Searching Ragnarök
👋🏻
Progress on the God of War script is coming along. I'd say I am half way done with it. My plan is to have a first draft seeded for comments and tucked away by the end of the week.
I just finished my chronological run of The Last of Us Part II Remastered last night too. As ever, an immaculate game and an interesting mode. I'd give it a recommendation for anyone curious or those who want to inject a fresh element in the game on their fifth go around Seattle. You can read my full notes on this playthrough here.
Back to the Ragnarök essay though; I had a major breakthrough in writing my script and I wanted to share how I made that happen.
Long time readers may recall my AI-based solution for searching interviews and my own articles in natural language. The gist is that I used Google's NotebookLM to compile URLs or my markdown files and then prompt the tool to find what I was looking for. I would remember bits, but not remember where it was said or written.
The problem with NotebookLM is that there's a limit on how many sources you can add and search. It was always chunked up in a way that never quite worked for me and my wider purposes. Enter the world of Model Context Protocol (MCP).
The simplest way I can think to explain MCP is to think of it like a plugin or hook for AI into tools/services. I am able to hook up my Obsidian vault locally to Claude and then ask Claude questions about my vault, like "find me newsletters where I talk about AI and using it as a tool."
The irony of the image above is not lost on me. This complete rids me of needing NotebookLM and worrying about file limits.
Now, how can I solve this same problem within the context of an entire open-ish world video game epic? Well, I grabbed half(ish) of Ragnarök's script from online, brought it into my vault using the Obsidian Web Clipper, and prompted Claude to find certain examples of Kratos not being down to fight, lead, etc.
You see, I last played Ragnarök in March-ish; and before that was launch in 2022. I've been chewing on this complaint since then, but I didn't know I was going to write this essay either playthrough, so I didn't really take notes tailored for this script. I knew the examples existed, I just didn't remember when/where. If I knew the line, I could zero in on the clip inside my 25 hours of footage.
This is what I prompted Claude to do;
"I've uploaded the script to God of War: Ragnarök as a file in this project. I want some help finding examples of Kratos saying he does not want to fight, kill, lead, etc. I am looking for his reluctance. Can you give me a list of any examples you find with the line or lines in question?"
It came away with 12 or so exchanges in the front half of the game that totally met my needs. The gem I was reminded of was an exchange between Freya and Kratos when they are in Vanaheim. So good and it's perfect for me essay.
What an immense timesaver this was. Finding these lines of dialogue right now would have been impossible for me. I wouldn't have been effective in my writing without these examples. This helped me write a better script. I am so excited that I was able to use a tool to help me make a video on the topic I am interested in now, instead of being dejected by the prospect of scouring footage or replaying Ragnarök again so soon.
Until next time...
This letter is one block from the newsletter Memory Card by Max Roberts. Thoughts? Send me an email at max@maxfrequency.net.
Max is the writer and producer behind Max Frequency. cultivate and curate curiosity—both for himself and for others—by delighting in the details and growing greatness from small beginnings.
He's written a rich history and dive on the making of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II, celebrated the 15th anniversary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with the voice behind its hype, and examined how Zelda "stole" Fortnite's best mechanic.
Memory Card is a real-ish time, raw, drip feed newsletter of his creative process for telling these stories. It’s how The Thing™ gets made.
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