Here are the first twenty-odd seconds of the video so far.
In the face of the extension, we are considering a revised script (once again) that would better deliver the idea of a personal narrative from the gold farmer’s point of view. It would have more irony and the reader would generally sound more… bitter.
The revised/third round script is as follows///////////////////
The pain stops for only an instant. And then it starts again. I shake off the burning sensation and focus my eyes and attention back towards the game. The rainbow colored characters scanter across the screen like some perverted cartoons, chanting their battle cries in some language alien to my ears, yet it all sounds too familiar. I glance at the clock hanging against the fading paint, my eyes take a moment to adjust to the dim lighting of the room, wasting precious seconds. Only 5 more hours to go till my shift is over. Only 5 more hours till I can rest my eyes.
So this is what it all boils down to. A pitiful existence in an overcrowded room. One hours earnings: 10 cents. The foresight to have avoided this: priceless. So much for the promises of fortune and an easy way out of a life of poverty. What was I thinking? Gold-farming? I find it hard to come to terms with the fact that there are people out there that would dedicate their time to gaming for leisure. Maybe I would’ve seen it that way if I too were born with a silver spoon in my mouth. For me, this is my livelihood and this is my curse. The mind-numbing repetition of the same key strokes, to do the same actions and collect the same points over and over again.
Yet who am I to complain, this fool’s gold feeds my family and keeps them warm thanks to those who pay for these virtual treasures in exchange for artificial status and respect. And then they have the nerve to say that I’m “ruining” the experience for them. They forge their alliances to prevent me from doing my bidding but they don’t understand. For them, it’s a game. For me, the battle is real. If I don’t make the cut, I’ll lose my job.
Another glance at the clock. 4 more hours. Maybe I should’ve painted toys or woven cloth. I’m sure the lead couldn’t be much worse than being stuck in the same position for 12 hours at a time. There isn’t much to regret when your only options are bad or worse. It seems human inequality has finally conquered the virtual world.
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It is without any question much more interesting and provocative than the working script right now, even just on paper. Additionally we are looking into having someone else record their voice for us, because my monotone voice simply doesn’t cut it if we were to take this project to the next level. So in the next week there will be a lot of restructuring going on – script changes, re-recording of audio (changing the timing of absolutely everything), potentially new storyboards, etc. Or maybe just partial changes, not sure yet.
