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While I'm not a fan of BioWare's games that much, I don't see the problem with Hepler. Hell, the "skip combat" thing is actually even logical thinking, some people just want the story and then the more difficult fights could be fun to be able to skip. Oh Internet, you're so stupid.
I don't know why they are attacking Hepler specifically, it's true the Biwoare games have taken a noticeable nose dive in quality but I am inclined to blame EA, Mike Laidlaw and David Gaider most of all.
also, you can skip combat in ME3. I have no problem with it. I mean, hell, it's an OPTION. I don't understand why options offend people.
Well, I think in instances like this its easy to feel ashamed to be a gamer but its also wrong. Anyone with a single shred of sense knows that these people do not represent the majority of gamers.
There are idiots in every walk of life, im not going to feel ashamed that fellow gamers acted like twats anymore than I would if fellow pizza enthusiasts began systematically slaying kittens.
There are idiots in every walk of life, im not going to feel ashamed that fellow gamers acted like twats anymore than I would if fellow pizza enthusiasts began systematically slaying kittens.
But Bob, Mile and David have penises. It obviously couldn't be THEIR fault! I am a gamer on the Internet and I think things like that.
Man gaming news is getting spicy these days. I can't wait for a Geoff Keighley sex scandal to break.
Wow, did not hear about this until your article and I'm pretty shocked.
Attacking people like that really isn't a good thing for the person attacked. It can really destroy her. Hope she'll be able to overcome this !
Attacking people like that really isn't a good thing for the person attacked. It can really destroy her. Hope she'll be able to overcome this !
It's not surprising. Disheartening, certainly, but go on nearly any gaming forum, sniff around for a bit and you'll come across a bunch of angry, spiteful cretins who don't want to love games - they want to attack them, and anyone defending them. Unless it's *their* favourite game, of course.
I love games, and some gamers, but the furious, whinging masses can fuck right off.
I love games, and some gamers, but the furious, whinging masses can fuck right off.
I don't really care if she's supposed to be acting professional, that was a pretty sick burn on her part.
I would have absolutely loved a skip combat button in the last few sections of the original mass effect.
She ruined Bioware games with bad writing? There was a time Bioware had good writing.
No, I don't want to ask [Side Character #2] how he's feeling. I don't care.
Saying she ruined Bioware games with her writing is like saying Big Ravioli ruined Chef Boyardee.
No, I don't want to ask [Side Character #2] how he's feeling. I don't care.
Saying she ruined Bioware games with her writing is like saying Big Ravioli ruined Chef Boyardee.
While the vitriol with which she was attacked is pretty over the top... working in the games industry in such a coveted position and then basically admitting you don't even play games? It is ridiculous. It comes off as arrogant and unappreciative.
A game industry writer who doesn't game? Why should anyone take her seriously? Would we trust a food blogger who admits they hate trying new foods? A sports writer who despises sports? It is ridiculously foolish and unprofessional to admit, and destroys your credibility.
The vagina comment just fueled the fire and was monumentally immature of her. This is the internet - trolls exist. She is supposedly a professional and should have known better to engage with them. Particularly with the "OMG UR JUST JEALOUS CUZ IM A GIRL!!!!" infantile nonsense. Everything isn't about gender.
A game industry writer who doesn't game? Why should anyone take her seriously? Would we trust a food blogger who admits they hate trying new foods? A sports writer who despises sports? It is ridiculously foolish and unprofessional to admit, and destroys your credibility.
The vagina comment just fueled the fire and was monumentally immature of her. This is the internet - trolls exist. She is supposedly a professional and should have known better to engage with them. Particularly with the "OMG UR JUST JEALOUS CUZ IM A GIRL!!!!" infantile nonsense. Everything isn't about gender.
The ability to be all gay and stuff was more or less the only reason I bought Dragon Age 2. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the game as well despite some very obvious flaws.
"It is the height of entitlement to believe you can say whatever you want, as hurtful as you like, and expect not a word of a retort."
Bang on the money. Bad enough that he's an asshat, even worse that he turns on the waterworks when it comes right back at him.
Bang on the money. Bad enough that he's an asshat, even worse that he turns on the waterworks when it comes right back at him.
@MrSwishaTwista: Exactly. Most games have skip dialogue buttons, I like story and dialogue so I don't use it. It in no way bothers me that other people might like to use that. In turn, if there was a skip combat button I would not use it, but it wouldn't bother me if other people wanted it and used it. It does kind of make sense because I do hear from people who say they never finished an interesting game because they got stuck at a boss. This might be a way to let them see it to the end. Options are just what they claim to be, optional.
So is her writing that bad?
I've never played any of the games she wrote for, but I always like a good story in my games, short or long.
I've never played any of the games she wrote for, but I always like a good story in my games, short or long.
I'm part of the internet and I have zero idea who this person is. I do laugh when someone combats a negative opinion with a "you're jealous of me because" statement or they start throwing their resume at you. Max did that to me on YouTube once when I questioned him about something and he told me I was jealous he played video games for a living. Nope, still can't say I am.
How can you sympathize with her? She's insufferable. She's not even a good writer. She wrote the most boring part of Dragon Age and she wrote the AWFUL romances of DA:2. Her stuff is all tripe.
She should look in to a game similar to Corpse Party. Not a lot of actual gameplay but maaaan, what a great game.
Games can never be a "legitimate" art form if idiotic people on the internet can't get over trivial shit like this.
While Helper has a point about skip-combat, I think she should lobby Bioware to make a text-based adventure or something akin to Hotel Dusk. That way, she can flex her writing skill and not have to deal with shitty game mechanics.
@Lowlander2 Haters? If a male writer for Bioware gleefully exclaimed "LOL BUT I DONT EVEN LIKE PLAYING GAMES, I CANT BE BOTHERED" they would be torn to shreds in a similar manner. Its simply unprofessional and arrogant to make such a flippant statement when you're working in what is a truly coveted position. You're basically admitting you have zero passion or interest for the things you work on when there are thousands of people who would kill to be in your place.
Halper brought her gender into this (and in a monumentally immature way). I have yet to see anyone attack her specifically for being female. Yet for whatever reason, she had to go down the road of 'LOL UR JUST MAD IM A GIRL!!' ... nevermind that people took offense with the quality of her writing and flippant disinterest in gaming as a whole, not her vagina.
Halper brought her gender into this (and in a monumentally immature way). I have yet to see anyone attack her specifically for being female. Yet for whatever reason, she had to go down the road of 'LOL UR JUST MAD IM A GIRL!!' ... nevermind that people took offense with the quality of her writing and flippant disinterest in gaming as a whole, not her vagina.
I don't really know anything about what she wrote for the games in question, so I can't say if it was bad,
but if Dragon Age 2 had a Skip combat button,
I would have used it constantly.
So I'm all for that.
but if Dragon Age 2 had a Skip combat button,
I would have used it constantly.
So I'm all for that.
So douchebag mc twitter bully gets offended and cries because somebody with bigger status shuts him down bluntly. If he wasn't looking for response then why be all dickish on twitter?
"ooh I bet this will get more hits on my deviant.art site!"
Whatever, I say crucify the dude, pariah this motherfucker, show him internet assault is a two-way street.
"ooh I bet this will get more hits on my deviant.art site!"
Whatever, I say crucify the dude, pariah this motherfucker, show him internet assault is a two-way street.
*sigh* It is really disheartening to hear about these type of people that share your love for a medium, knowing that by some you will be grouped together with the "Kaschaks" of gamer culture. someday I will be able to talk to people who dont play games about their artistic credibility without being associated with lifeless entitled assholes like this guy.
@sugar unicorn : I think you misunderstand what a writer does. She writes the narrative, dialog and such. She could be doing so for a movie, for a book, but she happens to be doing it for a video game. If she knows how to make credible characters and conversations, she has all the competence she needs to perform her job properly. It has nothing to do with playing through three Zeldas or knowing the dots of a Megaman password.
That whole syndrom of "people in the gaming industry HAVE to be 'one of US'" is quite pathetic. A job in marketing, communications, writing, sales relations is the same thing whether you're selling games or condoms.
That whole syndrom of "people in the gaming industry HAVE to be 'one of US'" is quite pathetic. A job in marketing, communications, writing, sales relations is the same thing whether you're selling games or condoms.
Hahahaha, I've been monitoring this all from the start, I was wondering when Destructoid would pick it up
Jesus Kraken Christ, I am enormously enjoying my popcorn
Why do they always resort to sexism as defense?
Jesus Kraken Christ, I am enormously enjoying my popcorn
Why do they always resort to sexism as defense?
Who's the Fluid Filled Biped who wrote HK-47's dialogue in KOTOR??? They need to make that person lead writer period.
"Albert Marsh
Bioware and Bethesda both need to die. Also 4chan /v/ gave her the name Hamburger Helper"
No, just no.
Bioware and Bethesda both need to die. Also 4chan /v/ gave her the name Hamburger Helper"
No, just no.
I consider myself a "gamer" and I'm feeling completely indifferent towards Mrs Hepler. Again, there are a lot of generalizations going around on both sides of the argument. I refuse the notion that this loudmouthed minority is representative of the average gamer. I'm kind of disappointed that she let them drag her to the same level.
Her 'skip the gameplay'-idea seems a little out of touch with things, though...the combat/gameplay part seems kind of essential, after all, we are talking about games here.
Her 'skip the gameplay'-idea seems a little out of touch with things, though...the combat/gameplay part seems kind of essential, after all, we are talking about games here.
Glad you're speaking about this Jim as it might actually be heard. Trying throwing something like this up on a forum and the avalanche of White Knight accusations will drown the poster out. Many strategy games allow for autoresolved combat I don't see why that couldn't be incorporated into other genres. Still the best defense for this is to play dead.
@Tame
So you opinion on her work as a writer in the gaming industry, not exactly known for its writing in nearly any regard, is somehow relevant to the Cult of Gaming jumping on her?
Her writing is tripe? Most game writing is terrible in the grand scheme of things. Should the majority of writers in the gaming industry, a scene where storytelling in any substantial sense is garnering ever more hostile responses from the Cult of Gaming, be personally and viciously attacked for not living up to the standards of raving fanboys?
I'm going to need a break on this one. The whole thing reminds me of a bunch of fanboys in a room wearing suits and monocles, swirling brandy glasses of Kool-Aid, and arguing over the finer points of adding sliced lemon to the pitcher.
So you opinion on her work as a writer in the gaming industry, not exactly known for its writing in nearly any regard, is somehow relevant to the Cult of Gaming jumping on her?
Her writing is tripe? Most game writing is terrible in the grand scheme of things. Should the majority of writers in the gaming industry, a scene where storytelling in any substantial sense is garnering ever more hostile responses from the Cult of Gaming, be personally and viciously attacked for not living up to the standards of raving fanboys?
I'm going to need a break on this one. The whole thing reminds me of a bunch of fanboys in a room wearing suits and monocles, swirling brandy glasses of Kool-Aid, and arguing over the finer points of adding sliced lemon to the pitcher.
@Piellar I'm aware of what she does. She is writing dialogue for games. Part of this would presume you had at least some sort of basic interest and understanding of common gameplay elements. Writing a short story, a screenplay, or game dialogue are entirely different beasts. Claiming all writing jobs are the same is like claiming all art jobs are the same. They aren't.
You need to understand your medium, and she seems completely uninterested in what makes the latter different, and people have understandably taken offense with the product that results. And they have every right to be. It would be one thing if she had felt this way and kept it to herself - it is another thing entirely to gleefully proclaim how you write for games but have no appreciation for the medium whatsoever. It is unprofessional.
You need to understand your medium, and she seems completely uninterested in what makes the latter different, and people have understandably taken offense with the product that results. And they have every right to be. It would be one thing if she had felt this way and kept it to herself - it is another thing entirely to gleefully proclaim how you write for games but have no appreciation for the medium whatsoever. It is unprofessional.
Sorry Jim I forgot about the ancient bro laws of the internet, I'd like to change my stance to she obviously deserved it for having a vagina and ask for a seat on the bandwagon.
@sugar unicorn
What are you talking about, the minute the started hurling insults like 'fat bitch' and 'obese cunt' they entirely made it about gender...and obesity for some reason. Which, coming from the gaming community, is laughable.
What are you talking about, the minute the started hurling insults like 'fat bitch' and 'obese cunt' they entirely made it about gender...and obesity for some reason. Which, coming from the gaming community, is laughable.
I like her. I don't like any of the idiots that pretend to be brave when glued toa keyboard. Wankers.
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