Profile for The Creator
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Displayed name | The Creator |
| Member number | 112 |
| Title | BoE Posse |
| Postcount | 1423 |
| Homepage | |
| Registered | Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
Recent posts
Pages
| Author | Recent posts |
|---|---|
| A modest proposal in Blades of Avernum | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Friday, May 28 2004 16:00
Profile
You need two people who are both willing to do all the work. If you treat a collaboration as a way of getting the job done easier, I think it's doomed to fail. EDIT: Thuryl beat me to it. [ Friday, May 28, 2004 16:01: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Judges Wanted for Contest in General | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Friday, May 28 2004 05:12
Profile
You see, it's a bit different to most contests. No votes, you get put in a (hopefully) secret forum with all the other judges and debate who should win and why. Judging will start in about three days, and will last for three weeks or until a result has been decided, whichever comes first. You will need to be able to pop in every few days. If you're interested and have time, go over to the Lyceum and apply.  -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| A modest proposal in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Thursday, May 27 2004 14:50
Profile
You see, most scenarios don't get finished. Even those who can and do complete scenarios will often not finish one. I've probably started twice as many scenarios as I've finished. I'm willing to bet that every designer has a bunch of incomplete, abandoned works sitting on his hard drive. (Which is why most won't talk about their projects until they're done - it's setting yourself up for embarassment) If you have two people working on a scenario, that's two people who can get too bored, or distracted, or busy to finish it - and only one needs to for the scenario to fail. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| A modest proposal in Blades of Avernum | |
|
BoE Posse
Member # 112
|
written Thursday, May 27 2004 14:50
Profile
You see, most scenarios don't get finished. Even those who can and do complete scenarios will often not finish one. I've probably started twice as many scenarios as I've finished. I'm willing to bet that every designer has a bunch of incomplete, abandoned works sitting on his hard drive. (Which is why most won't talk about their projects until they're done - it's setting yourself up for embarassment) If you have two people working on a scenario, that's two people who can get too bored, or distracted, or busy to finish it - and only one needs to for the scenario to fail. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - The Moral of the Story in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Monday, May 24 2004 15:52
Profile
Calm down, Kel. Vent doesn't have perfect English, I doubt he realised that sentence came out so smug. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - The Moral of the Story in Blades of Avernum | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Monday, May 24 2004 15:52
Profile
Calm down, Kel. Vent doesn't have perfect English, I doubt he realised that sentence came out so smug. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - The Moral of the Story in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Saturday, May 22 2004 01:00
Profile
Reread Kelandon's post if you want my response. He more or less said exactly what I would have if he hadn't. Summed up, my point of view is: 1) Making a point can be a good thing. 2) Done poorly, it can be a bad thing. 3) Making a point does not work when the scenario doesn't explore the issue properly. 4) You can't explore an issue properly with a one-sided argument. Do you disagree with any of this? -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - The Moral of the Story in Blades of Avernum | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Saturday, May 22 2004 01:00
Profile
Reread Kelandon's post if you want my response. He more or less said exactly what I would have if he hadn't. Summed up, my point of view is: 1) Making a point can be a good thing. 2) Done poorly, it can be a bad thing. 3) Making a point does not work when the scenario doesn't explore the issue properly. 4) You can't explore an issue properly with a one-sided argument. Do you disagree with any of this? -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - The Moral of the Story in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Tuesday, May 18 2004 04:37
Profile
So... the player is given a free moral choice. The rest of the series assumes you choose to help Marx. The sequel hinges on your party coming to help Marx - as a friend - in response to a letter from him. However, you insist that the scenario does not paint Marx as the 'good guy' and choosing to help him is not assumed to be the 'right choice'. Correct? [ Tuesday, May 18, 2004 04:38: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - The Moral of the Story in Blades of Avernum | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Tuesday, May 18 2004 04:37
Profile
So... the player is given a free moral choice. The rest of the series assumes you choose to help Marx. The sequel hinges on your party coming to help Marx - as a friend - in response to a letter from him. However, you insist that the scenario does not paint Marx as the 'good guy' and choosing to help him is not assumed to be the 'right choice'. Correct? [ Tuesday, May 18, 2004 04:38: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| European Spiderwebbers in General | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Sunday, May 16 2004 19:55
Profile
I liked Ukraine's entry best. Maybe it was because I couldn't understand most the words. The lyrics put me off a bunch of the others. "I would give my life for just one night with you"? Ugh. The rest were, at best, very predictable. Hated that Greek guy. The Polish girl sounded like Donald Duck. The voting was an education, though. Morocco voted for France. Portugal voted for Spain. Greece voted for Cyprus, and vice versa. Sweden was the only one to give Norway any votes. By the end, I was guessing who each country was going to vote for based on my knowledge of geography. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| semi-article: Attach your document in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Saturday, May 15 2004 18:54
Profile
Readmes, like everything, vary in quality. Brett's are usually very good. Nice to see you're playing BoE! -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| semi-article: Attach your document in Blades of Avernum | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Saturday, May 15 2004 18:54
Profile
Readmes, like everything, vary in quality. Brett's are usually very good. Nice to see you're playing BoE! -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - Your First Scenario in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Saturday, May 15 2004 18:48
Profile
Alec - you prove my point more than disprove it. Islands of the Wheel is a good scenario, but was topped later by Tatterdemalion, Tarl's second effort. Slavers of Pardes Valley was certainly beaten by Mendor and The Fog. On the other hand, Farmhands!! was Measle's first effort and many still consider it his best (though I don't), but he's a rare exception. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - Your First Scenario in Blades of Avernum | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Saturday, May 15 2004 18:48
Profile
Alec - you prove my point more than disprove it. Islands of the Wheel is a good scenario, but was topped later by Tatterdemalion, Tarl's second effort. Slavers of Pardes Valley was certainly beaten by Mendor and The Fog. On the other hand, Farmhands!! was Measle's first effort and many still consider it his best (though I don't), but he's a rare exception. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Undead Topics Need Loving Too (aka "Give Me Your First-Born") in General | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Thursday, May 13 2004 00:40
Profile
So... Desperance is a pool that is clearly intended for swimming in, but does allow cess as well. Anyone who is bothered by said cess is clearly too immature to swim at Desp. And it is most certainly not a cesspool. It is at least 90% water. Got it. [ Thursday, May 13, 2004 00:44: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Undead Topics Need Loving Too (aka "Give Me Your First-Born") in General | |
|
BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Wednesday, May 12 2004 17:26
Profile
Presumably, Alec, bizarre unmotivated posts about tentacle rape are okay over at Desp? If they're not, I apologise. It really is a much more mature community than I had thought. But I doubt it. But really, as Thuryl said, that can't possibly be CoC-compliant - here at least. If TM wants to act that way he could go back to Desp or to some other website. I don't want to see it. And so I return "it" (whatever "it" may be) back to you, unstuffed. Kel - Sorry, I just don't take links to Desp. It's not safe. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - Your First Scenario in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Wednesday, May 12 2004 17:08
Profile
Okay, you've finally finished! You're ready to release and become BoA's newest hero! Just slow down a bit. Have you played it? Probably you have, but have you played it again to make sure it still works? I recommend going through your scenario several times, carefully noting down all problems and fixing them before your next run through. If this seems like too much hard work, players will probably feel the same way. Get it as good as you can by yourself. Now, leave it to cool. The excitement of finishing a scenario is powerful stuff, and plenty of people have released them without thinking to add a readme file, or some other important detail (myself included). Yeah, it's cool and exciting, but it will still be cool and exciting in a week's time. If you send it out now, you'll be kicking yourself tomorrow once you remember that really important thing you had to change. Finally, you're ready to release it to the world, right? Wrong. You need beta-testers. Just post on Spiderweb's forums and you should get volunteers. Be warned, beta-testers can be very unreliable. Don't think "Yeah, there are a few bugs in it still, but my testers will pick that up." If you don't put in the effort yourself, there's every chance that they won't. Nearly every designer has had testers vanish into the ether - sometimes all of them. Be careful who you pick. If someone can't spell, they probably can't test. Certainly you can't rely on them to pick up typos. Designers usually are good testers as well. As a newbie designer, there's a serious chance that no one who's actually any good at testing will volunteer. So many first scenarios are so poor that those who are diligent and talented find it a waste of time to note down problems the designer could have fixed himself. However, if there's someone you'd love to test your scenario, you can always ask them directly. The worst they can do is say no. Think you're finished yet? Not by a long shot, jojo. It's a bad idea to just send your testers a scenario and wait for them to respond with whatever comments they have. If they're any good they will naturally pick up bugs and spelling errors, but you can get more than that out of them. Ask them questions - which bit of the scenario was the most fun? Did they get stuck anywhere? Was there anything that was just plain annoying? Did they think the villain was an interesting character? This is your first scenario, so probably not all your ideas were very good. You can do more than just cover the surface blemishes in beta phase, if you want to. So you get the reports, modify your scenario, and play through it again to make sure it's still winnable (NOTE: that last one is important!). Now what? Well, you can send it back to the testers for another round if you want, though there's not a lot of point doing this if they don't do a good job the first time. If you made some major changes, it's probably a good idea to give it back to them. Repeat if necessary. You really want to release that scenario now, don't you? I know, I've been there. Hopefully, you haven't been foolish enough to start a series with this scenario (like I was), but it's too late now. Put it aside to cool again. I know, I know. Arrgh! If you can't think of anything to add or change after a few days, you're ready to send it to Spiderweb. Then you'll have to wait an aggravatingly long time for it to get put up for people to download. Then, finally, it out there for people to play! Congratulations! You have just released your worst scenario! Please note that this is not an insult. Your scenario might be very good - but even then, your next scenario will almost certainly be better. Now, you wait for the accolades. Well, don't be too surprised if they don't flood in. You'll get emails asking for help, and maybe saying they've really enjoyed it so far, but never as many as you would like. Also, don't take it too hard if people criticise it. Very, very few scenarios get a clear run. Most WILL be mocked by someone, even the greats. You don't need to get upset about this - if they say something you can learn from, take it. Leave the rest. But hey! You've finished a scenario! That alone is a subsantial achievement. And if it's good, you're already ahead of the crowd. And every scenario from now on will be better and easier. [ Wednesday, May 12, 2004 18:50: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - Your First Scenario in Blades of Avernum | |
|
BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Wednesday, May 12 2004 17:08
Profile
Okay, you've finally finished! You're ready to release and become BoA's newest hero! Just slow down a bit. Have you played it? Probably you have, but have you played it again to make sure it still works? I recommend going through your scenario several times, carefully noting down all problems and fixing them before your next run through. If this seems like too much hard work, players will probably feel the same way. Get it as good as you can by yourself. Now, leave it to cool. The excitement of finishing a scenario is powerful stuff, and plenty of people have released them without thinking to add a readme file, or some other important detail (myself included). Yeah, it's cool and exciting, but it will still be cool and exciting in a week's time. If you send it out now, you'll be kicking yourself tomorrow once you remember that really important thing you had to change. Finally, you're ready to release it to the world, right? Wrong. You need beta-testers. Just post on Spiderweb's forums and you should get volunteers. Be warned, beta-testers can be very unreliable. Don't think "Yeah, there are a few bugs in it still, but my testers will pick that up." If you don't put in the effort yourself, there's every chance that they won't. Nearly every designer has had testers vanish into the ether - sometimes all of them. Be careful who you pick. If someone can't spell, they probably can't test. Certainly you can't rely on them to pick up typos. Designers usually are good testers as well. As a newbie designer, there's a serious chance that no one who's actually any good at testing will volunteer. So many first scenarios are so poor that those who are diligent and talented find it a waste of time to note down problems the designer could have fixed himself. However, if there's someone you'd love to test your scenario, you can always ask them directly. The worst they can do is say no. Think you're finished yet? Not by a long shot, jojo. It's a bad idea to just send your testers a scenario and wait for them to respond with whatever comments they have. If they're any good they will naturally pick up bugs and spelling errors, but you can get more than that out of them. Ask them questions - which bit of the scenario was the most fun? Did they get stuck anywhere? Was there anything that was just plain annoying? Did they think the villain was an interesting character? This is your first scenario, so probably not all your ideas were very good. You can do more than just cover the surface blemishes in beta phase, if you want to. So you get the reports, modify your scenario, and play through it again to make sure it's still winnable (NOTE: that last one is important!). Now what? Well, you can send it back to the testers for another round if you want, though there's not a lot of point doing this if they don't do a good job the first time. If you made some major changes, it's probably a good idea to give it back to them. Repeat if necessary. You really want to release that scenario now, don't you? I know, I've been there. Hopefully, you haven't been foolish enough to start a series with this scenario (like I was), but it's too late now. Put it aside to cool again. I know, I know. Arrgh! If you can't think of anything to add or change after a few days, you're ready to send it to Spiderweb. Then you'll have to wait an aggravatingly long time for it to get put up for people to download. Then, finally, it out there for people to play! Congratulations! You have just released your worst scenario! Please note that this is not an insult. Your scenario might be very good - but even then, your next scenario will almost certainly be better. Now, you wait for the accolades. Well, don't be too surprised if they don't flood in. You'll get emails asking for help, and maybe saying they've really enjoyed it so far, but never as many as you would like. Also, don't take it too hard if people criticise it. Very, very few scenarios get a clear run. Most WILL be mocked by someone, even the greats. You don't need to get upset about this - if they say something you can learn from, take it. Leave the rest. But hey! You've finished a scenario! That alone is a subsantial achievement. And if it's good, you're already ahead of the crowd. And every scenario from now on will be better and easier. [ Wednesday, May 12, 2004 18:50: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| semi-article: Attach your document in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
|
BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Wednesday, May 12 2004 16:14
Profile
Credit your graphical artists. Add names of beta-testers? Vent, I thought your English was bad, but it now seems that you're just on something. :P Kel, sometimes you just can't solve a bug, or it's not worth the effort (e.g. you need to rebuild a whole town to fix a graphical glitch). Download a bunch of BoE scenarios (doesn't matter if you have BoE or not, you can still read the text files), and see which readmes you like and which ones you don't. Make yours similar to the ones you like. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| semi-article: Attach your document in Blades of Avernum | |
|
BoE Posse
Member # 112
|
written Wednesday, May 12 2004 16:14
Profile
Credit your graphical artists. Add names of beta-testers? Vent, I thought your English was bad, but it now seems that you're just on something. :P Kel, sometimes you just can't solve a bug, or it's not worth the effort (e.g. you need to rebuild a whole town to fix a graphical glitch). Download a bunch of BoE scenarios (doesn't matter if you have BoE or not, you can still read the text files), and see which readmes you like and which ones you don't. Make yours similar to the ones you like. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - The Moral of the Story in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Wednesday, May 12 2004 16:00
Profile
Sure, you could find reasons. I'm sure Jeff Vogel could have too. But he didn't bother. I don't think A Small Rebellion is a good example. It has a moral dilemma, but it doesn't have a moral. This doesn't make it a bad scenario, of course. It's hard for me to draw from BoA scenarios considering I'm on PC. I would if I could, but I can't so I won't. Besides, there are way more good scenarios for BoE and everyone should play them. Kel - I think the word 'villify' means different things to you and me. Commander Groul is the antagonist of Nephil's Gambit, so it would be fair to say he's the 'bad guy', but I don't believe Tormod Strangeland villified him. He actually got into the mind of his 'villain' and understood him. He treated Groul as a character, not a baddie. So basically, I think we agree on concept, but differ on terminology. [ Wednesday, May 12, 2004 16:06: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - The Moral of the Story in Blades of Avernum | |
|
BoE Posse
Member # 112
|
written Wednesday, May 12 2004 16:00
Profile
Sure, you could find reasons. I'm sure Jeff Vogel could have too. But he didn't bother. I don't think A Small Rebellion is a good example. It has a moral dilemma, but it doesn't have a moral. This doesn't make it a bad scenario, of course. It's hard for me to draw from BoA scenarios considering I'm on PC. I would if I could, but I can't so I won't. Besides, there are way more good scenarios for BoE and everyone should play them. Kel - I think the word 'villify' means different things to you and me. Commander Groul is the antagonist of Nephil's Gambit, so it would be fair to say he's the 'bad guy', but I don't believe Tormod Strangeland villified him. He actually got into the mind of his 'villain' and understood him. He treated Groul as a character, not a baddie. So basically, I think we agree on concept, but differ on terminology. [ Wednesday, May 12, 2004 16:06: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Undead Topics Need Loving Too (aka "Give Me Your First-Born") in General | |
|
BoE Posse
Member # 112
|
written Wednesday, May 12 2004 04:47
Profile
TM, this is not Desperance. Please do not treat it as such. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
| Article - The Moral of the Story in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
|
BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Wednesday, May 12 2004 04:38
Profile
Checking the Bandits .exs file, it seems that Marx wasn't behind the lumber camp massacre. That was another bunch, and you walk in during negotiations about an alliance. Yeah, Marx tries to kill the party... that's been hired to kill him. Not that unreasonable. I think the reason why Marx comes off as so much more sympathetic than Pinochet is that he has motives. Not that they're necessarily good ones, but just the fact that they're there makes him better by comparison. In reference to Marx being presumed alive in Bandits 2, considering that the party is placed in a situation where they can decide the outcome, I assume that it would be natural to expect them to make the 'right' choice. Thuryl - I agree very much with most of your comments, especially Changing Faces. The first time I played it I got stuck shortly before the end. It was better that way. [ Wednesday, May 12, 2004 04:38: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |