Daniel Mariano Developer Interview feature

SDC: Oh, hello there. You must be death. Go ahead and check in.
DM: Yes I am. Pleased to talk

SDC: Give us a little Intel. Who are you and what do you do in the wonderful world of Source modding?
DM: I am a simple school student who is writing various screenplays for the future benefit of networks like NBC or HBO. In Source modding, I script dialogue, sequences and plot in mods albeit adaptations or original ideas

The Stand is a side story to the incredible story by Stephen King.

SDC: Cool stuff! What goes into the process of writing all this material?
DM: Thank you. When writing a mod, first you must start with an original concept or a new spin on a previous concept. Second, you elaborate with writing the dialogue and sequences. With a mod in a community as vast as this originality is hard to come by, but taking risks is always a good idea. However you must write a script before concrete work with a team begins

SDC: Sounds like a lot of work. What are the pros and cons of writing for games and film?
DM: Well the pros are obvious. I mean, who would want their ideas for others to see. Its a very rewarding process). However the downside is very simply limited to the medium. You cant have District 9 level special effects in games, you cant have the same level of gore on TV like you do in games (arguably) and vice-versa.

SDC: Right on. What are some of your inspirations?
DM: In terms of inspirations I have several. Most of my inspiration for writing came from comic books like Watchmen by Alan Moore, Frank Miller's Sin City and Ronin, even Jeff Smith's Bone. Just the whole medium allowed for pure story telling and grittiness. I met Frank Miller a while back an he said the he got his ideas from what he realized he couldnt do with Superman or Batman. Also, Stephen King is obviously huge. The Stand and The Dark Tower are two of my favorite books ever. Queintin Tarantino is also pretty good in his dialouge although his stroytelling is on-and-off now and again *cough* Kill Bill vol 2 *cough*

SDC: What mods are you writing for at the moment?
DM: Currently both of my mods are scripted and are awaiting development. The first mod I scripted is a side story to the epic by Stephen King entitled The Stand. For those familiar with The Stand, the player is a member of a disbanded biker gang and is personally recruited by Randall Flagg of Las Vegas and is hired to personally neutralize a person of interest caught between the persuasion of Mother Abigail and Flagg. The second mod, is one of my personal creations, called Der Hunters. Based on urban legend, a group of prosecuted men hunt down the Nazis in a 1940s Poland. Lead by an insane French man, the men beat, torture and hunt high ranking Nazis in order to locate their main target Heinrich Himmler. However, at this time, the single player of Der Hunters is on the fence. However, if it strays into a sole multiplayer experience the writing of dialogue and battlecries will still be significant.

Der Hunters plans to recreate the dark side of WWI

SDC: I see. Can you give us a few lines of dialogue to see what all the hard work equals too?
DM: I'd be more than happy too. Here is the dialogue from our intro:

"We stand opposed. The Nazi army stomps on our soil. They claim they preach the word of God and give us promise of a brave new world. They believe they will return to their former glory in a Third Reich. They slaughter, they butcher, they are our common enemy. No longer will we stand for this. WE will slaughter, WE will butcher, WE WILL HUNT! The Nazi regime is in our cross-hairs, will you pull the trigger" Mr. Monreau- Der Hunters

SDC: That's awesome! Before these fresh new mods, did you work on other writing projects?
DM: Well, to bring readers up to speed I was involved in a failed machinima project and i was involved in a mod with you AJ . I did write a released mod before all this but i refused to have my named credited and left all connections with the team

SDC: I see. Do you have any ideas for future projects?
DM: One phrase. For those who know it. "The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed."

SDC: Thanks for your time, this interview was really fun. One more question: Do you have any tips to other writers attempting to land a job in the game or television industry?
DM: It was a pleasure AJ. As for advice: take chances. Never say that " if it hasnt been done before, there has to be a reason why" Always take the chance. Yes you will fail now and again but if you give up after any failure then you arent a writer. Constantly think of what you would want to see done and do it. Thanks for your time everyone. You can ask me questions whenever you would like on Moddb

SDC: Bonus Round: I can haz cheeseburger?
DM: Not unless I can haz Recon (Halo joke)