Hustle n’ Bustle

By: Sam Fisher

 

            The level of bustle in the bar varies from the movie and book to the game. In the game, the level of activity is extremely minimal (excluding our class meeting in front of the barkeep). On the other hand, the book and movie depict a packed bar that creates a different mood for the viewer and reader. The bar becomes a culture in itself evoking a particular mood. The Green Dragon serves more as a place to be rowdy and converse while inebriated. In game, it appears more as a ghost bar, with the sole purpose of offering the gamer quests. It is strange as well that there are a few NPC’s in the bar, which shows that there was an option to add these characters and the game designer chose not to.

            Perhaps there was a reason for keeping NPC’s out of the Green Dragon. Did the designer expect the bar to get to its normal level of bustle from characters “filling the seats” by loitering there. Clearly after game sales peaked, the designers could determine that there would be no further increases in activity in the bar. It makes one wonder what the purpose of keeping the Green Dragon so empty in game really is…

~ by johnsamfisher on September 26, 2008.