writing posts

EVE player runs fiction writing contest with billions in prizes

by Brendan Drain Mar 11th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests, Culture, Events, in-game, Professions

EVE Online is a game known for its tight-knit community and emergent professions. We've seen players take on the roles of thieves, graphics artists, spies, video editors, drug runners and much more in an effort to make themselves a little ISK. Perhaps most interesting is that good writers can use their talents to make ISK through publications like EON magazine and EVE Tribune. While EON is a glossy printed magazine and EVE Tribune enjoys a purely online format, both pay volunteer writers with ISK for their articles and stories. EON in particular has always had a regular fiction segment that showcases some of EVE's best fiction writers.

In the first of what he hopes to be an annual event, an EVE player by the name of Silver Night has decided to give back to the community with an EVE fiction-writing contest. The first place prize of a rare faction battleship plus 300 million ISK's worth of fittings will go to the best piece of fiction submitted. Two second place prizes of unfitted navy issue battleships are available for the second and third best pieces. With an additional four navy issue cruiser prizes for the next best four pieces, that's seven chances to win something. The competition runs until March 21st and players can submit their entries via the competition thread on the official EVE events forum.

Tags: ccp, ccp-eve, ccp-games, competition, contest, eon, eve, eve-ccp, eve-mmorpg, eve-online, eve-tribune, fiction, prizes, writing

Anti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair

by Seraphina Brennan Jan 7th 2010 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Massively meta, Anti-Aliased

So I drove the Aion community up a wall again. I seem to do that a lot when I talk about the game. AionSource was a little miffed at the "disappointment" award the staff and readers gave them, and decided to rip into me. So, in an effort of good faith, I dropped by the flame thread and tried to lighten things up while explaining my position on the game and how it isn't all doom and gloom.

Well, after having 9 pages of people not reading what I was writing and electing to call me a nyerking nyerk, I bowed out with a new column topic on my mind: my job. If there was any common theme in all of the screaming, it was how I sucked at my job because I said Aion had a grind, I sucked at my job because I was only level 17 in Aion, everyone on that fansite could do a better job at my job than I could, and I was the reason mainstream reviews were going downhill. (Awesome.)

Amazingly enough, I too thought pretty much those exact same things before I got a job here. But writing here for two years has been one heck of an experience, and maybe today I can give you some insight to the things I see on the staff side of the fence.

Tags: aion, anti-aliased, award, editor, fun, game-journalism, gaming, job, massively-staff, mmos, ncsoft, opinion, opinion-column, review, staff, work, writing

Five things content writers learned while westernizing Aion

by Brooke Pilley Aug 26th 2009 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Lore, News items

In a developer journal over at MMORPG.com, NCsoft Content Writer David Noonan waxes on five things he and the "Aion Westernization Army" learned while stripping Aion down to its narrative essence and building it back up again. It was no easy task taking what was basically a fully-fledged successful Korean MMO and repackaging it for a totally different audience.

It seems as though the writing team took the task seriously. In a game populated by over 2,500 quests, there's bound to be some repetitiion and uncreative storytelling going on but Aion's writers aren't simply giving in to the status quo. Your character's primary campaign quests may deliver the bulk of the narrative, but tons of other pieces are strewn about for players to discover that will be picked up by chatting with various NPCs. Based on this article, they seem to have taken a strategic approach to storytelling in the game. Story isn't shoved down your throat, but it is there if you are perceptive and take the time to actually read it. While many will surely plough ahead to reach the level cap as fast as possible, many others will stop to smell the roses. NCsoft wants to reward those flower-sniffers with a rich story experience.

Tags: aion, atreia, david-noonan, korea, lore, ncsoft, storytelling, westernization, writing

Champions Online dev diary by comic book writer John Layman

by James Egan May 1st 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, New titles, Champions Online

The next major superhero MMO to be released will be Champions Online, based off of the pen-and-paper RPG system and in development at Cryptic Studios, slated to be released in mid-July 2009. To add even more superhero cred to the game, Cryptic has hired writers well-versed in the comics industry like John Layman, of both Marvel and Wildstorm fame.

IGN is hosting a Champions Online developer diary written by Layman that focuses on his work at Cryptic Studios. Layman introduces what he does,"I'm the writer-guy for Champions Online, a comic book writer imported specifically to write a comic book themed game. And, just like writing comics, coming up with the right words, concepts, and plots is the very first part of a very long chain of work." He writes about the process of hashing out the best ideas with other Cryptic notables like Jack Emmert, Randy Mosiondz, and Brian Gilmore, and then working to tailor those concepts to 'comic book-ese' that works for Champions Online.

Tags: brian-gilmore, champions-online, cryptic-studios, dev-diary, developer-diary, ign, jack-emmert, john-layman, marvel, new-titles, randy-mosiondz, star-trek-online, super-hero, superhero, wildstorm, writer, writing

Champions Online dev Randy Mosiondz on storytelling and gameplay

by James Egan Mar 13th 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Interviews, Champions Online

Writing for Examiner.com, Daniel Nations recently interviewed Champions Online lead designer Randy Mosiondz about the balancing act between providing guided gameplay and exploration. The interview also touches upon Champions Online's gameplay across different environments. Namely, Mosiondz explains a bit about the challenges that players will face in the underwater area of Lemuria with its full 3-D movement capabilities, and how some player powers will be modified for use underwater.

Also a nice touch is that the discussion heads into his roots as a writer for pen and paper games. Mosiondz explains the differences in storytelling between pen and paper games and MMOs, and why it can be tricky to bring a story with lasting consequences to a massively multiplayer online game. Check out the Champions Online developer interview over at Examiner for more about what the Cryptic Studios super-hero title will offer.

Tags: champions, champions-online, cryptic-studios, daniel-nations, environment, environments, examiner, exploration, game-mechanics, guided-gameplay, interviews, lemuria, pen-and-paper, randy-mosiondz, storytelling, super-hero, super-heroes, superheroes, undersea, underwater, writing

Marv Wolfman talks writing for DCUO

by Shawn Schuster Feb 11th 2009 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Super-hero, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, DC Universe Online

Last month, we brought news that famed comic book writer Marv Wolfman had joined the team at SOE's DC Universe Online. This in addition to the already impressive team that includes such legends as Jim Lee and Geoff Johns. So when Allakhazam got a chance to sit down with Mr. Wolfman for an interview during NYCC, they got some great insight on what it's like to write for a game like DCUO.

"An MMO is exploration," Wolfman says. "It's about you finding out the information, and it's about continuous movement. I write a still picture, I can put five thousand words in that panel if I could fit in and have a stupid enough letterer who would actually do that. But here you can't spend the time with a lot of words on screen anymore. Those are the old days. You know, Zelda, the old days. 'I enter cave.' But what's done today is, we get you moving, but the story is there and you come into the story in a completely different way, and you have to think about it in a completely different way."

Tags: allakhazam, dcuo, interview, marv-wolfman, soe, sony-online-entertainment, writing

Star Trek Online contest awarding players for creative exploration

by Kyle Horner Jan 22nd 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Contests, New titles, News items, Star Trek Online

Over at the Star Trek Online official website, Cryptic is running a very cool contest that asks its participants to write a short-form story concerning the planet you see just above. Participants have been given carte blanc concerning the way they want to approach their story, with the only hard rule being a 500 word limit. Feel like writing a first-person entry from a Captain's perspective of a scientific sensor sweep? Go for it! Maybe you want to describe what life is like for the inhabitants -- that's okay too.

The first-place winner of the contest is set to acquire guaranteed access to the closed beta, a special forum title and their entry featured on the official website. While two runner-ups will only receive the forum title, that's still a cool way for players to show their Star Trek fandom. We're looking forward to seeing the results of the contest, which is open for submissions until January 29th.

Tags: atari, contest, cryptic-studios, planet, star-trek, star-trek-online, sto, writing

Challenges and triumphs in storytelling for Star Wars: The Old Republic

by Michael Zenke Dec 5th 2008 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Star Wars: The Old Republic

The official site for Star Wars: The Old Republic has been updated with a pair of blog posts all about writing and storytelling in BioWare worlds. One is a sort of mission statement; a reiteration of concepts and ideas we heard espoused by folks like Daniel Erickson and Rob Chestney in previously-released interviews. The statement specifically touches on the concept of your class tying you into the gameworld, something heavily hinted at back during the initial announcement and reported here on the site in our Old Republic Unveiled series. It's a dynamic statement, and a pretty heavy gauntlet to throw down for the genre.

That mission statement is accompanied by a post from one of the other Senior Writers on the game, Alex Freed. Freed talks about the specific challenges facing the team as they work their way through content creation on the game, and the steps they've used to overcome those challenges. He walks through their toolkit on the project, the 'signposts' they use to make sure they're writing the right kind of stories, and calls out the thorny problem of making sure their content is 'Star Wars-y' enough. This last is an issue that's constantly plagued the other MMO title in the setting, and it's fascinating to hear him call it out so early in the process. Make sure to check out both pieces if you're at all interested in the writing process behind this ambitious title.

Gallery: Star Wars: The Old Republic Concept Art

BioWare has finally unveiled Star Wars: The Old Republic, their new MMO! Massively's got you covered on all the details. Check out our comprehensive guide on everything we know so far about the game, or just peruse our screenshot/concept art galleries. Join us in the Galaxy far, far away!

Tags: bioware, breaking, lucasarts, star-wars-the-old-republic, storytelling, swtor, writing

"Story coming first isn't just talk", offers SWTOR senior writer Rob Chestney

by Michael Zenke Nov 8th 2008 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic

The official site for Star Wars: The Old Republic has been updated with another blog entry from the game's staff. Our first look into the team was through the eyes of SWTOR community manager Amy Crider. This time it's an update from Senior Writer Rob Chestney, who will also be interfacing between the community and the development team. Chestney writes an interesting short post recounting his arrival at BioWare after his departure from CNN. He recounts his experience studying with the other BioWare writers, and describes with enthusiasm the moving experience of graduting to a Senior Writer position.

Most interesting is his passionate endorsement of the 'story first' viewpoint BioWare has for all of its game development. According to Chestney, that sentiment is alive and well on the Old Republic project: "The storyline and narrative setting were the starting point of every discussion about design and even the conversations about art ... The process for creating a narrative of BioWare standards is more thorough than you can possibly imagine. And that was before we even started writing dialogue!" Click on through to the official site for the full post.

Gallery: Star Wars: The Old Republic Concept Art

BioWare has finally unveiled Star Wars: The Old Republic, their new MMO! Massively's got you covered on all the details -- from liveblogging the announcement to screenshot galleries and more. Join us in the Galaxy far, far away!

Tags: bioware, lucasarts, rob-chestney, star-wars-the-old-republic, swtor, writing

SWTOR's lead writer describes BioWare's ambitious storytelling initiative

by Samuel Axon Oct 31st 2008 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic

The biggest selling point of Star Wars: The Old Republic seems to be its focus on storytelling. Interactive stories have always been BioWare's particular claim to fame, so we're not surprised at the focus, but we will admit to being a little surprised at just how hardcore they are about it. In an interview with Gamasutra, BioWare Austin lead writer Daniel Erickson described the company's process for hiring and managing the writing staff, which includes more than a dozen people who went through a three-month training program, and who have now been working on the game for several years.

What's interesting to us about the interview (most of it focuses on professional questions, not on gameplay -- check out the info from our own encounter with Erickson for more on that) is that unlike with other MMOs, the development process began with writing. The stories created by the writers are the foundation of the game design and experience to come -- at least according to Erickson.

There's also a bit in there about the challenges of innovation in the MMO industry, and the need to make individual game features -- such as combat or story -- as solid as they are in single-player titles.

Tags: bioware, bioware-austin, daniel-erickson, development, ea, interview, star-wars, star-wars-the-old-republic, storytelling, swtor, the-old-republic, tor, writer, writing

Jess Lebow interview

by Akela Talamasca Jun 29th 2008 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Guild Wars, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Interviews, MMO industry, Crafting, Quests

You may or may not be familiar with the name Jess Lebow, but if you've played Guild Wars or Pirates of the Burning Sea, you'll certainly know his work. As a writer, he's worn many hats in the games industry -- world designer, story creator, producer, content director -- but at the end of the day, his job remains the same: to tell a great story.

IGN has posted a recent interview with Lebow and asked some good questions about the role of story in an MMO, how he broke into the industry, and how the industry changes expectations of what constitutes good writing compared to the traditional novel. It's a good read, if a bit short, but if brevity is the soul of wit, then you'll find a lot to chew on in this article.

Tags: guild-wars, interview, jess-lebow, pirates-of-the-burning-sea, story, writing

WoW: Fanfiction writers needed for The Gadgetzan Times

by Matt Warner May 24th 2008 at 9:00PM

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Lore, News items, Roleplaying

This breaking news could impact every World of Warcraft lore aficionado and record keeper. The goblin writers at the Gadgetzan Times went on strike today over their contractual residuals in the flourishing new media market. "Oh noez," we also find this unacceptable. To help fill the blank pages the editor-in-chief wants to bring new promising writers on board and is now accepting submissions from all adventures across Azeroth and Outland.

If you often put down your weapons to pick up a pen and write about your own WoW fanfiction check out the submission guidelines. Who knows, maybe thousands of onlookers might read one of your stories in the near future. The Gadgetzan Times is published in different languages and each rag features a unique story.

[via, WoW Insider]

Tags: fan-fiction, fanfiction, gadgetzan-times, lore, world-of-warcraft, wow, writing

Anti-Aliased: Don't worry, no one will read it anyway...

by Seraphina Brennan May 6th 2008 at 3:30PM

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Academic, Anti-Aliased

Kill pathfinders and windtalkers. Forge a new blade. Look in an old library for a man's son. How many quests have we done in our careers in MMOs? Too many, right? That's usually the answer. But when I ask you, "Well, how many quest texts have you read?" Well... that's another story entirely.

We complain about many things... the grind in our favorite games, raids and endgame content, nerfs... People are more than willing to spend time reading patch notes and outside guides for their favorite games, but there's one thing that apparently most gamers don't want to take the time to read. And, ironically enough, it's one of the few few things that spends the most time in front of a player's face - quest text boxes.

Developers, you spend alot of time making sure your content is perfectly tuned into your lore and your history, but be rest assured, very few of your players will take the time to read it or care.

Tags: anti-aliased, blizzard, city-of-heroes, city-of-villains, coh, cov, endgame, featured, history, lord-of-the-rings-online, lore, ncsoft, opinion, turbine, world-of-warcraft, writing

SGW's Chris Klug explains his storytelling philosophy

by Samuel Axon Nov 30th 2007 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Stargate Worlds, News items

Chris Klug is Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment's Creative Director. He sets the vision for what kind of artistic and narrative experience players of Stargate Worlds will have. It's comforting for would-be SGW players, then, that Klug seems well educated in the basics of storytelling known to novelists and screenwriters.

Klug describes his storytelling philosophy in an article at RPG Vault. He talks about driving the story and characterization forward with each moment of game-play, and evoking a wide variety of emotions. You'd find many of the techniques and concepts he describes in a screenwriting textbook at USC. The folks at Cheyenne have told us before that SGW will stand out for its approach to storytelling, but this is the first evidence we have that they are on the right track.

Oh, and the article features two new SGW-related images.

Tags: cheyenne, cheyenne-mountain-entertainment, chris-lug, narrative, quests, rpg-vault, sgw, stargate, stargate-worlds, story, storytelling, writing