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A2CS: I wrote an essay about storytelling in the Ornotha Ziggurat Quest (spoilers)


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Hi everyone! I know I'm not often around these forums, but I've been playing A2CS on my iPad and loving it. I must have started A2 on five separate occasions, but never got past the first trip to Vahnatai lands in the old version. It's great that I finally have a convenient excuse and method for finally revisiting the game and experiencing the rest of the story. So far I've done two of three game-winning quests, but I'm finding the Angierach arena extremely difficult.

 

Anyway, the reason I'm posting is that I write essays about games every once in a while, trying to analyze how game designers do different things with their games that I like. My newest critique is about the implicit storytelling I found when I tried to return to Fort Haledon after storming the Ornotha Ziggurat.

 

I thought I'd share it here. You can read it on my blog. I hope you enjoy it! And if anyone has thoughts or corrections, they're more than welcome. :)

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I was left wondering the same thing when I poked my head back into the battleground. Breaking the fourth wall here, I know that Jeff must've coded (the Begintownscript INIT_STATE) so that whenever Party() leaves the area using a specific exit, the game increments a specific Flag within INIT_STATE so that the battleground is completely empty when entered again; otherwise the game would simply save the remaining Creature IDs and load them again upon next entry into the area.

 

This coding serves to prove that Jeff did plan ahead in case people would visit the battleground again after fleeing the Ziggurat. Thus, I am of the opinion that Jeff intentionally didn't want to write anything, because words would've been too weak to describe the solemnity and emptiness. Furthermore, from a game-world perspective the Fort Haledon was so distant from the others that I wonder if that bastion's fate touched anyone; or if the Vahnatai simply wouldn't want to display their grief and regret in front of strangers.

 

Whatever the case may be, the blog was well written. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Duck does say this is probably a designer oversight. I agree; it's most likely something Jeff just didn't address. That doesn't mean it can be an emergent emotional moment in the game.

 

—Alorael, who also very much likes the Ornotha Ziggurat. It's one of the bits of A2 that makes it a personal favorite, and yes, he has been known to reload and retry to ensure that are some vahnatai survivors.

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There is a word for accidental, unplanned things that turn out for the better; serendipity. I think the lack of closure over their deaths is powerfull enough that it doesnt matter wether intentional or accidental. I think it was duck's intention to point out that this part can be used by other developers to the same gutwrenching effects. Which honestly im torn between telling him to go do something censored( light heartedly though) and applauding his insight on the recipies to good plots.

Well written though.

 

Also this part is what makes avernum 2 my favorite even if it has a complete lack of factions. I remember that i too loaded and reloaded to save more of the vahnatai. At one point im like.. screw it. And hardcore cheated to get them to survive the attack. Even using an absurd amount of items and spells and having infinite energy some ammount dies(but most can survive). To find that my efforts were pointless was devastating really.

Also the game shows quickly how vahnatai are less prejudiced than humans. Humans were quick to discriminate nephils and sliths and a lot of other different beings for the actions of some.

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