This mission, Professor’s Kardsten’s Journal, is one of the tutorials from Next Island, and Professor Kardsten, a book-loving historian, is a character I really enjoyed working up.
Lots of the time, I wonder if players actually read through my dialogue, or just click through as fast as possible, trying to get to the reward.
But I guess some of them actually do read it!
I’d really like to send this back in time about two years, to when I was living in Cary, waiting tables and desperately looking for any kind of satisfying work.
Harold: …then we’ll go once you’ve finished your coffee, James Joyce.
Meg: What did you just call me?
Harold: James Joyce. Because of your Irish cream latte.
Meg: Oh, thank goodness! I thought you meant because I write long and annoying stream-of-consciousness ramblings.
After my pass delays, I came late to Evan Skolnick’s Learn Better Game Writing In A Day, and tried to slip quietly into the room. Oddly, the room for this all-day lesson was laid out not in lecture-hall rows, but in round tables of about eight people each. It seemed fairly awkward to squeeze in, late and trying to be silent, with my back almost to the lecturer.
There was a great mix of confirming how I see storytelling in games, introducing new ways to present interactive content, and tying the expected narrative flow in games to the narrative flow in other media.
We were assigned several individual writing pieces, and several projects with the group around our table. In college, I hated group projects, because there was always one student who hadn’t done the reading or wasn’t really understanding the material, and the rest of the group would have to float this person. (I am, ahem, not the most patient person in the world.) This was entirely different, the group work was one of the most interesting parts of the day. Everyone in the room works in the creative side of the games industry, and every one of us thought we could stand to get better at it.
Sometimes I think that I’m working in my dream industry, so I shouldn’t be complaining about any work struggles. You work in videogames, jerk, how can you ever be stressed out by work? But it was amazing to talk with so many others who have that same struggles I do with the gap between the work in your mind and the work on paper, with the gap between the work on paper and the finished project.
These are my people, I thought, looking around the round table. These are my people.
Meg: Hi Chip!
We were just talking about you. And about how you buy ALL the URLS!
Chip: hahaha
all the URLs in the world
alltheURLs.com is now mine
Meg: Of course it is.
My friend Nick was visiting our offices, and he redecorated my PC while I was away from my desk. I think he’s trying to send some kind of message.
I work developing missions and gameplay for an MMO, which has outsourced parts of development, and marketing, and works remotely with a distant platform, and is pretty great about letting folks work remotely when necessary. Anyway, my point is that I’ve got quite a few people I consider coworkers, but I’ve never met them in person. One of these distant colleagues just sent me an account and a password for a piece of software.
The password he choose is MegRules123, although he’s never been in the office and wouldn’t know my usual password.
I’ve been feeling very not-today recently.
There are some cool restaurants by my office, but it’ll be more efficient to eat quickly and get back to my desk. I think about stopping for a coffee, a designer coffee with foam and a flavour shot and some cinnamon or cocoa sprinkled over the top, and you know, I’d like to sip it from a mug, instead of a paper takeout cup, and even read my book while I do, but I’ve got a really busy day. Maybe tomorrow.
I mean to call a friend back , but I’m tired now, I’ll call back when I’m not so exhausted. Like tomorrow, as though tomorrow I’ll get out of work early and be full of energy. My parents live about an hour and a half from my apartment, but this weekend is so busy, I’ll go see them next weekend.
I could do something awesome with my hair and my makeup, but man, this pillow is so comfortable, I can sleep for ten more minutes, run a brush through my hair, and just look like I always do. (Ok, so for me this is lackadaisically painting a line of glitter or neon behind my eyelashes, but still.)
My post-work pub offers cocktails, and I always mean to try them, but it never seems like a good night to risk the price of a pitcher of draft for a pastel concoction with a garnish on the glass. Beer’s fine, I’ll try a new cocktail next time. And even that beer, well, tomorrow’s an early day, and I meant to get some other work done, so this’ll be my last round. Another night, guys.
The gym near my office is always offering a 12 days for $12 trial membership, but it always seems like such a crazy week right now. Those pilates and yoga classes would be fun, but they’ll have to wait. This week is just so crazy, you know? As if I could make a visible dent in my work by those five or ten or thirty extra minutes.
So, I’m going to drink more coffee and more cocktails. That’s clearly the key to a happier day!
I cannot wait these days to turn 30! Then I may put away all pretense of being marriageable and concentrate on my interests.
— Letter from the mid- 1800’s, quoted by Betsy Israel in Bachelor Girl
This was going to be a picture of how it’s spring! And I’m growing a hyacinth! But since I am not very good at lining up shots, instead it’s a picture of my dresser! Which is only springlike in the sense that it’s not covered in gloves and hats and sweaters.
