…carry the 42

…and the history books will act as soulless obituaries for a million broken hearts.


Not to step on a cool line of poetry, but unfortunately I started
cracking up immediately after thinking about Donald Duck delivering
a euology

You ever have one of those days where so many small things are going wrong, you start to wonder if you didn’t piss off some wandering old magically imbued witch who now just has your number and is out to get you? These moments are the worst, especially when one remains fearful of this possibility inspite of not being superstitious, but are now furiously looking both ways 6 times before crossing the road, lest their final act within the world was one impatient second short of intuitive judgment.


Happens more than you think

That’s the vibe, in any case, not necessarily the reality of the situation, mind you, but it makes for some more compelling narrative for one’s day to day. Speaking of which, I stumbled upon this interesting think piece from over on Destructoid, which was a decent little write up involving storytelling in gaming, which is a much broader topic than I’m sure I even have time for today before I have to get ready for work, but some minor speculation will be of some much needed enjoyment. The piece does go into detail about how in your face story has to be to justify itself, or more so, the inherently positive nature of more obscure lore servicing games in a more effectively interesting manner, as it allows for players and developers to have their narrative cake and eat it too.


Not literally, in most cases

Which is kind of the point; diversity of options I mean, as not everyone playing is going to have the exact same investment in the finer details of why you happen to be blowing the shit out of some aliens on a random planet somewhere, or the intricate detail that involves a war thousands of years ago as you’re getting your ass ever lovingly stomped on by some mean looking dragon in some broke dick swamp somewhere. It’s cool if it’s there, as it does suggest there was an awful lot of thought put into the world building, and gives one more to chew on after subsequent playthroughs, but a strong narrative for a video game isn’t necessarily walls of texts, ridiculous voice acting, or an hour long cutscene info dumping on the player.


Never go full Kojima

The author brings up Marathon in passing, which is great, because it is such an under discussed classic 90’s shooter from Bungie, and he brings it up with good reason. There is a whole lot of story you really never have to mess with as you make your way through the game, but there is kind of a ton of info surrounding the ethos and atmosphere of the world you are navigating, which again, is great when you realize the fun one could have in piecing the mystery together step by step. I think on some level, it kind of has to be that way, as when you really think about it, there would be no way that wouldn’t feel forced in gathering the hidden lore about Marathon in any easily accessible fashion, as a random crewman talking about a horrifying encounter is not going to help give you a full account of the entire history of the universe as he struggles to draw his last breath writing out a will and testament.


Most dying men usually leaving a lot to be desired
in the details department when storytelling

Maybe one of the more compelling arguments brought forth was Elden Ring’s mention as well, especially when one considers From Software collaborated with George RR Martin to help pen some backstory for the title. The lore is palpable when you are traveling in the Lands Between, everything from statues, to item descriptions, to random encounters with spirits from the past mourning about what has been lost, it’s all there, and seems like an interesting time. Having said that, and in reference to points I’ve made in the past, I am really just here to tear shit up, why everyone is having a pissing competition about some hotly contested jewelry is shit someone else can fucking worry about.


I usually just have more hotly pressing matters to attend to

The author also brings up No Man’s Sky, which I’ve only briefly played, but considering the game is literally about roaming the entire universe, I would be genuinely impressed if some kind of narrative didn’t unfold amidst the vast swaths of reality one would have to contend with. Having said that, it sounds like the game is predicated on ideas related to simulation theory, and within the context of the greater philosophical musings of the cosmos within a virtual reality space, that all checks out. The mind tends to wander when confronting the vast endlessness of space, and one rarely avoids bouts of existential dread when spending any length of time pondering among the stars.


BEWARE THE SPACE MADNESS

Honestly, this is a really great topic which I hope I am able to do some kind of follow up on, as it feels as if my mind is low-key reeling with ideas involving the subject, but neither time nor mood is on my side this day. Oh well, at least it leaves the door open for a new day of even greater questions to look forward to.

C’est la vie.

~Pashford