Having recently found I had too much time on my hands, I've been thinking about the various literary and cinematic inspirations which contributed to the story of LucasArts' science-fiction adventure The Dig. Now, the time has come to share my ruminations with loyal Mojo readers.
Of course, covering just the version of the game which we all played wasn't enough, so I've attempted to reconstruct, and then analyze, the influences on all three of The Dig's various designs.
When you read this article, you will...
SHUDDER at the thought of LucasArts taking adventure-game design ideas from Sierra!
LAUGH at the references to cheesy 1950s SF B-movies!
THRILL to the bits of Arthur C. Clarke's writing which were more or less copied straight into the game!
CRY when you read the convoluted allegory from art history which was a central metaphor driving an early version's plot!
Ah, that's enough yammering. Go read the damn thing already.
Zaarin
Read about the influences on the story of LucasArts' worst best-selling adventure game
This is how it appears in Google results. Turns out it's correct without the strike-through as well! :)
Read about the influences on the story of LucasArts' worst best-selling adventure game
This is how it appears in Google results. Turns out it's correct without the strike-through as well! :)
Where can I find those leaked Moriarty resources?
It's also notable that Falstein and Barwood's [/i]Fate of Atlantis[/i] would follow the QFG three-paths structure a bit more closely, even if it didn't have any other RPG elements.
Good stuff, would love to see the game made with some of its original visions, sounds interesting.
Actually, no, I was just the rubber duck ATM was talking to when the Idea Lightbulb popped over his head. I take no credit for the new <i>Treasure of the Sierra Madre</i> addition.
clone2727
...which all leads to one question: Where did you get all of these tidbits of information into The Dig's past?
Some of it is from the art assets of the Brian Moriarty Dig, which leaked years ago. More recently, the interviews on The Dig Museum (http://dig.mixnmojo.com) are excellent sources of information, and Noah Falstein also gave them his original design document. Anything not directly from those sources is purely an educated guess on my part.
Jason
The Dig was LucasArts' best-selling adventure game.
Haha, it's embarrassing that I'd forgotten that. Fixed.