Mystery, dream and doubt in the 21st century.
Something I keep seeing come up in this subreddit is the confusion about myth and its qualities: the ephemeral, vague and oblique. In an industry steeped in simulationist tendencies, it makes sense and can seem daunting to comprehend and implement.
In a culture and time when the bulk of information is freely accessible and science has dissected almost everything; the spooky, dreamy and mysterious can feel disingenuous at best and out right indulgent or uneducated at worst.
In entertainment, the proliferation of universal narratives offer completionist timelines, spanning all possibilities (see Marvel, Star Wars, Wheel of Time, GOT, etc). Comprehensive narratives refuse mystery, while maximizing profits. There is no room for the reader/viewer to fill in the blanks or speculate. In a time of such little doubt, the only true mythology is an economic one.
But, what draws me to Bastionland games are the mythological underpinnings Chris taps into in such evocative ways. They draw us back to the caves and around the fire, where story was first conjured. And I wonder:
- What tools/perspectives do you use to enhance the mystery and make it accessible to our modern malaise?
- How should 21st century people approach doubt and the unknown?