Aside from storyline content, I know there are a lot of players out there who love writing and would consider storyline writing and planning for an MMO their "dream job". Do you have any advice for students who in the next few years will be choosing classes, degrees, first jobs, etc, that you think would be helpful if they're looking to eventually break into the industy?
Sadly, there are no easy paths into a writing gig, whether that's writing novels, comics, games, movies, or whatnot. And every writer I know has a unique path.
That said: read, read, read, and write, write, write are the six (hah!) best pieces of advice I can give. Of course, "read" can mean: watch TV/movies, and play games, as long as you do it with a critical eye. Ask yourself why you like (or dislike) a particular thing? Try to break it down as to what works for you, and what doesn't.
I know a lot of writers who have a background in English or History -- both fine subjects for school. However, sometimes I envy people who have a more professional-based education (doctors, engineers, or lawyers, say), who have a foundation of experiences and knowledge to build on. One of my co-writers at City of Heroes had an Anthropology background, and it served her extremely well.
Other general advice: go to conventions and meet people. Always be friendly and courteous (the industry is small). Find a writing group. Work on small projects, and complete what you start.
Note: I don't always do all of these things, and I don't always do all of them well, but they are my guiding lights. :)
Thanks for doing this - can't wait to see all of the interesting responses!
1. In Aquila, there is a reference to Ledon and Mount Atlas. Is this area just there for decoration, or is it meant to reserve space to possibly be used in the future?
2. Does the "From the Shadows I'll strike" line in Morganthe's prophecy have any definite significance? I understand all of the other lines, but this one seems a bit vague. Could it possibly be referring to Shadow magic, or just Khrysalis in general? Is it something we've yet to see?
I would love to return to Aquila, and so when we were making it I definitely seeded some ideas that we could grow into future adventures.
I'm going to hold off on all Morganthe's Prophecy questions until the end of Khrysalis. Heck, I might not even answer them, then. :)
I just have a few questions. First things first- yes, like another poster said, our own blind mew! :D
1. What was the overall purpose of bringing back malistaire the undying? Because I inferred it as foreshadowing to the third arc, but that's just me (and I know you can't answer that, I just wanted you to know )
2. Can you explain in which order of the worlds morganthe lived in/was taught in? (Was it Avalon as a child/teen, and then zafaria, or a complete different order.
3. (Don't know if you can answer) but will KR part 2 be shorter than the latter? Cause in part 1 it seems I could've got to level 96 or even 97 when I finished pt 1..
And finally- this isn't really a question.. Just an idea- it would be great for whenever morganthe is fought, cool 100+ gear or even special 100+ wands like they did in ds would be a nice touch (you don't need to respond to this..)
Loving Khrysalis so far! Can't wait for part 2!
1. To scare the bejeezus out of you! Clearly, Morganthe needed him for something terribly important to her cause.
2. Morganthe was born in Avalon, and then traveled with Merle Ambrose to Wizard City. After she left Ravenwood (under the blackest of clouds), she eventually made it to Zafaria.
Thank you for the speedy reply! Now to rapid-fire off more questions!
1. Will we learn more about the First World before it was broken up and eventually became the Spiral?
2. So in W101/P101 we have gods/creator/primordial beings like Zeus, Hades, Bartleby, Grandmother Raven etc. We also have what I would consider Demi-gods like Monkey King etc. What confuses me about them is are we suppose to take them all as literal gods being most of them have physical forms/can interact with the mortal realm. If so, where does this put Bartleby and Grandmother Raven in the I guess "God Pantheon" of the Spiral? I understand the different gods reflect our own real world with many beliefs however a big difference is these divine beings literally exist (not saying they don't in our own world) or are more tangible than our own. Does Zeus, Ymir, and friends answer to Bartleby? Since they exist as part of the Spiral worlds he holds together.
3. Is it possible we will see School pets for level 98 wizards? If so, can we also expect hybrids?
Thank you once again in advance!
Alric Ravensinger The Petnome Project
1. Bits and pieces, over time, I'm sure.
2. I would not put Zeus and Hades at the same level as Bartleby or the Titans. We call them Immortals in Aquila, and not gods, for a reason. (They, of course, might disagree, mind you.)
3. That's a Design question -- I can't comment on it right now.
I'll be checking this thread out a lot for your awesome replies and everyones questions!
One last question- What is Morganthe's obsession with Wooly Mammoth? Will we see her utilize the astral magic she said she had learnt from Celestia and Azteca (besides moving the comet into Azteca) Is it possible we will learn astral magic more in depth? With actual spells or will it only be echantments/polymorphs?
Thanks!
Johnny W101C Moderator Pirates of the Spiral
Heh. It was really just a joke to payoff Gamma's line at the beginning of Avalon.
Morganthe was denied her goals in Celestia. However, your whole quest in Khrysalis is to stop her from utilizing the power she gained from Azteca.
Future Astral magic spells are a Design call, not a Story call.
Well, I'm so glad we have a Blind Mew of Wizard101! There's so many questions I want to ask! I'm trying to ask questions that would not include spoilers, but think I'm failing at that.
1)I am so interested by Morganthe's past, is it possible that we will see more of her story and even go into her past like Ghost Avalon?
2)If Morganthe is going to recreate the spiral in her image, will we be able to explore more on the creation of the spiral?
3)From what I understand the school of the spiral
4)Why exactly did you guys use the Azteca apocalypse theme as the Song of Creation? Was it because Morganthe using the song in Azteca to create the comet, or something yet to come? Or did you just have nothing else?
5)How did you begin your job at Kingsisle?
6)How do you feel about how we'll like the ending of Khrysalis?
1. Without revealing anything, I think it's safe to say you will learn at least a little bit more about Morganthe in the end of Khrysalis.
2. If she recreates the Spiral in her image, do you think she will let you?
3. Maybe, but then again maybe not.
4. The Aztecan apocalypse theme is heavily tied to the Song of Creation. We had long talks with the sound team and our terrific composer about how to present these ideas, and to create a vivid "soundscape / soundtrack" for the worlds. It was very much intentional.
5. How did I end up at KI, or what did I first work on here?
6. I hope you'll love it, of course! We are all very excited about it 'round these parts.
Hey Jesse! Thanks for making my question on twitter a reality :D I'm so glad this is here; I have so many questions to ask, I'll start with a few:
1) Will we ever be able to see Merle Fight in an actual duel, or have him along side us? 1b) Same Question, but Professors?
2) Will poor old Dworgyn ever get tenure? (will the death school ever return for post-mali/morganthe players?)
Finally, (3) I will understand if you cannot answer this one, but no harm in trying; Have any Seeds been planted in any of the storylines (main/side) for future arcs?
Well, I had thoughts about how the last battle against Morganthe would be taking place, but I'm hoping it won't have to end in the first and only phase that consists of her normal form, because that wouldn't make it... how to put it... truly epic. I'm certain Part Two of Khrysalis will be longer than Part One, but I hope to see Morganthe's last battle contain more than one phase in the last battle at the end of the game's second major story arc to come. As I may need to point out, end-of-arc villains need to have a transformation that sets as the second phase of their final battles, complete with new more tougher monsters, increased health to the arc's main villain during that last battle's second phase, and more new boss cheats and unique attack spells that makes the battle tougher.
I've sent my thoughts on suggestions to Dragonspyre's last dungeon, The Great Spyre, with some of the thoughts centering on the final battle against Malistaire Drake. Malistaire was a great opponent for an end-of-arc villain, but his last battle lacked a second form that should have made his last battle more epic as it should have been. The changes that were made there over two years ago were fine, but they just weren't enough to me. I certainly hope there's time to revise The Great Spyre again soon afterwards. Anyway, if the last battle against Morganthe is going to be in Part Two, then I hope her last battle consists of two phases instead of one. Would you consider that to happen? I really wish to see end-of-arc villains undergo a transformation in their last battles, and it's not too late to do so.
Also, that storyline about King Thermidor in Crab Alley was a great side story! I hope you'll have time to continue that story and make it into a new side story arc, just the like others, would you? Because I would like to know more about the history centered King Amadeo and Thermidor's rivalry and Amadeo's whereabouts.
When you guys gave the spoiler picture of Khrysalis before it was announced with it just showing the spiral door broke, many players in the community theorized that it was "Pre-Celestia" before Morganthe and the Umbra Army took over and tried to take the astral magics. hehe theorizing can get you into many many different scenarios.
Was there ever a chance or thought from your writing team to bring Morganthe and Her Army to Ravenwood and try to take it over? With the final battles in Wizard City/Ravenwood? Sort of like how Voldemort and the big war happened at Hogwarts to bring everything together.
I am hoping the Morganthe battle will be epic, and will have a different kind of battle than we are use to.
Thanks for starting this King Artorius! I have a couple questions regarding a couple of things...
1. In terms of Malistare the Undying, how did he even end up with Morganthe? Did Morganthe make her way to Dragonspyre in search of Malistare? If so, how did she end up getting through all those barriers we faced while in Dragonspyre, such as: Getting into DS Academy, Getting up to the entrance to where we faced down Malistare, etc.
2. Am I right in saying that Azteca is mainly based off of the 3 Central/South American tribes known as the Aztec, Inca and Maya? Because I'm fairly certain I saw many references to them while working my way through Azteca, such as Xibalba aka The Place of Fear (Otherwise known as the Mayan Underworld)
3. Will we ever get to see Ravenwood complete with the Death School back in it's rightful place?
4. Will we ever get to go back in time and see Dragonspyre and Celestia as they were? I would love to explore a Dragonspyre that is not apocalyptic and filled with lava and ghosts.
5. With Part 2 for Khrysalis, when do you expect to release it for testing? I've been ready for part 2 for a while.
Thanks, Artorius, for taking the time both to solicit questions and to answer them. Answers to burning lore questions are always welcome. :)
Sadly, in all of these years I only just finished Dragonspyre so I don't really know what's what with the later worlds, heh.
1) Do you have plans for another "side world" along the lines of Wysteria and Grizzleheim?
2) Will we ever have a reason to visit Wysteria again? Grizzleheim and Crab Alley each can be said to have two separate "stages" nowadays. Is Wysteria in line to get some fresh content?
3) Are there any crossovers planned? Will Boochbeard and Mr. Gandry ever visit Ravenwood? Will Ravenwood students ever visit the windlanes? I should think that Headmaster Ambrose would be quite curious about "hoodoo".
4) Who sets your daily quota for "easter eggs"? ;-) When, for instance, the "African Queen" is prominently featured in the game, is that the result of one designer's sense of humor/aesthetic or is that a team decision?
Hi, King Artorius! Nice to meet you! I love that you've set up your own thread to answer questions like Blind Mew (now I have 2 writers to pesker with questions hehe ::evil grin::)
Anyway, I do have some questions to ask you:
1.) Is King Artorius a bear or a lion? Because I'm positive he's a bear, but people call him a lion for whatever reasons.
2.) Back in Zafaria, there was mention of a time called the 'Year of the Red Comet' in the Scrolls of Light. Could you please elaberate on this? What is the 'Year of the Red Comet' and it's significance?
3.) We went to Avalon to claim the Sword of Kings (and learn some much needed backstories on Merle and Morganthe). It was said this was the only weapon strong enough to stop Morganthe. However, the story seems to have dropped it off in Azteca (which in my opinion may have been a perfect time to put it to use). Now in Khrysalis, King Artorius says it's bonded to our spirit. So is the Sword of Kings still central or important to the story now or will it have no effect on Morganthe.
4.) When Celestia was released, was Zafaria, Avalon, Azteca and Khrysalis already mapped out for the 2nd Arc or did they appear as the story came about?
5.) Can you tell us what Khrysalis major inspiration came from? I can get most world's themes/analogues down in a nanosecond but Khrysalis' theme is driving me nuts. From the geography and the meaning of Kermes and Tyrian, I'd say mideavel Mediteranean, but the Deer Mouses clothing and the architecture of Bastion don't match with any Mediteranean architectures I've seen. Can you help me decipher it's theme?
6.) Will we ever get back into the gobbler story from Wizard City? Like, will be ever get to see Gobblerton and dispel the witch problem there someday? I really liked that story arc.
7.) Will we learn more about our professors? I know a little about all them, except Professor Falmea. It seems she's left any detail on her past a secret.
When you guys gave the spoiler picture of Khrysalis before it was announced with it just showing the spiral door broke, many players in the community theorized that it was "Pre-Celestia" before Morganthe and the Umbra Army took over and tried to take the astral magics. hehe theorizing can get you into many many different scenarios.
Was there ever a chance or thought from your writing team to bring Morganthe and Her Army to Ravenwood and try to take it over? With the final battles in Wizard City/Ravenwood? Sort of like how Voldemort and the big war happened at Hogwarts to bring everything together.
I am hoping the Morganthe battle will be epic, and will have a different kind of battle than we are use to.
Ooh, I like that idea! Final Showdown: Ravenwood School of Magical Arts and Council of Light vs. Morganthe and the Umbra Legion in Wizard City. Only question is, where shall the battle take place? Perhaps a battleground off Firecat Alley (Since it is the only street in Olde Town that doesn't take you somewhere else like Triton and Cyclops do)? A interesting proposition indeed. I do believe Morganthe has shown up in Wizard City 1 time since her expulsion from Ravenwood, and this was before we were sent off to Avalon to recover the Sword of Kings. She showed up to offer us one last chance to join her or be wiped out when she rewrites the spiral (IF she does that is)
I've always been a huge fan of Malistaire. Who is responsible for that first arc, for that brilliant, beautiful mess of a character? To whom do I owe my eternal writerly adoration, infinite hugs, and fan-girl rage?
2)
I would love to write and/or do voice-acting for video games like this one. But most game companies are in the US. Are there any opportunities for non-Americans to get into the biz (other than moving to the States, since I like my free healthcare and stuff)?
Thanks!
Laura "Dr. Von Awesomestein" Shadowsong word wizard, caped crusader for literary justice
Thanks for starting this King Artorius! I have a couple questions regarding a couple of things...
1. In terms of Malistare the Undying, how did he even end up with Morganthe? Did Morganthe make her way to Dragonspyre in search of Malistare? If so, how did she end up getting through all those barriers we faced while in Dragonspyre, such as: Getting into DS Academy, Getting up to the entrance to where we faced down Malistare, etc.
2. Am I right in saying that Azteca is mainly based off of the 3 Central/South American tribes known as the Aztec, Inca and Maya? Because I'm fairly certain I saw many references to them while working my way through Azteca, such as Xibalba aka The Place of Fear (Otherwise known as the Mayan Underworld)
3. Will we ever get to see Ravenwood complete with the Death School back in it's rightful place?
4. Will we ever get to go back in time and see Dragonspyre and Celestia as they were? I would love to explore a Dragonspyre that is not apocalyptic and filled with lava and ghosts.
5. With Part 2 for Khrysalis, when do you expect to release it for testing? I've been ready for part 2 for a while.
I can answer your first question. Morganthe raises Malistaire from the dead in Azteca...if you remember from questing in Azteca there was a sarcophagus broken, I believe it MIGHT of been in Three Points but it certainly was more or less at the beginning of Azteca that her mysterious Dark Servant joins her, who turns out to be Malistaire. I think a more fitting question would be why was Malistaire buried in Azteca and not in Dragonspyre with Sylvia? Who I wonder as well why was she buried in Dragonspyre? Instead of somewhere like Ravenwood?
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Oh, awesome! I love the Pirate version of this, and I know I'll love this one too :D
1) What world of yours was the favorite to write the storyline for?
2) Can we expect any more side worlds in the future? I really enjoyed Wysteria and the GH/WT storylines.
Hi,
1. Tough question. Avalon was the easiest, to date, because it pulls on so much classic medieval fantasy. Zafaria was in many ways the hardest, because it was my first. But honestly, each world is kind of "the hardest" because I want to do more, have more fun, tell greater stories. :) And at the same time, each world becomes more enjoyable as I find new angles on old characters, come up with new favorites, and explore new ideas.
If you had asked me at the beginning of Khrysalis who my favorite characters would be, I doubt I would have said: Zaltanna, Dyvim, Zarozinia, and K'torr J'rrol.*
*OK, I had some idea that I'd enjoy Zaltanna and Dyvim.
2. I'm sure we will, but in what fashion I cannot begin to say.
Will we ever be able to learn more about where we came from? I mean where is our family? Why did we get sent to Ambrose in the first place? Will we ever go back home and see where we used to live with our family? It's kinda weird about the way we just popped out of thin air. I like to know our roots and it makes it feel more realistic. I want to know if our family were also full of wizards or I was just the lucky one who had the magic. Who are they? What do they do? Where are they now? I'd love to revisit them and all to be honest. Is this possible in the future?
-Kelsey Fireheart Stars of the Spiral
I think that's really Pirate's tale more than ours. I think each young Wizard gets to write in that bit for him or herself.
But who knows? We might delve into your past. They are intriguing ideas, for certain!
OMG hi king Artorius first I must say that I really look forward to seeing you in the spiral when I get to a high enough level and my first question is are you a bear or a lion and what better way to find out than to ask you myself I mean someone has already answered me but I figured I'd ask here too
1.) Do you think personally that the storyline for Aquila is as good as it gets or do you think there can be more added on to it?
2.) What was the inspiration to creating the Loremaster in Dragonspyre?
Kane Deathbringer Level 95 Kane Thunderbringer Level 52
1. Of course I love Aquila, but it would also be tremendously fun to revisit it. Classic Greek and Roman myths provide an almost infinite amount of story possibilities.
2. There were Design reasons, but we thought it would be fun to come up with a very tough, no-nonsense Dragonspyrian Battle Wizard who could wield all manner of Lore spells.
Won't Azteca eventually disappear after we complete it? I am sort of confused. It isn't like the other worlds where you can just replay one dungeon and the big boss resets itself like it was the first time. The whole world of Azteca on the other hand is/was/is going to be destroyed.
And if Azteca can't be ended, will Wizard City be part of some effort to rescue and evacuate some of the poor dinosaurs and parrots instead of leaving them to get pelted by endless comet rocks? Doesn't Wizard City have room for refugees?
Sadly, Azteca is probably in a constant state of inevitable demise. It's like we've paused the Doomsday Clock with one second to spare. That doesn't mean it can be saved, it's just the nature of storytelling in an MMO.
(But in that way it IS like the other worlds where you can replay one dungeon -- that's the game design part, which is just as important as the story part.)
1. The other day I was heading to Crustacean Empire to help a friend with Achaelos. I noticed there are actually TWO airlocks behind the Spheres docking bay, one to the left, and one to the right. The right one leads to Crustacean Empire, of course, but the left one appears to be out of order. Where would it lead to, if someone were to say, fix it?
2. My ice has just started Krokotopia, and he was running up and down the steps inside the Pyramid of the Sun, on various errands, when he noticed there are additional sealed doorways, chambers, and broken steps inside the central atrium of the Pyramid. For instance, if you go down the stairs clockwise past the Chamber of Fire, there's a rubble-choked passageway with a scarab hidden in front of it. Now, if you turn around and look down, way down, several stories below the landing that leads to the Palace of Fire, is another sealed door! And if you stand next to the Professor on the main floor, and look up and to the left, you can see some more broken stairs and a sealed door way high up!
If my ice were to borrow the Tall Ladder from the excavation in the Chamber of Fire and climb up (or down) to these mystery chambers, what might he find? Supposing Sgt Major Talbot authorizes a crew to reconstruct the stairs leading up and down to the various stories in the pyramid. Would level 100+ wizards find themselves entering a new instance featuring all new Krokotopian themed challenges and rewards? Perhaps a trip to Krokopotamia and the Ziggurat of the Sun?
)
I love that you've set up your own thread to answer questions like Blind Mew (now I have 2 writers to pesker with questions hehe ::evil grin::) 
Master of the spinysaur