Side Quests and the Abuse of Player Agency

I'd say the main issue I have with the vast majority games released these days is that they want to have their cake and eat it too. They want to be these monumental narrative achievements, but also are loaded with a load of optional objectives that don't really add much besides something else to do.

I think this creates a dissonance you don't really see until you look at it. Then, it's glaring.

In every videogame, the player is essentially "role-playing" as the avatar on screen. It's in the name, avatar. Traditional narratives have characters do things for specific reasons emotionally. It's what's meant by "character motivation."

The obvious issue with narrative in games is that the player may not have the same motivation that the story implies for the avatar. If I don't care that there's a civil war going on between the two factions in The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, it will be difficult to get me to care about large parts of the the various narrative elements.

On the subject of Skyrim, it's one of the best examples I can think of a game's bloat of optional objectives crippling it's narrative pursuits. Skyrim is absolutely loaded with quests. Every square mile of the map is full of a number of activities that are in no way needed to progress through the main narrative, but are advertised as being something to do.

Pursuing a few of these quests after progressing through the main narrative for a bit reveals the issue: when the fate of the world is on the line, and every minute needs to be invested in saving it, why would the player-character stop to find someone's dog in a cave or investigate some random tower for rumors of a cult?

All of this seems to suggest that a great deal of games are focused on goal of giving people as much to do as possible over a focused experience. It's as though they learned the wrong lessons from realizing that the greatest strength of the medium is the fact that the observer can interceed into the narrative.

One game that I think works as a positive example of this would be The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While it doesn't totally escape the aforementioned negative designs, the vast majority of the activities the player can engage in fit the motivations of the avatar.

From the beginning, you are told that you CAN go straight to the final area after reaching a certain point, but you're advised against it as it would be certain death (It's doable, but it's incredibly difficult). Instead, it's suggested that you proceed to various points in the world to make this final confrontation less punishing.

While doing this, the player is also given advice on how to restore the avatar back to the physical status they were before their pre-game coma. This provides a number of optional activities, but each one is something that fits what the character would want and benefits the player. I think that kind of unity of motivations leads a player to care more about the whole of the experience.

Ultimately, I'm not against optional activities in games. I'm against those that serve no purpose but to serve as filler. All that does is weaken any narrative that already exists. Why provide the player number of things to do that don't contribute to the story? It seems less like effective use of player agency, and more like abuse of it.

Five Albums I Loved in 2017

Something that has been somewhat obligatory for many movie/culture review outlets is the end of the year/best of the year list, where the "best" things from the year are ranked or merely recalled. Even though I've been writing on this blog for at least three years, I have yet to actually make on for myself.

To start, if I were going to compile some sort of end-of-the-year list, I certainly wouldn't rank anything on some arbitrary scale of ascending or descending value. That always struck me as kind of a waste of time, seeing that my favorites are in this constant state of flux. So, instead, I'll opt to simply list five things I watched/played/listened to that really stood out to me. This one will focus on albums I enjoyed.

Before, I do that, I'm going to have to clarify a few things first. For one, not all of the things I'm going to speak on actually came out in 2017. Some came out in 2016. Some came out even earlier than that. The second thing is that they are listed in no particular order. I'm literally just coming up with a list. At any rate, let's begin.

1.) Big Fish Theory - an album by Vince Staples

For the most part, I find mainstream hip hop to be lackluster. A seemingly endless stream of people imitating the same lyrical structures and melodic textures won't do more than leave me a little lethargic. Thankfully, I came across Vince Staples and his 2017 LP, Big Fish Theory. While being similar to much of the Top 20 crop of hip hop, Staples seems uninterested in staying in one lane, as he pulls from EDM, Grime, Noise, and a variety of other genres for his sonic layers. He also has a self awareness and introspection that I wish existed more in the more popular songs of our day. Some stand out songs include "Love Can Be", "Yeah Right", and "Bag Bak."

2.) Poppy.Computer - an album by Poppy

Few artists have the visual flair of Poppy. That's how many got to first know her, via her cryptic YouTube videos. Directed by her producer, Titanic Sinclair, these served to also be many people's introduction to her music, a sort of blend of J-Pop and American Pop sensibilities, with EDM and chiptune elements added in. Her first full length album, Poppy.Computer, is much more focused than her EP, Bubblebath, and leans even more into her thematic explorations of fame, the internet, and how tech effects us as humans. At first those themes may not seem apparent, but that's only due to her childlike cyberwitch aesthetic. Stand out songs include "Software Upgrade", "Interweb", and "Pop Music."

3.) The Most Hated - an EP by Polyphia 

Leaning into their pop influences, the virtuoso progressive metal/djent musicians of Poplyphia crafted an album that seemed to take the ostentatious noodling of their genre of origin and blend it perfectly with the syncopated vibe of trap music. The end result is something that I listened to on repeat for no less than two months. More impressive than just the music itself is viewing video of their live performances of these songs, as they find a way to make it all work in concert. Stand out songs include "Goose", "40oz", and "Icronic."

4.) OK Computer - an album by Radiohead  

I'm shocked it took me this long to listen to this one. As they are apt to do, the sad boys of found a way to the core of my anxieties and musical interests to craft an album that manages to be some combination of memorable, melancholy, and humorous. Poking and prying at the various monotonous actions taken on a day to day basis, along with the various barely there anxieties of modern life is a great way to get me to love whatever piece of art one makes. Stand out songs include "Airbag", "Paranoid Android", and "Karma Police."

 5.) Ctrl - an album by SZA

With melodies and samples taken from and inspired by neo-soul and trap music, along with her cashmere-like vocals and extremely personal lyrics, SZA's first LP is like a warm blanket for my ears. The production is so sumptuous, velvety, and all other adjectives for extremely good. Hold on, there are others: it's like chocolate ice cream on a hot day; it's like sheets fresh out the dryer on a cold day; it's like a strong hug from an old friend I haven't seen in years. Needless to say, I loved it. Stand out songs included "Supermodel", "Go Gina", and "Prom."