The Divide Interviews Ragnar

Ok guys, here's the whole thing, directly copied and pasted from Thunderbird (my email program). I can't be bothered to make it look pretty right now, but I'll fix the formatting later. At least this way you all get to read it faster, and it isn't delayed due to my being slack. Without further ado, here it is...

(I lied. Just letting you know Vesh, that should you want to, feel free to format it, I don't mind. Don't really know why you'd want to, but you can if you like)



David,

Sorry for taking such a ridiculously long time with this interview. I
hope my answers aren't too oblique. Let me know if you have any
follow-up questions - I promise to get back to you promptly if you do!

Cheers,

Ragnar

> Something the fans of TLJ have been curious about since TLJ's release is
> Sarah Hamilton. She seems to be very hard to contact. Would it be possible
> for you to contact Sarah Hamilton on our behalf, and request a contact email
> so that we might be able to interview her? (This address would by no means
> be made public, and knowledge of it would be restricted to administrators of
> The Divide, and RaMa, the administrator of The Black House.)


I'll try and arrange that for you, but I can't promise anything.

> Some critics and fans were somewhat disappointed in Dreamfall's lack of
> challenge, compared to other adventure games of late. Was this an attempt to
> make the game easier, and more accessible?


Hardcore fans and critics are typically the kind of players who are
looking for a tough and lengthy challenge. That doesn't necessarily
represent the majority of gamers, particularly adventure gamers, who
are very much invested in the story and the characters, and who don't
like being stuck.

So yes, it was a conscious decision on our part to make the game
easier and more accessible. Maybe we went too far, and maybe it was a
bit too easy for some - particularly the aforementioned fans - but I
also think that TLJ was too difficult at times. We wanted to make sure
that most players would be able to finish Dreamfall, and not abandon
it halfway through.

> After Dreamfall: Part Two, are there any plans in your mind for the
> continuation of Stark & Arcadia in the form of further games, or even in
> another medium entirely?


'Dreamfall the Next' will not be the end of the TLJ universe - not by
a long shot. There are more stories to be told - preferably through
games, but if not, a graphic novel would probably be my second choice.

> In your opinion, what is Dreamfall's biggest strength, and what elements
> are you most proud of?


There are a lot of things that I'm very proud of, it's hard to nail
down just one. I love the audiovisual aspects of the game. It looks
and sounds fantastic. I think we did a great job with the game engine,
and I hope we can use it again - soon. To me, Zoë's an appealing
protagonist, and I'm also extremely happy with how the actor portrayed
her. And I think one of the game's biggest strengths is in the variety
of gameplay.

> Similarly, what aspects of Dreamfall do you feel needed the most
> improvement?


As is always the case when you're developing a brand new engine and
game simultaneously, you don't get to really use the technology for
all its worth. We didn't have enough time with all of these new
features to really make them shine, and since the gameplay was so
varied, we had to split our focus a bit too much at times. I also
think that the pacing of the game towards the end was a bit off, and
that there wasn't enough to do in the final two chapters. But on the
whole, I'm very happy with what we achieved.

> Are there any 'scenes' or elements that were cut from Dreamfall that may
> resurface in Dreamfall 2?


Oh yes.

You want more than that? Not a chance, bub.

> Was the exclusion of main character diary/diaries a deliberate decision?


Zoë had a diary, didn't she? Or did I just dream that?

I definitely did not want it to be a simple retread of April's diary.
April was more of a diary writer - emphasis on 'was' - than Zoë is.
Zoë's more practical, and she probably considers a diary to be a
little too twee and girly. So her diary was more of a journal where
she writes down what happens to her, rather than all of her feelings.
But it's still a diary.

April - well, her life had changed, and so had she. Maybe we could
still have allowed her a diary to vent her feelings and open her up a
bit to the player...but we decided not to.

As for Kian... I don't know if he's the kind of man who sits down to
write: "Dear Diary - today I met this totally awesome chick, but get
this: she's a rebel! Suckage. Sincerely, Kian."

> A few players of DF claim to have activated the now infamous "Rain
> Conversation" in Venice between Gabriel and Zoe where he asks if it's
> raining in Casablanca. This gives the conversation upon her return to
> Casablanca (where he mentions their "last conversation") some much-needed
> context, given that he says that whether you hear the Rain Convo or not.
> Does it actually appear in-game, and if so: how is it activated?


It was supposed to be in the game. It's actually a glitch, and the
person responsible has been chastised. Repeatedly. With a sharp stick.

> You may recall promising bikinis, homosexuals, nudity, and mature language
> in Dreamfall. What happened?


The bikinis were a joke - obviously. There was plenty of mature
language. As for nudity... Well, there was supposed to be nudity, but
the times have changed, especially in the U.S., and the ratings board
doesn't look too kindly on male genitals. We could have flashed some
tits, but everyone's already doing that. Frankly, what would be the
point?

There were some gay characters, but they didn't advertise their sexual
orientation. And I didn't want to do it just for the sake of saying
"hey, we've got the gays! Lookie!". If it's right for the character -
if sexuality adds something of value - then sure, we'll incorporate
it. In this case, it had no purpose.

> What is your response to some of the negative feedback you've received from
> fans of TLJ? If demand were great enough, would you consider bringing back
> some of the elements of TLJ that these fans felt were lacking (harder
> puzzles, conceptually more complex back-stories, more of a focus on what's
> happening in the twin worlds, etc.), when Dreamfall 2/TLJ3 comes around?


There will always be negative feedback, especially when following in
the footsteps of a game like TLJ. It's hard to live up to such lofty
expectations, although I think that - for the most part - the response
has been quite positive. We're hovering at a 77% average on
GameRankings, which isn't bad at all, seeing as the average was pulled
down quite a bit by a couple of, uh, surprisingly negative reviews.

I personally think the backstories were just as complex this time
around - more so for the central characters, and there's much that
hasn't yet been revealed. Harder puzzles? Maybe just more puzzles. I
don't necessarily equate 'harder' with 'fun'. And Dreamfall was all
about the goings-on in the twin worlds - something that will become
much more apparent when the story continues.

> Considering the fan response to the combat/stealth sequences in Dreamfall,
> are you likely to consider incorporating these into future Dreamfall games?


If the story demands action, combat, or stealth - then definitely,
yes. We'd want to tweak and polish those gameplay mechanics a lot
more, of course. After all, that's what sequels are for: Doing it
better. I believe that our vision of the modern adventure is still
valid, and I think variety is key to an interesting journey.

> Has Dreamfall sold well enough for Funcom to be considering giving the
> go-ahead for a sequel, when NBT is out the door?


No decision has been made yet. We're definitely discussing it. I'll
post an update on my site if and when there's news.

> This isn't quite an interview question, so much as a "please": Any chance of
> a novel set in the TLJ universe?


If I ever get the time, I'd love to write a story set in the TLJ
universe. There's so much to explore, for example the ten years
between the first and second games - there's a lot going on there that
hasn't yet been touched on, like where April went, and why. Like I
said earlier, I'd prefer to make it a graphic novel, because the
visual element is so important, but a novel - or novella, or short
story - would be fun, too. It's a time-consuming process, however, and
right now I'm booked solid. If it happens, it probably won't happen
this year. Or next.

I stand by my promise, however, that if we don't get the go-ahead to
make a sequel, I'll find another way to finish the story.

> Is the current NBT as close to your heart as the TLJ series? Or close to
> your heart but in more of a "something I want to do" way than a "something I
> need to do" way?


When you start working on something, 'want' quickly becomes 'need'. So
yes, it's something I need to do, and yes it's definitely close to my
heart.

Besides, the NBT story and universe has been bouncing around my
(admittedly overcrowded) head since the mid-90s, so it's very
personal, very much something I've been looking forward to doing. I
believe it's going to be an even cooler universe than the TLJ one to
explore, and I also believe that everyone who loved TLJ and Dreamfall
will love NBT. But that might just be the booze talking.

> Faith, Belief and Trust have been major themes in both TLJs.
> Believing/trusting/having faith in others and yourself, going beyond your
> own horizon and daring to trust in something greater than yourself and your
> ego. Is this theme important to you? And do you feel that computer games in
> general are lacking in "philosophical substance" of this kind? Is there a
> problem with incorporating this kind of theme in a medium that so often
> "plays down" to the "masses"?


The problem isn't the medium - you can tell important stories in any
medium - but rather the way it's perceived. Yes, games are lacking in
thematic substance, and for the most part that's fine - you don't need
it to be entertained. And playing a game is primarily about
entertainment. But when you tell a story, it benefits from having more
layers - more substance - and that's what we tried to do in both TLJ
and Dreamfall.

> Is there a limit to how short a non-episodic adventure game can be (in
> playing time) before the character development becomes too "sketchy" to
> involve the user? In other words, did using three playable characters and
> "shortening" the playing time make Dreamfall a harder game to fall in love
> with than TLJ?


I'm not sure that's true. First off, lot of people who played
Dreamfall before playing TLJ fell in love with the former, preferring
it to the original. I think it was harder for established TLJ fans to
embrace Dreamfall, because it wasn't necessarily what they were
expecting. Secondly, movies do a good job of getting you attached to
the destinies of their characters - and they only have a couple of
hours. Lastly, I wouldn't say that fifteen hours - which is the
average playing time unless you skip a lot of dialogue - is 'short',
and it definitely allowed us to develop our characters. Not all of
them are given equal screen time, of course, and Kian was definitely
more of an enigma than Zoë, but that was intentional. We wanted him to
remain something of a mystery to players...for the time being.

> How different has Dreamfall turned out from what you originally had in mind
> for a TLJ sequel?


It's very, very close to what I had in mind from years back. A lot of
details have changed, certainly, but the big picture is right in line
with my vision for the saga.

Trust me, it'll all make sense in the end.

> From an old, old Usenet thread:
> --------------------
> Q: Why does April provide stability by her presence if she isn't the new
> Guardian and the Guardian has no power in any case until installed in the
> Tower?
> RT: Because April has powers of her own that remain a mystery by the end of
> the game. Her story doesn't end, and I hope some day I'll be able to tell
> the rest of it!
> --------------------
> Has the rest been told now? (You can get around this one by promising
> prequels, in-quels and other things, you don't have to promise a
> continuation and thereby indicate that April is still alive in some form.)


In-quels? Haven't heard that one before.

No, the whole story hasn't been told - far from it - and no, that
doesn't mean April's coming back! My answer is still valid, and
nothing has changed. Like I said, it'll all make sense in the end...

> On behalf of the community, thankyou for giving us Dreamfall, and for
> allowing us to conduct these interviews. We are all very grateful that you
> are so communicative with your fans, and we hope this continues in the
> future.


Thanks!

Hmm, yes. Thanks Logan. And I imagine "in-quels" are stories like your 'missing decade' between games.

Now, there's GOT to be a way we can work The Lost Diaries of Kian Alvane into the wiki...

O... kay.

There's not much in there we haven't heard before, sadly. But what's new is... hmm. Morsels for thought, I think.

Yeah, I knew it wasn't a word to, but it's a good imaginary one

Hey, just because English isn't my first language doesn't mean I don't get to make up new words

However, I can certainly tell that some people on the divide will feel frustrated because of his replies.

Well, although I understand their state of mind (and am as disappointed as hell), he has a point: he created this game for him. It's his dream, his artistic vision. Wether it sucks or not is completely irrelevant in a way if you see this that way.

Then, he didn't betray the community of TLJ and the fan fiction writers or whatever because he made this game because he wanted to, not to just please us. Seeing things from that point of view sure makes things different for me.

...Ouch.


I do agree the disappointment is there. But I do think we have a right to be disappointed. Given the degree of investment and fan community and critical acclaim around TLJ, DF really did have something lacking. I know TLJ is Ragnar's saga, and you've got to tell your own story, not change it for fans, but to be honest, I feel confused by DF, more than I feel betrayed. It's neither fish nor fowl - not a standalone story by a big margin, and there's too little from the original story to make it a real sequel.

Still, it's a good interview, with some interesting insights. Though like I said, a lot of it is things we've heard before, and I'd have liked more about the process of DF itself. Guess I'll just keep an eye for the post mortem, which I'm eagerly awaiting too.

And the idea of a TLJ graphic novel is fairly awesome. For some reason, the idea of Crow in graphic novel form is very appealing.

Tullis, what I meant i that, although I admire all that you did for the TLJ universe and agree that whatever work you did was a lot more of an improvement and development of that world than Dreamfall, I cannot truly see this as a betrayal because Dreamfall is his baby, his work, and he can butcher it whenever he want. Feeling angry at him seems natural to me, but is probably wrong in a way. It's exactly like being angry at an author because you liked the 1st book and not the second in a series.


Believe me, I too feel very bad that Dreamfall didn't turn out better, and I am one of the people saying that you would have done a better work -at least story and characterization-wise. Well, game-wise too, hard to do worse on that level anyway.

Right, now I see what you mean. Who knows, maybe the post mortem will let us understand more about what he was doing.

*is not at all pinning hopes on post mortem. Nope. No sir.*

-Riada

I second that glare. And raise it a stare of newfound apathy.

Yahoo, we're popular.

And Ragnar announced that the sequel to Dreamfall will cure cancer.

I am cancer. Cure me.

... ...

-Riada