Synergies
Hello there and welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of RWR. This week we dispense with the writing and huckstering rather quickly and get on to some philosophies and ideologies. (Yes, we’d love you to buy our stuff. Lots of our stuff. In fact, buy some copies of RunePunk for yourself and your friends if you don’t have it and snag a few adventures too. we’d certainly appreciate it.)
Okay, now that that’s out of the way. Let’s talk gaming principles. Something I’ve drifted from in awhile, but a good topic to revisit often. First off, none of us create in a vacuum. We are influenced, for good or ill, by everything around us. The noisy neighbors across the street. The streak of hot weather. Arguments initiated or overheard. Everything impacts us and is absorbed by us on an almost eerily cellular level. The thing is what to do with all this stuff, because all this stuff isn’t good. Some books I’ve read by greatly learned people discuss the whole cerebral deal and it boils down to what some of the more analytical like to call the filter, while the more prosaic of our ilk like to call the muse. You can even call it intuition, gut, or common sense. Whatever it is, it’s important as it helps you decide what to keep in and what to throw out. Influences, in what is obviously my opinion, are not bad things. They can provide needed nourishment to seedlings of ideas and help them flourish into incredbile, vital oaks of awesome proportions. Of course, some influences, as we all know, are not good things and are more akin to pouring antifreeze on a delicate African violet. Not highly recommended. Some ideas are fragile and need isolation, but eventually, any idea, project, whatever, to transcend the status of trunk book or pet project, must get thrown into the mix and see if it has what it takes to survive. One can only hope their ideas have the vitality and clarity of vision to survive.
My influences inform me and expand my horizons. My influences add to the robustness of my visions. My influences are me and I, in turn, are them. A wise man told me to focus on the setting…the world…and he was write and I tip my hat to that my and offer my thanks for what’s been a great year for my friends and family and we look forward to what tomorrow holds in store.
Is every day great? Of course not. Am I informed by the pain intrinsic to life? Of course. Those are more influences and of use to one honing his craft. Now, lest you think I’ve drank a gallon of perfumed arrogance and am vomiting up billious words, I shall leave you with a few of my latest influences…Myths and Legends of Japan, Seven Swords, and the PS3 with the amazing games I’ve already accumulated of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Heavenly Sword, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (which I hope to explore a bit more tonight), and the most amazing Assassin’s Creed, that I find a true watershed moment for gaming and a glimpse at the potential of electronic interactivity the future holds.
There. I’ve bared enough of what’s bouncing around in my brain for one week. Take care and look for more ruminations coming soon.
Game on!
Sean
