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[JeffZero]

http://drewkarpyshyn.com/c/?p=1022

 

Even still, it's nice to have him back. Who can say where he might invest some of his writing skill going forward?

 

 

Speaking of full circle, here’s the second piece of big news: as of this past week, I am back working at BioWare again! For those who don’t know, I spent over a decade with BioWare working on many award winning and fan-beloved games like Mass Effect 1&2, Knights of the Old Republic and the Star Wars: The Old Republic Online MMO. A few years ago I left BioWare to focus on my Chaos Born novels, but now that the trilogy is finished, I’ve decided to come back into the fold. But for those of you who love my novels, don’t worry – I’ll still be writing more of those, too!

Working at BioWare was a challenging but very rewarding job, and it’s good to be back as part of the team. The thing I missed most about BioWare was the amazing people I got to work with, and luckily for me many of them are still there! I suspect a lot of folks are going to wonder if this means BioWare is about to announce a new project tied to my return. The short answer: no. I originally came to the Austin studiomany years ago to work on SWTOR and – at least for now – that’s what I’m focusing on again.

[LinksOcarina]

Honestly...

 

Drew is an overrated writer. 

[JeffZero]

Honestly...

 

Drew is an overrated writer. 

 

While I appreciate your honesty, I don't agree. I like his BioWare output a good bit.

[RoboticWater]

I wasn't a huge fan of what he did with Revan in Revan's novel, but his work directly at BIoWare has been good.

[JeffZero]

That Revan novel sounds like an abomination, yeah.

[dreamgazer]

Drew is an overrated writer.

This, all damn day.

[LinksOcarina]

While I appreciate your honesty, I don't agree. I like his BioWare output a good bit.

 

Mass Effect 1 as written is kind of weak if you think about it, and its mainly by design.

 

Most of the game is centered on backstory; establishment and explanation, characters like Tali and Kaiden were one-note in that game, spouting exposition on things only; whereas it had traps regarding the narrative and the forced moments of exposition that happen between Shepard and other characters.

 

"The vision on Eden prime...I understand it now." comes to mind as an example.  This is done on purpose because its introducing the character, but it certainly could have been a bit more exciting; when close to half of your crew have no personality and the entire world seems to be spoon-feeding details to you, it just took me out of the game a few times upon replay. 

 

I don't know, I found the writing in 2 to be much more grounded in reality. The first game always felt a bit off, a bit other-worldly to me.

 

Kotor is also not a well-written game at times, and TOR is also very hit or miss. I don't know, Drew K has a mixed record for me, yet people give Mac Walters a ton of **** for less if you ask me. 

[JeffZero]

Oooookay BSN, I've rephrased the topic title to better suit your affluent cynicism.

[LinksOcarina]

Oooookay BSN, I've rephrased the topic title to better suit your affluent cynicism.

 

It's not being cynical Jeff.

 

Just making conversation. 

[JeffZero]

Mass Effect 1 as written is kind of weak if you think about it, and its mainly by design.

 

I don't disagree re: that Mac part. But I think what people like most about Drew's sizable contributions to ME1 is how it all seems to click together in the end. Lead Writer, as a role, is very managerial insofar as BioWare workloads are concerned. He seems to have managed ME1 rather well. It has a good hook, lets players get lost in the midgame, and then builds toward an impressive finish, ripe with revelation. To me, that's worthy of admiration. As a dialogue writer, sure, I prefer several others within BioWare's storied history. As a higher-up, I think he comes out on top, or pretty close, anyway.

[JeffZero]

It's not being cynical Jeff.

 

Just making conversation. 

 

I was being tongue-in-cheek, no worries.

[Fiery Phoenix]

I'm hoping he gets transferred to the ME:A team at some point. He can only work on TOR for so long.

[LinksOcarina]

I don't disagree re: that Mac part. But I think what people like most about Drew's sizable contributions to ME1 is how it all seems to click together in the end. Lead Writer, as a role, is very managerial insofar as BioWare workloads are concerned. He seems to have managed ME1 rather well. It has a good hook, lets players get lost in the midgame, and then builds toward an impressive finish, ripe with revelation. To me, that's worthy of admiration. As a dialogue writer, sure, I prefer several others within BioWare's storied history. As a higher-up, I think he comes out on top, or pretty close, anyway.

 

That hook though also put them in a corner for the series, which is a bigger issue that seems to be glossed over.

 

It was a well done little twist and a good finish, I grant you that. Imagine the overall experience being more impactful though if you were fully invested. I never felt fully invested in the first game, not like how I was in 2 or 3 honestly.

 

We shall see what he can do with TOR. I wonder what they are planning next after this upcoming expansion.

[JeffZero]

I'm hoping he gets transferred to the ME:A team at some point. He can only work on TOR for so long.

 

Yeah, there are plenty of ways this can go. Either he's there for a long time, or he's prepping the early stages of a new Star Wars IP (honestly, I find this pretty likely), or he's helping out with TOR for the near-to-mid future but then switching up and aiding the Mass Effect brand, or the Dragon Age brand, or the secret IP. Or he does TOR and then leaves again, but I'd rather not entertain that reality.

[dreamgazer]

Oooookay BSN, I've rephrased the topic title to better suit your affluent cynicism.

Just keeping it real and being honest, Jeff. I've seen too much hypocritical elevation from certain fans of this franchise.

[JeffZero]

It was a well done little twist and a good finish, I grant you that. Imagine the overall experience being more impactful though if you were fully invested. I never felt fully invested in the first game, not like how I was in 2 or 3 honestly.

 

 

As someone who prefers ME2 and ME3 overall, I can certainly respect that stance, yeah. The sequels feel more emotionally resonant.

 

 

Just keeping it real and being honest, Jeff. I've seen too much hypocritical elevation from certain fans of this franchise.

 

Yup, I getcha.

[Ahriman]

Honestly...

 

Drew is an overrated writer. 

I wouldn't use word "overrated", BSN has all sorts of opinions about him. Still I personally prefer his vision of Reapers, though it's not hard to come up with something better than Starbrat.

Anyway I couldn't care less about him working on TOR, because I'll never see his work there. As for MEA, it's probably too late for him to join now. Maybe next game, could be cool.

[LinksOcarina]

I wouldn't use word "overrated", BSN has all sorts of opinions about him. Still I personally prefer his vision of Reapers, though it's not hard to come up with something better than Starbrat.

Anyway I couldn't care less about him working on TOR, because I'll never see his work there. As for MEA, it's probably too late for him to join now. Maybe next game, could be cool.

 

His version of the reapers is more or less the same...

 

I don't understand that criticism. Do you mean that the reapers were more mysterious?

[Ahriman]

His version of the reapers is more or less the same...

 

I don't understand that criticism. Do you mean that the reapers were more mysterious?

Nah, I'm talking about subplot with Dark Matter (apparently caused by usage of Eezo), but it was scrapped for Synthetics/Organics theme.

[InterrogationBear]

Cool, I liked his three ME books. Makes a tie-in novel for ME:A much more likely.

[This is the End My Friend]

[Seboist]

Honestly...

 

Drew is an overrated writer. 

 

No kidding, he co-wrote the narrative trainwreck that was ME2 that destroyed the entire overarching plot of the trilogy.

[Ajensis]

Being wary of lavishing too much praise on him is probably the sensible thing to do, and the first Mass Effect was in no ways perfectly written, but since he's among the biggest contributors to the foundation of Mass Effect it does make me happy to learn he's back with Bioware and I would definitely not mind if he returned to our beloved franchise that he helped shape. The first game has something magical about it that he may or may not be at least partially responsible for.

 

Nah, I'm talking about subplot with Dark Matter (apparently caused by usage of Eezo), but it was scrapped for Synthetics/Organics theme.

 

The way I understood it, the Dark Energy plot was just one possibility among a handful of others, if not more. Had Karpyshyn stayed, we might very well have gotten more or less the exact same ending as we have now, or something like the Dark Energy plot, or something completely different. We'll probably never know. But saying that he had a different vision of the Reapers isn't (necessarily) true - unless he's made specific comments on the ending we've got, which I don't believe he has. (Has he even played the 3rd game yet?)

 

The whole Dark Energy alternative ending generally seems to be misunderstood. It wasn't like it was set in stone and then he left and then they came up with something else. And it may not have ended any better if he'd stayed on board.

[Ahriman]

The way I understood it, the Dark Energy plot was just one possibility among a handful of others, if not more. Had Karpyshyn stayed, we might very well have gotten more or less the exact same ending as we have now, or something like the Dark Energy plot, or something completely different. We'll probably never know. But saying that he had a different vision of the Reapers isn't (necessarily) true - unless he's made specific comments on the ending we've got, which I don't believe he has. (Has he even played the 3rd game yet?)

 

The whole Dark Energy alternative ending generally seems to be misunderstood. It wasn't like it was set in stone and then he left and then they came up with something else. And it may not have ended any better if he'd stayed on board.

Well yeah, you're here. Karpyshin avoids bashing ME3 ending, professional ethics I suppose, and yes, as we know ME main plot was shaped on fly (biggest strategical mistake of ME team, but it's a matter of another topic). Dark Matter was more of a direction in which ME was rolling, still I think it would make Reapers more reasonable and final choice more interesting.