Part 2 of 2, by Jay Watamaniuk
“Shake them like Christmas elves until the missing string references fall out”.
And thus, my final day of my first week began. Every morning we have a quick stand up meeting for the design folks working on Mass Effect 2. We assemble in a big meeting room and go around summarizing, in about three words, what we are working on for the day so the Lead Designer gets an overview of what is going on with the team in detail. Once we have gone around the room, he gives some announcements to the entire team or deals with critical issues. When he is done, we scamper back to our offices and begin tapping on our keyboards.
I have spent my first week chiefly doing four things:
1. Trying to get a handle on all the new software on my computer that involved filing bugs, document security and game engine-related things used by developers. This also included the game itself which is more interesting by far then the the other stuff
2. Giving feedback on my first playthrough of Mass Effect 2. Things like loading screen hints, journal entries and general gameplay. This feedback is valuable because it is impossible to reproduce initial impressions from people that been working on the game for years
3. Wrangling something called ‘string reference numbers’ which didn’t involve colored yarn but are codes that are associated with every piece of text in the game. There are many, they hide and come from nearly all disciplines working on the game
4. Working on the wording of the achievement list
Working on a project right at the very end has its advantages for the new guy. I’m not really expected to know much about what is going on and everyone else has been doing this for years and can answer just about every question with absolute certainly. This disadvantage of coming in at the very end is people spend a lot of time running screaming down the hallway only pausing long enough to be set on fire. This leaves little time for showing the new guy the ropes.
I’ve been here a week and it’s overwhelmingly been about the mechanics of getting writing into the game more than the writing itself. I have a clearer understanding that there is a huge technical side of being a writer at a video game company; certainly far more then one would expect. I see no writers with giant quill pens, and sheets of parchment, breathing through a perfumed handkerchief, reclining on overstuffed chairs, while servants bring peeled grapes, and shade them with palm fronds. I’m O.K. with that because that image is pretty creepy in any case.
I hope the technical stuff can be learned so well it effectively disappears from view. I know I have a lot of learn about writing itself from the veterans here and would rather have anything obscuring my view of that goal removed while I still have the luxury of being an amateur. I suspect it will be a few months of a steep learning curve on technical stuff followed by a few rather nerve-wracking months of…y’know…writing.
I will be sure to record my thoughts along the way if you’re interested in reading how it all turns out. But if you’ll excuse me, I have to see a guy about some delinquent elves.
Tags: Mass Effect 2, watamaniuk
September 25, 2009 at 6:28 pm |
That was a great read.
September 25, 2009 at 6:40 pm |
Yup, we’d be interested. Or rather I know I would.
September 25, 2009 at 6:58 pm |
“This disadvantage of coming in at the very end is people spend a lot of time running screaming down the hallway only pausing long enough to be set on fire.” I definitely look forward to reading more about your new position. Have fun
September 26, 2009 at 2:35 am |
“If you’re interested” – now, what’s that supposed to mean? Of course we’re all interested in your new big adventure! Bring it!
September 26, 2009 at 5:07 am |
Jay, thats the Internet. If we are not interested we just would not read it, nor would we leave a cryptic comment.
I have to say that I got a little curious about the string reference code, as I’m (sometimes) a engine programmer myself. How do they look? Are they a separate string in the text class or are they actually parts of the text that later got cut out by the engine? Or are they even a own complex class themself? … And dose a write actually know about that?
Greg
September 27, 2009 at 8:18 am |
As I understand it the string# is a number assigned to a particular bit of text by the engine when text is added. It is a separate number but used as a reference guide so that when the text is translated the engine calls the same number (to avoid needing multiple game instances) but has the additional check of ‘use the English text’, ‘use the German text’. I’ll fire off your questions to a programmer to get some better answers.
As for the interested, it’s more of avoiding the assumption this is interesting.
September 28, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Thanks for the reply.
Your idea of the reference number already sounds quite solid and programmable. You know I’m a indi developer, and even if I’m from Austria, I’m used to work completely in English … something like Localisation doesn’t exist for me.
Greg
September 28, 2009 at 10:23 am |
We’re always interested
I know how you feel. Being in the same situation at the time was hard indeed. But you’ll see, you’ll get it down. If not, you always have us to help.
September 30, 2009 at 9:07 am |
This was a very interesting read as I think making games is the best job in the world. You have a very vibrant writing style. Looking forward to seeing more about your new job!
October 21, 2009 at 11:59 pm |
Do you still see Rob and Donna?
October 24, 2009 at 11:21 pm |
From my perspective as one of Mr. Watamaniuk’s new screaming, aflame, elf-shaking cohorts, he is doing a fantastic job and is adding a great deal to the writing team. But that will come as no surprise to the many who enjoy reading his entertaining and informative missives. Shake on, good sir — shake on.
January 2, 2010 at 5:35 am |
I’m a little late on reading this, but it’s sad to here you’ve left as the community manager. However, congrats on the new writing job! I hope all is going well! I can’t wait to play Mass Effect 2 as I’m a huge fan of the first one! I’d love to get some sort of special peek, however judging by, I quote, “But I never got to peek behind the curtain despite a few family connections.” I doubt that’ll be likely ;P.