FSU: I did it!

After four long years I've finally graduated from Full Sail University with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing for Entertainment. What an accomplishment. What a trip! It was one of the most frustrating, exhilarating, and transformative experiences of my life. I certainly will never forget it, the lessons learned, or the friends I made along the way. Thank you, Full Sail, for giving me this opportunity. Thank you, professors, for seeing my potential and forcing me to rise to it. Thank you Emily, Amanda, Katti-Anne, Yshaia, Jessica, Mari-Anne, and Corey for commiserating and supporting me along the way. Y'all are the best! Lastly, thank you to my family. I never would have accomplished this with out your love, understanding, and support.

I can't believe it. It still hasn't sunk in. I'm a college graduate!

Now, what to do with my degree? Oh, the possibilities!

FSU: Art and Ideals in the 21st Century

I was tasked by my Art History professor with finding pieces of art that either detailed what is important to the 21st century person or best describes the ideals of the 21st century. To do this I browsed the extensive collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I believe the three pieces I have chosen show both. Join me behind the cut to see my choices...

Gaming: Interview with Angel Leigh McCoy of ArenaNet

Recently, I had the fantastic opportunity to interview Angel Leigh McCoy, a narrative designer at ArenaNet, who is currently working on Guild Wars 2. She has written about the Asurans and helped develop the new Sylvari race. Outside of ArenaNet and Guild Wars 2 she is the head editor of WilyWriters.com and a published author with a penchant for horror and dark fantasy.

Follow me behind the cut for the interview and a look into how art influences games and game writing!

FSU: A Change in Degree Program

I know this blog has been quiet. There's a reason for that. I finally realized what career path I wanted to follow. I've decided to follow my dream and become a writer. Not just any old writer, either. I'm going to write for games. I love stories. I've spent countless hours with Hugo traipsing through Paris. Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" is so engaging that I read and watch every version of it I can find. Why? Because it's a holiday ghost story that sucks me in every time. I won't even go into the countless hours spent reading Edgar Allan Poe. The man's genius created a world I was both very afraid of and yet wanted to enter with every fiber of my being. I want to bring that kind of story immersion to games.

I know it's possible. I experienced it with Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, Guild Wars, Mass Effect, and Age of Conan. The seamless integration of story with gameplay may seem like a pipe dream to some but I have faith. As games get more sophisticated, they become more dependent on the storyline to drive the player's motives. This presents countless opportunities to integrate interactive storytelling; to take it to the next level.

So, the silence here was because I had a huge task ahead of me. I was already half-way through the Game Design program and needed to make up my mind on whether to transfer degree programs or stay put. I had put in a heck of a lot of work on my Game Design degree and I didn't want that knowledge to go to waste. I spoke with the program director for the Creative Writing for Entertainment Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree and found that Game Writing was one of the areas the program focused on. She also stressed that the main focus of the program is to hone my skills as a writer so that I will be able to write for any medium. I liked this aspect. Where the Game Design program focused specifically on designing games the Creative Writing program has a much broader application.

I was sold. I began the transfer process and on September 26 I finally, officially, became a Creative Writing for Entertainment student at Full Sail. I'm excited. I've always wanted to write. Books are my one enduring passion and to finally combine a career and my education with that passion has made me one very happy camper.

FSU: Grades, Usability, & Zombies!

This blog was started as part of my Analysis Project for my Game Design And Development Analysis class at Full Sail University. I'm very proud to say that I got a 100% on it. It was a lot of work and took a fair bit of time over the last month, but the grade made it all worth while.

Usability is turning into a very interesting class. I don't think I'll ever look at everyday items the same way again. A lot of their functionality is missed because we're so used to the items and think we intuitively know how to use them. What we're missing are the almost invisible clues the designers leave behind to nudge us in the correct direction. For example: a door handle that's placed ever-so-slightly towards the side of the door that opens. We don't immediately perceive the placement, but it silently directs us to the proper side, so we're not stuck pushing on the wrong side thinking the door doesn't work.

Hellgate London is being rebooted by Hanbitsoft (Aika)as simply "Hellgate" later this evening. It's supposed to be a closed beta but they're handing out keys like they're candy. I think it's more of a marketing preview than an actual beta. The game's been live in Asia under a free-to-play model since 2008 so I doubt there are that many bugs or glitches to warrant an actual closed beta. Still, I may pop in to see how the game is since I didn't get a chance to while Namcao Bandai and Flagship were in charge. It definitely holds some interest considering the setting is right up my alley. I love a good apocolypse!

(Note: Some of the links in this post are broken as of January, 2023.)

FSU: Game Design and Development Analysis

This was a tough class. While it did teach me how to look at just about everything analytically it was a lot of work. I've come to understand that I do not look at the world analytically at all so this added to the difficulty. I also do not like writing analytical pieces.

I'm more of an opinion-based thinker. I "feel" and have a gut instinct that I tend to follow instead of picking things apart to find the "hows" and "whys" of it. While I'll use my newly acquired analytical skills to the best of my abilities I think I'll stick with my intuition also. It's gotten me this far!

Usability is my next class. It sounds rather interesting. I'm looking forward to it and its challenges.

FSU: Reaction to Industry News - China used prisoners in lucrative Online Game Gold Farming

As incredible as it sounds, a Chinese ex-prisoner claims that the prison guards where he was incarcerated forced him to play online games, such as World of Warcraft, to farm them for in-game gold and items. The guards then sold the in-game gold and items to other players making a small fortune in the process. The ex-prisoner then went on to state that if he didn’t meet a certain quota of gold and items per day he was punished with beatings and worse. He claims that it was a thriving business in the prison system raking in quite a bit of money.

FSU: Analysis of a Television Show - Firefly's Pilot Episode – “Serenity”

Positives:
+ A successful blend of science fiction and the Wild West provides a gritty yet realistic approach to mass colonization on the edge of space.
+ One of very few science fiction shows that portrays space as a silent vacuum.
+ Special effects enhance the episode without appearing forced or getting in the way of the story.
+ Wonderful character acting carries the viewer through the overarching plot and subplots while turning the individual characters into a family unit.

Negatives:
- Chinese phrases are pronounced incorrectly. The cast should have practiced more with the language specialist.
- There are some prop inconsistencies. For example, Mal doesn’t have his gun with him when Wash calls him to the bridge. Yet, in the very next scene, Mal punches Simon and then pulls his gun on him.
- The first half of the show had a slower pace than the second half. Balancing this would have helped the show flow a bit better.
- The scene where Inara washes herself seemed more like a gratuitous ratings grab than a solid contribution to the storyline. The ritualism of the act does tell us a bit about Companion training but the scene was unnecessarily long and highlighted her lack of clothing instead of the backstory.

Thoughts:
~ While the pilot episode contained a lot of information, a bit more about how the Firefly universe actually worked would have been nice. It’s understood that there was some kind of civil war but it is unclear why the Alliance is hated and untrusted while the Independents are the “good guys”.
~ The society in the show is an amalgamation of American and Chinese cultures. It’s never explained how this mash-up came about.
~ There is an obvious tension between Malcolm and Shepherd Book when Malcolm finds out the latter is a holy man. This is interesting considering Malcolm kisses a cross during a scene portraying the Battle of Serenity Valley. The tension is never explained but is explored in friendly debate.
~ Moral differences between characters are also addressed in the pilot. It is obvious Malcolm is uncomfortable with Inara’s chosen profession. It is made clear, though, that it’s her profession he doesn’t approve of, not her personally. It is also obvious that Shepherd Book disapproves of her profession but he handles it much differently than Malcolm. Instead of responding scornfully to Inara, as Malcolm does, Shepherd Book responds with humor and attempts to accept her for who she is.

Would Like:
* A more meaningful way to display a Companions background and training than an overly long, gratuitous semi-nude scene that adds nothing to the story.
* A bit more backstory on Malcolm Reynolds and why/how he lost his faith. This is necessary because it’s obvious that Shepherd Book will be a main character throughout the series and the tension between the two is obvious.
* Better pronunciation of the Chinese dialogue. It’s an integral part of the story’s society so the characters should know how to pronounce it.
* I’d love for the two deleted scenes to be added back into the episode. They help explain story points and flesh out characters.

Credit where credit is due:
Various. (2002). "firefly" serenity (tv episode 2002). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0579535/

Various. (2011). Series: firefly. Retrieved from http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/Firefly?from=Main.Firefly

FSU: Reaction to Industry News - Age of Conan Has Gone Free-To-Play

Earlier today Age of Conan announced that it is adopting a Free-to-Play subscription model this summer. As an existing, and past, subscriber I immediately wondered what this would mean for me. Considering the announcement was a whole 15 minutes old when I read it, I knew I’d have to wait a bit for real, concrete answers. I’m pretty sure that companies release news like this in advance to gauge the community’s reaction and adjust the upcoming changes accordingly.

FSU: Reaction to Industry News - The Sony Fiasco

Sony has been in the news quite a bit over the last few weeks. First, their PlayStation Network was hacked, and 77 million accounts had personal data stolen. Sony was quiet about the situation for a week before finally telling their customers what happened. Then, Sony Online Entertainment was hacked, and 24.6 million more accounts had personal data stolen. Again, Sony kept quiet for a while before explaining the situation. In the meantime, the entire network was down for 3½ weeks.

FSU: Reaction to Industry News - LEGO Universe Developer, "I Will Never Make an MMO Again."

The first thing that popped into my head when I read this was, "How in the world did this guy get as far as he did in the gaming industry?" The second thing was to wish him luck in his latest endeavor because he’ll probably never get a job with an IP as big or as popular as Lego again thanks to what he stated in this article. It’s one thing to be dissatisfied and disgruntled but it’s quite another to splash it all over a gaming industry news site.

FSU: Movie Analysis - Resident Evil

Positives:
+The Resident Evil movie is based on the Capcom video game franchise of the same name.
+ It is a prequel to the games and explains the events that led up to the first game.
+ Even though it’s a prequel it references various elements found through-out the game franchise. For example, at the end of the movie the Nemesis program from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is referenced.
+ Great zombie special effects. I especially love the Zombie Dogs. The special effects used to zombify them were very well done, even if the dogs did keep licking the blood and meat off the prosthetics.

Negatives:
- Some viewers may consider it excessively gory.
- Zombie Dogs may be disturbing to some as most don’t think of animals when they think of zombies.
- The “Licker” monster is out of place both visually and story wise in the movie although it is featured prominently throughout the game franchise.
- If you don’t pay attention the plot seems to get lost in the zombie action sequences.

Thoughts:
~ George A. Romero was signed on as the original director and screenplay writer of the film. He used actual gameplay as research for his script, so it followed the game’s storyline pretty well. For some reason, the powers that be at Capcom didn’t like Romero’s script and so fired him. The movie languished until Paul W.S. Anderson was hired by Sony to rewrite the script and direct.
~ The film is full of references to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. The computer who controls the Hive is called “The Red Queen”. The main character’s name is Alice. The wall that opens to show the train depot looks like a mirror. So, when the team goes through, they are going “through the looking glass."
~ Even though the movie is overflowing with them, the word “zombie” is never said.
~ The studio had wanted the movie to be rated PG13 but Anderson, the director, insisted that it should be rated R to stay true to the game franchise. I wonder how much would have to be edited in order to make the movie PG13 friendly? I think that would make for a very short movie.

Would Like:
* I’d like to see the “Resident Evil” that Romero would have made! The Godfather of all Zombies would have rocked that movie!
* Even though another sequel just came out I’d like another. I like the world and the story and want to dive even further into it.
* A bit more merchandising. It is true there are a multitude of Resident Evil inspired t-shirts, coffee cups, and even an umbrella in the Umbrella Corporation colors but I’m not talking about that. I’d love a pair of the boots Alice wears through-out the movie.
* A compilation of all four movies on Blue Ray disc. I know it is coming but I’m impatient.

Credit where credit is due:
Foundas, Scott. (2002, March 10). Resident evil review. Retrieved from http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=review&reviewid=VE1117917196&categoryid=31&cs=1 (Link broken as of February 2023.)

IMDB, Various. (2002). Resident evil (2002). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120804/

FSU: Analysis of Lego Kidsfest

The Lego Kidsfest traveling tour made a stop in our town this past weekend. Considering two-thirds of my family are “Brickheads,” not attending wasn’t an option. Tickets were easy to get and affordable. Getting to the convention center was another matter. Google Maps was confused and told us to turn onto a street that didn’t exist where it said it did.

FSU: Analysis of "Murder in the Rue Morgue" by Edgar Allan Poe (1841)

Positives:
+ Introduces the detective story genre to American literature.
+ Classic story of murder and detective procedures.
+ Keen insight into the analytical mind. He claims analysis isn’t simply intellect, but also includes a healthy bit of imagination.
+ Unconventional narrative layout that highlights Dupin’s detective skills.
+ Dupin’s method highlights the importance of literacy and the spoken word.

Negatives:
- The English is a bit archaic and can be difficult to read and understand.
- I don’t like the “Orangutan is the murderer” twist at the end. It is, for lack of a better word, a cop-out.
- The police are portrayed as idiots. I understand, though, that this is a necessary evil as it underscores Dupin’s logical thought process and procedures.
- The story is a bit intellectual as it extolls at length on Dupin’s various philosophical thoughts.

Thoughts:
~ The story is a metaphor for brains versus brawn with Dupin as the brain and the orangutan as the brawn.
~ A video game has been made of this title. I stumbled on it while looking for a copy of the story to refresh my memory. It’s not the kind of video game I’d first associate with the story, though. Instead of being an adventure game, it’s a hidden object game.
~ The level of horror this story would have brought in 1841 is infinitesimal by today’s standards. We’ve become quite jaded in the intervening 170 years.
~ It is claimed that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle patterned Sherlock Holmes after Dupin. Considering that they share a logical style of deduction, similar personal habits, and a friend who narrates their escapades to the audience, there may have been some influence.

Would Like:
* I’d love if more people read Poe. Although his works were created over a century ago, they still have a profound insight into the workings of the human mind.
* More action, less dialogue. Quite a bit of the dialogue could have been expressed as actions instead.
* I would have liked a different antagonist than the orangutan. A little more thought and Poe wouldn’t have had to resort to a wild animal as the perpetrator of the crimes. On the other hand, the orangutan would have been acceptable as the perpetrator if subtle hints of its possible inclusion in the pool of suspects had been made.
* I would have liked more general depth and backstory. There is a lot in the narrative that could be expanded upon, but it is glossed over in deference to Dupin’s deductions.

Credit where credit is due:
Poe, Edgar Allan. (1841). The murders in the rue morgue. Retrieved from http://poestories.com/read/murders