d'Spair on 9/3/2011 at 21:05
Quote Posted by Koki
Can anyone name a
single reason why would you do an interview as a podcast as opposed to text?
I second that. Had it been in text, I would've read it days ago. Currently I'm trying to find time to listen.
addink on 9/3/2011 at 22:24
Excellent Interview! Great stuff.
Of course some of the answers and remarks do pose new questions. For instance, I totally get the reasons for dropping all friendly NPCs, I agree that a very limited set of responses can break the delicate construct of smoke and mirrors that make the game the believable world that it became. But: it also automatically turns everything that moves into something hostile. I really liked the friendly NPCs in UW and I had hardly any trouble suspending disbelief when friendlies didn't respond properly surprised and/or annoyed when being pelted with fish...
I really missed the friendly NPCs. The first time when I got the mail from the survivors asking for help in dealing with the cortex reaver, it made me so happy. I dropped everything and was determined to save them..
I'd like to know if there were any ideas or even attempts at introducing non-hostile NPCs. Like for instance simply introducing some maintenance bots that are just doing their maintenance thing, only to turn on you when attacked.
Also, throughout the interview there's a pretty grim view on the possibilities for interactive storytelling. LG's 'Backstory Excavating' (great term btw) works very well. But I do feel that the possibilities for interactive storytelling are far from exhausted. Perhaps by deeper deconstructing a storyline and its details there are ways of finding multiple ways of recreating the essence of the story without resorting to static paths*. I would have liked to hear Austin's visions on that front.
*) I know this is pretty daunting stuff for a classic writer. It's like asking a painter to make a sculpture: the added dimension kills part of the control the artist has over the experience of his audience.
Quote Posted by d'Spair
Quote Posted by Koki
Can anyone name a
single reason why would you do an interview as a podcast as opposed to text?
I second that. Had it been in text, I would've read it days ago. Currently I'm trying to find time to listen.
If any of you two had listened to it you wouldn't hold this position.
But I offer you two each a
single reason:
* A transcribed conversation doesn't convey the same information as the actual spoken text. Emphasis, pauses within, and overall tone of a remark get lost when transcribed; even when attempts are made to include them.
* There is a section about a garbled voice effect and the various interpretations that exist of its original content. It would be quite hard to get this across using text only.
Also it's not the type of interview that you need listen to right now. If you don't have the time now, listen to it later. It'll be just as good within a couple of years.
gunsmoke on 9/3/2011 at 23:58
Quote Posted by d'Spair
I second that. Had it been in text, I would've read it days ago. Currently I'm trying to find time to listen.
I found time to listen to 30 minutes of it, and fell asleep. Just because you can podcast, doesn't mean you should.
I whole heartedly support a text dump.
Al_B on 10/3/2011 at 00:16
Quote Posted by addink
Also, throughout the interview there's a pretty grim view on the possibilities for interactive storytelling.
I thought that too, but I took that to largely be Austin's opinions and possibly reluctance to give up control on how a story is developed for the player. It'll be interesting to see if that comes out in the other interviews as well.
Quote Posted by gunsmoke
I found time to listen to 30 minutes of it, and fell asleep. Just because you can podcast, doesn't mean you should.
That's a bit harsh. It would be nice if there was a text version as well, but being able to hear the nuances in the discussions made it worth listening to.
gunsmoke on 10/3/2011 at 00:59
It isn't harsh, it is just true. I literally fell asleep. I am sorry, I work 2 jobs. I am very busy. Others in this thread have agreed with me as well. Sure, record it and upload it for those that are interested, but make it available in text for those of us who don't jive with the format. Personally, I have never been interested in nuances in the discussions, and gravitate instead to the meat and potatoes of the content.
I also read at an extremely accelerated rate, and could have skimmed the content on my phone on my lunch break and been in love with it. As it is, I'll pass.
Just different strokes for different folks, man.
june gloom on 10/3/2011 at 02:54
And I'm hearing impaired. I am literally physically prevented from being able to fully enjoy a podcast. What about me? Am I forever to be shut out of this because of my disability?
jtr7 on 10/3/2011 at 03:35
Hey, nobody gives a damn about my disabilities. I gotta compensate all by myself, for myself. I used to transcribe things for taffers, but my disability killed that from ever happening again, except for tiny and infrequent projects. Since hearing isn't an issue for me, yet, I will still enjoy listening to my heroes talk a bit about the work they did that has given me so much enjoyment. I'm all for someone transcribing the talks, though, since it also makes it a great deal easier to find a quote, as well as helping the non-English speakers translate and yeah, the hearing impaired.
Muzman on 10/3/2011 at 04:29
Quote Posted by Koki
Can anyone name a
single reason why would you do an interview as a podcast as opposed to text?
Cos you can do other productive things while you listen to it, which I do a lot lately. Unless you're studying the given subject, reading's just a time consuming distraction.
As addink says, if an interview was done live it'll always have more information in its original form than if put down in text. It's just the way talking works.
Before anyone says anything, I know there's various reasons text is better, maybe english and accents are better for you that way, maybe hearing etc. We're asked for a single reason. There's two. That's all it is.
Koki on 10/3/2011 at 06:32
Quote Posted by addink
A transcribed conversation doesn't convey the same information as the actual spoken text. Emphasis, pauses within, and overall tone of a remark get lost when transcribed; even when attempts are made to include them.
Which is usually a
good thing, since such interviews are made mostly by nerds who are not exactly famous for their mad oratory skillz.
Can't argue with your second point though. You win!
june gloom on 10/3/2011 at 07:50
Quote Posted by jtr7
Hey, nobody gives a damn about my disabilities. I gotta compensate all by myself, for myself.
Well bully for you. It must be nice to never need help because you're a HARD MAN and no puny DIFFERENT ABILITY ever gets in the way of simple things like COMMUNICATION or SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, because you're BADASS.
Seriously, fuck off wanker. I'm not trying to play entitlement-whore here, but ffs don't act like I don't have a good reason for not giving a shit about podcasts (or really anything else that doesn't have subtitles or a text dump that I can read.) I am physically incapable of being part of a HUGE chunk of human culture simply because I lack one of the five major senses. No amount of dickwaving bravado is going to help me surmount that. Can you even comprehend just how much is closed to me? Or are you just going to flip a table and tell me to man up because YOU don't need any help (when you're not even fucking deaf anyway so what's your fucking point?)
