How Mass Effect failed at stealing stories

[elenuial]

So, a couple months ago, I played Mass Effect 3, and like so many others was appalled by the ending. Although a lot of other people have written about how and why it’s bad, most of it is fan rage. There were a couple of writers tackling it, but they seemed pretty ignorant of games and what they do and how they work and their history. Lots of

Comments

[asakiyume]

I *LOVE* this essay. Fantastic. I haven't played any of the games, but I've lived with/known enough gamers to have sensitivity (I think) to the issues you've raised, and I just--really love reading about them and how they play out. Plus, I think games as a story medium, and the issue of writing for them, is fascinating.

Your imagined writers' dialogue there at the beginning made me laugh and reminds me that I need to see Babylon 5. (Which I keep bouncing off of... why? Not sure. The guy with the wacky hair has an annoying way of talking... <--this, I think, can be taken to mean, I have irrelevant aesthetic quibbles which get in the way of my enjoyment, but I should try pushing through.

PTSD: I feel like possibly in another realm--YA fiction--it's being done a lot, but maybe rather badly. I keep reading reviews of books with damaged, traumatized heros. (Not many are jumping to mind by way of example right now, but, for instance, Katniss in Mockingjay, the third of the Hunger Games books.)

EDI: What you wrote here had me laughing and laughing.

To be clear: good fiction is made of questions. Religious fiction and self-help books are made of answers. --That is awesome.

Anyway, thanks for the read!

[elenuial]

Plus, I think games as a story medium, and the issue of writing for them, is fascinating.

Me too! That's why I can't stop thinking/talking about them.

The guy with the wacky hair has an annoying way of talking

You'll have to get over that quibble if you want to enjoy the show, because that character is one of the best in the series! For what it's worth, I think B5 might still be my favorite sci-fi TV series to date, despite the fact that a number of elements don't age well at all, and there is plenty of cheese to be had. New Battlestar Galactica was amazing when it was amazing, but you had to ignore the parts that weren't amazing, especially when they congealed into awful mush at the end. :(

I keep reading reviews of books with damaged, traumatized heros.

I don't read much YA besides the super popular stuff, but I can get what you mean. I should say, though, that I think experiencing trauma and recovering from PTSD are related but different experiences. Part of the reason PTSD is less common in storytelling is because it's so difficult to really understand and do well--and when it is done realistically, can seem like melodrama if the reader doesn't understand that PTSD is a root cause. So I can definitely see your point, if it is coming up in YA a lot. Especially in YA. I should hope teens don't know too much about PTSD, because the implications of that would suck.

Anyway, thanks for the read!

Glad to be of service! :)

[sealwhiskers]

I'll agree with Elenuial that Londo Mollari is one of the best characters on B5 (although there are several other good ones). Just endure the quirks and uneven moments of the first season, and then when you get into season 2, 3 and 4, you'll get all the great stuff. That show is iconic on any scifi lover's shelf!

[asakiyume]

I think I can probably get over my aesthetic distaste. People whose opinions I really respect all love the show; I just need to start at the beginning and stick with it long enough to fall in love.