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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 9:45 pm
by thibodeaux
http://ace.mu.nu/archives/280073.php
But when Vilanch heard Lucas’s storyline at a development meeting at Smith and Hemion’s L.A. offices, he quickly realized that a “big challenge” lay ahead. Lucas was intent on building The Star Wars Holiday Special, as it would be called, around Wookiees—specifically, the family of Chewbacca, Han Solo’s shaggy sidekick, as they outwitted Imperial forces to come together on Life Day, the Wookiee equivalent of Christmas. Suddenly, Vilanch says, the special was in danger of looking like “one long episode of Lassie.”
“I said: ‘You’ve chosen to build a story around these characters who don’t speak. The only sound they make is like fat people having an orgasm,’” the 250-plus-pound Vilanch recalls. “In fact, I told Lucas he could just leave a tape recorder in my bedroom and I’d be happy to do all the looping and Foley work for him.”
Lucas met these comments with a “glacial” look. “This was his vision, and he could not be moved,” Vilanch says. “And of course Star Wars was so gigantic that he had been validated a hundred times over. So he had what a director needs to have, which is this insane belief in their personal vision, and he was somehow going to make it work.”
More Lucas-stupidity goodness in there, too.
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 4:13 am
by TPRJones
Previously I never bothered to try to find any of it to watch. Wasn't worth the effort.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJlG-BumBHM
You know that anything in which Bea Arthur can be considered a highlight is bad.
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 11:23 pm
by Vince
Well, to give Lucas a bit of credit, he learned from it. The guys that made the latest Star Wars game The Force Unleashed approached Lucas with an idea of a game about wookies. Lucas told them they needed a character driven story, and one centered around characters that didn't speak english wouldn't work.
So I give him credit from learning from past mistakes.
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:44 am
by WSGrundy
Vince wrote:Well, to give Lucas a bit of credit, he learned from it. The guys that made the latest Star Wars game The Force Unleashed approached Lucas with an idea of a game about wookies. Lucas told them they needed a character driven story, and one centered around characters that didn't speak english wouldn't work.
So I give him credit from learning from past mistakes.
I still totally disagree with Lucas there. While everyone says the story kicks ass in force unleashed the idea that a lead wookie would be a problem seems retarded.
Everyone has different favorite characters from the films but I don't know anyone who doesn't/didn't love Chewie. There would be an instant attachment to your characters and people who sure as hell care more about a wookie then some other newly created character.
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 1:28 am
by Leisher
WSGrundy makes a pretty good point.
Quick, recite a quote from Gordon Freeman or the DOOM guy.
Point being, video game characters don't have to speak. Everyone around them can speak to and for them.
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 8:54 am
by GORDON
"Come get some."
Of course, Duke borrowed most of his lines from Ash...
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 9:20 am
by TheCatt
"Where is it?"
Or was that Castle Wolfenstein?
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:30 pm
by Leisher
You can quote Chewie too.
In fact, there's a great song on the Clerks soundtrack where Chewie "sings".
Again, the lead character doesn't need to say anything to make a video game around them. Pretty much every FPS ever is that way.
Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:46 pm
by Vince
Well, the guys making Force were going to center the story around a few wookies.
And not to be contrary, but it helps pull me into a game when my character has some dialog. Even a little (as in Saints Row)
Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 11:38 pm
by WSGrundy
Vince wrote:Well, the guys making Force were going to center the story around a few wookies.
Even then I don't see the issue. Maybe if they wanted to make the story with a mute Rodian then I could get on board but not with wookies.
I guess I'm not saying that avoiding a mute main character is a bad idea it is just that he had an issue with using wookies. The most beloved and favorite race in all of star wars. If anything is going to get a connection from the gamer it would be controlling a wookie.
I liked everyone in KOTOR but you can well believe that the last character I was going to let die or sacrifice if the time came was Zalbar.
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:51 am
by Malcolm
WSGrundy wrote:I liked everyone in KOTOR but you can well believe that the last character I was going to let die or sacrifice if the time came was Zalbar.
He was useful cos of his ungodly amount of health. Other than that, the Jedi were way more powerful.
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 6:37 pm
by WSGrundy
Malcolm wrote:WSGrundy wrote:I liked everyone in KOTOR but you can well believe that the last character I was going to let die or sacrifice if the time came was Zalbar.
He was useful cos of his ungodly amount of health. Other than that, the Jedi were way more powerful.
Yeah he wasn't the best character to have from a combat standpoint I always kept him in because I liked having a wookie around more. My girlfriend would make comments about not seeing him when she would glance at the screen too.
Everyone I knew who played the game(not a gigantic sample) always had him in their group because wookies are cool.