2013-04-08, 02:33 AM
My position is pretty simple. I'd just like King's Field to be a household name in the coming decades. Doesn't mean everyone has to play it, but I'd like it if everyone in the developed world knows what it is, or can say, yeah I've heard of that.
That doesn't mean dumbing it down to me. But it does mean it will need to be tightly packaged in at least one variety. I am all for people doing experimental stuff with it, but at least one version needs to look mainstream going forward. Maybe after it is established more complex treatments can be done from the ground up. But when I think about designing video games, I think it needs to have some elements that are familiar to people who've been playing games for the last few decades, and there is just something about video games that is not congruent with books. If you try to make a game that is like a book it won't work period. Something about it is just intrinsically more kitsch. That's why you really don't need an art dept...
But From must have had an art department. Who would make all of the beautiful artwork? And artists are creative types. I just can't imagine an investment of such magnitude being blundered through. In fact I think someone at From during the early days must have had powerful creative foresight. Because its the only studio that has really weathered the decades, and almost nothing was comparable even in its day.
Maybe its over thinking things that poisons game stories and narrative. Maybe KF works so well because no one wanted to commit to anything. But the twists to me are there for a reason. Even if they are decisions that were not made in advance. Twists have shock value, and make you reevaluate everything. That's one of the real strengths of the games. Even if I really don't know what is going on precisely. It's obvious that if it wasn't so unpredictable, that wouldn't be a problem.
PS: Astral projection is what I took you to mean. But I just wanted to be sure we are on the same page. The dragon in the SOM remake really doesn't look like Guyra, and is even much more kid friendly than the black dragon model in the original game. But I think part of the decision there was just that a Guyra monster wasn't going to be part of the package, so a more generic dragon was used, so that it would be more useful to people making different kinds of games.
I really like the idea of slowly but surely revolving the story around Milia. She seems like the character that's seen it all. So bringing the series full circle with a reveal that she is the Dragon of the Forest works I think. Plus it has a pseudo feminist appeal, and a hey you thought it would be a guy didn't you! Or at least a recognition that overtime a mysterious woman would obviously metamorphose into a man in the historical record is one of those nice touches that you only get in KF games. And then there is always, what's more obvious than Milia giving the player access to the final armor, than if it were originally her armor. That's a no brainer.
But I only mention Milia because I like the idea of her ability to produce these "astral projection" puppets. Maybe they are the real things, I dunno. I think there is value in them being mere illusions, but also the idea of her summoning Guyra to fight along side her is impressive too. That would seem less impressive if it really wasn't Guyra. But I am torn because in the story parts, where Milia appears alongside Guyra, I really like the idea that its simply Milia talking for Guyra, and he trusts her to be loyal, and he gave her (by creating her in those vats) the ability to do that just so she could play that role for him.
Anyway, if you played a game as Milia seeing the events throughout a long life. I can't think of any way to let a second player tag along in that, unless the second player got to control the monsters and stuff that she could summon as a special ability. Also player 1 could switch between who controls what, so AI would takeover Milia, unless she was sitting down or something.
It seems kind of wrong to make KF a two player series. Potentially even more. But I think playing together is important. Especially for children growing up in a home together. And it would be a good thing to develop that technology, and there's not better way to showcase it than in a KF flagship project.
That doesn't mean dumbing it down to me. But it does mean it will need to be tightly packaged in at least one variety. I am all for people doing experimental stuff with it, but at least one version needs to look mainstream going forward. Maybe after it is established more complex treatments can be done from the ground up. But when I think about designing video games, I think it needs to have some elements that are familiar to people who've been playing games for the last few decades, and there is just something about video games that is not congruent with books. If you try to make a game that is like a book it won't work period. Something about it is just intrinsically more kitsch. That's why you really don't need an art dept...
But From must have had an art department. Who would make all of the beautiful artwork? And artists are creative types. I just can't imagine an investment of such magnitude being blundered through. In fact I think someone at From during the early days must have had powerful creative foresight. Because its the only studio that has really weathered the decades, and almost nothing was comparable even in its day.
Maybe its over thinking things that poisons game stories and narrative. Maybe KF works so well because no one wanted to commit to anything. But the twists to me are there for a reason. Even if they are decisions that were not made in advance. Twists have shock value, and make you reevaluate everything. That's one of the real strengths of the games. Even if I really don't know what is going on precisely. It's obvious that if it wasn't so unpredictable, that wouldn't be a problem.
PS: Astral projection is what I took you to mean. But I just wanted to be sure we are on the same page. The dragon in the SOM remake really doesn't look like Guyra, and is even much more kid friendly than the black dragon model in the original game. But I think part of the decision there was just that a Guyra monster wasn't going to be part of the package, so a more generic dragon was used, so that it would be more useful to people making different kinds of games.
I really like the idea of slowly but surely revolving the story around Milia. She seems like the character that's seen it all. So bringing the series full circle with a reveal that she is the Dragon of the Forest works I think. Plus it has a pseudo feminist appeal, and a hey you thought it would be a guy didn't you! Or at least a recognition that overtime a mysterious woman would obviously metamorphose into a man in the historical record is one of those nice touches that you only get in KF games. And then there is always, what's more obvious than Milia giving the player access to the final armor, than if it were originally her armor. That's a no brainer.
But I only mention Milia because I like the idea of her ability to produce these "astral projection" puppets. Maybe they are the real things, I dunno. I think there is value in them being mere illusions, but also the idea of her summoning Guyra to fight along side her is impressive too. That would seem less impressive if it really wasn't Guyra. But I am torn because in the story parts, where Milia appears alongside Guyra, I really like the idea that its simply Milia talking for Guyra, and he trusts her to be loyal, and he gave her (by creating her in those vats) the ability to do that just so she could play that role for him.
Anyway, if you played a game as Milia seeing the events throughout a long life. I can't think of any way to let a second player tag along in that, unless the second player got to control the monsters and stuff that she could summon as a special ability. Also player 1 could switch between who controls what, so AI would takeover Milia, unless she was sitting down or something.
It seems kind of wrong to make KF a two player series. Potentially even more. But I think playing together is important. Especially for children growing up in a home together. And it would be a good thing to develop that technology, and there's not better way to showcase it than in a KF flagship project.