Most jobs I agree with you, however, jobs such as "quest" and "story" construction hardly need personal contact. The job that video gaming companies tend to ignore is really a "proof reader"/"editor" type of job.
A Continuity Watchdog.
100% of the quest bugs in this game alone could've easily been solved by someone taking apart the continuity storyline.
A Continuity Editing and Story Construction job is something that programmers never do. Not that I'm bashing programmers. The reason they never do this is because they've got their own problems to worry about.
A Continuity Editor Story Construction person takes the outline of the listed accomplishments, and places them on a timeline tree for progression, like a giant jigsaw puzzle, making sure that the appropriate responses for NPC A in Position 1 is as accurate as NPC A in Position 2 or Position 4.
This is a job which doesn't require conferencing, just a daily update even in email form. This position would be in direct contact with the status reports from the appropriate programming division, without having to interfere in the programmers.
During the Planning stages, and then during monthly meetings, yeah I can see someone needing to conference to consider the actual storyline for the game. But once that is all fleshed out, there's no real need for further interpersonal contact. It could be done with the same exact efficiency as me talking to you right now on the messageboard.
If so many hundreds of people across the world can construct WC3 RPGS using the Warcraft 3 World Editor, continuity check all their quest continuity just by email or messageboard communication, then why can't major programming companies do the same? I take it back, I do believe that the lead continuity editor for Baldur's Gate did do this.
Anyway, it's just my frustration with the corporate infrastructure. I'm not trying to be nit picky about the game, it's a good game, it just could've used a person serious about continuity/story editing.
Last edited by KevinConner; 25/04/08 03:22 AM.
