How long is the world‘s longest text?

ByJames Dorn Last Update on

As an avid gamer and content creator focused on the gaming industry, massive writing projects fascinate me. The dedication and attention to detail required to craft a long-form story over years or decades impresses any fan. Today we‘ll analyze some of the world‘s longest texts and compare them to video game writing records.

Religious Texts: Millions of Words and Counting

The longest single published text remains the ancient Indian epic poem Mahābhārata at over 1.8 million words. Religious canons like the Tibetan Buddhist writings (millions of words across 350+ volumes) and the Bible (783,000 words) may contain more text, but were written by many authors over long periods. Still, managing such a huge collaborative writing project intrigues a gamer like myself!

To match these lengths, developing a video game script would require:

TextWord CountNumber of Average Game Scripts
Mahābhārata1.8 million36
Tibetan Buddhist CanonMillionsHundreds
Bible783,00016

As Lead Narrative Designer Will Shen remarked on projects like Morrowind with over 60,000 lines of dialog: "It’s a miracle that games with hundreds of thousands of words don’t completely fall apart." Clearly religious texts required divine inspiration to hold together at such lengths!

Modern Literature: Fan Fiction for the Win?

While Marquise de Sade‘s 120 Days of Sodom clocks in at a modest 180,000 words, some fan fiction authors have produced truly epic-length content rivalling the Mahābhārata. The fan fic story "Ambience: A Fleet Symphony" based on EA‘s Mass Effect totals over 4 million words! It seems fan passion can empower impressive creative output.

I wouldn‘t be surprised if video game fan fiction ends up claiming the world‘s longest text title someday. Could a Pokemon epic overtake the Mahābhārata‘s record? We may need to petition some dedicated franchise fans to find out!

Key Takeaways on Long-Form Writing

Analyzing these tremendously long writing projects (religious, literary, or fan fiction) as a gamer gave me further appreciation for the video game developers who regularly tackle 100,000+ word scripts. The passion of fans also proves no word count is too daunting when you love the subject matter enough!

While the Mahābhārata remains the longest published text, I believe ambitious gamers could give it a run for its money someday! We‘ve compiled some incredible fictional universes through games over the decades. Don‘t be shocked if a monumental fan fiction or RPG script dethrones the legendary Indian epic‘s word count record before long!

James K. Dorn, a passionate gamer deeply immersed in the world of video gaming. My journey in gaming is not just about playing; it's about exploring every facet of the games I love. I am particularly fascinated by the intricate worlds of role-playing games like "The Witcher" series and "Elder Scrolls: Skyrim," where every decision shapes the story.

As a strategy game enthusiast, I spend hours devising tactics in games like "Civilization VI" and "StarCraft II," always eager to share my strategies with fellow gamers. I'm also an ardent follower of the ever-evolving landscape of indie games, finding gems like "Hollow Knight" and "Celeste" that offer unique, compelling experiences.

My content isn't just reviews; it's about deep dives into game mechanics, storytelling, and the art of game design. I love dissecting the narratives of games like "The Last of Us" and discussing the innovative gameplay of titles like "Death Stranding."

Being at the forefront of gaming news, I eagerly anticipate and share insights on upcoming releases like the next big open-world adventure or the latest in the "Final Fantasy" series. My goal is to build a community where we not only play games but also appreciate the artistry and effort behind them. Join me in this gaming journey, where every session is an adventure, and every game is a story waiting to be told.

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