Montréalités Gaming

Far Cry 4 Story Review

2015-04-05T22:10:31Z

"The truth is, Kyrat doesn't have a future," the truck driver said to Ajay as their supply vehicle pulled into the rebel militia's safe outpost. His words surprised me, because it was an idea that I had been thinking about as I played Far Cry 4.

The game was released in November 2014, developed by Ubisoft Montreal. It's a first-person shooter, open-world action/adventure game set in the fictional Himalayan country of Kyrat, which is in the middle of a civil war between a rebel group and the usurper king Pagan Min. Years into this war, the game's protagonist, Ajay Ghale, returns to the place he was born to scatter his mother's ashes at a place called Lakshmana, only to discover that both sides of the conflict have been waiting for him.

I was a stranger to the Far Cry series before taking and interest in its latest installment, but Far Cry 4 called my attention because it looked like it was doing things differently from the usual first-person shooter narrative. Sure, it is still set within a war, but the American military aspect has been replaced; now it is a story about a man returning to a land that could have been his home, and that is struggling to find a future.

And I admit, the poster is hard to resist. The villain, Pagan Min, is front and center, with a James Bond bad-guy grin that lets you know you're going to enjoy taking him down.

©Ubisoft

]]> So, did I?

It may seem weird to review a game like this based on story alone--first-person shooters are usually seen a mindless (sometimes a little too unapologetic) battle romps whose most important aspect is gameplay. They're meant to be fun to play.

As I investigated the series, it became clear that while primarily centered on exploration and action, Far Cry games do put effort into telling a compelling story.

Far Cry 3 followed the story of Jason Brody, an American student vacationing in Bangkok with some friends. They get kidnapped by pirates and held for ransom, with Jason the only one who manages to escape and gain the ability to help them.

Jason was written to be an every man, someone who never had reason to expect to come face to face with the crude realities of human trafficking and violence. Writer Jeffrey Yohalem stated in interviews that they wanted to take that every man and see what giving him a gun and throwing him to the wolves would do to his humanity.

There was a clear intent of character arc, and the result was a story that poked at the general genre conventions of remorseless and consequence-less violence.

Far Cry 4's development followed similar intent, and in an uncommon move narrative Director Mark Thompson talked openly about how the criticism for Far Cry 3 influenced their decisions for this game--even noting that their own impression of their work inspired them to take a closer look at the relationship between narrative and gameplay and try to marry them.

Thompson remarked that the series' main point is discovery, but that Far Cry 3's story didn't fit that idea very well. There were too many supposedly time-sensitive situations (you have to go save your friend in x amount of time) that clashed with the intended freedom of exploring.

Although their solution to this issue was to return to a war setting, their idea of making the protagonist a 'native son' of Kyrat added a much needed upgrade.

©Ubisoft

Ajay Ghale is a quiet man. He is 26 years old, and his mother fled Kyrat with him when he was only four, so he does not remember his homeland. Making him a native is actually a response to another criticism for Far Cry 3, which was accused of using the white savior trope--the American soldier is the only one who is capable of helping the foreigners, even though they've been involved in the conflict for longer and know the place better.

Ajay's background works because it binds him to the setting. He is still a fish out of water, but he cares enough about his mother and her past to respect her last wish. Both Pagan Min and the rebel leaders--Amita and Sabal, have a reason to take an interest in him, and in turn, they give him the chance to learn his mother's real past.

From this setup, the story that unfolds is one of discovery. Ajay is discovering Kyrat, its people, its past, and its possible futures.

But while the setup is solid, Ajay himself is really, really bland. Video game protagonists are a balancing act, because they need to have enough space in them for the player to actually take them on as avatars, but this can not work. It is a shame because the implied characteristics, and bits of dialogue that weren't cut ("Who else pulls the trigger around here?" was excellently acted, and fit so well with the game's themes) suggested a character with a lot of potential. As it is, there's an unnerving radio silence around Ajay as events that should elicit a comment or two pass him by constantly.

One of the bigger aspects of the story is choosing between Amita and Sabal, the leaders of the rebellion. Sabal believes that religion and tradition are the future of Kyrat, while Amita disagrees, though her idea of a future is creating a drug estate.

The ways in which these two characters relate to Ajay are interesting. Sabal places a lot of faith in Ajay, though it can be interpreted as manipulative, while Ajay has to build Amita's trust if you choose her.

But there's an unrelenting cynism around the characters that makes your actions feel meaningless. You can weigh all the options and make the choice based on whichever you think is the lesser evil, but their outcomes feel tacked on for shock value, rather than any narrative or character rationale, and they rob the story of any sort of closure.

It just doesn't feel like there are any consequences to what you do, whether positive or negative. Nothing in the game's elements indicate that something's changed from when you started to when you finish, even though small tweaks to the number or type of enemies you encounter, or the missions you can do, or the character's dialogue, would have been enough to signal some type of change.

It bears noting that Ajay's blankness was a deliberate choice on part of the developers. Ajay had a lot of dialogue that was cut so that the player could 'deliver' the line instead. It's a choice that seems out of place in a game that has an established character with an established past. When a characters asks Ajay why he is going through all the trouble and all the bloody conflicts and Ajay says nothing; I was meant to fill in for him, but my true answer is simply "Well, I bought this game, I have to play it."

©Ubisoft

Far Cry 4 is fun. The gameplay is smooth, and the weapons and tools menu-wheel is easy to navigate even during tense fights. Discovering new places, completing missions, and succeeding at events earn you money and skill points, which you can use to improve your tactical and physical skills, and buy new weapons. The map design gives you a lot of freedom, and the areas in which you have to fight are dynamic and give you a lot of room for choice.

There is a lot to do besides the main storyline-- even missions that expand on the lore of Kyrat itself, delving into the story of a legendary warrior on a quest to fight a demon.

World-building is done mostly through collectibles that reveal the story little by litte. Kyrat is a serviceable setting; it was a good choice to base it on real locations but still create a whole fictional mythology so as not to step on any toes, though some aspects of the religion and culture dangerously balance near uncomfortable stereotypes.

Kyrat is beautiful, but the stasis the story forces it into stop it from feeling whole. The writing and the gameplay center around conflict to such an extent that moments of quiet are extremely fleeting. Driving down the dirt road, it was quiet enough for me to start wondering whether countries could really be saved at all-- because the conflict side of the story was compelling enough to make me think about it. I then accidentally ran over an eagle, which had just attacked two pedestrians.

I enjoyed the game, and despite everything, I like the story and characters. It's just something that unravels once you put much thought into it, and it made me wonder if these types of games could allow themselves to break out of the mold.

Ubisoft's Playable Poem: A Child of Light Review

2015-04-01T19:17:43Z

In July 2012, after several years of working at Ubisoft Montreal, Patrick Plourde earned the chance to submit a pitch for a game of his own. Plourde had contributed to large-scale projects like Assassin's Creed and Rainbow Six: Vegas, but instead of pitching the next entry in either of the blockbuster series, he decided to make a much smaller, more personal game. Inspired by the indie movement in the industry, and interested in contributing his first non-triple-A title, Plourde came up with the idea for Child of Light.

]]> Child of Light was released as a digital download in April 2014 for PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Wii U. It came to Sony's handheld system, the PlayStation Vita, in July of the same year. Developed entirely at Ubisoft Montreal, the title was deemed successful enough that a physical copy was made available in some territories.

Patrick Plourde's passion project is a coming of age story set in a fairy tale world. Aurora is raised alone by her father, a Duke. Aurora's mother passed away a long time ago, and the Duke has since remarried. One night, Aurora falls asleep for a long time and doesn't wake up. Her skin turns cold. The Duke, convinced the worst had come, becomes gravely ill. Aurora awakens in the mythical land of Lemuria, where she is told the Queen of Light used to rule. With the rightful queen gone, the evil Umbra stole away the sun, the moon, and the stars. Together with Igniculus, a magic blue firefly that a second player can control in co-op mode, Aurora must recover the Lemuria's light and defeat Umbra if she has any hope of returning home.

Child of Light plays as a side-scrolling adventure, meaning Aurora travels across a two-dimensional world. The environment has a gorgeous hand-painted watercolour quality to it, and each area feels as lively as it should. Your adventure will take you through lush forests, dark caves crawling with monstrous spiders, and odd temples with light-based puzzles. The art style was inspired by legendary illustrator Yoshitaka Amano, who designed many characters from the Final Fantasy games. Child of Light features a breathtaking and highly evocative soundtrack composed by Montreal-born singer-songwriter Béatrice Martin, better known as Coeur de Pirate.

Aurora's tale incorporates a few elements from role-playing games (RPGs), especially with regard to the crafting and levelling systems. Throughout her journey, Aurora will come across various gems called Oculi. These can be fitted into a weapon, armor, or accessory slot. The bonus they confer depends on where they are placed: adding a ruby to a weapon grants fire damage, whereas the same gem increases a character's maximum magic points (MP) when placed in an accessory.

Oculi can be combined to create different stones, or they can be upgraded if three of the same type are mixed together. You can replace a character's gems at any time outside of battle, so Oculi management is definitely one of the most strategic elements in the game. Regularly upgrading and reassigning Oculi according to the enemies in each region has a measurable impact on the outcome of each fight. The system is incredibly rewarding even with its minimalistic approach.

Each time Aurora and her friends win a battle, they earn experience points. For each new level, the characters gain a skill point that can be placed in their specific talent trees. Spending skill points this way unlocks new abilities or enhances existing ones. Each talent tree that splits into three distinct paths; Gen, a master of crowd control, has a branch that specializes in Paralyzing enemies, one that teaches spells that make party members faster, as well as a more defensive path. As the player, you can choose which skills to learn first, but know that you can unlock them all eventually if your characters earn enough experience.

Combat begins when Aurora comes into contact with an enemy. Although just one appears in the overworld, up to three enemies can be present in battle. Aurora and her team can only fight in twos, but you can switch party members at any time. The combat in Child of Light is not turn-based, nor is it real time. Instead, all characters in the encounter appear as icons on a sort of timeline at the bottom of the screen. When the characters enter the red portion of the gauge shown below, time freezes and you can select the action you want to perform. However, the attack or spell isn't unleashed until the end of the timeline, and if the character gets hit while casting, he or she gets interrupted and knocked back on the bar.

The first few fights in the game demonstrate the battle system very well with simple encounters, but before long, the game challenges you to put what you've learned to the test. A myriad of enemies exist in Child of Light, and you'd do well to remember which ones have specific elemental vulnerabilities and which ones automatically counter all physical attacks. Combat difficulty will vary depending on whether you play the game on normal or hard mode, but spending skill points and playing with Oculi are required to stand a chance against bosses.

Igniculus' character design and abilities make co-op play nothing short of amazing. Although the firefly doesn't have any spells or attacks of his own, he is actually a big asset during battle. While the first player selects character actions according to the state of the timeline, Igniculus can freely roam over the battle scene. Hover over an enemy, and the firefly's bright light will slow down its movement on the timeline. Moreover, if Aurora or her companions are badly injured, Igniculus can go over to them and heal them up. These actions consume a magic resource that replenishes over time, so Igniculus can't constantly keep his friends at full health. Outside battle, Igniculus is unaffected by traps, wind, or other hazards, and can even open chests in restrained areas.

All the dialogue in Child of Light rhymes, which really sells the fairy tale atmosphere. Almost all the characters' lines are in ballad form, with short stanzas in which the second and fourth lines rhyme. Occasionally, a couplet or triplet breaks this pattern, but the writers are clever enough to reserve those exceptions for important moments in the narrative. Line length varies, but style and tone was inspired by Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Despite the fairly rigid form, each character in Child of Light still has a distinct voice--one of the game's most impressive achievements. When Aurora meets a circus acrobat named Rubella, for example, she finds her new partner's choice of words deliberately avoids rhymes, so a perplexed Igniculus buts in and corrects her. This humorous, elegantly crafted scene is a prime demonstration of the writer's skill. Each line is colour-coded, so there is no confusion as to which character is speaking.

If you're at all intrigued to experience a playable poem, you'll have a blast with Child of Light. It doesn't come with the hefty price tag of a physical game, and it doesn't require that you sit down for hours on end in each play session. The game will keep you busy for about 20 hours, or double that if you're inclined to try out the New Game Plus, which will pit you against much stronger enemies. Extremely accessible even for casual gamers, Child of Light is a great entry point for anyone beginning to delve into RPGs.

The Spatial Narrative of Games

2015-03-13T16:18:07Z

©Tri-Crescendo, Namco

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon is a game for the Nintendo Wii that was released in 2009 by Namco-Bandai. It came and went without much fanfare. Even its creators knew it was a niche game: a post-apocalyptic video game without zombie/infected/soldier shooting, and no large selection of firearms, so they described it as an "atmospheric adventure". Fragile Dreams focused on story. It's main character goes on a quiet, contemplative journey across a desolate world, battling the ghosts of its previous inhabitants.

Although it misses a lot of the marks 'proper' games are known for, it succeeds in one of the aspects that set video games apart from other entertainment mediums: it creates a solid sense of place.

]]> For a long time, illustrative art has been concerned with creating images that are true to life. Artists immortalized important people in portraits, or created scenes from myth or history with their skill. It was art that sought not only to convey a message, but to transport the viewer to a different place.

When cameras were invented, they made the process of capturing moments in time easier, and -more importantly- available to a wider audience. You no longer needed to learn to paint or have enough money to commission someone for a portrait. The technology to capture images evolved at a rapid pace, and soon we had movies that let us delve into the lives of others, and tour places we could not have normally seen.

Creating space is a storytelling device, sometimes separate from the narrative plot. A scene, whether written, drawn, or rendered, must have weight and depth and detail. So much of art gravitates towards this idea that it's no wonder each technological advancement has been used to find new ways to create a sense of place. It is not that each new step is better than the last, but that these advancements have allowed a wider range of people to create new things.

When video games entered the stage, they had to focus on a created space rather than story. The mechanics of gameplay needed a context to function, and that interplay of space and action made games known for their interactivity.

©Tri-Crescendo, Namco

Fragile Dreams shows its theme through space. The focus of the game is not combat, but character an exploration. It begins at a dilapidated mall, a place associated with bustling crowds that is now dark, flooded, and covered in graffiti that the last survivors wrote as their goodbyes. It's a game that talks about isolation; the ways people relate to each other.

It's not the first nor the last game to use this setting. The Fallout series, from Bethesda Softworks, is set in a radioactive wasteland, and The Last of Us, From Naughty Dog, shows the aftermath of a deadly airborne infection. Each game has a different way of showcasing the way the world was destroyed: Fallout's earthy color palette shows a barren land due to the radioactivity, while The Last of Us's emphasizes the green of nature overtaking man-made structure, an extension of the infection's natural origins.

©Bethesda Softworks

Post-Apocalyptic settings evoke a sense of discomfort by putting the player in a place that is familiar, only wrong. These games build a sense of dread by breaking down the dams, the streets, and the skyscrapers, and letting nature overtake them. What to us looks infallible in the present becomes evidence of hubris.

Henry Jenkins, Professor of Communication, Journalism, and Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California, wrote an essay titled "Game Design as Narrative Architecture", where he argued that "It is no accident, that game design documents have historically been more interested in issues of level design than on plotting or character motivation." Pre-release articles and interviews for games tend to talk more about graphic development, and the ways in which the player will be able to interact with the environment, than the intricacies of the plot. Take this "Next Gen Tech Demo" for Call of Duty: Ghosts for example. Call of Duty is not popularly known for its story, but it is a huge franchise that puts strong emphasis on graphics and performance.

Visual elements are not the only aspect of spatial design that create that sense of place- audio design is as much an important element, because it expands on the sense of immersion in the game's space. A soft growling off to your left warns you of a coming enemy; this adds another dimension to the perceived space-- the element of the unseen but upcoming, which makes the place feel alive. Visual and audio input help you navigate the space and make your decisions. Should you go down that hallway? As an interactive narrative, that choice is yours.

Dear Esther is similar to Fragile Dreams in the way that it uses sound and environment to tell its story. It is a short indie game that was developed by The Chinese Room and released in 2012 for Windows and Mac. It earned a lot of critical praise for its story and setting, but got some backlash from regular players because it doesn't have any other gameplay elements besides movement. No combat, no inventory, not even opening doors. The narrative develops as you explore a desolated island; each time you come upon a certain point, and new narration is unlocked and you hear the letters the protagonist dedicates to the mysterious Esther.

The game toys with the idea of what constitutes a game, and as a story, it isn't particularly extraordinary. What sets it apart is that you are involved in its development. It is because you lifted your sights from the ocean shore and saw a lighthouse in the distance that you decide to go to it, and it is because a strange radio signal whispered to you somewhere to the left that you deviate from the path and found a once-inhabited cave with more clues about the story. You saw the chemical formulas scribbled on a cave wall without being told that you saw them, and stumbled upon the ghost staring at you from its reflection in the water on your own.

©The Chinese Room

With games, unlike books or movies, you are given a sense that this space was created for you to move through, and there is a strong narrative potential in the simple act of locomotive freedom. When you buy a game, sometimes it's about wanting to 'be' there, rather than wanting a story.

Sources:

Jenkins, Henry. "Game Design as Narrative Architecture." Electronic Book Review. 10 July 2004.http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/firstperson/lazzi-fair

The Montreal Video Game Industry: A Developer's Dream

2015-03-05T01:23:29Z

The gaming scene in Montreal is among the liveliest and most relevant in today's global video game industry. In fact, the city boasts over 100 studios currently working on games for PC, consoles, and mobile devices. Why is Montreal such an attractive game development locale? A talented workforce, sound funding program, and multicultural climate make it one of the best places to open up shop for any game-loving entrepreneur.

]]> Many of Montreal's colleges and universities offer training in digital arts, programming, modeling, and 3D animation. Dawson, ÉTS, and Herzing College can all equip passionate students with the technical know-how that employers look for in a society increasingly driven toward games. Most graduates come out of school ready to work as hard as they play. Other institutions help the medium in different ways: Concordia University's TAG Centre, for example, conducts research in game studies and digital culture. New game developers can get funds and expertise from Execution Labs' accelerator program, meant to help turn projects into commercialized games. It's no wonder Ubisoft, a France-based developer and publisher, was so impressed by Montreal's workforce.

Ubisoft Montreal was born in 1997 after the firm took over an abandoned textile factory in Mile End. Not one of the city's most dashing neighbourhoods at the time, Mile End benefitted greatly from the new business, and even became a respected cultural hub. Ubisoft Montreal created thousands of jobs, reinvigorating the multimedia industry and preparing for today's extremely diverse, rapidly evolving market. Although Ubisoft has offices in 29 countries, its Montreal arm is particularly well-known, having produced uniquely innovative games like those in the Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell, and Far Cry series.

Pagan Min, the main villain in Far Cry 4

On the other end of the spectrum, we have small, sometimes tiny development teams making riskier commitments. Independent game development means less investment than a large-scale production and no need to rely on all-too-controlling publishers. Outlast, Papo & Yo, and Contrast are all examples of shorter, Montreal-made experiences that have truly resonated with gamers. In Quebec as a whole, 88% of video game companies are small or micro size. Indie studios, often teams of less than ten people, account for almost 60% of enterprises. The ratio is similar in Montreal--despite the evident success that Ubisoft and some medium-sized studios are enjoying, a significant number of up-and-coming developers are choosing to go the indie route. And in terms of creative freedom, it makes sense.

There are more than a few challenges in assembling a small team and beginning independent production of a passion project, however. With no publisher to look to for funding, money can be hard to come by. Montreal and other large cities in Quebec nevertheless attract many start-up companies because of their highly competitive tax program. In 1996, the provincial government launched a tax credit incentive for production of interactive digital media that can cover up to 37% of development costs. Initiated to encourage growth in the entertainment technology sector, the program is a godsend for small teams working full time.

Unfortunately, the government is beginning to cut back on the tax credits, threatening to disturb emerging and long-standing studios in Quebec. Not only are large companies shaken by the rise of operational costs, they're hesitant to make major investments. The Minister of Finance has been understanding in this regard, pledging to compensate Ubisoft Montreal as well as Warner Bros. Games for the reduction of tax credits due to a prior agreement. Other developers aren't so lucky: Montreal's second largest studio, Eidos Montreal, must completely revisit its financial forecast.

The tax credit cuts are worrisome, to be sure, but some argue that they are no longer necessary in the current economic climate. Guillaume Provost, head of indie studio Compulsion Games, points out that "tax credits were important 15 years ago to attract the industry to Montreal." As the game industry evolves at a dizzying speed, it's no wonder economic circumstances shift as well. Thankfully, Montreal has another redeeming quality that should keep developers from packing up: a palpable multiculturalism makes for an unrivaled breadth of creative diversity. Stéphane D'Astous, former general manager at Eidos, appreciates Montreal because it has the privilege of not making Europeans feel like strangers while simultaneously conforming to the "fast-paced business style of North America." This combination makes the city especially appealing to foreign developers, D'Astous explains.

With so many passionate developers and players, it's no wonder Montreal has a few gaming celebrations of its own. Montreal Joue, which comprises over 300 activities spanning over two weeks, is one of the most well-known. Around spring break, select game studios hold open houses and others invite interested students or developers-to-be for information sessions. Child-friendly live-action role-playing (LARPing) activities are planned all over the city, where players can fight it with styrofoam weapons while pretending to be famous characters. Many Montrealers also dress up to attend ComicCon, an annual convention where video games, comic books, and other pop culture products take centre stage.

All in all, Montreal is a first-rate place to be to make games. Capable students come out of school excited to join large or small development teams, studios of all sizes can get government funding, and the city is a great fit for new Canadian residents. Plus, being based in Montreal ensures developers that they are in great proximity to everything game-related. Factor in the ripple effect of having more and more studios put down roots in Montreal, and it's hard to ask for a better milieu to bask in the greatness of video games.

Populating Your Fiction- Basics of Writing Characters

2015-02-06T04:29:17Z

So you're writing a story-- Whether it's for a short story or --especially-- for a script movie or game script, you're pretty much going to want to have a couple of characters to do something in it. There is a huge variety of functions characters can serve, and even what they can be. There are so many possibilities and no set way, no hard-and-fast rules, to go about it that starting looks daunting. Characters, like people, have a lot of facets, so creating a good character is a process that takes a lot of trial to find which elements work and which don't. Here are a few tips to get you started:

]]> What kind of character do you want?

First things first: this is your story, so it should include the things you are interested in. If you don't like tragedy, don't write about that. If you love amoral characters that get themselves in nasty situations, write about that. It will be easier to start and to finish if you have an idea of the kind of story you want to tell.

Stories can be a character-driven story, or a plot-driven one. If it's character driven, then you really want a well-rounded character at its center, and also interesting side-characters if the story calls for them. If it's plot-driven, then you still want your characters to make sense. If you have the kind of characters your plot needs, your story will move along smoothly.

Name and Age

These work more as identifiers than anything else, but they still convey certain things about character that can be fun to explore. Writers are the only people besides expecting parents who frequent baby name websites.

Names don't need to have any deep meaning or connection to the story. In reality, our names are usually out of our control, so they depend on the kind of people your parents are. Did your character's parents choose Aliyah because they thought it was pretty? Or maybe their mother was an eccentric hippie who named her child American. Finding a fitting name can help you build the setting of the story.

If your character decided to change their name later in life, that can be a whole story by itself. Maybe they were running away, or are transgender. Most of the same question as before apply in this case.

Age is much more straightforward. It's important because it gives the character a certain amount of lived experiences, but above all it gives the reader certain expectations about how the character will act. Readers will think 'a 25 years-old man shouldn't be acting like a 14 years-old boy'-- but that's not always the case. Which expectations you break or keep is up to you.

Backstory

Think of all the parts of your character's past that were out of their control-- these are some of the most defining elements of the character AND the story.

Start by the basics: place of origin, ethnic heritage, what kind of environment they grew up in, and any significant experiences. Where they taught to be very religious? How did the people who raised them treat them? What part of their community were always at odds with your character? Then ask yourself: what were the consequences of these things?

A back-story is not necessarily the first step to creating your story. You could start with any other element and work your way backwards, but defining the character's background will give context to the current situation.

Personality

The very base of a character, but something that can be hard to define. After all, can you say a person is wholly 'optimistic', or 'kind', or 'sarcastic'? These are merely base traits and flaws of a person, but adhering to them too strictly can be restrictive.

Think of their personality in terms of attitude. Do they give up easily in the face of hardship or do they think that as long as they have help they'll be fine? Do they know how to appreciate good times or do they not realize what they have? Determine their likes and dislikes and what the character does about them. If they're artsy people, are they willing to make a career out of it or do they consider it only a hobby? Are they distrustfull of people who like dogs?

The most important thing about their personality is that you have to show it. If your character is judgmental, show how they evaluate the people around them-- maybe they take academic achievements very seriously, or distrust people based on appearance.

Character arc

People change. Readers consume stories to travel a road with your characters, and see where it gets them, otherwise the story will feel pointless. Take the elements that have been mentioned and ask yourself: what does this person want? Your story will show how and why the character gets what they desire-- or don't get it. Or it will show how what they wanted was the wrong thing. The most important thing is to show how a situation changes the person.

The change can be huge, or minimal. It can impact only the character, or their entire environment. Maybe the character isn't even conscious that they've changed, much less consciously tried to change during the story. Think about yourself-- it never hurts when you're writing-- think about a situation that you thought was an annoyance, or a great luck, how you saw it at that moment, and how it truly ended.

Nothing exists in or comes from a void. If a story or character development does not make sense within the context of the story, readers will lose patience. If you want something specific to happen, then think through how that comes to be. Fiction works like hindsight does-- it's all obvious when it's all said and done-- but to your character, things are still happening. Write your character as they live in their present.

Always remember that just because you write something at the beginning, it doesn't mean that it's set in stone. If you're having trouble writing a scene or creating a character-- change it! Creating characters and stories is a process of discovery. Keep thinking, keep imagining, have fun with what you're trying to do.

How to Survive Boxing Day in a Video Game Store

2015-01-29T23:28:03Z

If you've ever ventured out on December 26, you've probably seen lines of eager shoppers, coffee in hand, eyeing the double doors of the store with a kind of militant zeal. The frenzy as the opening hour strikes and customers head briskly toward aisles laden with discounted merchandise. The occasional pushing and shoving as everyone evaluates the number of boxes on the shelf and the number of hands reaching for them.

It's an unfortunate reality for some, but an irresistible opportunity for others. Video game stores in particular are always full of avid customers looking for great deals on entertainment products. Consoles, headsets, controllers, and even recently released games have their prices slashed on Boxing Day, and everyone wants in. If you're new to the gaming world, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the multitude of products on display. Here are some helpful tips to make your shopping more effective next holiday season:

]]> Check out the deals online ahead of time.

There's nothing worse than braving gigantic crowds and finding out that the promotions this year just aren't doing it for you. Come prepared. A quick survey of various store websites will give you an idea of the most popular deals. If necessary, print out pages from the websites you visited; they will usually have item numbers that can help the staff find the exact model you want.

Bring any and all gift cards.

If you're lucky enough to have received gift cards for Christmas, bring them all. Don't just bring an EB Games card with you and expect to find everything you need. Did someone offer you a Microplay gift card? Definitely take it with you. Lesser known stores don't sell out as fast, so they're often worth the detour. While you're at it, check your wallet for old gift cards, especially those that work for all the boutiques in the mall.

If you are purchasing a video game product for a friend or family member, be sure you know specifically what to get.

Asking for ''Assassin's Creed'' is about as unhelpful as is gets. You'll only use up the employee's time as he or she tries to figure out which game in the series you are referring to and which version you need. Meanwhile, that employee can't help customers who are ready to check out and are probably sighing loudly at your confusion.

Question the person you are running the errand for carefully. Is it the latest Assassin's Creed? Which console should you buy it on? Is there a specific edition of the game that's more desirable? Look up a picture of the box, that way you can still find it at the store if you forget the full title when you get there.

Compare prices on new and used games.

Some game stores sell both used and new copies of games, and whereas used copies are usually cheaper, Boxing Day is one of those exceptions when you might actually pay less for a new copy. Rebates on new games are offered by publishers and used prices are determined by the store chain, so these kinds of incongruities can definitely happen. Don't automatically head to the used section convinced that that's where the low prices are.

Check the box for any restrictions on games you buy.

Does the box say "Internet connection required"? Then you can bet it's an online-only game that's not suited for gamers with unstable internet connections. Does it say "Storage required"? Then you should have a hard drive in your Xbox 360, not just a USB key.

Remember to check for controller compatibility as well. If you're looking to buy Just Dance for Wii U, the box will mention it can only be played using a Wiimote controller. Music, rhythm, or toy-based games usually require additional peripherals as well. While employees will usually ask you these questions at checkout, it pays to be careful on Boxing Day, when management doesn't want transactions to take more than a few minutes.

If you begin shopping in the afternoon or evening, expect some things to have run out.

Unfortunately, most of the heavily discounted products are only available in limited quantities. Most large stores advertise "door crashers," or very aggressive deals that are only meant to attract customers. As you might expect, these kinds of deals don't last very long. If you're unsure about your local store's stock, feel free to give them a call a day or two in advance. Employees can usually give you a sense of how early you should come in to grab a particular item.

Don't demand that products be put aside for you.

Most stores won't reserve anything for you on Boxing Day and will operate under a first come, first serve basis. After all, it's only fair that those who line up outside get first pick on the discounted merchandise. Respecting this procedure will prevent potential disagreements with employees who were strictly told that they're not allowed to take reservations.

If you are making large purchases with a credit card, have your ID ready.

To prevent fraud, most stores will require ID for transactions amounting to several hundred dollars. This is especially likely if you are buying one or more game consoles. The cashier will usually want to compare your credit card with your driver's license or Medicare card, so be sure to bring them with you.

Take a minute to ask about the warranty on your purchases.

Some items, like game consoles, can't be returned at the store. The warranty is offered by Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo, and you'll have to reach out to customer service for any repairs. Knowing this ahead of time saves you the trouble of going back to the store (especially when it's this busy) and being told the above.

Big-box stores and small boutiques have different return policies on games and accessories. If they aren't displayed at the cash, the employee handling your transaction will be happy to explain to you the conditions for refunds or exchanges.

Finally, be polite to the staff.

Shopping on Boxing Day is crazy, but it's even more hectic for those on the other side of the counter. Remember that the people who are answering your rapid-fire questions are working the busiest month of the year. They're human beings who probably celebrated over the holidays, so chances are they're running low on sleep. Some may not even earn commission for the extra effort they are putting in.

The employees may look like they're doing the same, everyday job, but Boxing Day requires extra energy; between making sure everyone knows where to find things, coming in early to set up promotional material, and keeping an eye out for theft and fraud, they're almost always doing more than one thing at a time.

Plus, they have to deal with customers who haven't read these guidelines. That's worth a smile, at the very least.

Lore Keepers- An Interview About Fans and Creativity

2014-12-05T02:07:13Z

Fiction is an important part of society. Stories have captivated people's imagination for ages, with high emotions that mirror our lives and make them seem larger at the same time. They have been told at gatherings around fires at night, and stone stages where all actors wore masks, and projected into 47-feet-tall screens.

Nowadays movies, tv shows, books, and games are created in the hopes that their story will be the next big thing, so that people talk about them and eagerly await the next instalment. But there's a subset of fans who are unsatisfied with simply watching, reading, or playing, and take these stories into their own hands to expand them. Writing new scenarios with or drawing the characters, expanding on what's already there, fandoms have been growing for decades. With the new way the internet has allowed us to communicate, fan creativity has been gaining more notoriety.

]]> I sat down to have a chat about this with Darya Makarava, a 23-year-old concept artist and longtime fan of The Elder Scrolls video game series. She's been creating fan content for the series since she played Morrowind, the 3^rd game in the series, and her screenname, Lady Nerevar, comes from one of the game's characters. She is an artist and writer who has participated in the Tamriel Rebuilt modding project and currently helps maintain the Imperial Library lore archive.

Usually the first few questions are just introductory, so you could say a little about yourself!

I'm a professional concept artist in the mobile games industry who does entirely too much fan stuff for other people's properties. I mostly do sketches and quick drawings, though I think my most talked about works are various maps and charts. Occasionally I write short form, world-building focused prose.

Although I'm an artist, I'm not really too interested in the artistic aspects of art. I prefer the cultural context, the world building and design opportunities, and just engaging with people on shared ideas. I like looking at other people's immaculately cartooned characters, but it's not really something I like to do myself.

So there's that aspect of community that draws you in?

Definitely. I think that's why I prefer drawing fan art or expanding on existing Intellectual Properties to creating my own.

When something is mine, it's just whatever I can think of in my own brain. When something is shared, we've got dozens (or thousands) of minds to pull from, bounce ideas of off. I think all the best ideas are created through collaboration. If I draw a random woman in a random Scandinavian dress, it doesn't really mean anything to anyone. If I say that this woman is a Nordic queen, there are all these other related ideas that people can respond to and engage with. There's an instant connection between the art and its viewers.

You've said things about the community feedback, but I find it really curious how people first decide to create things for existing properties in the first place. You've had years to think over this experiences, but how would you say it was like when you started making fan content?

I didn't really think of it as fan content when I first started making it, I suppose. I was young and hadn't gotten involved in the internet yet (not to mention that "the internet" wasn't as widespread yet), so I really had nothing to compare to. I drew pictures of Morrowind scenery and doodled dungeon layouts on graph paper with the intention of making them mods. It was something I did to pass the time between playing the game, but I didn't really assign any value to it. Neither did people around me, since Morrowind (or videogames in general, really) wasn't a mainstream thing.

I didn't really start thinking of myself as a fan artist/writer until I started doing things for myself outside of the Tamriel Rebuilt project. It's a different experience to release something into a team to be integrated with a greater whole than releasing something into the wild all by yourself and seeing what comes back.

Was it drawing and writing, things like that? What were they about?

Yeah, mostly drawing. By the time that I kind of went off on my own I had a good idea of what interested me in The Elder Scrolls. I knew that I liked the lore, especially the less traditional and less explored stuff, and that I liked the opportunity to use my interest in history and anthropology. I knew that I loved Hammerfell and Cyrodiil [provinces of the fictional continent of Tamriel] from my time in Tamriel Rebuilt, researching them in a semi-professional setting. I spent a lot of time answering questions and engaging in lore discussion, and that kind of naturally bled into writing new lore and or making new lore visually. I mentioned earlier that I like to do various maps and charts in addition to more typical fan art - I think that's because helping people and encouraging discussion has always interested me.

I think my stuff has chiefly been about things in TES that people haven't seen yet. I've done proper fan art for characters, but that's usually more sketchy catharsis than my main motivation.

So really it was digging deeper into what you were originally given? Because there's the idea among people that entertainment (games, books, movies, etc) is something that you look at but don't do anything else with it, but I think that fan artists are creating their own relationships with these stories. Would you say it's something like that?

Right, exactly. I think "look but don't touch" has been falling away more and more in recent years. I remember when Lost was a big thing and mainstream magazines were writing with fascination about how fans were meeting in online communities and discussing theories. All I could think of was "wait, I've been doing this for years, this isn't anything new." Now, it's pretty rare to find a company that doesn't highlight its fans creations in some way.

It's not new in a historical context, either. Most of our classics are fan art or fan fiction. Dante's works were so popular that people today have trouble distinguishing them from the works they were expanding (Christianity). The classical Greek authors, Euripides and the like, were just writing fan fiction of their myths, and fan fiction of each other's fan fiction. You'd be hard pressed to find a painting from before the 1800s that's not based on some kind of previous canon (or directly on life). Artists, writers, regular people had these common universes to enjoy, these themes and symbols which they all understood and could draw on.

At some point we lost that. Not sure why - maybe the idea of the artist as some lone brilliant genius. But it's coming back now. All the people looking at pictures of Dragon Age characters and responding to them are no different than the Greeks responding to another version of the Medea story. It's just digital now, across timezones and continents.

Yeah, things like that are definitely coming more into view, but if I step out of my circle of friends there's still people who aren't familiar with fan creations. The most common example seems to be 50 Shades of Grey, which ok, but there's so much great stuff that you can do as a fan. The Elder Scrolls kind of gives itself to that since it's centered around player-choice and setting.

Also, just for fun, could you give us an example of something specific that caught your interest in the The Elder Scrolls lore?

Definitely a generational component, yes. I think older people may know about it on some level, and maybe have even done it themselves, but they just don't have the vocabulary to describe it as we do.

As for interest, I guess Morrowind was the first thing. All the weirdness is definitely what drew me in. After that, I was enamored by how deep and contradictory the history was. All the fantasy I'd seen and read prior (and much of what I've seen after) was very cut and dry. "This happened. And then that happened." Tamriel was totally different. The story of Red Mountain, for example, was told in five different viewpoints, all sharing some ideas and contradicting on others. I know some people find that frustrating, but I love it. It gives the viewer some ownership of the world by letting them make their own decisions about the setting, and it mimics the way real history works. In the real world we can make educated guesses, but in the end much is lost and we'll never know anything for certain.

After all that, I became enamored with the inclusion of non-western elements within the world, and by the possibility of including even more. As an artist with an interest in history, I relish the ability to include, for example, Han dynasty fashion in Cyrodiil, and have it still fit in. It's not something you see in your typical fantasy setting.

Yeah it's a very realistic take on how history plays out doesn't it? Morrowind really dug into that but, for example, I started the series with Oblivion and even there you could tell that there wasn't a clear-cut black and white morality in the setting

Definitely. Oblivion was less upfront about it, but it was still there.

Also you kind of answered another question I had about the modern relationship we have with stories. It's a shame that they're seen just as a product now, but people find ways to interact with them, or make them their own, things like that

There's a quote about that I reblogged to my tumblr a long time ago that I'll try to find.

Is it about how fanfiction is the way we've reclaimed our oral traditions, or something similar? I saw that one a long time ago -sadly I lost the author and where I saw it- but I think the quote could be expanded to describe any kind of fan creativity

Yeah, something like that.

"Fan fiction is a way of the culture repairing the damage done in a system where contemporary myths are owned by corporations instead of owned by the folk."

That's exactly the one!

So going back to the community aspect of all this, what's your experience with other fans been like? Beyond sharing your ideas, how has it been like navigating these spaces?

In general, wonderful. Most people I met when I was starting out, and most people I meet still, are eager to talk, to help, or just to share things. People helped me discover what I wanted to do in life, encouraged me even when I said dumb things and made bad work. They were there on IRC or the forums when I wanted to vent about some real life trouble, and they celebrated with me when I had some new joy in my life. Even the frustrating moments most often ended in lessons learned and relationships strengthened. I had a lot of people help me out throughout the years, and I try to give back by helping out by writing and making things that help new people engage with and understand the universe better.

I've met some of my best friends in these communities. That's a common story, I think, because the internet is one of the few places where you get to befriend people solely based on their personality and interests, rather than based on circumstantial factors like location.

That's not to say that I've not had bad experiences, too. When I was new, the negative experiences centered mostly on my inexperience with the community and the internet in general. Now that I've been here a while, I've found that the more people know you the harsher you are judged and the less eager people are to engage with you as a person. Once people think that you've got power, you tend to become an entity rather than just another fan. There's problems with cliques, infighting, and general differences in philosophy about the universe, too. But that's a whole different essay entirely

Internet community stories tend to either be all positive or all negative, but if there's one thing I want to emphasize is that despite the distance and the technology, we're still people.

I see. You've talked about how you were going through some personal difficulties when you first joined Tamriel Rebuilt, so how was it starting there and putting forth your own ideas for others to see?

I kind of completely divorced my real life self from my online self. I don't remember worrying about what people were going to think of my work or being self-conscious or anything like that. I kind of just put myself out there, did the best I would do, and kept coming back. I was able to completely reinvent myself, present myself in the way I wanted to be seen.

Right, like you were saying before, having the shared interest kept you coming back, and having a common ground lets you have more control over how you present yourself?

I think that's part of it, but the internet is a bigger part. You can choose exactly how, when, and where you interact with people. You can edit your words to get your point across as best you can, and you can accompany those words with the right emoticons. In life, if you don't know some cultural reference (like I didn't, much of the time), you're stuck there looking awkward. On the internet, you google it, watch a youtube video, and come back an expert in 5 minutes.

The Elder Scrolls series has developed a lot, with new games and also fans coming in, so what are the things that still draw you to the series and fandom?

Every new game or book brings new lore and new ideas to talk about. Bethesda has gotten really good with balancing totally new information, old information, and new information which expands on old information. And now, with Elder Scrolls Online, new things are coming out every month. I think the question here is less what keeps me, but more what would it take to drive me away? It's a universe that's always growing and always being reinterpreted by fans, and it's a universe that I have a lot of attachment to. I can't really see myself leaving it anytime soon.

The community has also started to emphasize fan involvement and lore creation more in the recent years, and I think that's led to more people becoming involved with the community. Before, most people just talked about the games - now, many people also write their own parts of the game's universe for others to talk about.

If there's a piece of work or project that you're currently working on, would you like to talk a little about it?

I'm working on two big things right now. One is updating the Imperial Library with information from Elder Scrolls Online. We've got the in-game books, and most of the supplementary material, but there is still so much in terms of in-game events, dialogue, and article updating that needs to be done. The other project is an updated map of Tamriel. The last big map predates Skyrim, and doesn't feature all the new information we gathered from Skyrim, Elder Scrolls Online, or the maps with the Anthology release. I'm aiming to it make the most complete and accurate map of the series to date.

Making Movement: An interview with Compulsion Games' Animator

2014-11-27T22:52:12Z

The city is quiet as I exit the metro at Place St-Henri. I walk a block or two and come to a large building in front of which Jean-Richard Beaudry, Compulsion Games' 3D animator, is standing. He greets me and we begin the walk up a loud metal staircase and eventually emerge in a wide hallway. We walk past several doors until we come to a gray one with the Compulsion logo next to it.

The first thing I notice as I enter the studio is how much it feels like a large living room. There are no cubicles, but rather large desks cluttered with books, figures, coffee cups and bonsai trees. Besides a conference area and a small kitchen, there aren't any distinct rooms. Computers line the walls, but the centre space is dedicated to a TV and a bright red couch. Some Contrast merchandise decorates the studio, a reminder of Compulsion's debut in the games industry. Beaudry had turned all the monitors off prior to my arrival so as to make sure I don't get an accidental peak at the developers' currently unannounced title.

]]> As we sit comfortably on the couch, I begin my interview with the experienced games animator.

JB: Why are indie games relevant in today's market?

JRB: I'd say that indie studios appeared when they were meant to--they became the natural balance in the video games industry. We're going through a time where consumers demand bigger and better games, with more content and prettier stuff, to the point where it costs a truckload of money to deliver almost any kind of game. I think that the indie wave helped bring perspective to the whole thing, for the gamers as well as for many developers. It reminded everyone that small games are awesome too.

JB: As a gamer, have you had the chance to enjoy many indie games? If so, what are some of your favourites?

JRB: I often find myself trapped into the pattern of playing specific games abusively, so out of the incredible number of games that came out in recent years, I've played too few of them. Having said that, I absolutely loved Castle Crashers, Sound Shapes is a lot of fun too, very relaxing and challenging at the same time, and I recently started Volgarr the Viking and it's pretty good.

JB: What do you like most about Montreal's gaming community and culture?

JRB: Everyone has a lot of respect for every other studio, I find. It's so easy to make great friends and contacts just by going to one of the dozens of community events that take place in Montreal each year.

JB: What kind of insight has working in an indie studio given you about the games industry as a whole?

JRB: That no matter what kind of studio you're in, people run on coffee and beer, in no particular order.

JB: What are some of the things that you didn't expect or had to adapt to when you were hired?

JRB: Being the boss, kind of. Of course coming in I was aware of my responsibilities, but it's hard to realize that you're your own boss, and automatically the boss of anyone hired under your department. We're given the complete ownership of our work, so I guess it's a pretty cool thing to adapt to!

JB: You said that you were pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere at Compulsion. Can you give us an example or two of moments that could only happen in an indie studio?

JRB: I doubt that bigger studios would send their artists to IKEA to buy furniture and order a kitchen. That was a lot of fun.

JB: Are there any things you miss from your time at Ubisoft and Warner Bros.?

JRB: Yeah for sure, especially Ubisoft. The ubi-life is great. There are a lot of nice places to eat and drink around the building, then there's an active community doing sports and lots of different activities within and around the studio, stuff like that.

JB: You've been on teams for both triple-A and indie games. Does having this experience colour your long-term goals?

JRB: Not really. Right now I just enjoy making games, wherever I'm at. Long-term, I just want to be a great animator, hopefully work on CG animated movies in a studio like Disney--I really like what they've been doing in the last few years.

JB: Larger development teams usually go through the infamous crunch time in the weeks before their product launches. Are long, high-pressure work days a reality in indie studios?

JRB: Absolutely. The approach is a little different in terms of being pressured, but a crunch is just something you need to go through when you're making ambitious games. When you're indie though, you have to push yourself because there's no one there to take you by the hand.

JB: Indie games are usually more personal projects. Considering you joined the team when the current game was already in production, how would you qualify your attachment to the current project?

JRB: It's great, and I love the game. I mean, yeah the pipeline was created before I got there, but in a little studio you get invited to meetings on your first day, so you get involved pretty quickly.

JB: What are some of the uniquely indie challenges that you have to resolve in your day-to-day work at Compulsion?

JRB: Recurrent decision making and crappy chairs.

JB: I understand that you're the main animation resource at Compulsion. Can you explain how that changes your approach to your work?

JRB: I get to do whatever I want, that's a big step from Ubi. Obviously we don't work with as many tools in our software since we have no specialist to develop them for us, but for animation it doesn't change very much. I just do what I do.

JB: Would you recommend that all game developers spend some time in both types of studios?

JRB: Well, yes and no. It really depends on what kind of game do you want to make.

JB: Do you think indie games will eventually grow out of style considering the fast-paced progression of the games industry?

JRB: I don't think so. They're a key part of the progression we're seeing in the industry. The trend may shift but everything will follow; I'm confident that indie studios are not ready to disappear just yet.

Beaudry looks around him, and I can tell he'd be disheartened to lose the great team and workspace he's grown accustomed to. Fortunately, he assures me, Compulsion intends to keep making great games for as long possible. Visibly excited, he adds that he can't wait for their forthcoming game to be revealed.

Outlander

2014-11-03T22:49:00Z

The land called Morrowind is a hostile place. A volcano reigns over its center, covering large swaths of the land in ash. Mushrooms grow taller than trees, and the ruins of an ancient civilization lie among the mountains. The people are hardy and set in their ways; you will be deemed an outlander. It's a cheap trip, though; you can go there for as low as $10. Darya Makarava went there for free, and never wanted to leave.

]]> Darya first played The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind in 2003, a year after the game was released. Now 23 years old and a full-time Concept Artist for a game company, she is not shy about admitting the impact that the game had on her. It helped her get through a hard time in her life, and led her to a community of wildly creative people where she would make dear friends and decide the course of her future.

Originally from Belarus, her family moved to Germany when she was young, where she lived for most of her childhood. Like any artistic person, Darya was always interested in art-- she drew and made up stories since little, and she describes herself as a very social child at that time, even popular. She grew up used tothe local culture, and steeped in the quiet history of the old streets and nearby forests. But her family had to move across the ocean, to Lubbock, Texas, and she had to leave everything she had known behind.

The change was hard. She doesn't point to one single thing as the reason for her drastic change in personality and the hard emotional times this led to. The landscape of Texas was alien-- it contrasted heavily with that of Europe's; when there had been green hills and mild summers, there was now flat, red earth and oppressive heat. She was getting dangerously close to her teen years-- a hard thing to go through on its own, without moving to a new place and having to fit in with children who were used to a whole different culture. She withdrew into herself, becoming quieter, literally and figuratively-- she would not speak, even though she learned English quickly. Unlike the last time she moved, the culture shock was greater, and this time she was old enough to "realize what it meant to have my life packed up in carry-on".

Morrowind came for free with her computer's video card. Her father and brother played it first and enjoyed it, so she decided to try it out. It became a much-needed reprieve from her loneliness, and gave her a creative outlet. She read about it, drew its characters, and designed new areas for the strange and complex world.

Morrowind is the third game in the Elder Scrolls series-- a series that has been building its history and lore since the first game was released in 1994. Although it is basically a medieval fantasy role-playing game, the series sets itself apart by reworking the typical fantasy tropes into something unique-- the elves are racists and widely imperfect, the beast races are not barbarians, and the lines between good and evil are blurred. More importantly, the games let players create their own character and decide what path to take in their adventure..

The story of Morrowind revolves around a person thrown into an alien landscape and cutthroat culture with little information, skills, and allies, to succeed in their quest to fulfill a prophecy stemming from an old war and its gods.

A large fan community grew around the series for its technical and narrative aspects. Darya began delving into the community soon after she started playing, although she didn't fully join it.

Tamriel Rebuilt is one of the largest Elder Scrolls fan-projects. It aims to create new content for the game world that the game producers themselves couldn't include in the full game due to time and technical limitations. It is not only a project, it is a community. There is a common goal, but beyond that there are people who share an deep enthusiasm for one subject and want to share their ideas. Sharing creative ideas and work involves a kind of self-development; it can be a rocky journey, but ultimately the skills your started with will have grown bigger, and led to new directions.

Around the time Darya entered Junior High, things started to improve-- she found a group of people whom she could hang out with, joined the swimming club, and found people with similar interests. At the end of that year, however, she had to move to Maryland and start anew.

Tamriel Rebuilt's community and its goal called to Darya still-- those people who enjoyed the series as much as she did were a constant regardless of where she went, and she wanted to help create something for her favorite game. She felt she "wanted to be part of something bigger", so she made the decision to join the team as she traveled to her new home.

She started out as a lead reviewer and later became the administrator of a large part of the project. She learned to mod (coding and rendering to modify a game's existing content) and improved her artistic skills. As the years went on and she didn't have enough time to fully participate in the project, she began writing about and creating new fan-content for the game's lore. All this practice came in handy when she entered College to study Illustration, later becoming a Concept Designer.

Throughout this time she overcame her social anxiety, made lifelong friends, and met one of the game's writers, with whom she struck a friendship and later a relationship. They are currently engaged.

Today she is still involved in the fan community, moderating an archive and producing writing and art, while at the same time being a full-time Concept Artist for a mobile video game company. She's a kind, patient persona in the community who welcomes old and new fans alike. On occasion she shares her past struggle; they are as big a part of her life experience as the game itself.

Jean-Richard Beaudry: Going Indie

2014-10-30T22:27:06Z

Jean-Richard Beaudry is a 3D animator who has worked at several video game studios in Montreal. At 27 years of age, he's witnessed much of how video games evolved, and is as excited as ever to contribute to such a dynamic branch of entertainment. Now, he's a part of an ever-growing trend in the industry: indie games.

As a child, Beaudry watched and rewatched characters flesh themselves out on screen as they pranced around in The Lion King or floundered wildly in Toy Story. He also dove into games like Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong Country for hours on end. "I always liked to play with stories and characters," he says, "whether it was role playing or drawing, there was always something about giving life to a persona that I enjoyed." Beaudry confessed that he got the idea for studying animation when he cleaned out his room and stumbled upon pen-and-paper flipbooks he had made as a boy.

]]> Beaudry earned his BA in digital arts at UQAC's Montreal-based Centre NAD, which offers a variety of programs for students interested in working in the video game or film industries. As a 3D animator, Beaudry creates anything from entire cutscenes to gameplay movements such as having a character pick up an item or launch an attack. Animation is a demanding discipline because each character feels entirely different, and observation skills are paramount to convey that to the viewer.

Of course, animators each have their own techniques and specialties; one may prefer dealing with quadrupeds while another may enjoy stocky human male characters. A prototype game Beaudry created as an exit project for Centre NAD featured more than a few ninjas, which are right up his alley, but he was quick to take to Youtube when the project called for a walking chicken animation. Artists like Beaudry must frequently go back for some more research, even if they've been in the industry for years. A simple inaccurate lip or hand gesture is what creates those awkward feelings players are half-aware of when they play through a non-polished game.

In his career so far, Beaudry has completed contractual work for Warner Bros. and Ubisoft, two of Montreal's largest video game studios. He was responsible for Batman's brutal moves in Batman: Arkham Origins' Deathstroke downloadable content, as well as for a number of cinematic animations in Far Cry 4, one of Ubisoft's heavy hitters for the 2014 holiday season.

In what he considers a pivotal move for his career, Beaudry recently joined up with Compulsion Games, an indie development team located near Place St-Henri. The company was founded in 2009 and released its first game in November 2013. Contrast, a 3D puzzle adventure, has the player control Didi's imaginary friend as she warps in and navigates a 2D shadow world across a dark Vaudevillian city.

Compulsion got started when Guillaume Provost had a great idea for the game that would end up being Contrast, and so he found a locale and hired the core team. The company now comprises a dozen developers, all of which are working hard to produce another unique player experience. Although Beaudry can't disclose any details on the current project, he already holds it as dear as those who came up with the idea.

Beaudry is very excited to be working with a smaller team, even though he found that fitting in can prove more intimidating than in a larger studio. The atmosphere more than makes up for this, he says, because all of the people involved in a smaller scale project are larger parts of the team. Ubisoft may hire one artist to work on mountains for six consecutive months, but indie studios the size of Compulsion generally assign one or two people to a game's entire scenery.

"You don't go to Ubisoft to bring your touch to anything," Beaudry explains, "whereas when you're working indie as an animator, you're the whole department of animation for that studio. You get attached to your game more easily; each team member gets the same feeling of ownership." Accordingly, Beaudry is now in charge of all animations in Compulsion Games' current project. Of course, this comes with more responsibility: If something goes wrong, he can't just walk up to a lead animator and ask for help. All in all, Beaudry likes the trade off--the tasks are more challenging, but they are a thousand times more rewarding.

Though the scope of the projects may differ from one company to another, what joins them is an overarching passion for games. Today's great balance of huge, open-world experiences and short, emotional games offer a great variety of video game products that's never before been possible. Indie games are revolutionizing the industry with teams like Compulsion cropping up on a regular basis, and the potential is very exciting. In the end though, what influenced Beaudry's decision was the opportunity to "meet and work with amazing people who enjoy making games as much as [he does]."

"I want to be the very best": A Pokémon League close to home

2014-10-30T22:07:52Z

Pokémon trainers gather at Concordia university for a halloween themed tournament

Watching over 50 Montrealers of various ages gather at Concordia University for a Pokemon tournament, I'm taken back to when I used battle my cousins in the first generation Pokémon games. As one game after the next came out, the franchise grew exponentially. I held onto the first two generations until many of my CEGEP friends encouraged me to get back into the spirit of collecting all of the Pokémon. The game had changed for the better and there was no question about whether or not I would continue with sixth generation. This is what led me to the Montreal Pokémon League, their project, and their tournament on October 25, 2014.

]]> The Montreal Pokemon league began "as a simple 'what-if' thought derived from a stumbled-upon imgur post," by their founder, Tim Darrington and since then the Montreal Pokémon league has become a budding success.

They made their debut in August at Otakuthon 2014, and have since gained a great deal of attention locally and in France. The MTL Poke League has been mentioned or interviewed for local publications, such as MTLBlog, 24heure, TVA Nouvelle, and was interviewed for V-Tele on Friday Oct 24, the day before their Halloween-themed second event. Their Facebook page currently has over 900 likes on it. Reddit and a Pokémon community in France even took notice on their website.

Pokémon

Created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996, Pokémon is the second-most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world (Gamespot UK). Over 245 million games have been sold worldwide. In its first two days, Pokémon X and Y sold over four million units worldwide. Pokémon is also merchandised into movies, anime, manga, trading cards, toys, books, and other media.

Since its inception, the Pokémon video game has been designed as a multiplayer linkable Game Boy game. Now the linking is done wirelessly through the Nintendo 3DS or 2DS handheld systems, which 'trainers' use to battle or trade Pokémon (The Pokémon company history).

Myles Sachin, 25, recently became the Montreal Pokemon League's Fairy typeElite Four member. While some kids who grew up with Pokémon have moved onto different games or other addicting forms of entertainment, some have played through all (or most) of the sixth generations of Pokémon to become true masters. Myles began playing Pokémon Silver (generation II) on the Gameboy colour during the latter half of elementary. Myles is currently a student at Concordia University, majoring in Math and Statistics and minoring in Education. He works at LensCrafters to pay the bills and used to be a video game tester for Babel Media.

Myles says he "honestly did not expect the MPL to gain as much attention and following as it has." It especially blew up when MTL Blog wrote about them. The immediate attention from the media swarms from TV interviews, articles and blog posts. Some gamming groups have approached the MPL with the possibility of running events/tournaments alongside them. They are "loving" all the attention and hope that it will bring them closer to their goals.

Myles' biggest hopes, which he shares with the founder and other members, for the league are ambitious. He says "it would be amazing for Nintendo to recognize us as an official league, and possibly even be officially sponsored and endorsed by them. Right now, we are a non-profit organization. Base funding for making badges and other things came from our pockets." They are planning to run regular tournaments to collect funding to put their full plan for the league into motion. Myles says, "we are not looking to turn a profit. The league is something we all want to exist. It's a lot of fun for us, and has been very well received so far. We just want to see it continue at full force, without it eating up our wallets."

Pokemon League staff photo source: FB

A warm reception for a Montreal Pokémon League comes at no surprise considering Montreal's prominent gaming industry. From big developing companies like Ubisoft to create-your-own-game projects like Game Jam, Montreal is a recognized leader in the video game industry, with over 50 related companies.

Montreal is not the only city in North America with a Pokémon league, several others like Boston have also set up leagues and this could become a growing trend. On the World Championship level for video game, Pokémon trainers gather at conventions around North America (mainly the US) and abroad to compete for scholarships, cash prizes and the right to call themselves the true Pokémon master.

Now it is Montreal's turn to prove that we don't only churn out Assassin Creed Games, but Pokémon champions as well.

At the Otakuthon event this summer, the league's gym leaders took over 900 challenges from more than 250 different gamers. Most of them appeared to be from their late teens to late 20s, the majority somewhere in the middle of that. This is consistent with the kind of audience that usually gathers at the Pokemon World Championship, adult players have their own division, some players are even well into their forties.

Myles started competitively playing for several reasons. Firstly, the newest generation had in-game breeding mechanics to facilitate making strong competitive teams, whereas the previous generations made it practically impossible to do without hacking. Resulting in a lot of over-powered Pokémon players. Secondly, there was a lot of hype around the newest generation. Facebook groups were started to get people together to trade and battle. Myles' existing love of the Pokémon games had him building dozens of competitive teams, and participating in tournaments.

Myles is driven to keep playing for a "super cheesy reason," and quotes the original tv series, it's to "be the very best". He says that, "Pokémon battling is something that I'm good at and that I enjoy doing. Contrary to what some may think, it's not merely a children's video game. It may have started off as such, but it grew into a thriving competitive scene. I'm still discovering new strategies every week, and every time I lose, it just makes me want to come up with new strategies to improve my own." Just like a young boy that he met at the Otakuthon event that "was so adamant about winning our badges that he challenged us again and again, no matter how many times he lost. In the end, he had lost over a dozen matches, but kept fighting and actually won most of them fair and square. Somehow, just seeing how much he enjoyed himself that weekend, and how much he wouldn't give up and never got discouraged, made the whole thing worthwhile."

The Competitive scene for Pokémon and other video games is thriving in Montreal. We can see them gaining a lot more attention as this niche trend grows from battling your friends and anonymous people online to battling in local tournaments. If you have what it takes to beat the league's eight gym leaders you will get the chance to challenge Myles, whose favourite fairy and competition Pokémon, for single battles, is Togekiss with the Serene Grace ability and holding Leftovers. "Togekiss," he says, "looks all happy and adorable, but it's a flying tank of doom!"

photo source

Conflict of Excellence

2014-10-02T22:54:57Z

Most of the students at St-Johns were francophone, and by grade six, we were expected to be fluent English speakers. I went to class, made some lifelong friends, held secret drawing contests, and all the while another language was softly seeping into my brain. I walked the halls of that small public school for a total of twelve years, and most of the learning I did occurred without me even realizing it.

In between geography and long division, our third grade teacher would pull out a picture book and read to us. Whenever an unknown word was spoken, every nine year-old child's language instinct did its magic and filed it somewhere for easy retrieval, along with its category and usage. Whole sets of rules for syntax and subject-verb agreement mapped themselves in my head, adjusting and expanding with each sentence I heard. This bundle of unconscious knowledge grew into a substantial pool of information, a magic spring that always held more than when I last tapped into it.

]]> Before I knew it some teachers gave entire classes in English, and my cerebral cortex handled them just fine. The more I paid attention, the more words seemed approachable; they were no longer out to trick me with their intricate spelling and deceptive definitions. I thought in two languages, dreamt in two languages, and kept them side by side at all times.

At the end of a very transformative third grade, after I had come to enjoy my ever-growing spring of English rules, something shook it completely. On the very last day, I heard my name called and walked up to the front of the class. Our teacher handed me a plaque of some kind, a reward for my improvement in class. The second I glanced at it, something inside me became unusually agitated, and I froze.

The plaque congratulated me for my ''academic exellence.''

I had been absorbing information for months, tending to my bank of knowledge with increased interest. I had passed more than a few quizzes, and I knew for certain how to spell excellence. And yet the plaque diverged from my records; what was going on? ''No,'' I thought, ''that's not right. It's not even right in French.''

I thought about pointing out the error, but I didn't want to come off as ungrateful or pretentious. But maybe the teacher had seen it too, and if I said something about it she could take it back to the school board to have it fixed. But if she noticed, why still give it to me? I looked from the plaque to the teacher's well-meaning face, and decided to keep my mouth shut. I walked back to my desk after what felt like minutes and managed a smile of gratitude.

I stuffed the plaque in my bag without taking another look at it.

When I got home, my mother was ecstatic. She told my father to fetch a hammer and a nail; we were going to hang it up right this second. My unease continued to grow. I had come to think of the award as a deliberate attack on the very material I had learned to receive it. At last I cried that I didn't want to see the plaque, let alone hang it on the wall.

Years later, I still wonder how no one involved in the making and delivering of that plaque realized that it might be a bit absurd to hand out an award with excellence misspelled. I consider it a great blow to the institution's credibility, but it's also proven a kind of catalyst: when I am asked why I want to write for a living, I respond that I still can't get over the fact that a school gave me an award bearing the worst typo I have ever seen.