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I am going through a similar period at the moment, and I found out that Helm's old words of wisdom are correct - there is happiness in creation, in doing something productive.

You can find it when you actually sit on your ass and do it. The best for you would be to do a little project, perhaps even a little 5 minutes game, but do finish it. This is the most important trait for a project leader - the ability to finish them.

A 1,000,000 dollars in 100 dollars bills!

Las: Let's see if I understand you correctly. You are saying that emotion is easy to put into games because it is naturally caused by the Uber Protagonist phenomenon?

jason, sounds like we have a very similar goal hehe.
Though I'm only in 8th grade (:o is there anyone younger here? ), my ambition is to make games, that is programming (since my art sucks bigtime) and later on, either in my own comapny or in an already existing one, actually designing the game and all.
Someday when I'm making games I'll post here and sometimes give out little vague hints, and I'll do an exclusive interview for Adventure Gamers, muhahahahahaha!!!!!  

I'd very much like that to happen too, but it seems unrealistic as I will have to leave Israel for that and I will only be out of the army at about 28, according to my plans. Beh!

Let's create our own Israeli company!

See you later, C_leks. Good luck in finding a new job.

A word about the ending of Grim Fandango: I agree with what you said here. This ending was exceptional and very emotional.

Eric - about a lack of music in key moments: Have you ever seen The Bourne Identity? If so, remember the assassination scene? It was so great because it had no music, no close-ups. Nothing. It was sudden, just like a real assassination should be.

LasNaranjas - after 10 attempts my printer has finally managed to print your article, I'll read it and comment later.

DG - I'd prefer to play a main character with it's own personality, at least in an adventure game. The reason is because I see the adventure game more as a story than other genres. Also, games where you can inflect your own personality on the main character are usually flawed. However, when I play an RPG I prefer the second option, due to the many possibilites, and the ability to play the game whatever way I like.

And a bit about stereotypes: They are not always that bad. Sometimes, a player can feel an emotion about a sterotype. Take Wally from Monkey Island 2 for example. He was a quite regular nerdy chap, yet I felt bad having to take his monocle. Why? Because the implementation of the sterotype was done well - he was a regular nerdy chap, but LEC actually managed to make him plainly ridicilous and pitiful, unlike most other cases of such characters.

To Las Naranjas and Bionic Bill: A lack of emotion, or a badly conveyed emotion are a symptom of bad writing. I think you are wrong by separating between the two.

This really doesn't need to be a GUI, just a seprate room. What do you want the book to include?

RPG Creators' Game!

Las, can you explain your post some more? I really can't say I understand what you are trying to say.

You know, there is one interactive action which progresses the story. A choice, in a junction of non-linearity. Take the ending of Planescape, or that of The Uncertainty Machine. It gave the player the power to choose how the story will end.

DGM, I understand what you say. I am a big fan of storytelling myself. What I mean is that there  seems to be no big interest in it from the wide market of gamers.

First of all, there is no reason as to why we wouldn't be able to hold 2 mittens, one in Europe and one in North America, during the summer of 2004.  If the Europeans want to have a Mittens next year and catch up with all their new buddies, then more power to you all.  

I think that depends on the amount of Europeans who will be able to attend the American Mittens. After all, I am sure you American fellas would want to meet people such as CJ and Chrille.

I am experiencing a very non-productive summer, and am somewhat depressed because of that. I do much meaningless stuff like use the computer, watch some movies, hang out. All fun, but nothing truly meaningful. Well, things are boud to change next month as Nacho will return from Mittens and send me some stuff to work on, I have an SAT course and I have a big fat work to do.

Greek fellow, long hair, silly face, no pants. You can't miss him!

One of the problems is that sometimes what is needed to convey emotion is storytelling. And as GarageGothic said, more or less, computer games make a bad storytelling medium due to their interactivity, and most of the storytelling, if at all is conveyed through narrration and cutscenes, when the interactivity is disabled.

And this answers the 'why'. What attracts people to computer games is the interactivity, the ability to do things themselves. Storytelling has no place here, and therefore it is rarely used.

However, few games have tried to convey emotion. Planescape: Torment and Grim Fandango are the dominant examples which spring to my mind. This shows that it is indeed possible to have a game with emotion, just hard, and depends most on character building. The protagonist must be a character you can feel something about, and not a sterotype as GarageGothic said.

*Grim Fandango spoiler ahead*

Spoiler

If the player feels sad when your protagonist falls of a cliff as I did when Manny got shot, then you know you have suceeded.

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Edit: There's your game theory discussion.

P:DA : The Movie!

Well, EvenWolf, if there's money there, so why not?

Do you mean the two should happen at the same time, or one after another?

Yes, why not?

Personally, I've noticed that I have no girl close to me now, unlike in previous years. And I don't really like it.

* Barcik calls escort services.