Posted September 17, 2009
AlphaMonkey: But on the other side of things, for something like Longest Journey and Dreamfall, those games were very story-driven. You weren't so much playing games as being told stories and just kinda sticking your fingers into them every now and again. Which meant that the people who were crafting the story had to get it "right."
Only in such a way that there have to be certain "nodes" in the story, i.e.: things that have to happen if you want it to unfold further. The beauty of it being a game is that a lot of interactions are totally optional and sometime the solutions are mutually exclusive. There is no "correct" or "better" way to go through it, although the plot stays roughly the same...
I may be getting a little off topic but there is some unique sense of freedom, which is precisely what draws me to computer games... The only thing that offers a greater amount of choice (while still being plot-driven) are RPGs (you know; as in: storytelling games).
My point is - simply exploring the world and immersing yourself in it is refreshing. A way of smelling virtual flowers...
AlphaMonkey: And at times TLJ's story (while sweeping and grand and majestic and a whole host of other words in that vein) sometimes got a little too much so for its own good.
If there are times when you feel lost and confused... That's probably intentional (and so does your character !). It's a huge and complicated universe we're talking about - our female protagonist may know a lot but she obviously isn't omniscient.
AlphaMonkey: Likewise, Dreamfall's story was so convoluted that it was hard to follow at times. I mean, sure, I always understood the basic premise of what was going on, but there were times when a lot of the nuances were just lost on me, and I felt I was missing out.
Which is something you just don't want happening to your audience.
Which is something you just don't want happening to your audience.
You have the Journal and Dreamfall even gives you a dialog archive - most of the time you shouldn't get lost unless you are purposefully kept in the dark. Also - those lots of little details are exactly what makes the game great - it allows for replayability. Once you beat the game once you already know the basics and can focus on the datails even more.
AlphaMonkey: If things had been tightened up even just a bit, it could've been even better than it was. And it already was a hell of a ride. I know I'd grab the sequel when it hits.
"Dreamfall: Chapters" are meant to clear everything up, though we'll have to wait quite a while for the game to even get into development.
As for TLJ 1 and 2... I simply enjoy them for that they are. I don't care what they could have been; in my eyes - they're great as it is.