Borderlands’ visual language includes many well-etablished conventions, including color-coding both loot (based on traditional RPG codes for rarity) and some enemies (based on the type of damage they deal: red for fire, blue for electricity, green for corrosive, etc.). But my favorite visual cue is the bright green light applied to every “treasure chest” in the game. While “Green Means Gold” has undoubtedly been used in other games, the consistency with which it’s used in Borderlands is impressive. Money, weapons, ammo, and other goodies can be found in a wide range of containers: lockers, red crates, small lock boxes, and even old washing machines and trash heaps. Built into every one of these (even the trash heaps) is some kind of bright green light. There’s a sense of glee (and maybe greed) when, after clearing an area of enemies, you look around and see a dozen green lights glowing from shadowy corners, through open doorways, behind fences, or on top of roofs. Each green light offers the promise of reward, ranging from a few bucks to a rare weapon you can’t wait to test out on the next group of enemies.

Seems like just a little thing, but often it’s the little things that prove most important. 

I really believe all good stories start from the same place: interesting characters in an emotionally charged situation. For me, the difference between drama and genre is this: in dramas, you have relatable characters in a relatable situation, whereas in genre films you have relatable characters in an unrelatable situation (fighting ghosts or robots or giant sharks, etc…). But you have to relate to the characters.

And then read the interview with non-stop Jimmy Palmiotti!

“It’s as simple as having a planet of fire … and you want to keep the characters from burning.”