Bioware, anyone?

I noticed that Bioware is having a writing contest to find a new writer. Initially, I saw the article on gamespot.com]Gamespot but I also saw it on slashdot.org]Slashdot. Not that I doubted it's legit. I'm thinking of participating in the contest, which ends the 30th of January '06. Anyone else giving it a shot?

As much as I would love to participate (given the fact that I am a writer), I need to present my story in the form of a scenario for Neverwinter Nights - and while I own a copy of this game, I refuse to install it because of how much difficulty I've had with it in the past.

Not to mention I don't think I can learn the Aurora toolkit in two months.

darknation is in the house. others need not apply.

Yes, I've always wanted to play a game where I take on the role of a drunk and have adventures involving parking cones, drunken fat girls and awkward gay sex.

That sounds like a lot of fun actually. :p

WildWeasel said:

As much as I would love to participate (given the fact that I am a writer), I need to present my story in the form of a scenario for Neverwinter Nights - and while I own a copy of this game, I refuse to install it because of how much difficulty I've had with it in the past.

Not to mention I don't think I can learn the Aurora toolkit in two months.

Lol. Too bad you can't just send in a written essay or such, then. I've probably written almost 2 dozen rpg-style riffs over the past 6 months.....any of them paperback worthy, I think.

P.S. Neverwinter Nights.....isn't that like Icewind Dale? I'm playing that and Morrowwind now. Morrowwind is f'ing HUGE!

zarkyb said:

Yes, I've always wanted to play a game where I take on the role of a drunk and have adventures involving parking cones, drunken fat girls and awkward gay sex.

Next time you are out drunk, find a cone. They should be scattered all over dundee.

Place this cone on your head, raise your arms and shout 'I AM THE WIZARD!' at the top of your lungs.

You are now role playing.

mallis said:

Next time you are out drunk, find a cone. They should be scattered all over dundee.

Place this cone on your head, raise your arms and shout 'I AM THE WIZARD!' at the top of your lungs.

You are now role playing.

Sounds like my half-aussie friend. He loves role playing, and not just the PC games....but the conventions and stuff.

Ick.

Lol.

mallis said:

Next time you are out drunk, find a cone. They should be scattered all over dundee.

Place this cone on your head, raise your arms and shout 'I AM THE WIZARD!' at the top of your lungs.

You are now role playing.

How am I supposed to get to Dundee (An hour or so drive away from where I stay, which is ~40 minutes away from Zarcyb)) while drunk. :\

I'd love to work for Bioware and I like writing, but unfortunately I haven't that game. Bollocks.

Avenging Angel said:

P.S. Neverwinter Nights.....isn't that like Icewind Dale? I'm playing that and Morrowwind now. Morrowwind is f'ing HUGE!

Same developers, same franchise, different engine, different rules system (unless you mean IWD2), and it has nothing to do with Black Isle (R.I.P.).

Speaking of Black Isle, Icewind Dale was their worst game and I urge you to play something else.

mallis said:

Next time you are out drunk, find a cone. They should be scattered all over dundee.

Place this cone on your head, raise your arms and shout 'I AM THE WIZARD!' at the top of your lungs.

You are now role playing.

Haha, that reminds me of this time I read a news article about some guy who got arrested for going around and drunkenly molesting traffic cones in Edinburgh and the first thing I thought was "Zarky?".

biomeh

that's what I thought when they first rolled out their stupid NWN premium modules, obviously makes them look more hungry for cash and less on creativity.

Oh, and NWN has a really shitty musical score. Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 are better even if their themes are a little too fanfaric, but at least it doesn't bore me to death and it has decent atmospherical sounds rather than a bunch of stock sounds mixed in.

Danarchy said:

I'd love to work for Bioware and I like writing, but unfortunately I haven't that game. Bollocks.


Same developers, same franchise, different engine, different rules system (unless you mean IWD2), and it has nothing to do with Black Isle (R.I.P.).

Speaking of Black Isle, Icewind Dale was their worst game and I urge you to play something else.

Black Isle made some good games, no doubt, but did you ever notice how Baulders' gate 1 & 2 seemed to rattle on forever in terms of mundane-ness in text/speech?

IMO, I like IWD. It has a nice intro movie and cutscenes, and the missions are alright. I like eays to play, short stuff. Long stuff(except maybe morrowwind, which seems more like Ultima 8) makes me get bored quickly, as all places/etc sort of look alike and blur together until it feels like i've been doing the same town over and over again....etc.

Personally, I think NWN sucked compared to the Baldur's Gate series.

Job said:

Personally, I think NWN sucked compared to the Baldur's Gate series.

Ultima 8 was good....ever play that? Yes, I know it isn't a black isle or such game, but it is was pretty good for the time it was made.....dont you think?

Avenging Angel said:

Black Isle made some good games, no doubt, but did you ever notice how Baulders' gate 1 & 2 seemed to rattle on forever in terms of mundane-ness in text/speech?

No. My only grievance with it (and all Infinity games) is the massive amount of save/reloading that is required to beat it. That combined with the fact that save/reloading on certain maps in BG1 makes the enemies multiply exponentialy. But the text was alright and actualy rather well written. And nothing beats the NPC dialogues.

IMO, I like IWD. It has a nice intro movie and cutscenes, and the missions are alright. I like eays to play, short stuff. Long stuff(except maybe morrowwind, which seems more like Ultima 8) makes me get bored quickly, as all places/etc sort of look alike and blur together until it feels like i've been doing the same town over and over again....etc.

IWD is far, far too linear. The entire game is one person telling you to go to a certain place followed by another person telling you to go to another place and there is virtualy no way to deviate from the exact path you're given. Hell, there aren't even any fucking random encounters.

I suppose if long games bore you that the Infinity series wouldn't be right for you at all though. Try Fallout. That game is really short but awesome.

The best thing to come out of Bioware was Torment, and even then, only the engine was utilized.

I love all the games that came out on the infinity engine, but I'd have to say the orginal BG and Torment were the pick of the bunch. If only the rest of them could have followed with the loving attention to detail that was lavished on those two. NWN on the other hand put me off CRPG's. Sure its great if you want to make and play custom campaigns, but it did nothing for my thirst for more epic adventure tales.

I'm still looking for a new RPG that isnt pretentiously serious to fill the void left by BI's demise. I tried Morrowind and Gothic, and had a look at Dungeon Siege but the characters in them are so flat you want to slap them for missing the point. So far ProgressQuest seems to be the only contender...

Danarchy said:

No. My only grievance with it (and all Infinity games) is the massive amount of save/reloading that is required to beat it. That combined with the fact that save/reloading on certain maps in BG1 makes the enemies multiply exponentialy. But the text was alright and actualy rather well written. And nothing beats the NPC dialogues.

-I agree. That's one reason why I didn't like BG 1 & 2, even though I own both(Lol). You have to keep the quick save/load key binds handy, and it gets frustrating. As for text/speech, I meant in how your characters fight with each other all the time, saying the same thing over and over again.....or constantly reminding you to do something or they will leave the party. :)


IWD is far, far too linear. The entire game is one person telling you to go to a certain place followed by another person telling you to go to another place and there is virtualy no way to deviate from the exact path you're given. Hell, there aren't even any fucking random encounters.

-I know it's linear. That's one reason why i'm playing it. I actually had it, IN BOX, on a shelf for 2 years + before I opened it. So, what's your opinion on IWD 2? Any better than number 1?


I suppose if long games bore you that the Infinity series wouldn't be right for you at all though. Try Fallout. That game is really short but awesome.

Got Fallout 1/2/Tactics.....but only finished like 50% of 1 & 30% of 2, using only one or two of the characters to choose from, no less.

Good games though, I concur on that as well.

chilvence said:

I'm still looking for a new RPG that isnt pretentiously serious to fill the void left by BI's demise. I tried Morrowind and Gothic, and had a look at Dungeon Siege but the characters in them are so flat you want to slap them for missing the point. So far ProgressQuest seems to be the only contender...

I dunno. I actually liked Dungeon Siege 1(Not 2, haven't played that yet), but only to a point. The forest/cave areas are HUGE and get boring after awhile, and then there's that annoying bug where part of the game "map" will be missing.....and you won't be able to advance any further in the game unless you restore an older save. Meh to that.

I like Morrowwind only so far as to the facts that you can go wherever you want at any time, exploring/robbing/talking/etc. The characters do tend to repeat themselves alot though, in speech and mannerisms, but the grpahics & music are pretty good.

Its not that they repeat themselves, every CRPG suffers from that. It's that they blabber on for hours without actually saying anything insightful or entertaining. Even IWD 1 and 2 had a few jokes and a smattering of token charm, which combined with the fact that they had worked hard on creating atmospheric stages was enough to carry it.

chilvence said:

Its not that they repeat themselves, every CRPG suffers from that. It's that they blabber on for hours without actually saying anything insightful or entertaining. Even IWD 1 and 2 had a few jokes and a smattering of token charm, which combined with the fact that they had worked hard on creating atmospheric stages was enough to carry it.

Good points, and I see what you mean in IWD. But I don't play Morrowwind just for entertainment as far as comedy is concerned. ;)

I love the music, as I said before, because I can use it to set my mood mentally and emotionally....even when away from the PC. Plus, it has a few Star Wars games songs in it(Stock music?) that I like.

The only thing I dislike really besides what I said before is the long winded books you can read through in-game. Too much text in some, not enough in others....although some is "entertaining" to read, to be sure.