Today's blogpost will be some advice for writing tense scenes, or scenes with action in them. I do realize that I am not the best writer in the world (and I'm not even published...yet), but hopefully what I have to say will help anyone in this area. Furthermore, I also hope that if there are any flaws or missing items in my advice that those who read this will point them out! Onto the blog proper
I enjoy writing face paced scenes, or scenes that play on high emotions, when time seems to slow down or speed up for all involved. It gives me the chance to lead the reader along and be made to feel as if they to were in the same situation. You know, good heart pumping tension! One of the greatest helps I have for writing scenes like this is music. Ordinarily when I'm writing normally (or a tough scene) music sometimes gets in the way and I prefer quiet. But what I've noticed for myself is that when I'm writing tension/action, music of a like-type helps me. The pace of the piece of music I have chosen for a scene helps me to let the flow of emotion and senses get written down on the page. I can use the music to help shape images in my head and then let them flow into my writing (or so I hope!). The idea here is that action or tension is something you use to make the reader feel tense. Music for me, is a good way to help channel my efforts in this. However when I write like this it is far from perfect. But when I do have it written down I can then chip away at the general structure of a scene and still preserve the essence of urgency. I can even check and correct key observations and details that must be included.
I've found that writing tension or action cannot be too thought out initially or you end up adding in so much to the scene that it becomes another part of the prose. For instance a WW2 action movie has action and tension, whereas a WW2 documentary is more bland and all parts of it are on roughly the same level. Action or tension I feel has to be set somewhat apart from the normal flow of the story (although the boundaries are fuzzy). When I read I usually know that a scene is part of the action or tension is when I begin to feel my heart race, or that when I read I sort of rush through the words to get the feel rather than what is actually there. I want to be able to write scenes where the reader is rushing right along side the characters, feeling the urgency of the situation.
What I've also noticed about action in particular is that it cannot be written too long, or if it is that there should be a few respites (both for the character and the reader). Recently in my own current short story project I found that an action sequence had become far too long. For the purposes of my short story I felt it became cumbersome and too strung out. One of the dangers with writing action or tension is that you can only string the reader on for so long. After a certain point the tension or action becomes meaningless and normal. Action and tension should be punctuation points in a story, peaks in the plot. Having brief pauses in such scenes helps if the action or tension must be continued. The reader then has a chance to catch a mental breath before plunging into the fray again, and actually process what has just happened. However if the action or tension in a given story is such that there couldn't be any breaks then it must be condensed. A long sword fight for example could be condensed into an overall description while still preserving the sense of tension and urgency.
Interestingly enough, I believe the ones to be the best at sustaining action and tension are first-person-shooter game makers. If you pay attention you'll notice that a FPS game is not 100% action all the way through (or at least the good ones aren't). The Halo and Call of Duty series are good examples. Both contain short punctuated action sequences, or in the case of longer missions, breaks from the action. This allows the player's senses time to recover and get ready for the next bit of fun. The fact that these games are so popular is evident in their control of these skills.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Words to Make the Mind Wander
One of the things I enjoy most about written stories are their ability to make you wander down thought paths. This is also one of my only consolations when reading stories that aren't particularly good, as I can still expand my mind by working out the flaws or pearls of quality that lay buried within it. But in a good story, sometimes I find myself pausing mid-sentence and start to think bout a particular plot twist or story element. Sometimes my eyes continue to drift down the page even though I had stopped reading lines before.
This is one thing that is severely lacking in other kinds of media (with the exception of music and still art which I will get to shortly). Not because of their quality, but because there is no halt to the motion. Even in the slowest movie, video game, or even radio broadcast you are pushed along a river of information that you can only adequately asses after it reaches journey's end. I know you can pause games or films along the way, but to me it is not the same. There is a continuity that is key to these types of media that needs a flow. With books your mind can actually continue the story on tangents that are not even written down, but that you make up as you think. Instead of being pulled down a story, when I read, I feel like I'm strolling through memories at my own leisure. I feel better able to comprehend the world that is being painted. And, even if the story is not that great, I can turn aside from the pages for a while and explore the alley ways that the author didn't think to develop or continue (which happens a great deal when I read my own work!). When I play games or watch movies I feel like I'm 'living' through the story instead of recalling it or being a spectator. In my own head when I read I feel like I can pause the action of a book and yet still be part of it by being able to move through the world as it's frozen and explore any facet I choose. In a movie or game for example you can only really process what you have seen before and what's in front of you; because that is where the action is (this is one reason though, why I like quality 'behind the scenes' additions like LOTR, which would be a subject of another post). Even in non-fiction this is the case. You can pause anywhere you like and go to the places where events occurred or research more deeply into what you see on a page.
I believe my thoughts also apply to still art, and in a different sense, to music. When you observe art you observe a thing that tells not a story, but a representation of a story. Comic books of course fuzzy the line a great deal by combining these two media. Music I feel also should be included here. Yes it does have a continuity that is reminiscent of movies or video games, but instead of pulling you, it leads you. Music has a peculiar ability to let me imagine any sort of story I wish when listening. For example even when listening to music that some people find adventurous or happy I might feel sad or contemplative. Music, like the written word can let a person lose themselves down trains of thought that change or clarify each time it's listened to. This is not to say that video games and movies do not change in meaning, but that usually comes after you watch/experience it.
As I write this however, even in video games is my thinking bit fuzzy. I feel sometimes that in some games that I enjoy quite a bit there are built in pauses, or in some cases branching points. I feel in particular that a good example would be Fallout 3. For those of you who do not know the game, Fallout 3 is an rpg, but an open one. Meaning you can choose to pursue the main plot as quickly as possible, or branch off at any point to explore the rest of the world as you will. But this, in the context of that particular plot has it's own problems. I think a closer example to built in pauses would be games such as Portal 1-2, the Half-Life series, and Bungie's games. These example typically have short but periodical vignette scenes or quiet breaths where the player can then absorb particular parts of the story. I think, in particular the Marathon trilogy of Bungie does an excellent job in this where the story is actually told through text. The gaming part then becomes just a tool so one can get to the next terminal which you can read and think about as you search for the next one.
To go back to books and written stories, this is the effect I hope to achieve in my writing (hopefully because of quality). Reader's should have the freedom to explore the dark or shaded areas of a novel and fill in the blanks. Even the most thorough plots leave so much unexplored, and indeed, the more complete a world is the more questions a reader then has. A good story should be like the most complex maze every imagined: because that maze is built by every step a reader takes in whatever direction is chose.
This is one thing that is severely lacking in other kinds of media (with the exception of music and still art which I will get to shortly). Not because of their quality, but because there is no halt to the motion. Even in the slowest movie, video game, or even radio broadcast you are pushed along a river of information that you can only adequately asses after it reaches journey's end. I know you can pause games or films along the way, but to me it is not the same. There is a continuity that is key to these types of media that needs a flow. With books your mind can actually continue the story on tangents that are not even written down, but that you make up as you think. Instead of being pulled down a story, when I read, I feel like I'm strolling through memories at my own leisure. I feel better able to comprehend the world that is being painted. And, even if the story is not that great, I can turn aside from the pages for a while and explore the alley ways that the author didn't think to develop or continue (which happens a great deal when I read my own work!). When I play games or watch movies I feel like I'm 'living' through the story instead of recalling it or being a spectator. In my own head when I read I feel like I can pause the action of a book and yet still be part of it by being able to move through the world as it's frozen and explore any facet I choose. In a movie or game for example you can only really process what you have seen before and what's in front of you; because that is where the action is (this is one reason though, why I like quality 'behind the scenes' additions like LOTR, which would be a subject of another post). Even in non-fiction this is the case. You can pause anywhere you like and go to the places where events occurred or research more deeply into what you see on a page.
I believe my thoughts also apply to still art, and in a different sense, to music. When you observe art you observe a thing that tells not a story, but a representation of a story. Comic books of course fuzzy the line a great deal by combining these two media. Music I feel also should be included here. Yes it does have a continuity that is reminiscent of movies or video games, but instead of pulling you, it leads you. Music has a peculiar ability to let me imagine any sort of story I wish when listening. For example even when listening to music that some people find adventurous or happy I might feel sad or contemplative. Music, like the written word can let a person lose themselves down trains of thought that change or clarify each time it's listened to. This is not to say that video games and movies do not change in meaning, but that usually comes after you watch/experience it.
As I write this however, even in video games is my thinking bit fuzzy. I feel sometimes that in some games that I enjoy quite a bit there are built in pauses, or in some cases branching points. I feel in particular that a good example would be Fallout 3. For those of you who do not know the game, Fallout 3 is an rpg, but an open one. Meaning you can choose to pursue the main plot as quickly as possible, or branch off at any point to explore the rest of the world as you will. But this, in the context of that particular plot has it's own problems. I think a closer example to built in pauses would be games such as Portal 1-2, the Half-Life series, and Bungie's games. These example typically have short but periodical vignette scenes or quiet breaths where the player can then absorb particular parts of the story. I think, in particular the Marathon trilogy of Bungie does an excellent job in this where the story is actually told through text. The gaming part then becomes just a tool so one can get to the next terminal which you can read and think about as you search for the next one.
To go back to books and written stories, this is the effect I hope to achieve in my writing (hopefully because of quality). Reader's should have the freedom to explore the dark or shaded areas of a novel and fill in the blanks. Even the most thorough plots leave so much unexplored, and indeed, the more complete a world is the more questions a reader then has. A good story should be like the most complex maze every imagined: because that maze is built by every step a reader takes in whatever direction is chose.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
My Portal 2 Review Pt 2: Dear Chell
Caution! This post on Portal 2 CONTAINS SPOILERS! However, even if you have not played the game and just want to read more about it regardless of spoilers then by all means go on ahead :) (although watching a "Let's Play" Video of both Portal 1 and 2 would help you to familiarize yourself with it).
As I said in my first part of my Portal 2 Review the story is, when you actually look closely at it, amazing. It's hard to notice it in Portal 1, as the story is mostly in the scenery. Portal 1 makes you feel that you're waking up in a story almost at the end and that you're rushing to the finish. But, again, the story seems more to do about the world you're in rather than Chell...or so it seems until Portal 2.
So I figure I should put out my base theory about Chell and Glados right out at the very beginning. Glados is Caroline and Chell is Caroline's (Glados') daughter, and her father is Cave Johnson (this might be altered somewhat to say that Chell is Caroline...but I prefer above idea better). Also keep in mind this story assumes that the crazy scientist guy who writes all the stuff on the wall is not related to Chell and is just a crazy smart guy...although I suppose it could be Cave Johnson...which would also make sense for why Rat Man is still alive and cares so much about Chell...
How is this possible? Well to completely answer this question I have to start with Portal 1 and then tell a story. Frist, we have to answer why Chell starts in such an odd situation in Portal 2. Think for a moment: EVERYONE in the Aperture Labs has been killed by a neurotoxin...Except Chell. Why is Chell spared? I'm sure Glados could have circumvented whatever safe guards might have been in place around Chell (or maybe Caroline put them in place herself?) or could have found some way to kill Chell while she was sleeping. On to the next bit of information...Glados makes repeated pokes at the fact that Chell is adopted or has been given away. But notice that even in Portal 1 there is that brief mention of "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day." So by themselves (And even in combination) in Portal 1 these two bits of information do not mean much...until you add them to the bits revealed in Portal 2.
Now things get a bit tricky...So first off there is early on that mention of Wheatley's about "Bring Your Daughter..." where he says it was a bad day...that everyone was killed (which is obvious otherwise the experiments would have been taken down). So if Chell was Caroline's daughter then obviously she would have been taken on that work day. Next...I think Wheatley also talks about Chell being adopted which is odd that this continually is brought up.
Fast Forward a bit to when Glados is woken up. So now we have Glados talking about you're being adopted still, in addition to talking about your weight. I don't know about you, but for some reason this really seems like something a terror of a mother would do to her kid...X3 of course I might be wrong. So gradually you continue on until you reach Aperture's lower levels you come into contact with Aperture's earlier story and learn about Cave Johnson and Caroline. During this it is all but said that Caroline becomes Glados (Cave Johnson's last request is that if he should die, then Caroline would be put into a computer to run Aperture). Now...again up to this point it is entirely believable that Chell is just a test subject...Glados is still Caroline but there is no connection. But then you get to the absolute end of the game where Glados is talking to you before sending you off to the surface. She keeps talking about how she needed your help and that now she knew where Caroline existed but with your help she could now delete it. Also she said that at first she wanted you dead, but now just want's you to leave. This to me is very odd...and to me resembles a huge conflict between the Caroline part and the Glados part. Maybe Chell was a living form of conscience restriction on Glados and that as long as she was there Glados could not do what she wanted. But now with Chell simply 'gone' Glados has found the easier path. And Glados triumphs over the Caroline part....or does she?
Now jump ahead to the turret opera song as you ride up the elevator. Sounds nice, no? Well I did a bit of searching to find the English translation and that's when I knew (for myself at least) that Caroline was Chell's mother...The song keeps on saying things like, "My Dear Chell..." and such, even repeating at the very end 'My darling, My dear, My darling..." Could Caroline still be somewhere in Glados' mind? Maybe it's a bleedthrough that comes out in the turret's song? Maybe Glados has put the Caroline part of herself into the turrets?
Fast forward just a bit more to the ending song. Chronology-wise this actually was the part that first sparked my many questions about Portal 2. The song itself seems an odd fit for the Portal story, especially after the song "Still Alive." I listened to the words over and over, each time feeling that something was strange about it. Now I believe I know what that is. This song, to me, sounds like something a mother would say to a kid...but if that mother was still suffering internal conflict about being a mother and being a scientist (etc). I know it's a off the wall thought, but the song really does seem sad, but happy...conflicted. "You want your freedom, Take it, It's what I'm counting on." and, "You're someone else's problem now, that's what I'm counting on."
So...there you go! There are probably major holes that I'm missing here but still...this seems to make an odd sort of sense that falls in line with the Portal story...Why Chell? Why is she so important and why does Glados have such a fixation on her? Why out of all the test subjects in Portal 2 is Chell still alive and not a complete vegetable (you still jump to say you like apples....). It seems as though everything revolves around your relationship to Glados and Aperture Labs...Why would Portal 2 put you through the backstory of Aperture? I mean the obvious answer is to just tell more about Glados...but why would this be done? I refuse to believe that this is simply another case of 'background story' and that there is something more going on...
As I said in my first part of my Portal 2 Review the story is, when you actually look closely at it, amazing. It's hard to notice it in Portal 1, as the story is mostly in the scenery. Portal 1 makes you feel that you're waking up in a story almost at the end and that you're rushing to the finish. But, again, the story seems more to do about the world you're in rather than Chell...or so it seems until Portal 2.
So I figure I should put out my base theory about Chell and Glados right out at the very beginning. Glados is Caroline and Chell is Caroline's (Glados') daughter, and her father is Cave Johnson (this might be altered somewhat to say that Chell is Caroline...but I prefer above idea better). Also keep in mind this story assumes that the crazy scientist guy who writes all the stuff on the wall is not related to Chell and is just a crazy smart guy...although I suppose it could be Cave Johnson...which would also make sense for why Rat Man is still alive and cares so much about Chell...
How is this possible? Well to completely answer this question I have to start with Portal 1 and then tell a story. Frist, we have to answer why Chell starts in such an odd situation in Portal 2. Think for a moment: EVERYONE in the Aperture Labs has been killed by a neurotoxin...Except Chell. Why is Chell spared? I'm sure Glados could have circumvented whatever safe guards might have been in place around Chell (or maybe Caroline put them in place herself?) or could have found some way to kill Chell while she was sleeping. On to the next bit of information...Glados makes repeated pokes at the fact that Chell is adopted or has been given away. But notice that even in Portal 1 there is that brief mention of "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day." So by themselves (And even in combination) in Portal 1 these two bits of information do not mean much...until you add them to the bits revealed in Portal 2.
Now things get a bit tricky...So first off there is early on that mention of Wheatley's about "Bring Your Daughter..." where he says it was a bad day...that everyone was killed (which is obvious otherwise the experiments would have been taken down). So if Chell was Caroline's daughter then obviously she would have been taken on that work day. Next...I think Wheatley also talks about Chell being adopted which is odd that this continually is brought up.
Fast Forward a bit to when Glados is woken up. So now we have Glados talking about you're being adopted still, in addition to talking about your weight. I don't know about you, but for some reason this really seems like something a terror of a mother would do to her kid...X3 of course I might be wrong. So gradually you continue on until you reach Aperture's lower levels you come into contact with Aperture's earlier story and learn about Cave Johnson and Caroline. During this it is all but said that Caroline becomes Glados (Cave Johnson's last request is that if he should die, then Caroline would be put into a computer to run Aperture). Now...again up to this point it is entirely believable that Chell is just a test subject...Glados is still Caroline but there is no connection. But then you get to the absolute end of the game where Glados is talking to you before sending you off to the surface. She keeps talking about how she needed your help and that now she knew where Caroline existed but with your help she could now delete it. Also she said that at first she wanted you dead, but now just want's you to leave. This to me is very odd...and to me resembles a huge conflict between the Caroline part and the Glados part. Maybe Chell was a living form of conscience restriction on Glados and that as long as she was there Glados could not do what she wanted. But now with Chell simply 'gone' Glados has found the easier path. And Glados triumphs over the Caroline part....or does she?
Now jump ahead to the turret opera song as you ride up the elevator. Sounds nice, no? Well I did a bit of searching to find the English translation and that's when I knew (for myself at least) that Caroline was Chell's mother...The song keeps on saying things like, "My Dear Chell..." and such, even repeating at the very end 'My darling, My dear, My darling..." Could Caroline still be somewhere in Glados' mind? Maybe it's a bleedthrough that comes out in the turret's song? Maybe Glados has put the Caroline part of herself into the turrets?
Fast forward just a bit more to the ending song. Chronology-wise this actually was the part that first sparked my many questions about Portal 2. The song itself seems an odd fit for the Portal story, especially after the song "Still Alive." I listened to the words over and over, each time feeling that something was strange about it. Now I believe I know what that is. This song, to me, sounds like something a mother would say to a kid...but if that mother was still suffering internal conflict about being a mother and being a scientist (etc). I know it's a off the wall thought, but the song really does seem sad, but happy...conflicted. "You want your freedom, Take it, It's what I'm counting on." and, "You're someone else's problem now, that's what I'm counting on."
So...there you go! There are probably major holes that I'm missing here but still...this seems to make an odd sort of sense that falls in line with the Portal story...Why Chell? Why is she so important and why does Glados have such a fixation on her? Why out of all the test subjects in Portal 2 is Chell still alive and not a complete vegetable (you still jump to say you like apples....). It seems as though everything revolves around your relationship to Glados and Aperture Labs...Why would Portal 2 put you through the backstory of Aperture? I mean the obvious answer is to just tell more about Glados...but why would this be done? I refuse to believe that this is simply another case of 'background story' and that there is something more going on...
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
My Portal 2 Review: If Life Gives you a Portal Gun...
News: I know these next two posts may border on flooding my blog, but that is really not my aim. I do have quite a few ideas for blog posts and I try to restrict them to Sundays only, and this project has become incredibly fun. I hope anyone who reads this finds it the same way. Now onto the blog proper!
This is the first part in a two part blog post on Portal 2. These posts will be my personal opinions about the game. But why two posts you ask? Well I am a little tired of people posting handicapped reviews with no spoilers or posting reviews with spoiler warnings sprinkled through the entire piece. This will be a way for me to bypass this. This post will contain no spoilers and focus on a general review of the game as a whole, the gameplay, graphics, etc. The second post (probably around Thursday or Friday) will contain spoilers as it will be a deeper look into the story of Portal 2. That being said, let's begin!
This has been a triumph!
Portal 2, to sum up was a wonderful game. The three things I usually use to weigh a game are story, gameplay, and lastly graphics. Music while awesome, I usually place in a distant fourth because, if it really sucks I can turn it off and use my own music :).
The story of Portal 2 I think does a wonderful job of extending and giving depth to Portal 1's story. While some may say that Portal 1's story was very simple, Portal 2 adds new questions that suddenly make Portal 1 seem the tip of an iceberg. You get a better sense of how Aperture Science came to be and what happened to it. Valve has done an amazing job to create a very intriguing story that has the player asking many questions. As of right now I don't think I have enough skill to go about describing the story any more without revealing anything. So, those of you who read this and have not played Portal 2, take my word for it that the story is amazing and entertaining. It isn't anything on the scale of "A Game of Thrones" but it has a grandness all it's own.
On to gameplay. Again Valve has worked it's magic with physics and a accessible, easily learned set of controls. While the controls are simple, the puzzles and the ways that the game put's these controls to the test are challenging. I wouldn't say that Portal 2 offers the most difficult ever, or that re-playability is endless, but they are fun to play through every once in a while. The physics is the same awesome it's always been and you won't be disappointed by the new puzzle solving toys that the game offers. I think I would have liked a little more difficulty in the puzzles as sometimes I felt that there was a general pattern to how to solve them. Once this pattern was found then it could be run through a second time easily. I think though, that the mot fun that can be had in Portal 2 would come from co-op. Now since I didn't have the capability to play co-op I was not able to judge it, but I was able to watch a couple of let's plays. From what I've seen the best that Portal 2 has to offer in terms of gameplay comes from the interaction between the two people playing. Find a friend and work through puzzles, making funny mistakes and playing tricks...fun to say the least.
Onto graphics. As I'm sure everyone who has had interest in Portal 2 knows (from screenshots and such) Portal 2 is an amazingly stunning game. Just like in Half-Life 2, Valve does an excellent job in making the world seem incredibly large. The scenery is all quite extraordinary and you can become lost in simply observing the different panoramas. My one and only gripe with Portal 2 is that while you can see a large world, I did feel a little limited in where I could go. This however is a small gripe. You do always get a sense that you are 'going' places. Furthermore in those moments of high speed running (like being chased) you also feel a sense of scale, like the world is zipping by. I suppose what I'd like to see Valve do is something akin to a combination of the Portal premise and Fallout 3. The idea here is that you actually get to explore the Aperture labs in an open way and accomplish objectives, but do so at your own leisure. Now of course such a project would be incredibly huge...but it is something I'd like to see sometime! (Valve if you read this...)
Lastly, music. I have to say, the music in Portal 2 is far an above the music of Portal 1 (I am not yet voicing my opinion about the ending song however!). The music however is the kind that blends into the ambient sounds which I count as a good thing. It's awesome to say the least. You only notice it if you listen for it, but when you forget it's there it becomes part of the world around you. It's a pleasant effect. The ending song I actually like quite a bit. I know a lot of Portal 1 "Still Alive" fans might troll me on this, but the more I listened to it the more I came to like it. The odd tune grows on you and you just start to think when you listen to it. "Still Alive" was a good song, but I felt it was just a sort of parting shot by Glados. "Want You Gone" is such an odd choice for the end of Portal 2, because of it'd oddness it raises questions about why it was chosen for Portal 2...Here is where I start treading on the ground for my second post so I will cut off here. I hope this was great to read and that if you haven't played it, will make you want to give it a try!
This is the first part in a two part blog post on Portal 2. These posts will be my personal opinions about the game. But why two posts you ask? Well I am a little tired of people posting handicapped reviews with no spoilers or posting reviews with spoiler warnings sprinkled through the entire piece. This will be a way for me to bypass this. This post will contain no spoilers and focus on a general review of the game as a whole, the gameplay, graphics, etc. The second post (probably around Thursday or Friday) will contain spoilers as it will be a deeper look into the story of Portal 2. That being said, let's begin!
This has been a triumph!
Portal 2, to sum up was a wonderful game. The three things I usually use to weigh a game are story, gameplay, and lastly graphics. Music while awesome, I usually place in a distant fourth because, if it really sucks I can turn it off and use my own music :).
The story of Portal 2 I think does a wonderful job of extending and giving depth to Portal 1's story. While some may say that Portal 1's story was very simple, Portal 2 adds new questions that suddenly make Portal 1 seem the tip of an iceberg. You get a better sense of how Aperture Science came to be and what happened to it. Valve has done an amazing job to create a very intriguing story that has the player asking many questions. As of right now I don't think I have enough skill to go about describing the story any more without revealing anything. So, those of you who read this and have not played Portal 2, take my word for it that the story is amazing and entertaining. It isn't anything on the scale of "A Game of Thrones" but it has a grandness all it's own.
On to gameplay. Again Valve has worked it's magic with physics and a accessible, easily learned set of controls. While the controls are simple, the puzzles and the ways that the game put's these controls to the test are challenging. I wouldn't say that Portal 2 offers the most difficult ever, or that re-playability is endless, but they are fun to play through every once in a while. The physics is the same awesome it's always been and you won't be disappointed by the new puzzle solving toys that the game offers. I think I would have liked a little more difficulty in the puzzles as sometimes I felt that there was a general pattern to how to solve them. Once this pattern was found then it could be run through a second time easily. I think though, that the mot fun that can be had in Portal 2 would come from co-op. Now since I didn't have the capability to play co-op I was not able to judge it, but I was able to watch a couple of let's plays. From what I've seen the best that Portal 2 has to offer in terms of gameplay comes from the interaction between the two people playing. Find a friend and work through puzzles, making funny mistakes and playing tricks...fun to say the least.
Onto graphics. As I'm sure everyone who has had interest in Portal 2 knows (from screenshots and such) Portal 2 is an amazingly stunning game. Just like in Half-Life 2, Valve does an excellent job in making the world seem incredibly large. The scenery is all quite extraordinary and you can become lost in simply observing the different panoramas. My one and only gripe with Portal 2 is that while you can see a large world, I did feel a little limited in where I could go. This however is a small gripe. You do always get a sense that you are 'going' places. Furthermore in those moments of high speed running (like being chased) you also feel a sense of scale, like the world is zipping by. I suppose what I'd like to see Valve do is something akin to a combination of the Portal premise and Fallout 3. The idea here is that you actually get to explore the Aperture labs in an open way and accomplish objectives, but do so at your own leisure. Now of course such a project would be incredibly huge...but it is something I'd like to see sometime! (Valve if you read this...)
Lastly, music. I have to say, the music in Portal 2 is far an above the music of Portal 1 (I am not yet voicing my opinion about the ending song however!). The music however is the kind that blends into the ambient sounds which I count as a good thing. It's awesome to say the least. You only notice it if you listen for it, but when you forget it's there it becomes part of the world around you. It's a pleasant effect. The ending song I actually like quite a bit. I know a lot of Portal 1 "Still Alive" fans might troll me on this, but the more I listened to it the more I came to like it. The odd tune grows on you and you just start to think when you listen to it. "Still Alive" was a good song, but I felt it was just a sort of parting shot by Glados. "Want You Gone" is such an odd choice for the end of Portal 2, because of it'd oddness it raises questions about why it was chosen for Portal 2...Here is where I start treading on the ground for my second post so I will cut off here. I hope this was great to read and that if you haven't played it, will make you want to give it a try!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Demography of Fantasyland
News first. This week I'll be posting a two part Portal 2 review. Well actually the first post will be a review but it will contain NO spoilers. The second part to my Portal 2 posts WILL contain spoilers as it will be my take on the story; so if you want to keep the surprises to yourself do not read the second post until after you have beaten Portal 2. that being said...on we go!
Hello and welcome to my second part of the investigation of Fantasyland. The first part, in case you missed it, was my post on the Geography of Fantasyland. Here I'll be looking at the portrayal of cultures, species, and societies in fantasy stories.
One of the fascinating aspects of fantasy writing is the interaction of different cultures and how that is sometimes mixed with the interaction of humanity with species from it's own mythology. Of course one of the best and most used examples of such an interaction would be between elves and humans. A lot of the fantasy I have read uses elves, dwarves, and various other species. But some do so better than others...well actually I feel that quite a lot of fantasy does not portray other species in a realistic way. To better explain the problem in demography in a fantasy setting, writers often simply create monolithic cultures and societies.
While I enjoy Dungeons and Dragons as much as the next person, that world has lead to a lot of people producing the 'other' as a stereotype. To give a better example; I enjoy reading R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt Series, but I do have to swallow the rather entertaining story with a grain of salt (Several actually). Dwarves, elves, orcs, etc, all have similar societies everywhere regardless of geography in the Forgotten Realms world. While I do partly believe that there are inherent characteristics in a species that show across geography, I do not think that would manifest into Scottish accents and a disposition for mining everywhere.
I do however think that if a writer doesn't want to come up with a highly complicated regional history for every branch of culture a particular species has, then he/she can make the fact that a species is a monoculture part of the story. For example in David Weber's Safehold series the entire planet is dominated by a singular religion and main language. But he uses this as part of the story, an obstacle for humanity to overcome if it wants to survive. Another theme (that I will not go into in depth) is the idea of the Singularity, where humanity becomes so advanced that they become one culture and, some would say, one mind.
Transferring this to Fantasyland, I think the best example of a pseudo-monoculture would be the elves and dwarves of Middle-Earth. To really get a sense of this however, you should read the Silmarillion (or failing that check it out on Wikipedia :) ). Essentially the elves spring to life all in one place and start to develop their own culture and language. This is used to 'color' the elves for everything that happens after. However, Tolkien realized quite correctly that time, distance, and influences, would create different subcultures. He showed this variance through language, bloodlines, geography, and certain key plot twists (which were then mostly represented by language, bloodlines, or geography). For example, there re huge differences in culture and language between the elves who stayed in Middle Earth, the elves who journeyed to Valinor, and the elves who later returned to Middle Earth. An even better subject of an well deployed monoculture in Middle Earth would be the dwarves. Their entire civilization sprang from the hand of one of the Valar and remained few in number throughout the stories. As they existed in a limited area, their cultures and languages did not vary much. Wherever someone went in Middle Earth, one could expect dwarves to be similar as they all came from one place.
One interesting result from humans writing these stories is that humans are the only people who have multiple cultures (which are seen, heard, and felt in stories) but other species do not. Now unless the writer gives some compelling reason, pertinent to the story, of why said species is a monoculture, then I would expect a species like dwarves to have many different kinds of cultures that vary just like humans. I would expect there to be different dialects, languages, customs, etc to spring up as the different species expand and progress through time. Quite a number of the fantasy authors I have read have taken pains to stress the variability of human culture and so I do not feel as pushed to harp on that line (although in certain cases it is still a problem). Even in Salvatore's work, there is a sense that humans in one place are different from humans in another.
In my stories set in wonderful Fantasyland I hope to give different shades of the species I include. I do not want my readers to feel like the world is bland. I do not believe (and hope not) that humans are the 'only' sentience capable of having different cultures. I imagine a key aspect to sentient life to be a wonderful ability to grow in different and unexpected ways. It makes sense that new cultures and regional histories develop and that regardless of species, people become different. Wouldn't that be a much more fascinating and exciting world to travel in? Isn't reality amazing because of the same?
Hello and welcome to my second part of the investigation of Fantasyland. The first part, in case you missed it, was my post on the Geography of Fantasyland. Here I'll be looking at the portrayal of cultures, species, and societies in fantasy stories.
One of the fascinating aspects of fantasy writing is the interaction of different cultures and how that is sometimes mixed with the interaction of humanity with species from it's own mythology. Of course one of the best and most used examples of such an interaction would be between elves and humans. A lot of the fantasy I have read uses elves, dwarves, and various other species. But some do so better than others...well actually I feel that quite a lot of fantasy does not portray other species in a realistic way. To better explain the problem in demography in a fantasy setting, writers often simply create monolithic cultures and societies.
While I enjoy Dungeons and Dragons as much as the next person, that world has lead to a lot of people producing the 'other' as a stereotype. To give a better example; I enjoy reading R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt Series, but I do have to swallow the rather entertaining story with a grain of salt (Several actually). Dwarves, elves, orcs, etc, all have similar societies everywhere regardless of geography in the Forgotten Realms world. While I do partly believe that there are inherent characteristics in a species that show across geography, I do not think that would manifest into Scottish accents and a disposition for mining everywhere.
I do however think that if a writer doesn't want to come up with a highly complicated regional history for every branch of culture a particular species has, then he/she can make the fact that a species is a monoculture part of the story. For example in David Weber's Safehold series the entire planet is dominated by a singular religion and main language. But he uses this as part of the story, an obstacle for humanity to overcome if it wants to survive. Another theme (that I will not go into in depth) is the idea of the Singularity, where humanity becomes so advanced that they become one culture and, some would say, one mind.
Transferring this to Fantasyland, I think the best example of a pseudo-monoculture would be the elves and dwarves of Middle-Earth. To really get a sense of this however, you should read the Silmarillion (or failing that check it out on Wikipedia :) ). Essentially the elves spring to life all in one place and start to develop their own culture and language. This is used to 'color' the elves for everything that happens after. However, Tolkien realized quite correctly that time, distance, and influences, would create different subcultures. He showed this variance through language, bloodlines, geography, and certain key plot twists (which were then mostly represented by language, bloodlines, or geography). For example, there re huge differences in culture and language between the elves who stayed in Middle Earth, the elves who journeyed to Valinor, and the elves who later returned to Middle Earth. An even better subject of an well deployed monoculture in Middle Earth would be the dwarves. Their entire civilization sprang from the hand of one of the Valar and remained few in number throughout the stories. As they existed in a limited area, their cultures and languages did not vary much. Wherever someone went in Middle Earth, one could expect dwarves to be similar as they all came from one place.
One interesting result from humans writing these stories is that humans are the only people who have multiple cultures (which are seen, heard, and felt in stories) but other species do not. Now unless the writer gives some compelling reason, pertinent to the story, of why said species is a monoculture, then I would expect a species like dwarves to have many different kinds of cultures that vary just like humans. I would expect there to be different dialects, languages, customs, etc to spring up as the different species expand and progress through time. Quite a number of the fantasy authors I have read have taken pains to stress the variability of human culture and so I do not feel as pushed to harp on that line (although in certain cases it is still a problem). Even in Salvatore's work, there is a sense that humans in one place are different from humans in another.
In my stories set in wonderful Fantasyland I hope to give different shades of the species I include. I do not want my readers to feel like the world is bland. I do not believe (and hope not) that humans are the 'only' sentience capable of having different cultures. I imagine a key aspect to sentient life to be a wonderful ability to grow in different and unexpected ways. It makes sense that new cultures and regional histories develop and that regardless of species, people become different. Wouldn't that be a much more fascinating and exciting world to travel in? Isn't reality amazing because of the same?
Monday, June 6, 2011
Bonus post: Minecraft Mosques and Broomsticks
I know I said in my previous post that my next would be on the demographic and cultural aspects of Fantasyland, but this dream was so much fun that I couldn't resist posting it.
So it starts with myself flying in the air high above a Minecraft world. For some reason in my dream I don't think that this was a virtual world and in fact thought that it was reality. Below there was this gigantic structure that looked very much like pictures of Mosques I had seen. From a distance it was all blocky and very easily discernible as being a Minecraft creation. It was all browns and blacks though, cut through with green grass. I decide then to fly down and now I noticed my mode of transportation: a broom. Now the flying was not some variation of Harry Potter, all stiff and clunky, this was more like 'Kiki's Delivery Service' flying; It was like being on something like a combination of an ice skate and a kite without wings flying in a windy sky, where every slight touch was responded to by the broom as if it were a part of me.
So there I was flying down to the Mosque-like structure and it began to become more real instead of being simply blocks. As I walked around the courtyard I began to be drawn closer and closer to the main building which again was in all dark grays, browns and blacks. Despite it being sunny out, this place seemed to absorb the light and be perpetually dim. I should point out that I did not feel that this place was scary at all, it was more mysterious than anything. I remember walking up these steps (past a grated and ornately covered well).Inside this initial room there was this metal grating hanging like partitions or like the shelves in a library and it the iron was twisted into this strange language. It seemed to be a combination not of Arabic or Persian, but of Norse, Hieroglyphics, and Sanskrit. And it was not uniform, at some times it would seem to be completely one language and then gradually flow into the next, the middle being a mishmash of two forms. For some reason I felt that it was then time to leave and I noticed that the grating was the same on the coverings of the well I had passed. As I made my way to the center of the courtyard I noticed that there were people filtering in. Their clothing was heavy and thick but somehow I could tell that they were all women. Their clothing actually resembled how the Gondorian Rangers were portrayed in Peter Jackson's LOTR movies (without decoration and greens). They had black cloths over their mouths and wore deep earth brown cloaks over black and dark gray garments. They too seemed to absorb light making them look like shadows. No one was speaking, or making any noise at all. Again I was not afraid or got a sense of fear, I just felt like I had run out of time and should be going. So I got my broom ready and zoomed off through the front gate.
Next thing I knew I was exiting a shopping center near my house that had now turned into a school and it was graduation for something. I remember feeling so happy and that it had something to do with my broom. This, in my opinion was the best part of my dream, and also the shortest. I hopped up onto my broom and then started to fly around the general area gripping the wood tightly with my legs and performing all the aerial acrobatics I could think of. I flew high into the air and dived, zooming at high speeds and narrowly avoiding trucks and cars. I remember flying backwards upside down and as I started to wake up I actually felt like I could control where I was going and what I was doing. I could feel the lightness of my body and the wind on my face as if I weighed nothing at all and became part of the air around me, slipping and sliding above the ground just an inch away from out-of-control. I felt so very happy, and that was driving my flying.
If you have not seen 'Kiki's Delivery Service' by Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli) then I suggest that you do so. It is a wonderful movie and a joy to watch. I hope you had fun reading this, because I definitely had fun writing it.
So it starts with myself flying in the air high above a Minecraft world. For some reason in my dream I don't think that this was a virtual world and in fact thought that it was reality. Below there was this gigantic structure that looked very much like pictures of Mosques I had seen. From a distance it was all blocky and very easily discernible as being a Minecraft creation. It was all browns and blacks though, cut through with green grass. I decide then to fly down and now I noticed my mode of transportation: a broom. Now the flying was not some variation of Harry Potter, all stiff and clunky, this was more like 'Kiki's Delivery Service' flying; It was like being on something like a combination of an ice skate and a kite without wings flying in a windy sky, where every slight touch was responded to by the broom as if it were a part of me.
So there I was flying down to the Mosque-like structure and it began to become more real instead of being simply blocks. As I walked around the courtyard I began to be drawn closer and closer to the main building which again was in all dark grays, browns and blacks. Despite it being sunny out, this place seemed to absorb the light and be perpetually dim. I should point out that I did not feel that this place was scary at all, it was more mysterious than anything. I remember walking up these steps (past a grated and ornately covered well).Inside this initial room there was this metal grating hanging like partitions or like the shelves in a library and it the iron was twisted into this strange language. It seemed to be a combination not of Arabic or Persian, but of Norse, Hieroglyphics, and Sanskrit. And it was not uniform, at some times it would seem to be completely one language and then gradually flow into the next, the middle being a mishmash of two forms. For some reason I felt that it was then time to leave and I noticed that the grating was the same on the coverings of the well I had passed. As I made my way to the center of the courtyard I noticed that there were people filtering in. Their clothing was heavy and thick but somehow I could tell that they were all women. Their clothing actually resembled how the Gondorian Rangers were portrayed in Peter Jackson's LOTR movies (without decoration and greens). They had black cloths over their mouths and wore deep earth brown cloaks over black and dark gray garments. They too seemed to absorb light making them look like shadows. No one was speaking, or making any noise at all. Again I was not afraid or got a sense of fear, I just felt like I had run out of time and should be going. So I got my broom ready and zoomed off through the front gate.
Next thing I knew I was exiting a shopping center near my house that had now turned into a school and it was graduation for something. I remember feeling so happy and that it had something to do with my broom. This, in my opinion was the best part of my dream, and also the shortest. I hopped up onto my broom and then started to fly around the general area gripping the wood tightly with my legs and performing all the aerial acrobatics I could think of. I flew high into the air and dived, zooming at high speeds and narrowly avoiding trucks and cars. I remember flying backwards upside down and as I started to wake up I actually felt like I could control where I was going and what I was doing. I could feel the lightness of my body and the wind on my face as if I weighed nothing at all and became part of the air around me, slipping and sliding above the ground just an inch away from out-of-control. I felt so very happy, and that was driving my flying.
If you have not seen 'Kiki's Delivery Service' by Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli) then I suggest that you do so. It is a wonderful movie and a joy to watch. I hope you had fun reading this, because I definitely had fun writing it.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Geography of Fantasyland
It seems to be that lately I've been neglecting the "Dungeons" part of this blog! I shall rectify this oversight.
This is a two part post. This one will deal with the subject of Geography in the Fantasy novel, and the second post will be on the subject of Demography where I'll write concerning species, cultures, and history. The next post might be later this week or next Sunday, I have not decided which.
One key item to any fantasy story is the subject of geography; Who lives where, what are the distances involved, how does weather act, and a host of other questions. In fact one of the staples of the Fantasy genre has been the inclusion of a map at the beginning of a novel. One unfortunate result of the map tendency has been the story's reliance on the map in place of comprehensive description within the prose itself. Or rather, a dependency on using the map for understanding physical elements in the story. Should a map play such an important role in a novel? Or should the story alone be able to stand independent from such a physical representation. Furthermore, the less hard properties of climate often lack any sort of realism in a fantasy novel (for instance you might find deserts in places where they shouldn't be, tropical areas that seem out of place, or mountain ranges that appear coincidentally to the story etc.).
On my first point of geography I'll use Tolkien as an example of what I believe is one correct way to use maps. As practically everyone knows Tolkien is the main progenitor of the fantasy novel, and of course included a map of Middle Earth. While his map was useful for understanding the travels of the Fellowship, the reader could in fact read the trilogy in its entirety without so much as glancing at the map. Indeed the map served as a simple enhancement to what was written on the pages. If reading carefully a person could easily understand what direction a party was traveling in, how long it would take to get to place to place, and where places were roughly located. Furthermore the descriptions of these physical geographic characteristics in the Lord of the Rings was handled in a very entertaining and poetic way (I would point to the sections describing the Fellowship's journey south to Moria, the description of Lothlorien, and the section describing Minas Tirith and the surrounding countryside). While other books do try to describe travels the same way, often they just do the bare minimum of making sure the reader knows where everything is located and expect the Map to be used rather than as a point of interest. There is a sense that the map is supposed to occupy a key plot point. I can only say that even Tolkien took time to describe the portions of the map that were relevant; if there was a key plot point, it had it's place within the prose of the work. Examples of maps being used in a typical way would include the Dragonlance books and Eregon. Other examples where I feel maps have been used to great effect would be McCaffery's Pern books, R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series, Salvatore's Drizzt books, and of course topping all bout be Terry Pratchet's work.
Now I'll turn to the other part of geography, that of climate. As I pointed out I've read many fantasy books where there are misplaced terrains. Now there isn't exactly a reason why a jungle might be located in particular area it's just that there is no pattern as there is on Earth. I do agree that in a novel that has magic as a key point that certain areas can be magically induced (Lothlorien or Mordor for example) but I would expect that there would be certain patterns that occur; wind patterns, ocean currents, tectonic movement etc. Again to reference Tolkien, he had much of Middle Earth's climate explained by assuming that it was based in northwestern Europe (approximately). Another stunning example of the use of climate in a story would be R.R. Martin's work. "A Song of Ice and Fire" is heavily involved by the unique climate of the world and the terrain actually does follow some sort of pattern. The reader can then expect certain kinds of weather, obstacles, and events in a given area or a reader can guess where a scene is located by the description.
Now what does this say about the use of a map in a fantasy novel? Well it must be said that the use of a map has become cliche to some extent. But I feel that a map can be used in certain circumstances. A map should not be used as an 'accurate' depiction of the world, but more of an approximation. Markers for terrain can be given but always be sure to let there be enough room in interpretation so that the reader can create their own idea of the place described. A map is a tool to give an idea of the boundary and scope of the lands involved. In this way then the map is actually a supplement to the story itself instead of a page that must be constantly flipped back to in order to understand what is going on.
This is a two part post. This one will deal with the subject of Geography in the Fantasy novel, and the second post will be on the subject of Demography where I'll write concerning species, cultures, and history. The next post might be later this week or next Sunday, I have not decided which.
One key item to any fantasy story is the subject of geography; Who lives where, what are the distances involved, how does weather act, and a host of other questions. In fact one of the staples of the Fantasy genre has been the inclusion of a map at the beginning of a novel. One unfortunate result of the map tendency has been the story's reliance on the map in place of comprehensive description within the prose itself. Or rather, a dependency on using the map for understanding physical elements in the story. Should a map play such an important role in a novel? Or should the story alone be able to stand independent from such a physical representation. Furthermore, the less hard properties of climate often lack any sort of realism in a fantasy novel (for instance you might find deserts in places where they shouldn't be, tropical areas that seem out of place, or mountain ranges that appear coincidentally to the story etc.).
On my first point of geography I'll use Tolkien as an example of what I believe is one correct way to use maps. As practically everyone knows Tolkien is the main progenitor of the fantasy novel, and of course included a map of Middle Earth. While his map was useful for understanding the travels of the Fellowship, the reader could in fact read the trilogy in its entirety without so much as glancing at the map. Indeed the map served as a simple enhancement to what was written on the pages. If reading carefully a person could easily understand what direction a party was traveling in, how long it would take to get to place to place, and where places were roughly located. Furthermore the descriptions of these physical geographic characteristics in the Lord of the Rings was handled in a very entertaining and poetic way (I would point to the sections describing the Fellowship's journey south to Moria, the description of Lothlorien, and the section describing Minas Tirith and the surrounding countryside). While other books do try to describe travels the same way, often they just do the bare minimum of making sure the reader knows where everything is located and expect the Map to be used rather than as a point of interest. There is a sense that the map is supposed to occupy a key plot point. I can only say that even Tolkien took time to describe the portions of the map that were relevant; if there was a key plot point, it had it's place within the prose of the work. Examples of maps being used in a typical way would include the Dragonlance books and Eregon. Other examples where I feel maps have been used to great effect would be McCaffery's Pern books, R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series, Salvatore's Drizzt books, and of course topping all bout be Terry Pratchet's work.
Now I'll turn to the other part of geography, that of climate. As I pointed out I've read many fantasy books where there are misplaced terrains. Now there isn't exactly a reason why a jungle might be located in particular area it's just that there is no pattern as there is on Earth. I do agree that in a novel that has magic as a key point that certain areas can be magically induced (Lothlorien or Mordor for example) but I would expect that there would be certain patterns that occur; wind patterns, ocean currents, tectonic movement etc. Again to reference Tolkien, he had much of Middle Earth's climate explained by assuming that it was based in northwestern Europe (approximately). Another stunning example of the use of climate in a story would be R.R. Martin's work. "A Song of Ice and Fire" is heavily involved by the unique climate of the world and the terrain actually does follow some sort of pattern. The reader can then expect certain kinds of weather, obstacles, and events in a given area or a reader can guess where a scene is located by the description.
Now what does this say about the use of a map in a fantasy novel? Well it must be said that the use of a map has become cliche to some extent. But I feel that a map can be used in certain circumstances. A map should not be used as an 'accurate' depiction of the world, but more of an approximation. Markers for terrain can be given but always be sure to let there be enough room in interpretation so that the reader can create their own idea of the place described. A map is a tool to give an idea of the boundary and scope of the lands involved. In this way then the map is actually a supplement to the story itself instead of a page that must be constantly flipped back to in order to understand what is going on.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Bonus post: Maybe William Blake knew the Doctor?
I noticed that if you change just a few words here and there in William Blake's "Tiger" it is quite relevant to the Dr. Who story...eerily so! Just thought it might be interesting to put up.
| TARDIS, Tardis, flashing bright |
| In the forests of the night, |
| What immortal hand or eye |
| Could frame thy fearful symmetry? |
| |
| In what distant times or skies |
| Burnt the fire of thine eyes? |
| On what wings dare he aspire? |
| What the hand dare seize the fire? |
| |
| And what shoulder and what art |
| Could twist the sinews of thy heart? |
| And when thy hearts began to beat, |
| What dread hand and what dread feet? |
| |
| What the hammer? what the chain? |
| In what furnace was thy brain? |
| What the anvil? What dread grasp |
| Dare its deadly terrors clasp? |
| |
| When the stars threw down their spears, |
| And water'd heaven with their tears, |
| Did He smile His work to see? |
| Did He who saved the Earth save thee? |
| |
| Tardis, Tardis, flashing bright |
| In the forests of the night, |
| What immortal hand or eye |
| Dare frame thy fearful symmetry? |
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