on our current curse, since it goes way back and now we just understand this. The workforce in the industrilised nations is already declining in numbers (here due to the avg familiy size and unemployment) and the changing demographics changes also the employment fields (more people wiping old arses). The only true problem in this aspect are the migrants, that are currently shipped in to the western nations, because they will certainly not like to wipe old christian arses.

 

[Neanderthal]

You know I don't think its just games that are sufferin from the modern trend of over exposition, I see it in a bloody lot o television an all. I know a lot o folk were creamin their gussets about this new Yank version o House of Cards, but I found it in comparison to original to be flabby, meanderin, self indulgent an overly exposition laden. Now some o this you can put down to lead actor, Ian Richardson could do more with a look, a frown or a smile than Kevin Spacey can after half an hour o chewin the scenery, but I think its also down to the writing: Take Mrs Urquhart versus Mrs Underwood, the latter is portrayed over many scenes, plots an arcs to be an intelligent an dangerously different woman, the former does this in her first appearance with a few words, a demeanour and an insinuation.

A dangerous crazy dame in a film noir didn't need masses o detail to convince you of her lethality, you knew it from when she first stepped into the gumshoes office.

 

[Fenix]

he workforce in the industrilised nations is already declining in numbers

Btw, October Revolution in 1917, that hugely changed the world and almost (that doesn;t count I know) won, was based on workforce class, and farmers.
It was a lesson everybody learned.
Now, when farmers are struggling to break even, and often become bunkrupt, industrial workforce numbers decline, melting like ice - there is no basis for revolution, no matter how hard life become for people.
They are troublemakers, let's we replace them by robots - no revolution, no wages, and yeah - you can't find work to get food? Well, it's capitalism, not a charitable coundation, sell your liver maybe...

 

[Darkzone]

Now, when farmers are struggling to break even, and often become bunkrupt, industrial workforce numbers decline, melting like ice - there is no basis for revolution, no matter how hard life become for people.

Perhaps not an revolution, but an evolution in several transitional stages, but the dystopian possibility is more likely.

But what am i doing here, i just wanted to say to Darth Roxor that i agree with him an most of the issues and had several months ago similar thoughts about the first and the micro issues he presented.

 

[Infinitron]

Darth Roxor

 

[Darth Roxor]

Yet another sen...!

oh.

 

[GregorMortam]

You can make a good case that point #2 of the article goes a long way to explain why comics and other writing mediums are also shit. TLDR degree-mills, post-modernism, and social justice indoctrination is ruining writing.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Marginally related, but I have to mention a new addition to Darth Roxor's List of RPGs That Use Deep Lore Properly (tm). And the addition is almost hilarious in how unlikely it is.

Legends of Eisenwald.

That's right, this low-key kinda sorta Disciples clone made in some Belorussian shack running on potato can put Obsidian's latest efforts to shame.

The "lore" it gives you, in the form of myths, legends, stories and rumours, is actual folklore, passed among drunken men and gossiping housewives in taverns. The legends have plenty of holes and exaggerations. They are all local, and the few "faraway" places they reference are easy to visualise or put into context because they are real countries or big cities (Eisenwald is quasi-historical and takes place in Germany, basically like Darklands). They can span multiple chapters and give you new info along the way. And, most important of all, all of them are gameplay related - they either tie into the quests you do in some way, or serve as "secret places/quests" that you gotta find and solve yourself to get unique rewards.

Highly commendable!

 

[Lurker King]

Hey Darth Roxor, you should watch this presentation LOL

 

[Bohrain]

Hey Darth Roxor, you should watch this presentation LOL

I wasted 18 minutes of my life watching that. They make a point of expanding customer base with diversity gimmick, but of all the examples of how to do things right or wrong the only thing definitely made the dev some more money was Shovel Knight adding some extra colors that SNES palette lacks to include the backer characters. I highly doubt literally everything else they mentioned affected the sales of the games in any form whatsoever, or if the dev had listened to their nitpicking it would've hurt sales.
One of Shantae's selling points IS the sexualized female designs, you are not going to compensate losing the customers who think with their dick with feminists who complain about it, since the latter don't actually play games.
Literally no one cares enough about what the damsel in distress looks like in a platformer in a way that it affects sales.

 

[felipepepe]

It's amusing how you can always connect these people... apparently the guy's only game is stuck in development since 2013 - a retro beat'em'up with social themes - yet he's been everywhere on the media... listing his Top 10 games of 2014, getting interviewed by Leigh Alexander, RPS, IndieCade, Kotaku... he clearly has his contacts.

And who knows, maybe the guy is fucking amazing, but all we get is "here's this guy, listen to him". WHY? Has he delivered a good game? Then why is he an authority in indie game dev? I don't like Rami Ismail much, but the guy is one of the most successful indies out there - he's speaking atop a wealth of personal experience that took him there. I respect his achievements and they are out there for everyone to see.

All I get from guys like this Shawn is "my contacts like what I'm saying". Who cares. I know a bunch of devs in Brazil THAT ACTUALLY SHIPPED A GAME and have much more interesting things to say than "all these games are sexist / racists" but they won't be on GDC or these other websites because they are not part of the kool kids.

BTW, his game was two male and only one female character. Dunno how he sleeps at night.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I don't like Rami Ismail much, but the guy is one of the most successful indies out there - he's speaking atop a wealth of personal experience that took him there. I respect his achievements and they are out there for everyone to see.

He does? I thought all he did was PR for Vlambeer.

 

[felipepepe]

Well, he's listed as producer and co-founder... he must do something related to development.

Regardless, even if it was just PR he's quite good at it, and that's what he talks about most of the time anyway.

 

[Archibald]

It's amusing how you can always connect these people... apparently the guy's only game is stuck in development since 2013 - a retro beat'em'up with social themes - yet he's been everywhere on the media... listing his Top 10 games of 2014, getting interviewed by Leigh Alexander, RPS, IndieCade, Kotaku... he clearly has his contacts.

And who knows, maybe the guy is fucking amazing, but all we get is "here's this guy, listen to him". WHY? Has he delivered a good game? Then why is he an authority in indie game dev? I don't like Rami Ismail much, but the guy is one of the most successful indies out there - he's speaking atop a wealth of personal experience that took him there. I respect his achievements and they are out there for everyone to see.

All I get from guys like this Shawn is "my contacts like what I'm saying". Who cares. I know a bunch of devs in Brazil THAT ACTUALLY SHIPPED A GAME and have much more interesting things to say than "all these games are sexist / racists" but they won't be on GDC or these other websites because they are not part of the kool kids.

BTW, his game was two male and only one female character. Dunno how he sleeps at night.

While I brofisted this I think we should be a bit careful with "what have you shipped?" line of reasoning since eventually someone is going to say that we all should listen to Bethesda because their games sell a fuck ton.

 

[CyberWhale]

I know a bunch of devs in Brazil THAT ACTUALLY SHIPPED A GAME and have much more interesting things to say than "all these games are sexist / racists" but they won't be on GDC or these other websites because they are not part of the kool kids.