If you are one of the fan’s of Tomb Raider, Heavenly Sword, Overlord or Mirror’s Edge, you have probably heard the name of Rhianna Pratchett. She is one of the most successful writers in the gaming industry and at the moment she is working on the Rise of the Tomb Raider and Overlord: Fellowship of Evil. So we decided to arrange an interview with her to ask her about Rise of the Tomb Raider and Overlord.
Bazicenter: Please tell us a little about yourself, about the events that have led you to this point in your career.
Rhianna Pratchett: I’ve been a gamer since I was six years old. I always enjoyed writing, but I trained as a journalist, since it seemed a good way to see the world and write about interesting things. I managed to get a bit of freelance work reviewing games for a woman’s magazine called Minx. The reviewing work didn’t last long, but it got me a foot in the door of the industry. After that I managed to get more work on a magazine called PC Gear and eventually a full time job with its sister magazine PC Zone. I spent a few years working there and establishing lots of industry contacts before I jumped back into freelancing and got offered a job as a story editor on a game called Beyond Divinity, by Larian Studios. From there I started to build up my career as a writer for games, rather than about them.
Bazicenter: As a writer what is your source of inspiration?
Rhianna Pratchett: Inspiration doesn’t come from any one place. The key is to just give your brain lots of stimuli – reading, watching movies TV, theatre etc., traveling, talking to all kinds of people, keep track of the news and what’s going on in the world, and basically let all that knowledge peculate in your brain. Alongside that, practicing your writing skills and continually honing them is also essential. It’s all about creating the right kind of environment for ideas to emerge and inspiration to strike.
Bazicenter: You are a gamer. So I guess it is better to ask what video games have you played recently? Please name your top 5 video games, if it’s possible.
Rhianna Pratchett: In no particular order my top five are: Psychonauts, Vampire: The Masquerade
Bloodlines, World of Warcraft, Bioshock and Dungeon Keeper 2. As for recent gaming, I really enjoyed Telltale’s The Wolf Among Us. I also play a lot of games on my ipad whilst I write. I loved 80 Days and I’m addicted to Hearthstone.
Bazicenter: What do you think about The Lord of the Rings and J. R. R. Tolkien?
Rhianna Pratchett: I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings, but I have more of a soft spot for The Hobbit because I remember my father reading it to me as a kid.
Bazicenter: What books are you reading right now? And what is the best book that you have ever read? And if you were supposed to suggest a book to our readers, what would you suggest?
Rhianna Pratchett: I’m actively trying to do more reading at the moment. I used to read a lot as a kid, but that’s dropped off over the last 10 years. I’m trying to have a modern book and a classic/modern classic on the go at the same time. At the moment the modern novel is Poppet by Mo Hayder (a crime novelist who writes about the area I grew up in) and the modern classic is Arthur C. Clarke’s The City and the Stars. The book I’d probably suggest is Perfume by Patrick Süskind. It’s a remarkable, evocative story.
Bazicenter: In your opinion, what is the most difficult part in writing a video game plot?
Rhianna Pratchett: You constantly need to factor in gameplay and level design into your script, which can often be altered drastically throughout the project. The needs of gameplay often don’t always align with the needs of narrative, particularly when it comes to character behaviour, which can often be difficult to reconcile. Since it’s not traditionally been a story-led medium, the industry doesn’t have a particularly high narrative literacy. Therefore you’ll often find yourself working with people who don’t really understand good storytelling, or worse, don’t care about it.
Bazicenter: What can you tell us about Rise of the Tomb Raider? Are we going to meet the same Lara Croft that is facing a bit more challenge or a whole new side of Lara?
Rhianna Pratchett: I can’t really reveal too much about it at this stage. Lara is on the next step of her journey and will have to rise to meet a whole new set ofchallenges. The events of the first game have seen her start to question what she thought she knew about the world. This game is seeing her putting that into action.
Bazicenter: In your idea, how far the Tomb Raider will go on? And have you ever thought about the end of Lara Croft?
Rhianna Pratchett: No idea as it’s not my franchise. And as for the death of Lara, well that pretty much happens multiple times in every title. When it comes to games death is certainly not the end, it’s just a brief setback!
Bazicenter: Let’s talk about the minions and Overlord! How did the Overlord come into existence?
Rhianna Pratchett: The idea came from Triumph Studios in the Netherlands. They were looking for a writer and I tested out for them. I hit the right blend of silly and twisted that they were looking for and they employed me on the project. I’ve now worked on all the different Overlord games.
Bazicenter: In your opinion, how have the gaming industry changed and how do you see the future of it?
Rhianna Pratchett: Over the last decade narrative has become much more important to the industry. It also allows games to stand out without having to rely on expensive technology. However, the industry is still trying to work out how to use writers properly and fit them into the development process in a way that fully utilises their talents. It’s still an uphill battle, but we’re getting there!
Bazicenter: What pleasant memories do you have from the beginning of your career with writing for a magazine until now that you are a video game scriptwriter?
Rhianna Pratchett: It was always really good fun going on site to interview developers and see their work in progress. Even though I’m now a developer myself there’s still a tiny part of me that whenever I enter a game studio feels like I’m there to interview someone!
Bazicenter: As for the end, please let us know if you have anything to say to our readers in Bazicenter.
Rhianna Pratchett: Good luck in all your endeavours and happy gaming!
