"How many times do I have to lie
before you believe me?"
-Firewater
I had a big long rant about pacifism, taxes, and using our pesky big brains to solve problems through other means than
violence, tied that into the design of the game, and closed with a pithy little moral.
Then I changed my mind, because it wasn't funny. Boy, the temptation to misuse this page as a forum is really, really
tempting. I'll get over it. Soon. Honest.
All right. I'll assume that since you're here, you care about what's happening in the development of this game - probably
a fair assumption, since you're looking at the Latest News for the game, huh?
Here's the deal: We're getting a demo ready to show at E3. When I say "we", what I really mean is "the artists, scripters,
and program guys". The design work went into the area some time ago, and while Chris might be doing a couple of tweaks to it
that I don't know about, we've essentially finished that part of the game. It still has to be tested, of course, and I'm sure we'll
find ways to mess around with it until it ships - but for right now, it's finished, and the design team is looking ahead to finishing
our next major area of the game.
These are the major factors that go into designing an area for Planescape: Torment. Remember, this isn't a full list
(I don't think you really have the time to read all that...):
1. A reason. We really need to know why this area has an overriding reason to exist in our game. We don't do one-offs,
because in a game that requires rendered, fully-painted backgrounds, it's an incredible waste of space and time to create and
populate an entire area that's almost completely extraneous to the game.
2. A story. What's going on in the area? What's here to catch the player's interest? What's here that will both advance
the plot and create a sense of realism (yes, "realism"... from Planescape. Oxymoronic? Maybe...)?
3. Major characters. These are the folks who really move the area forward, the ones who drive the area, and the ones
who'll make the player's life easier... or make it hell.
4. Minor characters. These are the people who make the area *breathe*. They might not have as much to
contribute, but then, not everyone in your life is going to be truly important to you. They act as color and can
provide side quests to you, and they'll help to make the game more memorable.
5. Info text placement. What I'm talking about is the descriptive prose you'll get when you mouse over something
and need to find out what it is. Is it painted decoration, or is it an important clue for your quest?
6. Creature placement and spawning. Who lives here? What do they do? Where do they go? How do they react to any
number of myriad situations that might arise? This is what we tell the scripters, and then they do it for us. Scripters are like
magic little elves. Designers love scripters. Scripters hate designers because we make them do all sorts of stupid and
impossible things. They get revenge by telling us that it can't be done. Then we hate them.
Actually, there's nothing but love on this team. Love love love.
In closing, here's a design haiku*:
Hey, a designer!
Walking carefree and happy
Why not in jail?
Peace,
Basho** McComb***
* Haikus are Japanese poems requiring a strict form: Five syllables on the first line, seven on the second, and five
again on the third, for a total of seventeen syllables. They are generally intended to convey a specific moment in
time or a specific emotion. Those who have captured this essence are then allowed to break all the rules set forth above.
** Master Basho (1644-1694) was a master haiku artist.
*** I am an atrocious haiku-er. Thus, the dichotomy.
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