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Message: <blockquote data-quote="karlindel" data-source="post: 5008411" data-attributes="member: 27103">I think that I tend to emulate characters from books more often than TVs or movies.  I find that characters in books tend to be better developed than those in TVs and movies, since you often get more background, as well as insights into the character's mind.I think that literature has a strong influence on video games, and video games have some influence on literature.  Video Game literature has improved significantly over the years, as old games often have only the vaguest of storylines, while more modern rpgs often have developed backstories and plotlines.  Literature based on video games also influences other literature, as writers notice ideas that work (and sell) well.  Any creative addition adds to the ideas that the audience internalizes, making that addition into a new baseline.  For example, the laws of robotics were originally specific to Aasimov, but in some form or another are now an underlying assumption of most science fiction featuring robots.  Similarly, Hyperspace was once something that would need to be explained to the reader, but can now be glossed over as a genre assumption if an author so desires.      It's hard to say what specific literature influences my games, as I am a voracious reader, and routinely pull small pieces from whatever I am currently reading.  As far as literature I enjoy, in fantasy I really like interesting and well developed magical systems.  I read science fiction, fantasy, science fantasy, horror, and sword and sorcery, depending on my mood.  Most of the strong influences have already been mentioned by others.  One similarity between my literary and gaming tastes is that I am very character focused.  In novels, I prefer plots that arise from the characters and their reactions to what is occurring.  In gaming, I tend to create NPCs with goals and motivations, and the plot develops as they react to the PC's actions.However, what works in literature does not always work in a game.  In literature, the hero will know a lot of background on the world that players may not know about a game world, making in game puzzles and riddles more difficult to put together than one for a novel.  There are also a lot of things that work in a novel that will not work in a game because of the difference in genre.  Prophecies in novels are much easier than ones in games, as the writer can have the prophecy come true in an unusual way, but in a game the characters need to be guided towards at least one of those paths or the prophecy proves false.  Similarly, much weaker characters can go along with the true hero and can be interesting, but it's not usually as much fun for a player to play that kind of character.</blockquote>

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