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Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?
Posted By: Brian DubickDate: 5/16/02 4:00 p.m.

In Response To: How should I formulate argument for Marathon? (Ernie)

: Recently I've been trying to bring my friends around to thinking about
: Marathon the way I (and most of the Story Forum) thinks about it.

: The argument I got from 'Shane' is that he believes that Marathon is pretty
: much like Doom as far as storyline goes. He believes that the 'mission
: briefing' at the start of each level in Doom (I really cant remember if
: there WAS a mission briefing..) can encompass as much story as Marathon's
: terminals.

There was no mission briefing. Only a screen at the end of each level that said what your kill percentages were. Every twenty levels or so there might be one screen of text. The majority of the Doom story was a single paragraph in the manual, and although a few details changed, it was pretty much the same for all the Doom games. You're the only Marine left alive at a base/planet/moon overrun with demons from another dimension. That's it. I try to explain Marathon's story and it takes five minutes. Doom's story can be encompassed in one sentence.

: This was the begining of my resent towards my friend.

: Sufficent to say, he thinks Marathon is 'ok', but thinks its story requires
: too much 3rd part information to be 'good'. He also cited the Doom novels
: as sources of story that give doom credability.

Um, but aren't those third part information?

: Help me formulate a good argument against this milarkie. Mark? Hamish? Even
: Mr. Blaine's opinions would be welcome. Being able to bash my buddy over
: the head with metaphysical analogys might confuse Shane enough to win me
: the argument.

Marathon features a storyline that unfolds as you go, not just a single paragraph in the manual describing your plight. There are characters: computer intelligences both good and evil scheming and manipulating you. There's an insane computer with sarcasm. Doom didn't even have a comic relief. Doom had no characters whatsoever except one, about which we know nothing.

Marathon also features subtle clues to plot twists, rather than beating you over the head with them. Like about the protagonist being a cyborg. This sort of subtlety and symbolism would do Stanley Kubrick proud. Marathon requires intelligence to follow, but even if you don't spot all the cool subtle shit, you can still enjoy the gameplay and basic surface storyline.

Also, in Marathon, when you go into battle there's a reason. There are mission objectives. The things you do have a purpose: sending a distress call, saving some friends, capturing a critical area, free the S'pht from enslavement. Doom had no mission objectives. That's why it had no mission briefings. THERE WAS NO MISSION. Your only purpose in every level was to kill shit and get to the next level. HOW IS THAT A STORY?

The Marathon Trilogy took players throughout a huge spaceship and across an alien planet. Doom took you through the exact same D&D-esque dungeon crawl every damn time but with a slightly different layout.

Now, Doom can make for some nice, simple, fragging fun. But there IS NO STORY. Which is why I only ever do Doom in small doses. Without a storyline unfolding, there's no reason to want to keep going once you tire of the VERY repetative gameplay. (I'm thinking specifically of Final Doom here, which is the only one I played through to the end.)

....And that's what you say to him. Pretty simple argument, really. Doom does not have a story line. Not even a rudimentary one a B-grade action movie might have. It has a premise. Nothing more. They tell you the situation at the beginning and from there it's all fragging. No plot developments of any sort at any point.

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Replies:

How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Ernie 5/15/02 4:54 p.m.
     Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Rick Blaine 5/15/02 5:26 p.m.
           Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Tru7h 5/15/02 8:00 p.m.
     Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Alfred Mordeir 5/15/02 5:45 p.m.
           Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?M-Class 5/15/02 8:18 p.m.
     Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Johannes Gunnar 5/16/02 1:43 a.m.
           Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Rick Blaine 5/16/02 8:01 a.m.
                 Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Simon dupuis 5/16/02 8:18 a.m.
                       Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Johannes Gunnar 5/16/02 10:30 a.m.
                       TC19 is really cool (NT) *NM*Ernie 5/20/02 11:50 a.m.
                       Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?luke 5/21/02 1:33 a.m.
                             Two parts of gaming history: before 'thon & during *NM*Andrew Nagy 5/21/02 5:48 a.m.
                             Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Mr. Carnage 5/29/02 6:59 p.m.
                       Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?John Denton 5/23/02 4:35 p.m.
                             Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Tru7h 5/24/02 11:36 a.m.
                             Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Cow Mutilator 5/26/02 11:21 a.m.
                                   Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Tru7h 5/26/02 8:34 p.m.
                                         What?!John Denton 5/27/02 8:43 p.m.
                                               Re: What?!Tru7h 5/28/02 2:20 p.m.
                                                     Re: What?!Andrew Nagy 6/1/02 10:49 a.m.
                                                           Re: What?!Tru7h 6/1/02 1:13 p.m.
                                   re: Half-LifeJohn Denton 5/27/02 8:33 p.m.
                                         Re: re: Half-LifeTru7h 5/28/02 2:23 p.m.
                                               Re: RTCWJohn Denton 5/29/02 12:32 p.m.
                                                     Re: RTCWPedrof 5/29/02 3:23 p.m.
                                               Re: re: Half-LifeAndrew Nagy 6/1/02 10:54 a.m.
                                                     Re: re: Half-LifeTru7h 6/1/02 1:25 p.m.
           Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Dorfie 5/16/02 2:40 p.m.
     Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Yossarian 5/16/02 11:16 a.m.
     Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Brian Dubick 5/16/02 4:00 p.m.
     Re: How should I formulate argument for Marathon?Mr_T 6/6/02 12:49 p.m.



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