General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
__________________ Veronica: Where's your brother?
Dick: I think he took Ghost World up to his room. They're probably up there making love. Or playing Dungeons and Dragons. Or both, at the same time. They're both, like, 12th-level dorks. I'm just sayin'
I thought that his list of Feywild influences was very interesting, to say the least.
__________________ Veronica: Where's your brother?
Dick: I think he took Ghost World up to his room. They're probably up there making love. Or playing Dungeons and Dragons. Or both, at the same time. They're both, like, 12th-level dorks. I'm just sayin'
Not really something that would inspire me to buy a D&D book to mention in someone's "writing" credits.
I recall hearing/reading Jackie even saying something along the lines of "it is a good children's show".
Just watched the premiere of Leverage, and is doesn't look that good. I would rather the writer of the Librarian be writing for D&D.
Sorry, John, nothing against you, but the general direction of D&D just doesn't look like people are coming from the proper backgrounds.
Maybe the interview is just highlighting the wrong things for you. I can let the poor Transformers movie slide, because that is the range of audience D&D should be getting even if the movie was way short of something decent compared to the original series, and just action trash to my mind.
I did like the Feywild excerpt, but wish something in it would have been said about residuum, as that seems to have been introduced into D&D and then just forgotten from what I have seen. Maybe it is in the book itself.
Maybe I just really am no longer the D&D audience. Must be the whole playing a movie aspect.
Well that is my critique of the interview, and somewhat the Feywild excerpt itself.
PS: Rush Hour 2 was pretty good. Not all modern sequels are.
That was a great interview! The description of his foci when writing the Feywild chapter makes me excited to see the final book. Looking at the conflicts within the plane is a great way to find adventure hooks. Sounds like he knew what he was doing, which is gratifying.
Not really something that would inspire me to buy a D&D book to mention in someone's "writing" credits.
You're kidding... I guess you haven't seen the cartoon. I mean, it's a kid's show an all, but I used the coins and demons as a great basis for some adventures. It's a plus for me.
And, having just written my first script, dialog is damn hard...
__________________ "People need vision.
Sometimes you just have to add spices without a recipie."
- My wonderful wife.
You're kidding... I guess you haven't seen the cartoon. I mean, it's a kid's show an all, but I used the coins and demons as a great basis for some adventures. It's a plus for me.
And, having just written my first script, dialog is damn hard...
One more thing....
No I never saw the show...did you?
My point was that D&D isn't a kids cartoon and the audiences are quite a bit different for a Disney program than for D&D.
My point was that D&D isn't a kids cartoon and the audiences are quite a bit different for a Disney program than for D&D.
It's absolutely lunatic to think that skills honed in one kind of writing don't translate to another.
__________________ Christopher Adams - Sydney, Australia
Religion must remain an outlet for people who say to themselves, "I am not the kind of person I want to be." It must never sink into an assemblage of the self-satisfied.
Each episode involved binding a specific, named demon back in some other extra dimensional prison plane. There were bad guys trying to free them. And there were coins, one for each animal in the Chinese zodiac, that granted a power to the person who held them. They were instrumental somehow, I forget exactly.
One thing that I liked about it was it was a finite series. There was 1-2 shows for each demon plus an intro and a finale. After the last show the story was over and the questions were answered.
__________________ "People need vision.
Sometimes you just have to add spices without a recipie."
- My wonderful wife.
My point was that D&D isn't a kids cartoon and the audiences are quite a bit different for a Disney program than for D&D.
You have bias, it's showing and it's not pretty. I guess you missed the part about inspiration coming from Pan's Labyrinth, too.
By your reasoning, the guy who did work for Disney, cannot design well for mature audience. Why? I would argue that the opposite is true - being able to deliver professional level script with character development built in is not something most people excel in. I would even risk a statement that most game designer lacks skill and experience of professional script writers.
As for maturity [1], subtlety and sublime reader experience, you may be looking in the wrong place. This is game fiction, not literature classic.
Regards,
Ruemere
[1] Violence, sex, nihilism and drugs do not equal maturity. It's something one gets acquainted with as teenager (hey, geeks can read too).
__________________ Keeper of Scarred Lands Repository. Keep your .sig fit - save space and bandwidth.
It's absolutely lunatic to think that skills honed in one kind of writing don't translate to another.
Since everyone wants to attack my ideas, what the hello!
Sure skills do, but like the article itself said the guy is all over the place and needs to focus. Maybe it was just bad humor, but skills in writing may improve, but genres don't always mix.
Pan's Labyrinth is pretty good thing to emulate ideas from for Feywild, but I doubt the Chinese zodiac that JCA was about with the added Chan-antics will translate over that well.
So again I repeat, the article probably did things wrong and focused on the wrong things, and rather than just giving a list of writing credits; the article should have got some focus and narrowed down to specifically what was done for MotP and the Feywild and what connections they had.
I had to delete an entire post about the latest podcast because it went a bit far about something said in it, I don't think what I said here is over the line for a critique of the interview presented.
Maybe the article should have just focus on the draft of Transformers, and the rewrite of Rush Hour 2 to give more credibility to the author, and not add things that would make you question it. I think Jackie Chan was mentioned just because of his name in the cartoon. This doesn't help the author that much for people who haven't seen it and only know the name Jackie Chan. Most people have heard of the new Transformers movie and probably seen Rush Hour 2 and would get a greater sense that the author was good at story from just those.
I mean a lot of these interviews give out too much information sometimes that makes you question what are they really trying to sell you in them?
It was just my preference about what to read in an interview. That is why I stated that Rush Hour 2 was good. I also didn't say JCA was bad, but just not something for D&D to build on from unless it is a new Oriental Adventures.
Quote:
Maybe the interview is just highlighting the wrong things for you.
Note where I said that in my first post in this thread. So don't think I am knocking John, but just the interview itself and what it presents and how. But that is a part of the problem I have with WotC and the information and way it gives out said info right now.
I didn't even mention the Story Hour stuff on here, because I don't go there or even really know what that section of the forums is, so leave it alone and safe from me and my opinions.
Maybe Morrus can interview John for ENWorld for things and get a better more focused article on his D&D work, than what seems like just a snippet of his resume.
Now, no more questions to me...how about people say what they think about the interview itself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Baron Opal
Yes. I have a kid.
Each episode involved binding a specific, named demon back in some other extra dimensional prison plane. There were bad guys trying to free them. And there were coins, one for each animal in the Chinese zodiac, that granted a power to the person who held them. They were instrumental somehow, I forget exactly.
One thing that I liked about it was it was a finite series. There was 1-2 shows for each demon plus an intro and a finale. After the last show the story was over and the questions were answered.
That was the second part. You missed the first part where Shendu was not yet released form his imprisonment and Jackie was still collecting the talismans while fighting the Dark Hand under Valmonte?
Also I am surprised you would ask me it I saw JCA when two posts included Uncle's catchphrase of "One more thing..." :/
Last edited by justanobody; 8th December 2008 at 08:40 AM..
That was the second part. You missed the first part where Shendu was not yet released form his imprisonment and Jackie was still collecting the talismans while fighting the Dark Hand under Valmonte?
Oh. I guess I did.
Quote:
Also I am surprised you would ask me it I saw JCA when two posts included Uncle's catchphrase of "One more thing..." :/
It's been a while. It was fun, and we enjoyed watching it, but I took my notes using wikipedia.
__________________ "People need vision.
Sometimes you just have to add spices without a recipie."
- My wonderful wife.
It's been a while. It was fun, and we enjoyed watching it, but I took my notes using wikipedia.
Well while it doesn't' make for good direct D&D translation, you and your kid may enjoy watching the first part to see what was going on, and then the third part when a new enemy tries to capture the talisman powers after they have left the talismans and returned to the animals that they represent.
It currently airs on Toon Disney, but I don't recall when exactly.
My point was that D&D isn't a kids cartoon and the audiences are quite a bit different for a Disney program than for D&D.
Quote:
Originally Posted by justanobody
<snip>
Also I am surprised you would ask me if I saw JCA when two posts included Uncle's catchphrase of "One more thing..." :/
[Emphasis mine]
Just a note - if that bit in your first post is supposed to be a clever inside joke for those who have seen the show, it is quite confusing for those of us who haven't. I was all ready to say something about how you should watch something before you critique it
I recall hearing/reading Jackie even saying something along the lines of "it is a good children's show".
That would be because it was.
Quote:
Sorry, John, nothing against you, but the general direction of D&D just doesn't look like people are coming from the proper backgrounds.
I disagree. The direction 4e took is nice change.
Quote:
Maybe I just really am no longer the D&D audience. Must be the whole playing a movie aspect.
Quite likely.
Quote:
Originally Posted by justanobody
Well while it doesn't' make for good direct D&D translation...
Really?
Encounter (Episode) Based with a Serial Plotline. Cool stuff happens each Encounter (Encounter). Magic is Ritualized. There are unknown things happening that only the Heroes can really deal with. Sometimes the special abilities they have are earth shaking, sometimes they are just spiffy. The Heroes get beat up, but never die and only occasionally suffer serious injuries. The Villians Always Escape. Good Triumphs in the end.
Encounter (Episode) Based with a Serial Plotline. Cool stuff happens each Encounter (Encounter). Magic is Ritualized. There are unknown things happening that only the Heroes can really deal with. Sometimes the special abilities they have are earth shaking, sometimes they are just spiffy. The Heroes get beat up, but never die and only occasionally suffer serious injuries. The Villians Always Escape. Good Triumphs in the end.
Thoughts of the Arch Chancellor - My weblog on EN World - containing game related material, like: house rules, design theories, reviews, play reports, adventure ideas
Secret Member of <Think we would just hide our secret with a spoiler tag, eh?>
It was fun, and we enjoyed watching it, but I took my notes using wikipedia. 
Linear Mode
And yet another word from our sponsors
