The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2

Video game history, like all history, is hard to record. The making of a game produces ephemera; design documents & pitches, early concept sketches, storyboards, research trips, discarded sprites & models, and ideas that just didn’t fit the final product. Tracking down a cart or that unlabeled DVD-R lying in a forgotten back room somewhere is often just the tip of the iceberg. It takes hard work to catalog all of that after the fact, let alone while it’s being made. Hideo Kojima and his team at Konami decided to do just that with the development of Metal Gear Solid 2. The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 is a rare, intimate look at the making of a video game, by people who were engaged in precisely that very act.

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maybe letting me play with the document of mgs2 was a mistake

Otacon: You mean I'd only get in your way... (Feeling bitter about his helplessness)

Snake: Wrong. Only you can save those hostages. Got it?

Gripping Otacon by the shoulders, Snake reassures him. Smiling, Otacon nods his head.

Spooky from Spookys House Of Jumpscares/Spookys Jumpscare Mansion

Spooky has a Ryu Number of 5/4/does not have a Ryu Number.

(explanation below)

Look, it's complicated. Things will be more concrete when Cross Impact hits Early Access.

Fair warning: this explanation is a bit more involved than normal, because the research hole this sent me down had me sincerely doubting my own base competence.

So, from the top: Spooky's only eligible appearance is in her own game, Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion née House of Jump Scares, as her only other appearance, period, seems to be as a trophy in Indie Pogo.

Naturally, this makes SJSM's specimens as the only connecting points. I've identified three that could work:

Unknown Specimen 1 is just White Face from IMSCARED.

This seems to be a dead end, as White Face's only other eligible appearance seems to be in the Nightmare Mode of Cooking Companions, as part of a menagerie of other horror game characters, including SJSM's own Specimen 6. But all of those also seem to be dead ends, and Specimen 6 just gets back to where we started, so that's probably no good.

How about Unknown Specimen 5?

Named Lisa. Sure looks quite a bit like Lisa from P.T. and once-prospective Silent Hills. Let's say it's that Lisa. What else has Lisa been in?

Apparently just P.T., which wouldn't be altogether unsurprising given, you know, all that happened with Silent Hills. Even the Lisa decoys for Metal Gear Solid V showcased in the Tokyo Game Show 2014 trailer didn't make it to the final game.

But there are still other P.T. references that did make it. Namely, that pleasant radio transmission, interruptions and all, can be heard from some radios in MGSV.

Now, given that audio-only appearances are broadly eligible, you could make a case that whoever's reading in this transmission is a character themself, which would in turn connect Lisa to The Phantom Pain, at which point calculating the Ryu Number is just a matter of hashing out who exactly is and is not in MGSV. The only issue I have with making this connection is that the audio is basically reused wholesale from P.T., which arguably makes it more in line with an archival recording, which is not eligible, than bespoke radio chatter, which is eligible, but hey, whatever, I've peddled dodgier. Why the hell not.

So in the search of a route with less caveats, let's consider what I've identified as the last possible eligible connection, Specimen 8. This cervine bundle of fun can be seen in Lost in Vivo as part of Lost Tape 3.

It turns out there's another character in Lost in Vivo who's been in something else: Sotiris. It also turns out that the "something else" in question is, uh,

the EEK3 2020 Virtual Show Floor. Which, to the best of my knowledge, is never referred to as a game, so if that matters to you, then we're done, and Spooky either has the aforementioned route through Lisa or nothing.

If you're willing to say that the virtual show floor is a game, which does not seem to be an unpopular opinion, then good news! There's a clear path to Ryu. You just have to go through Skully, who cameos in Toree 3D,

to the titular Toree, who's a guest character in Lunistice,

to Kit, the main character of Lunistice, who cameos in CrossCode,

to Lea, whose Ryu Number of 2 is already established, which gives Spooky a final Ryu Number of I'm sorry, I'm being handed a note.

Oh. Well fuck me, then, for not considering that the realities of game development could lead to a scenario wherein a character from an in-progress game could make cameo appearances in other games, only to be scrapped entirely before their would-be source game is released. Clearly, this is what the kids refer to as a "skill issue".

And the best part? This chain is so long that I'm genuinely expecting to have overlooked something really obvious that gives a shorter number, because the documentation I found on indie-ass indie horror game crossovers is spotty. So if you have any information that could shorten this more substantial than "White Face is graffiti in the full release of FAITH", send it my way. I'd rather be definitely wrong than dubiously correct.

Anyway, Toree's set to be playable in Cross Impact, so when that's released to the wider public most of this nonsense I just spewed at you will actually come into play. Until then, make of all of this what you will. If you'll excuse me, I need to go fucking distort.

Never did get our hands on this. Seem to remember being a bit confused about what it actually was back in the day. Would be nice to have as part of the collection now tho...

-SkM

The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2

Metal Gear Solid is © of Konami

20 Questions For Fanfic Writers!

I got tagged in this by the lovely @onewhoturns, and I'll tag some others at the end!

1: How many works do you have on Ao3?

I only have 8 actually published there, but for reference, I went into my WIP folder and found over 100 more... So I do write things! I'm just really really bad at actually publishing them.

2: What's your total Ao3 word count?

Assuming I've done my math right, my current total word count sits at 262,909. Most of that is probably the longfics I've done with Turner, but there are almost certainly some hidden gems in there as well.

3: What fandoms do you write for?

Well, I haven't actually written and published something for a specific fandom for a while now, but my more common interests these days are Genshin Impact, Fire Emblem, Metal Gear Solid, Ace Attorney, Shadow & Bone (Netflix TV show specifically) and a few sporadic others! But my past works were for Oxenfree, Destiny, Ava's Demon, Homestuck, Overwatch, Critical Role, The Magnus Archives and Half Life.

4: Top five fics by kudos?

That would beeee So It Goes, Blue Hair, Red Jacket, A Different Angle, One Foot, and finally Holy Spirits!

5: Do you respond to comments? Why/Why not?

As much as I love getting comments on fics, I don't often respond to them. I don't really have enough published to get engagement super often, and even then, I'm just not the kind of person to reach out at random simply because I've heard too many Internet Horror Stories(tm). But, maybe if I do publish more in the future, I'll make a habit of answering then!

6: What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I... Don't really know? Most of my fics are either one-shots or unfinished multi-chapter works. There's probably something really angsty in my WIPs, but since it's never seen the light of day, we'll never really knows.

7: What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Hmm. Hm hm hm. That would probably be a toss up between A Different Angle, which is just meant to be a nice, feel-good oneshot, or Pyrite-50: Quiet Moments, which is a kind of character study of one of my Destiny PC's.

8: Do you get hate on fics?

Since I only have 8 published, and I'm not like a super-duper popular author, I don't really think I get hate. All of the comments I've seen have been really sweet and lovely, which I'm thankful for.

9: Do you write smut?

I've been known to partake... On occasion....... <- Currently hiding most of it away in that damned WIP folder

10: Do you write crossovers?

Aside from the every-so-often "AU fic inspired by another piece of media", no, not really. But maybe that will change sometime! I wouldn't be truly opposed.

11: Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I'm aware!

12: Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. My reach, like I said, is pretty minimal. But if anybody were to ask, I'd say go for it, as long as I got credit as the author.

13: Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Most of my published fics are co-written! My co-author was actually the one who tagged me in this, Turner. You can go check out all our Oxenfree stuff on Ao3 right now.

14: What's your all-time favorite ship?

Oooooh, this one is hard. The one I've undoubtedly written the most for is jonalex, but I'm a huge multishipper, so I've never really preferred one pairing over another before. It's always so dependent on my mood! Can I just say all of them?

15: What's the WIP you hope to finish but doubt you ever will?

The forgotten Kaz Brekker/Darkling smut. It sits in its little google document, taunting me. I know that you're there. I KNOW.

16: What are your writing strengths?

I'd like to think I'm good at metaphors? Generally, getting into a character's psyche is what I strive for, and when I get it right it feels like a real achievement. I've also been told that I'm very good at making dialogue that feels real, or that flows in a way that makes sense, which is something else I'm really proud of.

17: What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing things. Fight scenes (of the physical variety). The two big F's.

18: Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Seeing as I am a person who only knows one language (and guess which one that is), I don't often write in other languages for my fics, because I'm a liiiiittle too scared of fucking up. On the rare chances I have, I usually use someone I know as a translator, but that limits me on how many languages I can conceivably use. As far as foreign languages in other fics go, I'm all for it!

19: First fandom you wrote for?

It's either Harry Potter, and that fic has now been orphaned to the wind, or maybe Homestuck?

20: Favorite fic you've ever written?

Of my published fics, it has to be So It Goes. That one has a special place in my heart for a multitude of reasons, and not just because Turner and I got to write it together. Of my WIPs, there's an unnamed freemance fic that I've been dying to finish that I just recently found again, and it made me fall in love with my writing for a second time; in a strange way.

Tagging!!

@artemis-crimson @reddgiant @starchemist @starlit-bawka @cranehusbands @duvirii and basically whoever else wants to do it.

Every Piece of Media I Consumed in 2023

Wow! What a year it's been for me watching movies, reading books and manga, and playing video games. I don't know if 50 on the dot is my personal most, but I'm really happy to see just how much I filled out the big stack of TVs that I decided to edit. I'm shocked, like actually SHOCKED that not only was there SO MUCH, but also how much I enjoyed most of it. I even played/watched/read things that came out this year for once. If you want my thoughts on any of it, the full list of links to all of my posts documenting it all throughout the year will be under the ReadMore. So I'll leave you with my 3x3 for the year and if you want details, you know where to look.

Death Stranding

Cyberpunk Edgerunners

Shin Ultraman

Splatoon 2

Parasite

Code Vein

Katana Zero

Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion

Destiny 2: Lightfall

Super Mario 3D Word + Bowser's Fury

Neon White

Bocchi the Rock!

NEO The World Ends With You

Metal Gear Solid

Jojo Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable (Live Action Chapter 1)

Sing a Bit of Harmony

The Matrix: Resurrections

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

I Am A Hero

Jojo Part 6: Stone Ocean

Log Horizon Season 3

Jojo Part 7: Steel Ball Run

Charm Studies

The Twentieth Century World: 1914 to Present

The Mandalorian Season 2

There is No Poverty At the End of Labor (1920)

Pokemon: Path to the Peak

The Million Ryo Pot

The Book of Boba Fett

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Inside Mari

Okaeri Alice

Barbie (2023)

Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse

Adventure Time

Adventure Time: Distant Lands

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake

Yakuza Kiwami 2

Star Wars Andor

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Death Note

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Death Note: The Musical

Super Mario Brothers Wonder

Death Note (2006)

Kung Fu Hustle

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Honkai Star Rail

One Piece

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth

Jermaverse Deaths

Jerma has died multiple times. Due to his status as an immortal, he can recover from each death fairly quickly.

August 25th, 2015 Jerma was tragically killed when he fell down some stairs while attempting to store a stockpile of weapons in his basement. Jerma's personal Assistant was the only witness to this incident. Authorities suspect foul play on behalf of the Assistant, who was known to have been mistreated by Jerma. The Assistant has been acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

On September 8th, 2015, Jerma used a neurostory electro-dump to catch up on the story of the Metal Gear series to get ready for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. He purchased the device on the deep web. Due to the dodgy nature of the disk, the information loader was improperly calibrated, causing a cardiac arrest on Jeremy's third use of the device. An ambulance and fire truck quickly arrived at his old house, and he seemed to return from the dead shortly afterward.

On October 10th, 2015 Jeremy was playing with his Wonderbook and brewing potions when he sampled his own potion. The potion was "pretty tasty," as he so profoundly put it. Minutes later, first responders rushed to the scene to find him dead. By some miracle of God, Jerma has made a full recovery. He hasn't made a Wonderbook video since.

On March 21st, 2016 Jerma was streaming Overwatch when suddenly he felt an overwhelming sense of dread. Moments later, Ster (who was hiding behind the curtains) snuck up behind Jerma, and after a short struggle, Ster stole Jerma's hat, saying "I'm you now." Jerma died. At that point the camera footage was frozen, but it later returned to Ster pretending to be Jerma.

On August 29th, 2016 Jerma died in Jerma Rumble - Live-Action after being thrown on a table by Glue Man and burned by a "shitty CG fireball" cast by Demon Lord Zeraxos. The only thing left of Jerma after this incident was his skeleton that had at least one broken bone. His death was filmed on 4 different cameras for the viewing pleasure of his audience. He would later recover all of his flesh.

On June 12th, 2018 Jerma on stream confirmed that he got too excited over Nioh 2's announcement and died. The cause of death was said to be four heart attacks in a row. Jerma was then replaced by Jerma to continue his legacy.

On September 20th, 2018, authorities arrived on the scene Thursday to find Jerma (Jeremy “Nine-hundred eighty-five” Harrington, 32) dead on the scene. Medical experts say he died from natural causes after being pinned under a CRT television weighing only 35 pounds. It appears his small frame rendered him incapable of lifting it to save himself. Further documentation can be found here and here.

As of January 23rd, 2019 at precisely 7:43 PM, Jerma has passed away from various diseases, diabetes, dementia, and STDs. He was a wandering spirit during Bio Inc. Redemption. As of 7:48 PM EST, Jerma has been revived.

On December 15th, 2019, King Jerma CMLXXXV of Jermalonia died of old age at 108, surviving multiple murder attempts and server crashes. He is to be succeeded by his son, King Jerma CMLXXXV the 2nd.

On August 21st, 2021, Jerma was prompted by Chat to swim in the Dollhouse pool until they later decided to remove the ladder of the pool, effectively rendering the pool inescapable. Jerma soon drowned and met face to face with the Grim Reaper. Jerma attempt to flirt with him and "Tried for baby with the Grim Reaper". The Woohoo was soon interrupted when Emilia (Later known as Ludwig) found out about the affair, making Death himself run away in shame.

On February 1st, 2022, Jerma was shot and killed by Ster after being mistaken for an imposter, though Ster claimed right before pulling the trigger that he could tell who the real Jerma was the whole time.

If a poster's dream is to be believed, (a version of) Jerma will/has once died after "peep"ing "the horror"

jerma-lore.fandom.com/wiki/Jerma985#Jermaverse_Deaths

Tube Bending Mastery: Enhance Your Fabrication Skills

Unlock the full potential of your metal fabrication endeavors by mastering the intricate art of tube bending. Elevate your craftsmanship with these essential tips and techniques, propelling your skills to new heights in the world of precision metalwork.

1. Grasp the Fundamentals: Before diving into advanced techniques, ensure you have a solid understanding of the fundamentals. Comprehend the basics of tube bending, including tube properties, material considerations, and the impact of bend radius on different metals.

2. Invest in Quality Equipment: Your tools are an extension of your skills. Invest in high-quality tube benders, mandrels, and tooling to ensure precise and consistent results. Quality equipment is the foundation of mastering tube bending.

3. Embrace the Geometry of Bends: Understand the geometry of bends to predict how tubes will react during the bending process. This knowledge is crucial for achieving accuracy, especially when dealing with complex designs or multiple bends in a single tube.

4. Hone Your Measurement Skills: Accurate measurements are the cornerstone of successful tube bending. Develop a meticulous approach to measurement, double-checking dimensions before each bend to avoid costly mistakes and material wastage.

5. Overcome Springback Challenges: Springback, the tendency of a tube to return to its original shape after bending, is a common challenge. Compensate for springback by over-bending slightly and fine-tuning your measurements based on the specific properties of the material.

6. Master the Art of Incremental Bending: Break down complex bends into smaller, incremental steps. This approach allows for better control and reduces the risk of distortion, ensuring a smoother and more precise final result.

7. Explore Different Materials: Expand your repertoire by working with a variety of materials. Each metal has unique properties, and mastering the nuances of bending different materials enhances your versatility as a fabricator.

8. Utilize CNC Technology: Embrace Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology for unparalleled precision and repeatability. CNC systems streamline the bending process, especially when dealing with intricate designs or mass production, saving time and ensuring consistency.

9. Experiment with Advanced Techniques: Challenge yourself by experimenting with advanced techniques such as rotary draw bending, compression bending, or roll bending. These techniques offer additional capabilities and open up new possibilities for creative metalwork.

10. Focus on Safety: Prioritize safety in every aspect of tube bending. Familiarize yourself with the equipment's safety features, wear appropriate protective gear, and follow best practices to create a secure working environment.

11. Document Your Successes: Maintain a record of your successful tube bending projects, noting the materials used, measurements, and techniques employed. This documentation serves as a valuable reference for future projects and continuous improvement.

By incorporating these tips into your practice, you'll not only enhance your tube bending skills but also elevate your overall proficiency in metal fabrication. Tube bending mastery is a continuous journey of learning and refinement, and with dedication, you can achieve precision and excellence in every project.

damn campbell you've really let yourself go

screenshots part 3

I wanted this to be its own post so I can breakdown how the scene goes since you can't play the cutscenes as a video unless the cameras at the in game angles, so these can only be taken frame by frame.

as emma's dying, snake looks away towards the ceiling before turning back to them. when she takes her finale breathes and otacon goes "emma!? emma!?" snake then turns completely away with his back to them, with a shot of his profile. 

what isn't shown in game is snake’s expression after a fade to black (well, two fade to blacks in quick succession) while his back is still to them 

after this is another fade to black to the shot of big shell as otacon’s talking about his childhood, and when the scene goes back to them snake is then turning around to face otacon and emma. his face is back to a more “maybe upset, but keeping it in” expression. seeing the comparison between the fade to blacks is night and day... and notable he only looks visibly upset while no one can see him

if I was just a bit more crazy and determined it's technically possible to take a of capture every frame and then put them together to make a video... but that person isn't me. but it Would be interesting to see his expression changes in real time because it is animated, and towards the end while he’s still anguished looking it seems like he’s shaking his head slightly

(also, my guess is that they had a vague idea of where they might want the camera be so they animated snake’s face in case they wanted to include a shot when it came time to "filming" the cinematic. why they ended up choosing not to I have no clue. I think there would have been huge added emotion to the scene since I don't think we often, if ever, see snake that upset)

edit: I've gone through almost all cutscenes with snake in them and looking at his face when the camera wouldn't be on it in game, and he's never animated if off screen unless getting from point A to B for the next shot. or any other characters either (hense the screenshots of raiden during the hug where he just stands there). 

this combined with someone's tags I saw here makes me think maybe it could be purposeful it's off screen. maybe snakes not only hiding his pain from raiden and otacon (coming from maybe sympathy and care for him and not wanting to burden him more, maybe even from guilt) but from the player as well. you don't get to play as snake because you'll never be snake [like raiden] and you don't get to see him emotionally vulnerable because he wasn't made to let it show, both literally in universe and in meta. snake has a persona he plays that's the image of what he was intended to be, but he isn't that person. he isn't an invulnerable solider who can never faulter like zero intended, like everyone sees him as, that the player sees him as. or that could be entirely unintended that it works well in that way. 

not to write a entire novel here, [too late? (;ŏ﹏ŏ)] but also: I think the reason snake is so distraught isn't because of emma dying per say, because he has no emotional attachment to her, to him her death is like any other innocent life lost on the battlefield... except it's not, because he knows how much otacon's hurting. this isn't the first time he sees him cry... but he knows him now. he cares about him. he probably knew how important seeing emma again was to otacon and could have been been a second chance to 'fix' his family. and I think That's whats hurting him so much.

gay ppl do this

Wall and Roofing Sections Provide Extra Space For Style Overall flexibility

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Insulated Wall and Roof top Individual panels (IWPs) for energy performance and sustainability explains the insulated metal wall structure and roof top individual panels ( IMPs), with regards to material, development and lifestyle cycle, and their important characteristics and benefits of increase building efficiency... I WM construction strategies incorporate using 2 or more imps to attain far better efficiency and sturdiness, put together with a solid development and robustness to support hefty lots. The imps are either external or inner. http://k-svarka.com/video/mjetallochjerjepica/2012714432-metallocherepica-mp/ An outside imp is mounted externally of your wall or roof structure to provide as a good barrier against invasion by all-natural enviromentally friendly elements such as temperature and chilly, noise, dirt, rain, etc. An internal imp is positioned within the room to act like a shield against invasion by soil and moisture content. 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The interiors of the single skin area techniques are usually manufactured from blaze-retardant materials that provide exceptional fire security against getting rid of. The double-epidermis or smooth program, on the flip side, incorporates multiple individual panels into one particular enclosure that enables for convenient washing and routine maintenance, while keeping the appearance of a regular panel.

Tomokazu Fukushima’s role in Metal Gear Solid 1 & 2

Tomokazu Fukushima/福島智和 was the co-writer for the original Metal Gear Solid, as well as Metal Gear Solid 2:Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, helping Hideo Kojima write the scenarios for each title. He also wrote the script for Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (as covered in previously translated interviews posted in this blog) and the Snake Tales that were added in Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, as well as assisted in the writing for the Metal Gear Acid series. He would leave Konami during the development of Metal Gear Solid 4 (being last credited in the TGS 2005 trailer) before being employed by SIE Japan Studio, where his name can be seen in titles such as rain, Soul Sacrifice, Everybody’s Golf, Freedom Wars and The Tomorrow Children.

There has been a bit of speculation and misinformation over Fukushima’s exact role in the writing of the first three numbered MGS titles. Because of this I took the liberty of translating content from two MGS related books with material written by Tomokazu Fukushima himself that shed some light on how Fukushima was involved in at least the first two MGS games. The first is Fukushima’s profile from World of the Metal Gear Solid, published by Sony Magazines in 1998, which covers his involvement in MGS1, when he joined the team and Kojima’s thoughts on the man himself. The second translation is a two-page interview from the 2002 book Metal Gear Solid 2: The Making, also published by Sony Magazines, naturally covering his involvement with MGS2. Both of these books feature extensive information on the development of each title, which I will someday post on my blog, but for now I wanted to focus solely on Fukushima.

World of the Metal Gear Solid

Tomokazu Fukushima (writer, script unit)

“While the system employed by cinema and literature is closed to spectators, video games as a medium employ an open system that assumes interaction from the user. There seems to be a misunderstanding that the two systems can be fused when faced with the illusion of “the realization of narrative”, but since essential differences exists between them, their possible expressions differ and on top of that, their effective crafts are also different. In Metal Gear Solid, we tried to express things that are not only suitable for a video game, but can only be expressed in a video game. For example, when talking to Master Miller or Nastasha Romanenko, it seems that their vast amount of knowledge of survival techniques and nukes respectively don’t contribute much to the game at a first glance. But in reality each element behaves in an emergent manner as they are calculated and created in a matter that contributes to Metal Gear Solid as a whole work.”

Codename: Fusshi

Joined the Kojima Group on May 1997

Became part of the Metal Gear Solid team on July 1997

Joined at the last minute to write the [Japanese] voiceover script.

Kojima on Fukushima: “After the plot was decided, I had Fukushima helped me out on writing the script for the voiceovers. The harsher terms in the script, such as 父殺し/chichikoroshi (patricide) and 怯懦と蛮勇/kyōda to ban’yū (bravery and cowardice) were his contributions.

Metal Gear Solid 2: The Making

How was the procedure of writing a script with Mr. Kojima?

“I actually took part in Metal Gear Solid 2 after Ghost Babel ended development, which I wrote the script for. By that point Mr. Kojima had already written a rough draft of the scriptment [Note:A term coined by James Cameron as a portmanteau of “script” and “treatment”. In Kojima’s case, a scriptment is an overly detailed game design document that covers all sorts of aspects such as plot outline, game features, level designs, specifications, ect. Every game directed by Kojima since MGS1 has had a scriptment written for it.]. From there on we started transferring files to a PC based on that scriptment. We would correct each other by writing amendments directly into the scriptment using differently colored texts and writing down the reason for the change. We made around 20 or so revisions.”

How was the work divided between you two?

“While there were some parts that were edited by the both of us, but if I’ll be bold to say it, all the real-time cutscenes were written primarily by Mr. Kojima, as well as all the mandatory CODEC calls. I was assigned to writing all the optional CODEC. We ended up creating around 2,500 files.”

Were there any scenes that were particularly troublesome?

“The CODEC call with the Colonel and Rosemary at the end. We only had around two months to finish the script for the Plant chapter. There were many important scenes in the Plant chapter ,especially during the latter half, so we didn't have enough time to work on the CODEC calls. We even wrote the CODEC calls when the Colonel starts glitching out in a single draft, wondering whether our work was good. Perhaps there were lines of dialogue that didn't exactly convince Mr. Kojima.” (laughs)

Rosemary's lines were quite peculiar.

"We imagined her as something of an independent American office lady in her 20's, so we tried using movies and such for reference... It was pretty difficult... (laughs)"

What were you careful of when incorporating the theme of Metal Gear Solid 2 into the screenplay?

"There isn't just one theme, but we intended to have the problems that individuals and groups face in today’s information society manifest themselves in various ways. However, a script is just one part of the game during the planning phase. While the dialogue is expressed in a direct matter, we thought about effectively arranging the presence or absence of interactivity in certain parts while calculating its effects."

Which parts were you particularly fixated on when writing the script?

"It could be the modernity and the excess. For example I believe Metal Gear Solid 2 has both, real excess and imagined excess. Real excess would be things that are quantifiable like long CODEC conversations or long cutscenes involving each characters. Imagined excess would be excess of information of things such as anything involving the Patriots. If you pay attention closely, you will know that Metal Gear Solid 2 has an extreme balance between the acquisition and lost of excessive information. Naturally we were aiming for such results.”

“The character have an excessive expression, as well as a narrative aspect where they all betray each other. We put it there while calculating the effects it has on the player, although an interpretation is needed there. It is something that is difficulty to portray, but we wanted to show the possibility that it could be achieved on a major title.” Do you have any favorite lines in the parts that you in particular (Fukushima) worked on?

"I like Otacon's proverbs. They provided a relief during tension... They're so ridiculous, but fun... (laughs) Since he's an independent character, I was free to write him like I want."

Sources

World of the Metal Gear Solid/メタルギア　ソリッド　シナリオ・ 設定完全資料集 (ISBN 978-4789791854)

Metal Gear Solid 2: The Making/メタルギア　ソリッド2　ザ・メイキング (ISBN 978-4789718431)

Are there any old game projects of yours you've toyed with going back to?

If we’re being 100% totally honest, for every single game project I start but never finish, I have moments where I think about going back to them. Occasionally, the need gets burning enough that forward progress gets made on going back to them before I burn back out.

For example, and I think I’ve talked about this before, but last year I started writing out a new design document for a modern version of Sonic: TFH.

It was 4-5 pages of a revised story summary plus some scattered gameplay ideas on how to rework the Metroidvania structure to better fit a Sonic game.

That’s all that will ever be. I gave ten years of my life to TFH originally. Just because I have some ideas doesn’t mean I’m going to take on the years-long process of restarting the project in earnest.

I also do not need or want encouragement to go back to that game.

I have also many times considered the possibility of remaking Super Mario Blue Twilight. Technically that was on the docket – in the Let’s Narcissism for MarioWeen, I mention a MarioWeen EX project that would have remade the game with better, more SMB3-accurate physics. That never happened. In the years since, I have started, and failed to finish, like 2-3 more Mario engines that never got very far.

Just last year, I saw Gatete’s Mario Engine and thought, “I could adapt that to remake a very polished version of MarioWeen quickly and easily…” until I noticed it was in GameMaker. Learning an entirely new programming language wouldn’t be quick or easy.

In 2017 I also considered remaking (or creating a sequel to) a not-very-often talked about game of mine called Last Minute Shopping. It was a minigame that was kind of a riff on Metal Gear Solid, where it was the night before Christmas and you were sneaking in to a store to steal your gifts after hours. I started remaking sprites and everything:

(Don’t ask why a security guard who needs a flashlight is also wearing sunglasses.)

There are more examples, of course, but those are the three biggest (and most recent.)