Andrew Moore's Blog, page 155
June 22, 2021
On Technological Progress in Fantasy
A common complaint is uttered, and we must heed it. "Fantasy worlds don't advance enough over the years," people say. What I wonder is what are these worlds, and how would we know?
Few series span enough time to see much change. Few settings are exploited by multiple series. Midkemia sees a few generations, but that's uncommon. Should we expect rapid technological progress over the year or two most stories span? I don't think we should.
Our knowledge of the past in most settings comes from its own history and legends. Now imagine somebody during the Thirty Years' War reading a history of the Year of the Four Emperors, a millennium and a half earlier. What would tell him the technology of his own year was different? The lack of windmills? Why would the author mention windmills? This guy raised an army and fought that guy. What technological advancement would our hypothetical reader see in that? Just the same way, the ancient legend about the hero defeating the demon god wouldn't say a thing about irrigation techniques or dye fixing.
Some suppose an unrealistic lack of technological advancement to be common in fantasy, but I disagree. The real problem with fantasy is not enough tough priests and clumsy maids.
Few series span enough time to see much change. Few settings are exploited by multiple series. Midkemia sees a few generations, but that's uncommon. Should we expect rapid technological progress over the year or two most stories span? I don't think we should.
Our knowledge of the past in most settings comes from its own history and legends. Now imagine somebody during the Thirty Years' War reading a history of the Year of the Four Emperors, a millennium and a half earlier. What would tell him the technology of his own year was different? The lack of windmills? Why would the author mention windmills? This guy raised an army and fought that guy. What technological advancement would our hypothetical reader see in that? Just the same way, the ancient legend about the hero defeating the demon god wouldn't say a thing about irrigation techniques or dye fixing.
Some suppose an unrealistic lack of technological advancement to be common in fantasy, but I disagree. The real problem with fantasy is not enough tough priests and clumsy maids.
June 21, 2021
Reasonable Occupations
I'm not saying your tough priest has to oversee an orphanage. I'm merely suggesting it.
June 20, 2021
The Sundial
"I was told, little brother, that this sundial was special indeed," said Plous, shrugging. "How could a sundial be special? I trust the judgment of my buyers, however."
"Good, but don't trust their honesty. Everyone says you're too rich to notice some missing money here and there, and I hate it when everyone is right." Clous set down his cup and stood. "Shall we take a look?"
The brothers ambled into the garden where a pair of laborers even then were setting a pedestal in place and crowning it with Plous's latest acquisition. The workers finished and backed away, hats off, while the brothers looked.
"Big brother, I have noticed something special."
"As have I. I hoped it was an illusion, though."
"The shadow is on the wrong side."
"It is, yes."
"And moving too quickly."
"Far too quickly."
Plous and Clous considered the sundial as the shadow altered itself with no respect for the sun's position.
"Little brother, have you heard talk about the unseen sun? And the coming of the new gods, the End of the Facade, and so forth?"
"Yes, that madman Droumas makes sure of that with his tireless tongue."
"This sundial is . . ."
"Let's bury it."
"Excellent idea."
Plous called for the workers and told them what he wanted done. They did not understand, but they finished the work that very day.
Finis
"Good, but don't trust their honesty. Everyone says you're too rich to notice some missing money here and there, and I hate it when everyone is right." Clous set down his cup and stood. "Shall we take a look?"
The brothers ambled into the garden where a pair of laborers even then were setting a pedestal in place and crowning it with Plous's latest acquisition. The workers finished and backed away, hats off, while the brothers looked.
"Big brother, I have noticed something special."
"As have I. I hoped it was an illusion, though."
"The shadow is on the wrong side."
"It is, yes."
"And moving too quickly."
"Far too quickly."
Plous and Clous considered the sundial as the shadow altered itself with no respect for the sun's position.
"Little brother, have you heard talk about the unseen sun? And the coming of the new gods, the End of the Facade, and so forth?"
"Yes, that madman Droumas makes sure of that with his tireless tongue."
"This sundial is . . ."
"Let's bury it."
"Excellent idea."
Plous called for the workers and told them what he wanted done. They did not understand, but they finished the work that very day.
Finis
June 19, 2021
Addendum
No one will ever ask if their tough priest can have huge muscles, because c'mon. I mean, really. Let's be serious here.
June 18, 2021
The Newest Trends
Out: Huge muscles
In: Tough priest
In: Tough priest
June 17, 2021
Change of Venue
Now that games are dead, what's the next way to distribute fantasy and science fiction? Radio? Pamphlets? MO disks? Radio? A guy with a beard standing in the middle of the street shouting about wizards?
Notes on Ys V
Spoilers!
I used a Light spell on a skeleton and that did not eradicate the skeleton please refund my MP.
It seemed as if they had three different ideas for the story and never decided which one they were picking. They just threw in some of each instead.
That old guy saying nothing good would come of hanging out with Stoker sure didn't know what he was talking about. I figured Stoker would be the final boss instead of being friendly and helpful the entire way. What a twist!
MP as a number? Not even a bar crackling with eldritch potential?
The enemies don't care that Adol is around. Or that he's killing them. The designers had to put all of them in small rooms or on plateaus to contrive a chance for them to attack.
The hitboxes. Goodness gracious. I couldn't figure out what some of the spells did because they never hit anyone. Those tentacle grabby guys near the penultimate town snatched Adol from three screens away. What a mess.
The final complex is a million times more interesting than the dumb old Darm Tower. A town, important locations spread around, a lot of movement that isn't entirely backtracking, different graphics . . .
The menus are so experimental, so avant-garde, so clunky. I would say I respect the ambition, but I don't. They're menus that make everything take longer than it should.
When Rizze first appeared, I thought she was supposed to be an old lady.
The plot seems like it should hinge on the Kefins being trapped in the city, but they can leave any time. They also don't seem like such a big deal that sealing them away is all that important. They just had some magic that kinda worked OK I guess. Adol beat them all up easily enough.
That last boss sure was enigmatic. The enigma is who's supposed to care.
Overall I give it my slowest attack animation rating of Adol's arthritis/10.
I used a Light spell on a skeleton and that did not eradicate the skeleton please refund my MP.
It seemed as if they had three different ideas for the story and never decided which one they were picking. They just threw in some of each instead.
That old guy saying nothing good would come of hanging out with Stoker sure didn't know what he was talking about. I figured Stoker would be the final boss instead of being friendly and helpful the entire way. What a twist!
MP as a number? Not even a bar crackling with eldritch potential?
The enemies don't care that Adol is around. Or that he's killing them. The designers had to put all of them in small rooms or on plateaus to contrive a chance for them to attack.
The hitboxes. Goodness gracious. I couldn't figure out what some of the spells did because they never hit anyone. Those tentacle grabby guys near the penultimate town snatched Adol from three screens away. What a mess.
The final complex is a million times more interesting than the dumb old Darm Tower. A town, important locations spread around, a lot of movement that isn't entirely backtracking, different graphics . . .
The menus are so experimental, so avant-garde, so clunky. I would say I respect the ambition, but I don't. They're menus that make everything take longer than it should.
When Rizze first appeared, I thought she was supposed to be an old lady.
The plot seems like it should hinge on the Kefins being trapped in the city, but they can leave any time. They also don't seem like such a big deal that sealing them away is all that important. They just had some magic that kinda worked OK I guess. Adol beat them all up easily enough.
That last boss sure was enigmatic. The enigma is who's supposed to care.
Overall I give it my slowest attack animation rating of Adol's arthritis/10.
June 15, 2021
The Coronation
Talking about things like "winning E3" is ridiculous. Now that we've all agreed to pretend to be reasonable, Nintendo won E3 by talking about games that might come out this year instead of concentrating on ones that probably won't make next year. That Breath of the Wild 2 bit hurt that a little, but what else can a publisher do in the face of Genshin Impact supremacy?
The Thirst for Publicity
Do you really need to set up a big video presentation just to tell people you're translating the lawyer game you didn't translate before? They could have translated it in the first place and saved themselves the trouble.
June 14, 2021
I Fell in the River and Now I'm in the World Where All the Good Games Went?!?!
If you've never been to the world where all the good games went, you're missing out. It's not all mouses and keyboards there, though.
"So let me get this straight. Only I can defeat the Dark Lord Eethree for some reason, and he's doing something or other that's bad. Sounds plausible."
"I'm glad you think so! I'd sure hate if you became suspicious."
Nothing could be more suspicious than my self-declared guide, a snake with a bowtie and comically large glasses. I mean, a snake? Why not a scorpion or a three-toed backstabber?
"Lead the way, snake buddy. You go first. I'll follow at a distance that shows my regard for your privacy."
"Wow, you're the most polite hero we've been sent so far! I hope you do better than the others!"
"What was that?"
"I said, I hope you like competent RTS games, space sims, RPGs (narrative-based, open world, real time, turn-based, dungeon crawler, and more), puzzle games, first-person shooters, third-person shooters, strategy games, hardboiled detective mysteries both with and without FMV, pirate simulators, 2D platformers with lots of secrets, action games with non-numeric powerups, god games, rhythm games, wrestling games that work, fighting games with singleplayer content, and much more!"
"I do like those things."
"Then off we go!" The snake wriggled into the strange world I'd washed up in, and I followed.
Finis
"So let me get this straight. Only I can defeat the Dark Lord Eethree for some reason, and he's doing something or other that's bad. Sounds plausible."
"I'm glad you think so! I'd sure hate if you became suspicious."
Nothing could be more suspicious than my self-declared guide, a snake with a bowtie and comically large glasses. I mean, a snake? Why not a scorpion or a three-toed backstabber?
"Lead the way, snake buddy. You go first. I'll follow at a distance that shows my regard for your privacy."
"Wow, you're the most polite hero we've been sent so far! I hope you do better than the others!"
"What was that?"
"I said, I hope you like competent RTS games, space sims, RPGs (narrative-based, open world, real time, turn-based, dungeon crawler, and more), puzzle games, first-person shooters, third-person shooters, strategy games, hardboiled detective mysteries both with and without FMV, pirate simulators, 2D platformers with lots of secrets, action games with non-numeric powerups, god games, rhythm games, wrestling games that work, fighting games with singleplayer content, and much more!"
"I do like those things."
"Then off we go!" The snake wriggled into the strange world I'd washed up in, and I followed.
Finis
