Who are these great writers?

[prof_westman]

The two torment games would be nothing without these spectacular writers, but who are they? Are there any other games that they have worked on? Are there any other games that are such a pleasure to read?

[psychotron666]

Chris avellone the head writer wrote a few of the characters in pillars of eternity, was a head writer for knights of the old republic 2, wrote all but 1 dlc for fallout new Vegas (and many quests in New Vegas), a writer for fallout 2 and the original planescape torment . He also wrote big portions of neverwinter nights 2, Icewind dale, alpha protocol, and some of wasteland 2.

The next head writer is Patrick rothfuss, who never wrote a video game before and got his fame for writing the book series of the king killer chronicles (the name of the wind and the wise mans fear, still waiting on the third final book). I highly recommend these books, probably the best fantasy series I've ever read with a very unique setting and unique take on magic

[prof_westman]

I knew Chris Avellone was a part of the team. No Wonder New Vegas and NWN2 are favourites of mine then..

Didn't he also work on the latest Divinity? Does it show? The writing in Divinity: Original Sin (the first one) has not been great in my playthrough so far.

[prof_westman]

Originally posted by psychotron666:

The next head writer is Patrick rothfuss, who never wrote a video game before and got his fame for writing the book series of the king killer chronicles (the name of the wind and the wise mans fear, still waiting on the third final book). I highly recommend these books, probably the best fantasy series I've ever read with a very unique setting and unique take on magic

Were there any other writers working on Planescape: Torment?

[prof_westman]

I have read Gene Wolfe. I prefer this game though, so far. Thanks for the recommendation anyway.

[thenamelessninja]

Originally posted by prof_westman:

I have read Gene Wolfe. I prefer this game though, so far. Thanks for the recommendation anyway.

Patrick Rothluss just wrote Rhin.

Mccomb is probably the cloest thing to a mian writer.

George Ziets came up witht eh concept of hte bloom.

but if you're looking for suggestion to games iwth similar themes/writing to this, I would say Planescape: Torment (of course), Star WArs Knights of hte old republic 2, and the Mask of hte Betrayer expansion to Neverwinterniths 2.

[Sept]

Originally posted by peistor2:

Originally posted by thenamelessninja:

but if you're looking for suggestion to games iwth similar themes/writing to this, I would say Planescape: Torment (of course), Star WArs Knights of hte old republic 2, and the Mask of hte Betrayer expansion to Neverwinterniths 2.

By Gods, Mask of the Betrayer is maybe the best history I ever seen in a RPG videogame. To compare it with this abomination of Tides of Numenera is something sooo wrong that makes me totally beffudled.

*Updated my journal*

These will be some lovely read for this summer.

Interesting, so you find MotB better than Planescape: Torment? I love the former as well though I was never quite sure if it's genuine enjoyment or because I was so amazed as how much the writing improved compared to the OC.

I know this is not very relavent, but do you know any good book with similar setting as Shadowrun? I know there's a lot of Cyberpunk novels out there but somehow I found that tad of magic in its setting just got me hooked.

[prof_westman]

Not sure what the person who wrote that comment prefers, but I'd rate the writing of Tides of Numenera above MOTB. Haven't finished either Torment game yet, but am quite a ways through Numenera and not far at all in Planescape. I am saving the classic for last.

[prof_westman]

I have played MOTB twice from start to finish and own 2 physical copies of the game as well as a digital version. That should indicate how highly I think of MOTB. I might even prefer MOTB as a game, but looking at the writing of Numenera I am blown away by the writing itself. Dialogue choices are much more varied and numerous than in MOTB. The amount of optional dialogue that is nevertheless entertaining, and adds to the setting is far more abundant than the text of MOTB. There are oddities and items in Numenera that wouldn't even make sense without amazing writers. Numenera doesn't take place in a traditional setting and as such relies on talented writers to evoke it in the first place and then to convey all this to people from all over the world with different perspectives and language abilities.

Now I'm not trying to tell you you're wrong to rate like Gene Wolfe or MOTB above Tides of Numenera, but if you plan on writing more in this thread, try explaining what sets them apart and why you feel that way instead of droning on about my poor taste. I heard you the first time.

[Mark Y.]

The creative lead (George Ziets) and lead designer (Kevin Saunders) on Mask of the Betrayer both had critical roles on TTON (Area Design Lead and Project Lead, respectively, but Ziets did a big chunk of the actual writing, too). Colin McComb (creative lead and lead writer on TTON) worked on Planescape: Torment as a writer, and Adam Heine (design lead on TTON, and also a writer) worked on PS:T as a scripter. Colin also worked on Fallout 2, Wasteland 2, and some other titles. Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie, who probably wrote the most in TTON after Colin, worked on the most recent Diablo game as a writer. Nathan Long worked on Wasteland II. Leanne C. Taylor-Giles worked on a few Ubisoft games.

I did some writing on TTON (Inifere and his mere, the council clerk, the philethis, the inheritance (gold) mere, the whale (purple) mere, the puzzle breaker (blue) mere, and the Kholn Village mere, and other odds and ends). What I consider to be my main piece of game writing is Primordia (http://store.steampowered.com/app/227000/), which is my own homage to PS:T, a game that had a profound influence on me. But I also worked on various other titles, Dragon Age: Origins in a small capacity, Kohan II, Heroes of Newerth, some other games. Game writing is mostly a hobby for me, so taking on larger projects is tough.

Also, for what it's worth, thinking that TTON is better than Gene Wolfe is madness, though I suppose de gustibus, and I shouldn't complain about someone liking TTON. :)

If you like Gene Wolfe, you might check out the Viriconium series (which gets increasingly uncanny as it goes on -- I actually think starting with the last book is best), and obviously Jack Vance, though I think Vance's best work is his space opera / planetary romance stuff, not his dying earth works. Cordwainer Smither's Instrumentality of Mankind has some good dying earth stories, too, if you like pulpier stuff. And Dan Simmons's Ilium series, too, although in my opinion it's markedly inferior to some of his other work. (Hyperion is obviously the best.)

For RPGs with great stories, some key games missing from the discussion are The Age of Decadence (my thoughts here: http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/MarkY/20151125/260268/The_Fanatic_and_His_RPG.php), Arcanum, and Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines. All are worth your time.

[prof_westman]

Information overload. Thank you! I have loads of interesting avenues to persue now.

[Mark Y.]

An info dump from a TTON writer? Who could've expected that. :D

[Mark Y.]

My favorite of his is probably Araminta Station, but I like Demon Princes a lot. The Council Clerk is my best attempt to honor Vance's ubiquitous supercilious clerks. :)

Amber isn't really dying Earth, but it's great. I could get into Moorcock -- too nihilistic for me, I guess -- but he's a good writer for people to check out.

[prof_westman]

*Updated my journal*

These will be some lovely read for this summer.

Interesting, so you find MotB better than Planescape: Torment? I love the former as well though I was never quite sure if it's genuine enjoyment or because I was so amazed as how much the writing improved compared to the OC.

I know this is not very relavent, but do you know any good book with similar setting as Shadowrun? I know there's a lot of Cyberpunk novels out there but somehow I found that tad of magic in its setting just got me hooked. [/quote]

I played my first Shadowrun game last year. I was impressed! I don't particularly remember the writing and I don't have any reading recommendations, but yours are question I'd also like to hear answered.

[prof_westman]

Originally posted by Sept:

*Updated my journal*

These will be some lovely read for this summer.

Interesting, so you find MotB better than Planescape: Torment? I love the former as well though I was never quite sure if it's genuine enjoyment or because I was so amazed as how much the writing improved compared to the OC.

I know this is not very relavent, but do you know any good book with similar setting as Shadowrun? I know there's a lot of Cyberpunk novels out there but somehow I found that tad of magic in its setting just got me hooked.

I played my first Shadowrun game last year. I was impressed! I don't particularly remember the writing and I don't have any reading recommendations, but yours are question I'd also like to hear answered.

[Mark Y.]

Prof -- I've not read them, and they're not cyberpunk, but I wonder whether The Dresden Files might appeal to you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dresden_Files I've heard good things about them.

You could also try Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence (https://www.maxgladstone.com/series/the-craft-sequence/). Per the website, io9 called the "cyberpunk fantasy," which fits what you're looking for! (Although there's more magic than tech in them, and what tech there is is mostly magi-tech.) Perhaps because of the legal angle to them, I enjoyed them, though I actually think his best work is in Choice of the Deathless, a small choose-your-own adventure game.

I suppose you might also try the branded novels in the Shadowrun line, or in White Wolf's World of Darkness, but my childhood experience was that branded novels tend not to be very literary.