Comments on: BRINK: Interview with Richard Ham and Edward Stern https://criticalgamer.co.uk/2009/12/21/brink-interview-with-richard-ham-and-edward-stern/ Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:09:09 +0000 hourly 1 By: sonic https://criticalgamer.co.uk/2009/12/21/brink-interview-with-richard-ham-and-edward-stern/comment-page-1/#comment-2369 sonic Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:23:48 +0000 https://criticalgamer.co.uk/?p=5405#comment-2369 Is it ignorance or oblivious thought that leads you to defend the merits of science fiction as a legitimate interest while saying comics and fantasy fiction are not to be taken seriously. I mean, really? Is it ignorance or oblivious thought that leads you to defend the merits of science fiction as a legitimate interest while saying comics and fantasy fiction are not to be taken seriously. I mean, really?

]]> By: Snezana N https://criticalgamer.co.uk/2009/12/21/brink-interview-with-richard-ham-and-edward-stern/comment-page-1/#comment-1926 Snezana N Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:37:30 +0000 https://criticalgamer.co.uk/?p=5405#comment-1926 You can actually talk like in COD, you just won't get random chatter but you will only hear the people you choose to hear. You can actually talk like in COD, you just won’t get random chatter but you will only hear the people you choose to hear.

]]> By: Nicholas https://criticalgamer.co.uk/2009/12/21/brink-interview-with-richard-ham-and-edward-stern/comment-page-1/#comment-1921 Nicholas Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:37:06 +0000 https://criticalgamer.co.uk/?p=5405#comment-1921 the game so far looks amazing but I just need some clarification on the communication is it all just chat system or can you talk like you would in cod too. the game so far looks amazing but I just need some clarification on the communication is it all just chat system or can you talk like you would in cod too.

]]> By: Zold https://criticalgamer.co.uk/2009/12/21/brink-interview-with-richard-ham-and-edward-stern/comment-page-1/#comment-1182 Zold Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:15:20 +0000 https://criticalgamer.co.uk/?p=5405#comment-1182 Of course it won`t have any serious impact on shooter mechanics, Robbert. SD already had that experience with Quake Wars where some,let us say, narrow-minded people coudn`t play on alien side only because it was not completely symmetric to human side, situation they got used to in gazillion other shooters. Certainly, they don`t want to gambe on that anymore. Of course it won`t have any serious impact on shooter mechanics, Robbert.
SD already had that experience with Quake Wars where some,let us say, narrow-minded people coudn`t play on alien side only because it was not completely symmetric to human side, situation they got used to in gazillion other shooters.
Certainly, they don`t want to gambe on that anymore.

]]> By: Robert Poole https://criticalgamer.co.uk/2009/12/21/brink-interview-with-richard-ham-and-edward-stern/comment-page-1/#comment-1170 Robert Poole Fri, 01 Jan 2010 03:29:37 +0000 https://criticalgamer.co.uk/?p=5405#comment-1170 "It’s not quite sci-fi, because it’s based on truths." Say what now? Any author of hard science fiction bases his or her work on scientific truths, and extrapolates from knowns to fill in any unknowns. Even sci-fi based on the more abstruse theories such as string theory always is grounded within a scientific truth -- a theory which is considered the best current explanation for a phenomenon, or at least one that is a viable explanation. I don't know if this is real ignorance, or just a cultural thing -- when attending several science fiction writing workshops, I was made aware that many other cultures have less savory views of science fiction, often considering it synonymous with things like fantasy literature or even comic books. These views are quite common in some parts of Europe. In the United States, on the other hand, the worst attitude I've ever come across is "science fiction is young adult fiction," the notion that adults should not read sci-fi. These guys get an A for the conceptual effort put into the game, but with off-the-cuff comments like the one I quoted above, I worry that these elements will either not be rendered credibly in the game, or they'll be mere window dressing that has no impact on the game mechanics whatsoever. For example, there was this in the interview: Snezana: So the Ark is actually possible? Richard: Exactly, to me that’s the amazing thing. I came in six months into the project. And at first I thought, wow, this is crazy science fiction. But as I got more into it, I saw that this is really very grounded into what is happening today, so it’s really a very topical game. Gee, that's pretty telling. "Crazy science fiction" apparently means "nobody wants to buy it or play it," but if you can put a contemporary spin on it, people eat it up. Of course, Gene Roddenberry figured this out years ago with his whole "wagon train to the stars" schtick, and the Star Trek stories were often about Cold War tensions and other issues of the day, but sci-fi has always been a safe lens to look at thorny social problems we face. Still, though... Is it that the developers and suits feel the need to bash a genre just so they can appeal to fans of hard core shooters? “It’s not quite sci-fi, because it’s based on truths.”

Say what now? Any author of hard science fiction bases his or her work on scientific truths, and extrapolates from knowns to fill in any unknowns. Even sci-fi based on the more abstruse theories such as string theory always is grounded within a scientific truth — a theory which is considered the best current explanation for a phenomenon, or at least one that is a viable explanation.

I don’t know if this is real ignorance, or just a cultural thing — when attending several science fiction writing workshops, I was made aware that many other cultures have less savory views of science fiction, often considering it synonymous with things like fantasy literature or even comic books. These views are quite common in some parts of Europe. In the United States, on the other hand, the worst attitude I’ve ever come across is “science fiction is young adult fiction,” the notion that adults should not read sci-fi.

These guys get an A for the conceptual effort put into the game, but with off-the-cuff comments like the one I quoted above, I worry that these elements will either not be rendered credibly in the game, or they’ll be mere window dressing that has no impact on the game mechanics whatsoever.

For example, there was this in the interview:

Snezana: So the Ark is actually possible?

Richard: Exactly, to me that’s the amazing thing. I came in six months into the project. And at first I thought, wow, this is crazy science fiction. But as I got more into it, I saw that this is really very grounded into what is happening today, so it’s really a very topical game.

Gee, that’s pretty telling. “Crazy science fiction” apparently means “nobody wants to buy it or play it,” but if you can put a contemporary spin on it, people eat it up. Of course, Gene Roddenberry figured this out years ago with his whole “wagon train to the stars” schtick, and the Star Trek stories were often about Cold War tensions and other issues of the day, but sci-fi has always been a safe lens to look at thorny social problems we face.

Still, though… Is it that the developers and suits feel the need to bash a genre just so they can appeal to fans of hard core shooters?

]]> By: Michael J https://criticalgamer.co.uk/2009/12/21/brink-interview-with-richard-ham-and-edward-stern/comment-page-1/#comment-1093 Michael J Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:45:00 +0000 https://criticalgamer.co.uk/?p=5405#comment-1093 Great interview, I like their stance regarding the commenter idiots from youtube especially. Great interview, I like their stance regarding the commenter idiots from youtube especially.

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