Olivia Wood
@babelfishwars.bsky.social
'Funky urban Galadriel' | 'Celestial gigawitch' | 'Bird lady' | 'Crone'
Narrative Lead // BAFTA Breakthrough Brit // GameDevHeroes (she/her)
Narrative Lead // BAFTA Breakthrough Brit // GameDevHeroes (she/her)
Reposted by Olivia Wood
This morning's atrocities: Firefox(?) sneaking in a 'Ask AI Chatbot' option on the right-sodding-click menu. And Adobe Reader automatically generating a document summary (which means cloud processing!) despite my having turned GenAI features off multiple times.
October 31, 2025 at 11:04 AM
This morning's atrocities: Firefox(?) sneaking in a 'Ask AI Chatbot' option on the right-sodding-click menu. And Adobe Reader automatically generating a document summary (which means cloud processing!) despite my having turned GenAI features off multiple times.
Reposted by Olivia Wood
You can measure in seconds how quickly I did this in about:config when I saw that in Firefox.
October 31, 2025 at 11:22 AM
You can measure in seconds how quickly I did this in about:config when I saw that in Firefox.
Reposted by Olivia Wood
If you've just updated, you might want to go into settings->search and remove Perplexity, which has just been added and enabled by default.
November 12, 2025 at 2:39 PM
If you've just updated, you might want to go into settings->search and remove Perplexity, which has just been added and enabled by default.
Reposted by Olivia Wood
Existential risk to craft is not just about losing jobs, but about pressures to be "more productive or else" from people who don't understand or value quality in your craft.
November 11, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Existential risk to craft is not just about losing jobs, but about pressures to be "more productive or else" from people who don't understand or value quality in your craft.
Reposted by Olivia Wood
I continue to believe very strongly that a person's reaction to generative AI is directly correlated to whether it presents any existential risks to your craft. This is why senior engineers and CEOs are so psyched about it, and artists and writers are rallying against it.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has defended AI following Eurogamer's 2/5 Arc Raiders review, which criticised the game's use use of AI voice generation. "AI dialog generation + human personality and tuning could totally transform gaming," Sweeney said.
www.gamesindustry.biz/epics-tim-sw...
www.gamesindustry.biz/epics-tim-sw...
Epic's Tim Sweeney wades into the Arc Raiders AI row
"This technology increases human productivity in some areas by integer multiples"
www.gamesindustry.biz
November 11, 2025 at 5:01 PM
I continue to believe very strongly that a person's reaction to generative AI is directly correlated to whether it presents any existential risks to your craft. This is why senior engineers and CEOs are so psyched about it, and artists and writers are rallying against it.
It appears bluesky is talking about James Bond. I too have an important fact to share.
Timothy Dalton was the best AND hottest. They did him dirty.
Timothy Dalton was the best AND hottest. They did him dirty.
November 11, 2025 at 4:48 PM
It appears bluesky is talking about James Bond. I too have an important fact to share.
Timothy Dalton was the best AND hottest. They did him dirty.
Timothy Dalton was the best AND hottest. They did him dirty.
Reposted by Olivia Wood
One of the constant refrains I repeated when I was a lead was yes, my team can pivot, yes, we are happy to rework an idea. But it’s going to take time. Changing any element in a story has knock-on effects.
It has occurred to me that a lot of things genAI is supposed to magically fix is really all down to bad planning and budgeting
And seeing how often bad project management comes down to directors thinking they should just be able to pivot by snapping their fingers, I don't think I'm entirely wrong >
And seeing how often bad project management comes down to directors thinking they should just be able to pivot by snapping their fingers, I don't think I'm entirely wrong >
November 11, 2025 at 4:21 PM
One of the constant refrains I repeated when I was a lead was yes, my team can pivot, yes, we are happy to rework an idea. But it’s going to take time. Changing any element in a story has knock-on effects.
Reposted by Olivia Wood
If your game has voice acting, then working with the voice actors is half of your writing process. It's not complete until you've heard it interpreted and reimagined by a voice actor. And they always reimagine it in ways that elevate the writing, in ways you never would have imagined yourself.
November 11, 2025 at 2:52 PM
If your game has voice acting, then working with the voice actors is half of your writing process. It's not complete until you've heard it interpreted and reimagined by a voice actor. And they always reimagine it in ways that elevate the writing, in ways you never would have imagined yourself.
Reposted by Olivia Wood
Baby pigeon mystery.
My pigeon book is here: www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rosem...
My pigeon book is here: www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rosem...
November 11, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Baby pigeon mystery.
My pigeon book is here: www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rosem...
My pigeon book is here: www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rosem...
Reposted by Olivia Wood
Little thread of talks about writing and interactive narrative I've done, so I can pin it here:
First up - Sparkling Dialogue from Adventure X; how to make interactive conversations that have flow and meaning to them
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vRf...
First up - Sparkling Dialogue from Adventure X; how to make interactive conversations that have flow and meaning to them
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vRf...
AdvX 2018 - Jon Ingold - Sparkling Dialogue: A Masterclass
YouTube video by AdventureX
www.youtube.com
October 18, 2024 at 9:27 AM
Little thread of talks about writing and interactive narrative I've done, so I can pin it here:
First up - Sparkling Dialogue from Adventure X; how to make interactive conversations that have flow and meaning to them
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vRf...
First up - Sparkling Dialogue from Adventure X; how to make interactive conversations that have flow and meaning to them
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vRf...
Reposted by Olivia Wood
Our friends @iam8bit.com have sought the Sea of Thieves' most seminal shanties and pressed them all on a dedicated vinyl for your listening pleasure, alongside some fine new artwork inspired by our seas: www.iam8bit.com/products/sha...
November 10, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Our friends @iam8bit.com have sought the Sea of Thieves' most seminal shanties and pressed them all on a dedicated vinyl for your listening pleasure, alongside some fine new artwork inspired by our seas: www.iam8bit.com/products/sha...
Reposted by Olivia Wood
okay, seriously: if we were to corral this, would anyone be interested in contributing? Here is the google form:
forms.gle/m2V4j4cDvwNu...
forms.gle/m2V4j4cDvwNu...
November 10, 2025 at 5:18 PM
okay, seriously: if we were to corral this, would anyone be interested in contributing? Here is the google form:
forms.gle/m2V4j4cDvwNu...
forms.gle/m2V4j4cDvwNu...
Reposted by Olivia Wood
Recently met someone who was very surprised to hear I didn’t use ChatGPT or any LLM.
I said my job depended on doing distinctive work. That was my selling point. If I started to sound like ChatGPT and turn out what it did, then how on earth could I justify doing it? What would that make me?
I said my job depended on doing distinctive work. That was my selling point. If I started to sound like ChatGPT and turn out what it did, then how on earth could I justify doing it? What would that make me?
November 7, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Recently met someone who was very surprised to hear I didn’t use ChatGPT or any LLM.
I said my job depended on doing distinctive work. That was my selling point. If I started to sound like ChatGPT and turn out what it did, then how on earth could I justify doing it? What would that make me?
I said my job depended on doing distinctive work. That was my selling point. If I started to sound like ChatGPT and turn out what it did, then how on earth could I justify doing it? What would that make me?
Reposted by Olivia Wood
I lift the silly weights in the gym. I will mess around with my own words and sentences and thoughts out of it. See where it all takes me.
November 8, 2025 at 12:39 PM
I lift the silly weights in the gym. I will mess around with my own words and sentences and thoughts out of it. See where it all takes me.
Reposted by Olivia Wood
I see lots of apps and pop "science" socmed trends about this too: face shape/body shape/limb length etc can tell you something about the person. It's not cute or a curious game or quiz (as it's often presented), it's normalizing race science and eugenic thinking. It's all been debunked, stop it
A new paper suggests a photo can tell a recruiter much about an applicant’s personality
Should facial analysis help determine whom companies hire?
A new paper suggests a photo can tell a recruiter much about an applicant’s personality
econ.st
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 PM
I see lots of apps and pop "science" socmed trends about this too: face shape/body shape/limb length etc can tell you something about the person. It's not cute or a curious game or quiz (as it's often presented), it's normalizing race science and eugenic thinking. It's all been debunked, stop it
The Yakuza series brings me so much joy. It is so silly, so good, so joyful. Just understands exactly what it is and just is that at volume 11.
November 6, 2025 at 8:47 PM
The Yakuza series brings me so much joy. It is so silly, so good, so joyful. Just understands exactly what it is and just is that at volume 11.
Reposted by Olivia Wood
It's cool how we keep proving over and over and over again that there's a significant market for narrative-heavy, character-driven, single-player experiences in video games and publishers just categorically refuse to believe us
Dispatch has sold 1 million copies in under two weeks
Dispatch has sold 1 million copies in under two weeks
The episodic superhero comedy features big-name actors like Aaron Paul and Jeffrey Wright.
www.gamedeveloper.com
November 4, 2025 at 1:57 PM
It's cool how we keep proving over and over and over again that there's a significant market for narrative-heavy, character-driven, single-player experiences in video games and publishers just categorically refuse to believe us
Reposted by Olivia Wood
i owe so many video game designers an apology
November 3, 2025 at 6:49 PM
i owe so many video game designers an apology
Reposted by Olivia Wood
man I dunno this is just off the top of my head, probably missed some things
November 5, 2025 at 4:39 PM
man I dunno this is just off the top of my head, probably missed some things
The Seance at Blake Manor is very good. Surprised it has relatively few reviews on Steam, as it's got some of the thinky-puzzly of Blue Prince but I'm (gasp) enjoying it more. (It's not the same kind of game, exactly. I just see parallels.)
November 3, 2025 at 10:08 PM
The Seance at Blake Manor is very good. Surprised it has relatively few reviews on Steam, as it's got some of the thinky-puzzly of Blue Prince but I'm (gasp) enjoying it more. (It's not the same kind of game, exactly. I just see parallels.)
Reposted by Olivia Wood
Hello! My CEO Roscoe and I are giving away TWO signed copies of my novel 1983 to two randomly selected people who repost this & pop a reply below. You also get a free postcard of this illustration of Roscoe by my mum.
It’s been called “Stranger Things rewritten by Kurt Vonnegut & Sue Townsend”…
It’s been called “Stranger Things rewritten by Kurt Vonnegut & Sue Townsend”…
November 1, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Hello! My CEO Roscoe and I are giving away TWO signed copies of my novel 1983 to two randomly selected people who repost this & pop a reply below. You also get a free postcard of this illustration of Roscoe by my mum.
It’s been called “Stranger Things rewritten by Kurt Vonnegut & Sue Townsend”…
It’s been called “Stranger Things rewritten by Kurt Vonnegut & Sue Townsend”…
Reposted by Olivia Wood
Golly, Seance of Blake Manor really is good isn’t it? Proper detective fantasy. Takes three minutes to be totally immersed and wracking your brains… wonderfully put together.
November 1, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Golly, Seance of Blake Manor really is good isn’t it? Proper detective fantasy. Takes three minutes to be totally immersed and wracking your brains… wonderfully put together.
Reposted by Olivia Wood
Frog walked into the house. It was dark. All the shutters were closed. “Toad, where are you?” called Frog.
“Go away,” said the voice from a corner of the room.
“Go away,” said the voice from a corner of the room.
November 1, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Frog walked into the house. It was dark. All the shutters were closed. “Toad, where are you?” called Frog.
“Go away,” said the voice from a corner of the room.
“Go away,” said the voice from a corner of the room.
IMPORTANT!: The new Florence and the Machine album is out.
October 31, 2025 at 2:35 PM
IMPORTANT!: The new Florence and the Machine album is out.