tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post8403413811533129013..comments2023-08-10T03:35:55.682-07:00Comments on The Prosers: What Video Games Taught Me About FlashbacksSheena Boekweghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227547053651725634noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-28973411998674313052012-07-10T14:07:32.363-07:002012-07-10T14:07:32.363-07:00Great advice on flashbacks. And, I, too, and glad ...Great advice on flashbacks. And, I, too, and glad you're safe and sound.Susan Buttarshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14456005411871122298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-84016002300755060732012-07-09T23:22:05.755-07:002012-07-09T23:22:05.755-07:00I was wondering about this too - so glad to hear t...I was wondering about this too - so glad to hear the fires are finally out.Sabrina Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06218305456791199409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-53896017501797942612012-07-08T21:39:05.126-07:002012-07-08T21:39:05.126-07:00Trisha, glad to hear things are getting better.
...Trisha, glad to hear things are getting better. <br /><br />I never got into to computer games. My husband used to play them a lot though. I remember him saying that the Final Fantasy story lines were really awesome. It was worth playing the game just for the story (I think it was Final Fantasy).<br /><br />But this is excellent advice on using flashbacks. As a reader, I want the story to start with the actual story. Flashbacks need to short, relevant, and only when I've been teased enough that I'm dying to know what happened. :)MaryAnn Popehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08618345950149423623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-57700178771289667012012-07-08T19:23:43.654-07:002012-07-08T19:23:43.654-07:00We are doing well, yes. And thank you so much for ...We are doing well, yes. And thank you so much for thinking of us. We are getting torrential downpours right now in fact. The fires in Colorado Springs are out and we had flooding the other day. I'm hoping our weather balances out soon!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07572122401159709175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-6916574694750026692012-07-08T17:54:06.800-07:002012-07-08T17:54:06.800-07:00I'm not going to embarrass myself by attemptin...I'm not going to embarrass myself by attempting to sound intelligent about RPGs. But I am reading carefully between the lines to see that you are at home, living in what sounds like a normal state of existence. Therefore, things are alright with you and your neighborhood? I'm glad to here it. You've been on my mind a lot this week.Melanie Crousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10353025724182677932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-51244116242094196562012-07-08T11:19:02.924-07:002012-07-08T11:19:02.924-07:00I wouldn't say that RPGs will disappear as suc...I wouldn't say that RPGs will disappear as such, but I can see a future where we will have grind-fests that pretend to be RPGs.<br /><br />The Japanese market has hit rock bottom ever since Final Fantasy 14 came out. They made some questionable changes to the game mechanic, because some a-hole Bioware bigwig posted multiple posts about how Japanese RPGs aren't really RPGs, but turn-based combat adventure games (really Bioware? Really?).<br /><br />The hoidy-toidy fanboys agreed and now we have like 4 (5 if you count Zelda) major Japanese franchises:<br /><br />Final Fantasy, Tales, Kingdom Hearts and Persona (the last one being my favorite).<br /><br />Also, the advent of the MMO rpgs really damaged the story telling aspect of the RPG. Not to sound like a curmudgeon, but nowadays it's all about cool gear and achievements. The people who grew up expecting those to be the norm need to experience an adventure with a gripping story and characters.<br /><br />Skyrim has almost no plot, but a lot of sandbox freedom and side quests. Fall Out 3 did well until you reach the ending and you are not even given a choice on how you want to end the game (no, you go into the Radioactive chamber of doom, that's your job. And I have a bajilion packs of Redex. Why CAN'T I survive?)<br /><br />But there's always the exception to the rule like Mass Effect 1. Oh, and Witcher and Witcher 2!<br /><br />Also there's a little known, but quite enjoyable, Japanese RPG series called Mana Khemia. Might want to give those games a shake. :)Stefanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08705496652945481096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-16610365470170584502012-07-08T10:48:30.788-07:002012-07-08T10:48:30.788-07:00I'm with you. In the last few years it seems l...I'm with you. In the last few years it seems like story has taken a backseat to graphics. I like to play games with graphic appeal, but not at the expense of an engaging plot. I like what games started doing with the "choose your own ending" technique in games like Fable or Mass Effect, but I think by Mass Effect 3, that sort of came to an end. <br />I'm really sad to see the immersive storytelling in games dying off. I don't hold out much hope for the Japanese franchises that used to dominate the RPG market, now that they have to compete so heavily with lazy American game makers. I think it's a matter of time before we see the RPG disappear entirely. At least here in the US.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07572122401159709175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-67919833774579889052012-07-08T09:43:48.680-07:002012-07-08T09:43:48.680-07:00Thank you for pointing out what nobody else seems ...Thank you for pointing out what nobody else seems to notice!!<br /><br />I've always been a huge RPG geek and the fact that the companies nowadays don't care about actual story telling blows my mind on so many levels.<br /><br />To quote a well know TV show - We have the technology.<br /><br />But nah, let's focus on making everything shinier, and giving our female leads even SKIMPIER outfits!<br /><br />Flashbacks can work, if they are... Flashes.<br /><br />Let's think about this for a moment: if the ingame character has a flash back would he think and ruminate on his entire journey?<br /><br />Who in their right minds does that? (Ah, yes and there was this one time when I wandered aimlessly around for two hours because I forgot to pick up the key!) That's not a flashback. That's a memoir.<br /><br />I think they wanted to add an element of suspense in Dragon Age with that carrot dangling from a stick tactic.<br /><br />Look at this cool shizz! Now play through the game if you want to know what happens!<br /><br />Doesn't work. just doesn't work. If the outcome of my journey is predetermined all the suspense goes down the proverbial drain. I loose the feeling of having a choice. The game becomes a slog.<br /><br />I think a lot of cool story telling can be done with video games. It's up to the creators to experiment.Stefanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08705496652945481096noreply@blogger.com