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elise_rashaWelcome back, my fellow readers, writers, and gamers! As you may have noticed, I've been posting a little bit more often over the last few weeks.It's nice to have this blog, to talk about the things I want to talk about with everyone.
This particular entry isn't just related to gaming, it's related to every aspect of the writing industry, be it for a novel, a movie, a play, or a TV show . . . you get the idea. It's something that cannot be said enough in this day and age: Do your research! Do you, as a gamer or reader, need to know how long it took for Sally's chickens to hatch? If there's a reason for Sally raising chickens, yes. You do. Do you need to know the details that go into chicken-raising?
Ah, there is the trick! I would say this a yes/no type of situation, and it's all based on the plot. If Sally is taking up homesteading and animal raising because she can, the answer is no. If it's absolutely necessary for Sally's survival in some apocalyptic setting, then yes. That's going to build up frustration because something isn't happening fast enough.
But raising chickens is a relatively weak example when it comes to doing research. That's a bare bones basic. What is going to make or break any story is going to be the bigger stuff. We're talking forensics for those seeking the crime-thrillers. We're talking geology, climatology, astronomy, archaeology, engineering . . . history and mythology. All of that is necessary, no matter how you're posing your story, be it serious or ridiculous. You don't need to be an expert to write about something, but possessing a working knowledge will go a long way. Google and Ecosia are your friends. You can find the experts out there. If you tell them why you're researching into something, the rumor is they're more than happy to help you out!
One of my complaints with some of the games I've played or encountered, the designers and developers didn't do enough research. Star Ocean: The Last Hope is getting a passion mention. I've already complained about this game's lack of research and development before. The one that really gets me is what I gleaned from the Star Ocean: Anamnesis/Valkyrie Profile crossover, one that makes me want to play Valkyrie Profile just a little bit while the stronger part of me, the one that goes in head over heels for the Norse gods part, says it's a shit game that needs to be avoided at all costs. Why?
Because the developers did bare minimum research into the Norse mythologies. This game, based on a little over a month of crossover game play, just took names and a concept and then ran with it. The Norse gods mentioned are worse than the Greek gods in snooty, arrogant behavior.
But the biggest sin of all in this game? Loki and Odin fight each other, and Loki defeats Odin in the Ragnarok.
Immediately, my mind started screaming, No. That's not even true to the myths or the histories. Whoever wrote this story didn't know what the fuck he was doing. He just took some concepts and ran with them. This is a bigger offense than when Stan Lee originally wrote Odin as Loki's surrogate father in the comics. At least Stan had a damned good reason for this oversight - his access to information was super limited.
Now I'm not sure when the first Valkyrie Profile game was released - I know I can look it up at any given time - but, for me, it's no excuse for this particular part of the story to have played out the way that it did. There's no excuses for not picking up a Norse mythology book up at the library. Japan has libraries. Hell, they probably have better ones than what we do in the U.S.! And someone did, not just a sloppy job on research but a beyond piss poor effort.
There's also no excuse for not using Google or some other search engine to look into the stories behind any given pantheon, on any given subject in the world. There's a certain laziness that's both disgusting and insulting. Either the designers/writers believe no one's going to know or care and feel like they don't need to do the research, or they just don't care enough. And, yes, research can make a huge difference when it comes to playing a game. Just think about when the Notre Dame cathedral caught on fire, and they used the footage from Assassin's Creed to help with the repairs. These are not mindless stories that are being told here. Even the Super Mario Bros games have some kind of a story to them.
And, if you're someone who loves the Valkyrie Profile series, well, I say good for you. It isn't my place to tell you to dislike it. You have a better idea of the game's nuances and why you love it. My opinions are based on a brief, limited exposure where the premise just doesn't jive with the original stories behind the Norse gods, and I have a lot of books on the Norse gods. This is currently enough to deter me from buying the games and playing.them, even used. I won't say I won't ever play the series - life has a funny way of bringing us things we think we might not enjoy but then ultimately do (I'm looking at The Hobbit here!)
That said, I'm going to end with this: Everyone has something about a story that they just don't enjoy for whatever reason. It doesn't matter if it's a game, a book, a movie, or a TV show. That's just how it goes. Depending on the story being told, it could be the characters. It could be the setting. Or it could be a lack of research. If you're someone who feels research isn't necessary, I do strongly advise you to reconsider that stance. Everyone in every profession in life gets involved in a story of some kind. Everyone gets curious about the material you present to them, and the ones in those professions, the ones who get curious and do the research will be the ones to break you.
Do your research.
Until the next time!
This particular entry isn't just related to gaming, it's related to every aspect of the writing industry, be it for a novel, a movie, a play, or a TV show . . . you get the idea. It's something that cannot be said enough in this day and age: Do your research! Do you, as a gamer or reader, need to know how long it took for Sally's chickens to hatch? If there's a reason for Sally raising chickens, yes. You do. Do you need to know the details that go into chicken-raising?
Ah, there is the trick! I would say this a yes/no type of situation, and it's all based on the plot. If Sally is taking up homesteading and animal raising because she can, the answer is no. If it's absolutely necessary for Sally's survival in some apocalyptic setting, then yes. That's going to build up frustration because something isn't happening fast enough.
But raising chickens is a relatively weak example when it comes to doing research. That's a bare bones basic. What is going to make or break any story is going to be the bigger stuff. We're talking forensics for those seeking the crime-thrillers. We're talking geology, climatology, astronomy, archaeology, engineering . . . history and mythology. All of that is necessary, no matter how you're posing your story, be it serious or ridiculous. You don't need to be an expert to write about something, but possessing a working knowledge will go a long way. Google and Ecosia are your friends. You can find the experts out there. If you tell them why you're researching into something, the rumor is they're more than happy to help you out!
One of my complaints with some of the games I've played or encountered, the designers and developers didn't do enough research. Star Ocean: The Last Hope is getting a passion mention. I've already complained about this game's lack of research and development before. The one that really gets me is what I gleaned from the Star Ocean: Anamnesis/Valkyrie Profile crossover, one that makes me want to play Valkyrie Profile just a little bit while the stronger part of me, the one that goes in head over heels for the Norse gods part, says it's a shit game that needs to be avoided at all costs. Why?
Because the developers did bare minimum research into the Norse mythologies. This game, based on a little over a month of crossover game play, just took names and a concept and then ran with it. The Norse gods mentioned are worse than the Greek gods in snooty, arrogant behavior.
But the biggest sin of all in this game? Loki and Odin fight each other, and Loki defeats Odin in the Ragnarok.
Immediately, my mind started screaming, No. That's not even true to the myths or the histories. Whoever wrote this story didn't know what the fuck he was doing. He just took some concepts and ran with them. This is a bigger offense than when Stan Lee originally wrote Odin as Loki's surrogate father in the comics. At least Stan had a damned good reason for this oversight - his access to information was super limited.
Now I'm not sure when the first Valkyrie Profile game was released - I know I can look it up at any given time - but, for me, it's no excuse for this particular part of the story to have played out the way that it did. There's no excuses for not picking up a Norse mythology book up at the library. Japan has libraries. Hell, they probably have better ones than what we do in the U.S.! And someone did, not just a sloppy job on research but a beyond piss poor effort.
There's also no excuse for not using Google or some other search engine to look into the stories behind any given pantheon, on any given subject in the world. There's a certain laziness that's both disgusting and insulting. Either the designers/writers believe no one's going to know or care and feel like they don't need to do the research, or they just don't care enough. And, yes, research can make a huge difference when it comes to playing a game. Just think about when the Notre Dame cathedral caught on fire, and they used the footage from Assassin's Creed to help with the repairs. These are not mindless stories that are being told here. Even the Super Mario Bros games have some kind of a story to them.
And, if you're someone who loves the Valkyrie Profile series, well, I say good for you. It isn't my place to tell you to dislike it. You have a better idea of the game's nuances and why you love it. My opinions are based on a brief, limited exposure where the premise just doesn't jive with the original stories behind the Norse gods, and I have a lot of books on the Norse gods. This is currently enough to deter me from buying the games and playing.them, even used. I won't say I won't ever play the series - life has a funny way of bringing us things we think we might not enjoy but then ultimately do (I'm looking at The Hobbit here!)
That said, I'm going to end with this: Everyone has something about a story that they just don't enjoy for whatever reason. It doesn't matter if it's a game, a book, a movie, or a TV show. That's just how it goes. Depending on the story being told, it could be the characters. It could be the setting. Or it could be a lack of research. If you're someone who feels research isn't necessary, I do strongly advise you to reconsider that stance. Everyone in every profession in life gets involved in a story of some kind. Everyone gets curious about the material you present to them, and the ones in those professions, the ones who get curious and do the research will be the ones to break you.
Do your research.
Until the next time!
