I returned from California last night from another hugely productive design week at inXile. Coincidentally, I was there just in time to attend the launch party for Wasteland 2 (for which I wrote the Mannerites in LA), so I got to congratulate the team for their achievement in the launch, hang out with some of the backers, and see old friends who accused me of traveling there too stealthily for them to make plans to hang out with me. (note: this is actually true, because I was working pretty much the whole time)
Post-party-hangover, the remainder of the week was spent writing dialogues, learning how to deal with technical issues, and having some excellent personal interaction with the Torment team. We tightened trickier aspects of the story, and are continuing to answer other questions that pop up as we iron down other aspects. Story in games is an ongoing process through development, as aspects of the story come into sharp relief and require answers that won’t break other parts, and each discussion we have is aimed toward honing the player’s experience and deepening the story’s significance.
Wednesday night, Jesse Farrell taught Steve Dobos, Nathan Long, Kevin Saunders, George Ziets, and me how to play Chaos in the Old World, and I would have won if Mr. Dobos hadn’t pointed out I was going to win. I had two paths to victory, both eminently achievable, and all those rat-bastards (Nathan especially; he was playing the Skaven scum) teamed up to deny both paths… opening the way for George to defeat me, 54 to 49. (Perhaps I spoke too soon when I announced to the table that they couldn’t beat me.)
This is the part where I give a shout to Jason Dora for his excellence with the Torment website, and to Charlie Bloomer and Alisha Klein for their stunning work on the TTON video. I realize I’m supposed to be all cool about this job, but seeing ideas brought to life is a thrill that never, ever gets old. Working with this team is a pleasure and a privilege.
On that note, I’d also like to thank Adam for his patience, his memory, and his enthusiasm. Working half a world away can’t be easy for him, but he’s always ready with an incisive look into story, design, and other aspects of the game, and his patience with changes and his understanding of the ramifications of those changes is always amazing. Plus, as he notes, he’s great at revision.
Enough. Time to get back to revisions and rebuilding Unity.
