Katrina Johnson

Full of inspiration from GDC, I was suffering from a severe lack of creative expression once I returned to my liberal arts classes. Many people I had talked to suggested creating a module, so I decided to work with BioWare’s Aurora toolset. It is included with Neverwinter Nights, and it has many features that make the writing process very easy. Since I want to learn more about game writing, I figured a module focused on storytelling through dialog would be a place to start.

My first writing module was a matchmaking module inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma. I knew that a romance plot would require very little difficult scripting, so I could complete it entirely on my own. I wrote over just over 5,000 words and had a great time. Soon, I asked my friends to play it and critique it. Since I wanted to write games with more powerful choices, one friend suggested that I make another module that dealt with matters of life and death.

My next module was about a shipwreck. I made sure to give the player opportunities to kill several people, and had other characters react accordingly. I spent many hours refining this module and I listened carefully to the advice of trusted friends. I wrote and rewrote in order to make my dialog better. This module had around 5,000 words of dialog as well, but it was drastically different from my first module.

After completing the second module, I went back to play the first. It was shocking to see how simple the dialog looked. Every line seemed to be a glaring example of something I had worked so hard to fix in the newer mod. I was so glad to see that I had made an improvement. I haven't decided if it’s worth the time to rewrite that module at this point, but it did teach me a lot. No matter how long you spend on a module, it takes focus and dedication to write good dialog. Not only do you have to write something that sounds natural, but you have to write it so it flows well in response response to each of the many dialog choice the player can select. It is essential to own your characters and think how each situation affects them. Like a good actor, a skilled writer knows their characters’ priorities, motivations, and personalities.

When I began making these modules, I had no idea that game writing was so complicated. However, the challenges that game writing presents are incredibly stimulating for me. I have always loved honing my writing until I find the best way to say something. I enjoy setting high standards for myself and becoming immersed in a fictional world. For the first time in a long time, I found myself forgetting about eating and time flew by. I love this type of writing, and I plan to work had to improve so that I can become a game writer in the future.

It’s easy to complain about a game. When something goes wrong, I can often pinpoint the problem and propose a solution. However, when something goes right, it’s often harder to explain why. If someone asked me why I like chocolate milkshakes, for example, I would have a very hard time explaining it. Fortunately, with a game like Mass Effect, it’s a little bit easier to find the positives. I may have complained about achievement difficulties and the mako, but this game is becoming my new addiction.

It’s no secret that RPGs are my favorite genre. I have some trusted favorites from the past, but it seems that few RPGs can compare these days. Then I found Mass Effect. This game has been able to pull me in and immerse me in a new universe. The HD graphics look fantastic, from the environments such as presidium in the citadel to the futuristic clothes. I love being immersed in these fantastic environments, even if texture popping prevents me from seeing all the great details immediately. The outfits are a lot of fun, especially since the characters’ appearance changes with new armor. Most of the time, my female Commander Shepherd looked pretty cool in her armor. I once had a good laugh when I realized that the best armor for my krogan companion was a pink and white getup very similar to Ashley’s from the beginning of the game.

My main motivation for playing most RPGs is an epic story. I love watching a complicated plot unravel slowly and sinking my teeth into some rewarding side quests. Mass Effect is clearly focused on the story. I really wanted to explore the cities and talk to everyone, because I felt I could learn a little something from each NPC. The main worlds felt alive and interesting. I’m not sure how the story will play out, but at this point the missions feel very well paced and have great story arcs.

While I have not been very good at shooting games in the past, Mass Effect requires a lot of shooting. I like to think that I’m getting better at it, but the game is structured so that it is accessible for people like me that aren’t as familiar shooters. I could’ve chosen to be a biotic (giving me talents that can do damage without aiming) or could I rely more on my AI-controlled companions. I found that the game was never too difficult for me on normal mode.

I’ve really enjoyed Mass Effect so far. Despite my frustrations with the mako, the fantastic story and effective gameplay are keeping me addicted. I’m looking forward to playing it again soon and getting lost in Mass Effect’s universe.

Prior to playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl, I had no experience with the series. I had often heard of Brawl tournaments, but I was intimidated by the frenzy and skills of the dedicated fans.

However, there was one tournament that I chose to attend. At GDC, one of my fellow volunteers (CAs) had brought a Japanese Wii with a copy of Brawl. This was before the game’s release, and I thought it would be worth checking out the game, even if it was just for educational purposes. Soon we had a tournament, with rounds scheduled in the evenings. I signed up to play a round, even though I knew that I had no shot at winning.

During the few minutes that I played, I felt that I was given a crash course in crowd dynamics and the real spirit of Smash Bros. While there was some skill involved, a lot of the game seemed to be based on chance and being in the right place at the right time. The controls aren’t very refined, but there are a few things you can do to gain an advantage, such as getting power-ups. The crowd added a whole new dimension to play, as they would cheer when someone did major damage. The crowd also helped me when I got a smash ball by shouting “Press B!” I was playing as Samus, and it was great fun to unleash the Zero Suit version from the bulky armor.

I never bought Brawl, but I have had the chance to play the localized version with my friends. I tried out the co-op mode with one friend, which turned out to be more frustrating than fun. When playing in co-op mode, you only get the number of lives as you would on single player mode. This seems fair until playing through the levels, where enemies are all over the screen and it actually becomes easier to die with a partner taking up prime strategic locations on the screen. It’s much harder to avoid certain ranged attacks, so lives seem to disappear faster.

I played group melee mode with a few different friends. It’s tough to be a beginner because I had little chance of winning, but I felt that I could improve my chances by sticking with certain dependable characters like Pikachu. The skill gap still makes it a bit difficult to have fun (for a sustained period of time), but there is the option of teaming up in melee. I found that it was a lot more fun when I was helping a friend instead of fighting against them.

I didn’t play much of the other modes, but I did watch other friends play. One friend complained about the single-player mode, claiming that the levels were poorly designed so many features were frustrating. When I observed the levels, I began to see how some tricky areas of the levels depended more on chance than skill to get through, such as an area where enemies would continually freeze you because of the way they were lined up.

There were a few elements of this game that really bothered me. First, the sounds were incredibly annoying when you weren’t watching or playing the game. The sound effects were short and repetitive. Characters such as Pikachu with odd voices got on my nerves fast if I wasn’t involved in the game. The pace of the game itself is hyper like the sounds, with changing environments and fast moves. However, the controls can seem slow to respond due to set animation loops, so it leads to impatience on the part of the player. Also, there seemed to be a lot of useless features, such as being able to arrange and photograph trophies or make a virtual scrapbook with stickers. While these features may have appealed more to a Japanese market, it seems a ridiculous waste of time and resources to me when the single-player levels could’ve used more refinement.

While Super Smash Bros. Brawl does come with a few neat features, such as building your own levels, it seems to have a lot of frustrating elements in single-player mode and other areas of the game. It is certainly strongest in the group melee modes, but that comes as no surprise, given the proportion of time players will spend on that mode. It seems that this game could’ve benefited from a better allocation of resources by cutting a few single-player levels or additional features that seem to detract from an otherwise decent fighting game.

Rock Band seemed like a neat idea ever since I heard about it, and I enjoyed my first brief experience with it. I liked the concept of being able to assemble your own band. Whether you play alone or with others, you can gain a new appreciation for music by focusing on an instrument you don’t normally listen to, especially bass and drums.

I don’t own Rock Band (and probably won’t for a while due to limited space), but I do enjoy playing it. I have found that it’s fun to play with one other person, but the more people, the better. I like being able to cheer my friends on and work together as a team of four. It’s unique to have a game these days that allows for up to four players in a co-op mode.

When I was playing in a group of three, I often ended up singing vocals. The vocal part is really strange because all you have to do is match the tone. It doesn’t make a difference what words you sing. Songs can be really hard if you’ve never heard them before, but the lax policy (just tone-matching) makes it easier. For drums, it seemed that many songs had similar patterns that would repeat. Even if there were a few tricky parts involving the pedal, the pattern would greatly reduce the difficulty. The guitar part was fun, but my other friends often played it since they were better at it from playing Guitar Hero. It tended to hurt my hand (likely due to inefficient techniques) and tended to be finicky. The guitar controller looks cooler than that for Guitar Hero, but the well-known fact that they break easily greatly detracts from the aesthetic improvements.

The game itself it structured in a fun way, especially with the customizable characters. I enjoyed creating an avatar that looks like an improved version of myself. However, the game doesn’t allow you to switch your character to a different instrument. This was annoying because the people I played with often rotated instruments, so I felt silly playing as an avatar that looked like my friend while the “me” avatar was busy on another part.

I have enjoyed playing Rock Band, and I’d like to play it more. It seems best played with a group of people, so the best gameplay sessions take a little coordination. No matter how much fun I have though, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the silliness of the concept. Rock Band is a game that takes the “be a rock star” fad that began with Guitar Hero even further, but it’s ok to enjoy it as long as you remember that it’s just a game.