This is a wonderful write-up of an iconic game, but it wasn't until I saw the publishing date that I realized this game is now more than 20 years old!
Weirdly, despite Galatea (and later, Blood and Laurels) amazing everyone with its "natural" NPC conversation design, somehow, this hasn't ever been replicated anywhere else. As far as I know, no one's even TRIED to replicate it, which truly makes me wonder why not.
Ms. Short was clearly taken with the idea of "natural" NPC conversation, and there was a lot of hype over the "Verso" engine used to power Blood and Laurels. But since then? Nothing, as far as I am aware of. The "Verso" engine and whatever algos were used to power Galatea have never been shared, duplicated, or even used again by the original authors.
Frankly, considering how drily Ms. Short talks about how "simple" and cut-and-dry the NPC conversation design was in Galatea makes me wonder why the hell that knowledge never got passed along to anyone else OR re-used by Short herself.
Funny thing!
I just played this yesterday and today (for the first time). Your article couldn't have had a better timing (for me).
Thank you.
This is a wonderful write-up of an iconic game, but it wasn't until I saw the publishing date that I realized this game is now more than 20 years old!
Weirdly, despite Galatea (and later, Blood and Laurels) amazing everyone with its "natural" NPC conversation design, somehow, this hasn't ever been replicated anywhere else. As far as I know, no one's even TRIED to replicate it, which truly makes me wonder why not.
Ms. Short was clearly taken with the idea of "natural" NPC conversation, and there was a lot of hype over the "Verso" engine used to power Blood and Laurels. But since then? Nothing, as far as I am aware of. The "Verso" engine and whatever algos were used to power Galatea have never been shared, duplicated, or even used again by the original authors.
Frankly, considering how drily Ms. Short talks about how "simple" and cut-and-dry the NPC conversation design was in Galatea makes me wonder why the hell that knowledge never got passed along to anyone else OR re-used by Short herself.