Tuesday, June 14, 2011
more scenes to peep.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1v4P0p/faculty.washington.edu/seikkim/pictures.htm
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Frame for story.
So here is just one concept for the man in a city-type area with a couple looming figures- in progress. Definitely add shit to it or something if you think it needs anything thats missing to make it better, or give it a different spin that would make it fit for your vision.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
collecting stuff
I had this idea late last night. This is just one of the many ways we could keep the player moving around and going back to places that they have already explored. I remember playing Ratchet and Clank for ps2 a few years ago and they went about collecting things in a way that makes sense I think. Basically you just had to collect gears that burst out of enemies when they die, and when you had enough you could get new guns. Now, the key is that they made the prices of the guns really high so it took some time to really do it, I found this good because games like fable for instance(if you wanted to buy the castle) didn't take very long to accomplish and it wasn't very rewarding when you did. So I think if we are gonna go the route of giving the player something to collect, it should really take awhile to do and the prize should be worth it, the reward should be on the verge of game changing, like abilities that allow you to make things much easier(like flying in kingdom hearts). Maybe we could have "region based" items in which you need to be in a certain area to collect the stuff and maybe you need a little bit from each region of the game to get the reward, like a cumulative thing. This of course is all assuming that the player has free reign over where he wants to go at a certain point in the game. I think there is something powerful about getting an item or ability and then backtracking through the game using it on places that you had missed earlier when you didn't have it. It's a lot like kingdom hearts but if we could put our own spin on it, might be worth the time.
Friday, March 18, 2011
further
I don't know how i really feel about the transportation of everything. Personally I think that I ship with a mast would be unique and kinda cool to get around if we wanted to go that route, however if the game features a lot of technology it wouldn't make much sense to have a wooden boat as a way to get the player around. Sailing from place to place could be sweet though, and it isn't done to much in games.
There could be a cool element to the game if we wanted to include the fact that he is a builder into things, I'm not sure if it would work well, but there is potential for another mechanic to the game that deals directly with Merle's trade. Some sort of synthesizing, build it with found materials type thing would be kinda neat.
There could be a cool element to the game if we wanted to include the fact that he is a builder into things, I'm not sure if it would work well, but there is potential for another mechanic to the game that deals directly with Merle's trade. Some sort of synthesizing, build it with found materials type thing would be kinda neat.
Monday, March 7, 2011
nice scapes to peep
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2uJBek/www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1363789/The-cloud-chaser-Amateur-weatherman-follows-sun-compass-snap-stunning-pictures.html%253FITO%253D1490
Pondering of story and castles
Right. So, I have read this stuff a couple times (what you posted) and I know we should have a castle of course. but like you said getting there can be tough.. might not be able to get there in the beginning.. maybe you need to unlock a gate on the pier like a side quest is finding the key and then you can cross it to the castle.. maybe its old and deserted, but perhaps someone lives out there.. or everything thinks he does.. like an old alchemist. lives out in the west wing of the hight tower. something like that would be interesting because it gives the castle purpose besides just having space to go explore. so it can be tied into the games story line but not necessarily crucial for advancement.
I don't know what to think about merle personifying an earlier time. it seems like that would change everything we've got going. unless you mean it to be as a metaphor.. like his weapons and his lifestyle reflect the past and of a civilization that doesn't exist anymore *think Aragorn and the bloodline of Numenor.. something along those lines could be interesting. he has ties to an ancient race.
With the castle.. its going to be sweet. everyone wants to get out to the castle on the island. maybe its one of those things you can see from the beginning of the game on the beach.. but you need a boat to get out to it. so during the course of the game you have to find out why you need to go out the island *something better than curiosity* find someone who is willing to bring you or let you use their boat.. like that. thoughts?
we need a big piece of paper to put on the wall and write out the story line.. all the events we want to have happen so we can piece this shit together.. words.
I don't know what to think about merle personifying an earlier time. it seems like that would change everything we've got going. unless you mean it to be as a metaphor.. like his weapons and his lifestyle reflect the past and of a civilization that doesn't exist anymore *think Aragorn and the bloodline of Numenor.. something along those lines could be interesting. he has ties to an ancient race.
With the castle.. its going to be sweet. everyone wants to get out to the castle on the island. maybe its one of those things you can see from the beginning of the game on the beach.. but you need a boat to get out to it. so during the course of the game you have to find out why you need to go out the island *something better than curiosity* find someone who is willing to bring you or let you use their boat.. like that. thoughts?
we need a big piece of paper to put on the wall and write out the story line.. all the events we want to have happen so we can piece this shit together.. words.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Castle and game decisions.
We absolutely need a castle somewhere. I'm thinking of one in the sky or placed in a really majestic area. I don't think we should have multiple castles, just one is good. Maybe some old ruin's, but have like dungeons in it to explore, maybe its not part of the storyline just a sweet place to fight things and level. I really want to draw one up, maybe on a island connected to the mainland by a dilapidated wooden bride-pier type situation. I picture it covered in moss and roots.
Ok so I had this idea for the progression through the game. so picture this....Like you are making your way down the beach fighting things and such when you come across the Bridge out to the castle or whatever, and a prompt comes up and asks you "Cross the pier? Or continue down the beach?". SO you can continue but you find out quickly that the beasts get a lot harder and you should have took the other route. Of course only one of the choices advances you further in the game, but the other choice is built to help you level and get better suited. So we have a bunch of these throughout the game. So we need to have benefits of both sides, like the 1rst choice(the one that continues the story) has a sweet cinematic or automatically gives you something new and cool, something that is awesome, that the player is exited to get, like a new summon in ff10 for example. and the other choice, brings you away from the story but gives you a bunch of enemies to fight and cool things to look at and explore, and maybe it gives you something that would make the other route way easier. hmmmmm....
I remember this sort of technique in resident evil or something, maybe it was another game, but it gave you the decision to do something when one way was clearly harder without going the easier route... But i enjoy the idea of departing from the story for a long segment, suited up and ready to go further with supreme confidence.
Ok so I had this idea for the progression through the game. so picture this....Like you are making your way down the beach fighting things and such when you come across the Bridge out to the castle or whatever, and a prompt comes up and asks you "Cross the pier? Or continue down the beach?". SO you can continue but you find out quickly that the beasts get a lot harder and you should have took the other route. Of course only one of the choices advances you further in the game, but the other choice is built to help you level and get better suited. So we have a bunch of these throughout the game. So we need to have benefits of both sides, like the 1rst choice(the one that continues the story) has a sweet cinematic or automatically gives you something new and cool, something that is awesome, that the player is exited to get, like a new summon in ff10 for example. and the other choice, brings you away from the story but gives you a bunch of enemies to fight and cool things to look at and explore, and maybe it gives you something that would make the other route way easier. hmmmmm....
I remember this sort of technique in resident evil or something, maybe it was another game, but it gave you the decision to do something when one way was clearly harder without going the easier route... But i enjoy the idea of departing from the story for a long segment, suited up and ready to go further with supreme confidence.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Story background.
I had an idea for the story line and Merle's place in it. I had mentioned earlier that because we are doing a high-tech and old school type game, It would be cool if Merle was the embodiment of the earlier times. So we have this, no country for old men thing going in the game, were its like the main character is thrown into a world so different from him and he has to adapt and grow used to it. Something to think about
Friday, February 25, 2011
more...
I think it would make sense to have the first member of your party introduced after you leave the island, for whatever reason. It would be better this way because we can be more free to design the character, instead of sticking with someone that might look like Merle, seeing how they are from the same place, basically I think it would be better if your party is very different from one another. Now, lets just start with the first addition to your party, I'd say it is a male character. I don't think that him "saving you" is a good meeting point, but if you become stranded somewhere and you run into him, that could be good. Maybe this character is a pilgrim or in search of something, and later in the game you get to go to his homeland. In terms of meeting him right off the bat... i dunno.Because i was thinking of like, say you fight for awhile and get a hang of combat, and then you meet him a little later on, and in battle he does useful things that you are kinda like "well this is sweet and I wish I had him earlier", just to give depth to the character traits and abilities, it would be cool if each character fights differently. Maybe this character is long ranged or something...
ANYWAY, seeing how we like the cross between technology and olden times, I think that the ships coming to the Island can still be done, however maybe its just one ship? I like the idea that there is a civil war going on somewhere important. I had this thought earlier about some plot developments. How about we make a strict distinction between those of the "new ways"(technology and guns" and those of the "old ways"(kinda like Merle with swords and stuff)... Now the tricky part is combining these two groups in a world that makes sense. But it would be cool to incorporate this into the story as a dividing factor, like some areas you go are old areas and some areas are city-like. -hmmmm
ANYWAY, seeing how we like the cross between technology and olden times, I think that the ships coming to the Island can still be done, however maybe its just one ship? I like the idea that there is a civil war going on somewhere important. I had this thought earlier about some plot developments. How about we make a strict distinction between those of the "new ways"(technology and guns" and those of the "old ways"(kinda like Merle with swords and stuff)... Now the tricky part is combining these two groups in a world that makes sense. But it would be cool to incorporate this into the story as a dividing factor, like some areas you go are old areas and some areas are city-like. -hmmmm
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
game basics
We really need to nail down the story before we start getting into the mechanics of game play. Of course, it doesn't hurt to brainstorm for possible solutions and executions, but I still don't know what actually happens in the game. SO.... I say from here on out we focus on where the story goes, who are the people.. and the Villain, its huge. It is all to easy to get carried away with ideas that might not have real relevance to the stories path of missions and only act as a hindrance, rather than constructive game building.
OK...now this is really hard to do over the internet, it would be much better and easier to talk about it one on one, so we need to revert back to the "skeleton" of the game, like we had talked about.
SO the main character starts on an island= first major step. Merle is introduced and the player gets a feeling about how he is as a person and whats going on in his head. The island is definitely explored to a high degree, maybe not the WHOLE thing for the story's sake, but the player can decide if he wants to hang around and scope out every possible thing(this is great because if we can make each area in the game both enticing and with enough to do that the player wants to search every possible space and nook, then we have a longer and more satisfying experience, it also builds a "acclimated feel to the land, only to change drastically to the next region with a whole new set of obstacles and opportunities.
SOMEHOW, the character leaves the island behind, in search of bigger and vastly different cultures that shape the world and support the name of the game(Hmmmm)= step two.
I say that the story really starts to reveal itself after you leave the island, this is were the villain(s) is first showcased and the real threat introduces itself and the player fully "gets" the game now, or at least has a solid feel for the characters, game play and story. We have established that the story features different groups of people and different landscapes that are engaging to the player, not just that you "can" explore the surroundings kinda like fable , but more importantly that you "want" to explore the surroundings. This includes places you can climb, run, jump and so on, interaction is a no-brainer.
OK so i have thought up a couple of story ideas to help shape the game more and give it more of a starting point. What do you think about this...
First, and this is a small thing, the starting point of the home island fosters locations(although small) that mimic the areas that are to be explored more in depth later in the game. SO we have the cliffs of rock and stuff on the island, foreshadowing the area of stone in the north, we have the center area of the island, somewhat giving the player that a tundra area is going to happen, and the beaches and forests on the Island giving an example of the..lush greens and coastlines of the mainland. So maybe we could play with that a bit.
Second, maybe you are whisked away on a ship that comes to recruit you to go in search of their king. Kinda like the old idea we had about the three kings that go to meet, maybe you help this people find out what happened to the king, maybe it turns of the villain has him hostage or locked away somewhere. Just a thought.
We have so many choices here...whats unique, what is basic, what is fun and whats not. Again, its hard because if we want to do technology with swords it becomes a whole different thing, But if we stick we just swords and shields, old fashioned style, its not very interesting and has been done to death. We need a really healthy balance of what we want to see in the game and how that relates to the games themes and outlook. Something about high-tech and swordplay is so sick so i think we would have more freedom if we were to just put our own spin on that idea, coupled with the vastness and epic scale of lord of the rings. We need to discuss why the game is different than the others.
OK...now this is really hard to do over the internet, it would be much better and easier to talk about it one on one, so we need to revert back to the "skeleton" of the game, like we had talked about.
SO the main character starts on an island= first major step. Merle is introduced and the player gets a feeling about how he is as a person and whats going on in his head. The island is definitely explored to a high degree, maybe not the WHOLE thing for the story's sake, but the player can decide if he wants to hang around and scope out every possible thing(this is great because if we can make each area in the game both enticing and with enough to do that the player wants to search every possible space and nook, then we have a longer and more satisfying experience, it also builds a "acclimated feel to the land, only to change drastically to the next region with a whole new set of obstacles and opportunities.
SOMEHOW, the character leaves the island behind, in search of bigger and vastly different cultures that shape the world and support the name of the game(Hmmmm)= step two.
I say that the story really starts to reveal itself after you leave the island, this is were the villain(s) is first showcased and the real threat introduces itself and the player fully "gets" the game now, or at least has a solid feel for the characters, game play and story. We have established that the story features different groups of people and different landscapes that are engaging to the player, not just that you "can" explore the surroundings kinda like fable , but more importantly that you "want" to explore the surroundings. This includes places you can climb, run, jump and so on, interaction is a no-brainer.
OK so i have thought up a couple of story ideas to help shape the game more and give it more of a starting point. What do you think about this...
First, and this is a small thing, the starting point of the home island fosters locations(although small) that mimic the areas that are to be explored more in depth later in the game. SO we have the cliffs of rock and stuff on the island, foreshadowing the area of stone in the north, we have the center area of the island, somewhat giving the player that a tundra area is going to happen, and the beaches and forests on the Island giving an example of the..lush greens and coastlines of the mainland. So maybe we could play with that a bit.
Second, maybe you are whisked away on a ship that comes to recruit you to go in search of their king. Kinda like the old idea we had about the three kings that go to meet, maybe you help this people find out what happened to the king, maybe it turns of the villain has him hostage or locked away somewhere. Just a thought.
We have so many choices here...whats unique, what is basic, what is fun and whats not. Again, its hard because if we want to do technology with swords it becomes a whole different thing, But if we stick we just swords and shields, old fashioned style, its not very interesting and has been done to death. We need a really healthy balance of what we want to see in the game and how that relates to the games themes and outlook. Something about high-tech and swordplay is so sick so i think we would have more freedom if we were to just put our own spin on that idea, coupled with the vastness and epic scale of lord of the rings. We need to discuss why the game is different than the others.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
HUD, combat..
Menus and Health:
I'd say having things on the screen is helpful- you need to see some kind of map (I was thinking a small circle portion just to show what path you're on and maybe some up-coming items: save points, buildings, destinations..) But you don't always want to have to press pause and look at the entire map.. so a small one on screen is great. I was thinking a compass was a good idea too, attach that to the on-screen map.
Merle needs to have a health bar.. I think thats the only way to go because how else would you do it? I know its over done but it DOES WORK. No need fixing what isn't broken right? And that when you level up, the player wants to see improvement not just with armor and swords and stuff- but health bar is huge for that. diablo didn't do that, they just had the health bubble thing.. it was a numbers games as you remember- that wasn't so great. You knew you were stronger and could take more damage but you couldn't SEE the change right away you know? Like we said before: seeing the character physically change while upgrading is huge.
So for all the HUD stuff- I'd say keep in minimal: Health, map, current level (still deciding on this)... thats all. Unless you can thinking of something more. but really all you need to see is the character in his world. Thats the beauty of it.
Combat:
I like the idea of charging up to fight- but i think it should also go away after, say, level 15. It is interesting, but I feel like it would get old. But its a good idea for someone learning (such as Merle) and once you get a strong hold of how to deal out a lot of damage- you would no longer need to warm up. Like once you reach a certain lvl, ...say... 15.. a prompt comes up explaining Merle no longer has to "charge up his strength" or whatever it is. that would be badass.. it would be a relief to the player and would make combat more natural.
I think dodging and properly timed blocking is essential to fighting.. it can't be all offense. and If you are good at it, then there should be rewards. Maybe there is a counter-system: for example, you are fighting a a guy with a sword- you swing and he blocks it and you lose your momentum, now he swings and you block his swing and that throws him off and now there is a window to counter attack him, but it only lasts a short while before he recovers, but if you do it right its worth a lot of damage and maybe you get then unleash a whole combo- of attacks. that would be ill. Anything that enhances Merles abilities as a fighter and makes it "look cooler" is good. so I'd say yes- we need blocking and "roll-evading" because that just makes it that much more dynamic.
Magic? Hmm..
--------------------
Also: Machu Pichu is ideal for the hidden city.. its so remote and badass and appears untouched by humans.. "grown in" comes to mind. like maybe there was a big city there, or it was attempted.. but the planet took it back and now it is governed and run by the planet. thats interesting.
I'd say having things on the screen is helpful- you need to see some kind of map (I was thinking a small circle portion just to show what path you're on and maybe some up-coming items: save points, buildings, destinations..) But you don't always want to have to press pause and look at the entire map.. so a small one on screen is great. I was thinking a compass was a good idea too, attach that to the on-screen map.
Merle needs to have a health bar.. I think thats the only way to go because how else would you do it? I know its over done but it DOES WORK. No need fixing what isn't broken right? And that when you level up, the player wants to see improvement not just with armor and swords and stuff- but health bar is huge for that. diablo didn't do that, they just had the health bubble thing.. it was a numbers games as you remember- that wasn't so great. You knew you were stronger and could take more damage but you couldn't SEE the change right away you know? Like we said before: seeing the character physically change while upgrading is huge.
So for all the HUD stuff- I'd say keep in minimal: Health, map, current level (still deciding on this)... thats all. Unless you can thinking of something more. but really all you need to see is the character in his world. Thats the beauty of it.
Combat:
I like the idea of charging up to fight- but i think it should also go away after, say, level 15. It is interesting, but I feel like it would get old. But its a good idea for someone learning (such as Merle) and once you get a strong hold of how to deal out a lot of damage- you would no longer need to warm up. Like once you reach a certain lvl, ...say... 15.. a prompt comes up explaining Merle no longer has to "charge up his strength" or whatever it is. that would be badass.. it would be a relief to the player and would make combat more natural.
I think dodging and properly timed blocking is essential to fighting.. it can't be all offense. and If you are good at it, then there should be rewards. Maybe there is a counter-system: for example, you are fighting a a guy with a sword- you swing and he blocks it and you lose your momentum, now he swings and you block his swing and that throws him off and now there is a window to counter attack him, but it only lasts a short while before he recovers, but if you do it right its worth a lot of damage and maybe you get then unleash a whole combo- of attacks. that would be ill. Anything that enhances Merles abilities as a fighter and makes it "look cooler" is good. so I'd say yes- we need blocking and "roll-evading" because that just makes it that much more dynamic.
Magic? Hmm..
--------------------
Also: Machu Pichu is ideal for the hidden city.. its so remote and badass and appears untouched by humans.. "grown in" comes to mind. like maybe there was a big city there, or it was attempted.. but the planet took it back and now it is governed and run by the planet. thats interesting.
Everything is relative to fun.
The more remote the location the higher the difficulty of the game. The further away the location is from the center of civilization the greater variety of monsters; size and shape. This makes sense because as a civilization, they would not allow such 'dangerous beasts' to be so close. So, on a timeline, the enemies 'monsters' grow at the same speed the character progresses through the story. The final battle is usually as far away from, geographically, home as possible.
The character must pass through a linear story arc without constraining the player to a set path and cliche resolutions. Free roaming is the key and also the solution. If we allow the player to move both forwards and backwards through the levels (via a complex system of rewards and punishments) on his or her OWN time, then we have solved the problem of game-length: The more the player has to 'retrace his steps', the longer it takes the player to beat the game.
The Next Problem (from here on out will be known only as NP) is the games' ability to remain interesting. I say remain interesting because the market is flooded with games that have shiny covers and look excellent on the commercials, when, in fact, they are garbaggio. To make the game interesting all the time, one of two things must happen: 1) something in the game, let it be landscape, characters, action sequences... must be appealing and changing all the time to avoid repetition and eventually boredom. 2) The combat/action sequencing must be fun! If there exists a level of complexity with the award/level system alongside some basic interaction than the game is bound to be interesting.. all that must fill the games is a half-way decent story arc and no trash-talkin' dialogue.. bon, oui?
The character must pass through a linear story arc without constraining the player to a set path and cliche resolutions. Free roaming is the key and also the solution. If we allow the player to move both forwards and backwards through the levels (via a complex system of rewards and punishments) on his or her OWN time, then we have solved the problem of game-length: The more the player has to 'retrace his steps', the longer it takes the player to beat the game.
The Next Problem (from here on out will be known only as NP) is the games' ability to remain interesting. I say remain interesting because the market is flooded with games that have shiny covers and look excellent on the commercials, when, in fact, they are garbaggio. To make the game interesting all the time, one of two things must happen: 1) something in the game, let it be landscape, characters, action sequences... must be appealing and changing all the time to avoid repetition and eventually boredom. 2) The combat/action sequencing must be fun! If there exists a level of complexity with the award/level system alongside some basic interaction than the game is bound to be interesting.. all that must fill the games is a half-way decent story arc and no trash-talkin' dialogue.. bon, oui?
Monday, February 21, 2011
Menu,health, battle.
Haven't talked to much about the other aspects of the game like the menu screen while your playing, if you should be able to view your health and or other stats on screen, stuff like that. It is worth noting the games that do things different when thinking about what we want he player to see on screen while running around, engaged in battle or in towns. For instance, Fable is a great example of this. As the series moved forwards, the screen showed less and less giving the player a centralized view of the main character without a health bar, magic or other things to clutter up the screen. Kingdom hearts showed quite a bit, with your magic, health of Sora and his party. Now this is interesting because, you had to constantly check on them and it added a sense of urgency and just another aspect to pay attention to while fighting. Also the blinking alarm that turns on when you are in the red as well sora's face looking like he is really hurt was cool, because it made you want to heal and get back to a fresh state.
I'm not sure how i feel about this. I mean, if we want there to be really nice visuals, it makes sense to take out most of the stuff on screen. Maybe it pops up when you battle?... could be. I think this is a very touchy subject because, like in FF13, i thought there was just to much going on in the battles, and the all the gauges seemed to overwhelm the viewer and took away from the intense fighting that was going on. I mentioned to you about the "warm up" idea i had, in that you don't quite get to fight like a hero right off the bat, you have to warm up by blocking or by pecking away at the enemy until you are able to unleash much faster attacks, also I just thought that maybe you could get bonuses by dodging things?... This tactic would give the player a sense of like... I can't wait to get in there, get warmed up(Rather quickly) and destroy this monster. Now of course, later in the game as you level, you don have to warm up at all, your ready to kick ass from the start. This is very tricky because we want the game to be fun first and the idea of having to warm up first might turn off the player from the game... However, i think if we break this down to a science it could be great, and its just ONE idea.. so its nothing solid.
now.. are we going to have a reward for defeating shit other than exp? we need a new way of rewarding the player. Diablo gave you drops, kingdom hearts gave you green orbs, mario gave you coins...SO its important to think about this, but its not necessary. Also, the exp idea... i think we should keep it REALLY simple. Just like in Knights of the round...were it is just some bar that fills or something. I think it would be unique to have(above the bar) maybe a silhouette of the item thats next up for upgrade.. like if it were gloves there would be gloves about the bar. SO it becomes awesome when you see a sword above the bar because you know the new blade will rule no matter what.. it should be the last to upgrade.
The main menu has to be simple yet effective.. I enjoy the concept of having some of it drawn in pencil on like a parchment background, almost like a carpenters drafting table. It would be a nice juxtaposition of the vibrant nature scenes of the game, in relation to the somewhat bland menu screen, something to play with.
I'm not sure how i feel about this. I mean, if we want there to be really nice visuals, it makes sense to take out most of the stuff on screen. Maybe it pops up when you battle?... could be. I think this is a very touchy subject because, like in FF13, i thought there was just to much going on in the battles, and the all the gauges seemed to overwhelm the viewer and took away from the intense fighting that was going on. I mentioned to you about the "warm up" idea i had, in that you don't quite get to fight like a hero right off the bat, you have to warm up by blocking or by pecking away at the enemy until you are able to unleash much faster attacks, also I just thought that maybe you could get bonuses by dodging things?... This tactic would give the player a sense of like... I can't wait to get in there, get warmed up(Rather quickly) and destroy this monster. Now of course, later in the game as you level, you don have to warm up at all, your ready to kick ass from the start. This is very tricky because we want the game to be fun first and the idea of having to warm up first might turn off the player from the game... However, i think if we break this down to a science it could be great, and its just ONE idea.. so its nothing solid.
now.. are we going to have a reward for defeating shit other than exp? we need a new way of rewarding the player. Diablo gave you drops, kingdom hearts gave you green orbs, mario gave you coins...SO its important to think about this, but its not necessary. Also, the exp idea... i think we should keep it REALLY simple. Just like in Knights of the round...were it is just some bar that fills or something. I think it would be unique to have(above the bar) maybe a silhouette of the item thats next up for upgrade.. like if it were gloves there would be gloves about the bar. SO it becomes awesome when you see a sword above the bar because you know the new blade will rule no matter what.. it should be the last to upgrade.
The main menu has to be simple yet effective.. I enjoy the concept of having some of it drawn in pencil on like a parchment background, almost like a carpenters drafting table. It would be a nice juxtaposition of the vibrant nature scenes of the game, in relation to the somewhat bland menu screen, something to play with.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Concept for secluded area.
I had an idea for the lush green secret area of the game... I enjoy this idea a lot and I had a cool concept for it. First off, it would be cool if the palette used to color this area is quite different from any other part of the game. Not stepping out of bounds too much with it, but we should be conscious to keep elements of the game present in its surroundings, just give it a really awesome feel. Keep the atmosphere in the environment almost like in avatar were, you don't want anything to disturb the richness of life. Next is the why part. How about the area is a magical area with fantastic forces at work that "keep it green". As in, people that settled there long ago, tried to build a town and industrialize the clutch scenery, but the planet grew over whatever they made with roots and other cool landmasses. Even like, the people tried to cut it down but only to find out it doubled in size whenever they tried. Soon they gave up and realized that Living with the planet was much more satisfying then trying to change it and chance wrecking the natural state of it. SO the player stumbles upon a group of people that are sort of "suspended in time" maybe they never age because of the nourishing forces that are at work. And of course this awesome area comes crashing down in flames from the stories villain or something.
Just some thoughts- N8B
Just some thoughts- N8B
Scenery
I agree.
Though I think if we go into detail with the scenery stuff like the small islands sticking out of the water that used to be connected to the main land, they have to my playable. I think as an adventure game the idea of 'you can see it-you can climb it' is a good take. especially mountains in the background and interesting rock structures that parade the lands and off the coasts.
Running down a coastline is a must. I can picture many different settings that are worth having in the game.
I was thinking with the northern cultures we should explore stone architecture. Something solid that the snow really works with. Just something to retain the idea of how cold and solid everything is up there. Isolated and mystic, like the mountains themselves. Reference: The remote stone base in Inception where they have to go and extract what's in the vault. Something like that would be great.
I was thinking for the Tundra area something along the lines of the fields of pelennor in front of minas tirith where the last battle takes place in gondor.
.. big wide open plains that you can run through (but it takes some time) and later in the game you can ride something through that makes it go much faster- something to think about. Mountains in the background and rolling hills. maybe the mountains are you destination at first- so you have to cross the treacherous plains- fight across basically- to get to the mountains and then cross over them... but when revisiting the plains, there are other places to go as well later in the game. but in the beginning just getting to the mountains is a good start- maybe thats towards the snow base?
Good stuff- we need to draw it out- when you come up for spring break in march we need to make a time line. grab some paper and throw it up on my wall.
Though I think if we go into detail with the scenery stuff like the small islands sticking out of the water that used to be connected to the main land, they have to my playable. I think as an adventure game the idea of 'you can see it-you can climb it' is a good take. especially mountains in the background and interesting rock structures that parade the lands and off the coasts.
Running down a coastline is a must. I can picture many different settings that are worth having in the game.
I was thinking with the northern cultures we should explore stone architecture. Something solid that the snow really works with. Just something to retain the idea of how cold and solid everything is up there. Isolated and mystic, like the mountains themselves. Reference: The remote stone base in Inception where they have to go and extract what's in the vault. Something like that would be great.
I was thinking for the Tundra area something along the lines of the fields of pelennor in front of minas tirith where the last battle takes place in gondor.
.. big wide open plains that you can run through (but it takes some time) and later in the game you can ride something through that makes it go much faster- something to think about. Mountains in the background and rolling hills. maybe the mountains are you destination at first- so you have to cross the treacherous plains- fight across basically- to get to the mountains and then cross over them... but when revisiting the plains, there are other places to go as well later in the game. but in the beginning just getting to the mountains is a good start- maybe thats towards the snow base?
Good stuff- we need to draw it out- when you come up for spring break in march we need to make a time line. grab some paper and throw it up on my wall.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Game Scenery
So i think we have a few things that we want in the game so far in terms of landscapes and natural areas. The waterfall idea has to come into play somewhere, I'd say toward the end on the game because it seems like a rather momentous moment coming upon a area or city hidden from view, maybe this new discovery sheds new light on a certain aspect of the storyline or perhaps becomes a drastic plot twist?. The tundra idea is also solid as well, maybe towards the middle of the game. Half-ways through the game seems good for a tundra setting, giving the player a good sense of space and also providing a break from any tight areas that maybe come before it. Maybe the tundra is surrounded by mountains or something of that nature, I almost picture a giant bowl shape for the plains that you can explore and fight.
Another Idea i had was a segment in the game were the player is forced to run down the coastline on a beach. As the player moves down or up the shoreline, enemies could come from both sides, from the water and from the forest or whatever is opposite to the waterline. Maybe Merle has to search for something that has washed up from the sea, or a ship that went down and carried something valuable on board, and maybe the ship was last seen close to shore, before something happened to it, Idk just something to play with.
(these structures really caught my eye, sort of these landmasses jutting out from the water, as if they were once connected to the mainland). Maybe you can climb them to get treasure at the top of them, or fight enemies and dive off the top) or maybe they are just for show.
There also could be a segment were the player is on a boat, meandering down a tight river, with great visuals that can be viewed from the front deck. It could be that this part of the game is when the "defend against the oncoming enemies" happens, a common part to most adventure/fighting games, were maybe they are crawling up the sides of the boat, jumping on the boat from the limbs of trees that arc over the passing boat, or shoot at you from the mainland.
The next idea relates to the "Northern" part of the game. I think we have established that the game is about experiencing cultures, and having the north be the sort of the "vikings/Barbarians/brutish people" culture that you run into is a nice idea. Maybe as you make your way north, you pass the tundra(there is little snow on the ground and you are showered by ever-so-light snowfall) and make your way up past the mountains into the North area. It would be cool to go from wide open spaces to very tight rock paths, giving a sense of claustrophobia and prompt injury if a fall was to occur. Now, in terms of the layout of the area in the north, I think jagged and bulky rock structures would be nice. Almost like when Frodo and Sam have to make it through the labyrinth of razor rock. So a lot of stone, chains and heavy wood architecture here. Maybe the area is like a canyon or something, just trying to differ form the "up the mountain side" idea.
The last land idea isnt a very unique one, but it deffinetly could be cool. Maybe behind the waterfall is, like you said, a green lush area. I was thinking of maybe like a temple and short grass type playing field, kinda like machu picchu, like a very zen landmass that maybe gets completely fucked up.
more land structures...
Another Idea i had was a segment in the game were the player is forced to run down the coastline on a beach. As the player moves down or up the shoreline, enemies could come from both sides, from the water and from the forest or whatever is opposite to the waterline. Maybe Merle has to search for something that has washed up from the sea, or a ship that went down and carried something valuable on board, and maybe the ship was last seen close to shore, before something happened to it, Idk just something to play with.
(these structures really caught my eye, sort of these landmasses jutting out from the water, as if they were once connected to the mainland). Maybe you can climb them to get treasure at the top of them, or fight enemies and dive off the top) or maybe they are just for show.
There also could be a segment were the player is on a boat, meandering down a tight river, with great visuals that can be viewed from the front deck. It could be that this part of the game is when the "defend against the oncoming enemies" happens, a common part to most adventure/fighting games, were maybe they are crawling up the sides of the boat, jumping on the boat from the limbs of trees that arc over the passing boat, or shoot at you from the mainland.
The next idea relates to the "Northern" part of the game. I think we have established that the game is about experiencing cultures, and having the north be the sort of the "vikings/Barbarians/brutish people" culture that you run into is a nice idea. Maybe as you make your way north, you pass the tundra(there is little snow on the ground and you are showered by ever-so-light snowfall) and make your way up past the mountains into the North area. It would be cool to go from wide open spaces to very tight rock paths, giving a sense of claustrophobia and prompt injury if a fall was to occur. Now, in terms of the layout of the area in the north, I think jagged and bulky rock structures would be nice. Almost like when Frodo and Sam have to make it through the labyrinth of razor rock. So a lot of stone, chains and heavy wood architecture here. Maybe the area is like a canyon or something, just trying to differ form the "up the mountain side" idea.
The last land idea isnt a very unique one, but it deffinetly could be cool. Maybe behind the waterfall is, like you said, a green lush area. I was thinking of maybe like a temple and short grass type playing field, kinda like machu picchu, like a very zen landmass that maybe gets completely fucked up.
more land structures...
Monday, February 14, 2011
Merle continued
Ok so I thought of the idea of a cap for Merle. It would be cool if it was a cap that has a really short brim, kinda like your green element cap, or the GAP one, more like a lid instead of a hat. Maybe the color of the cap is blue? you mentioned maybe his hair is blue and a blue cap would look great against the dusty blonde hair. Maybe a darkish blue. -tink about eet
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Enemies
Well i had thought about having the enemies be infected animals. Wolves, bears big cats etc, only they have a host attached to them kinda like the flood in halo. We could also have the actual things that mutate the animals be enemies too, totally separate from the others. this idea may not be the strongest suggestion, but I'm just going for a different take i guess. We had mentioned that maybe the creatures "just exist" and that the world kinda has to deal with them regardless, like in final fantasy, but I'm just not sure how we could do it uniquely.
Maybe, for instance, the creatures have an origin point, them come from a certain spot or location. An example of this would be Diablo in that the minions you fight sprout from hell, due to Diablo and his brothers creating a link between both worlds, and thus a hero is needed. I think that it is important to have a unique take on the monsters in the game for two reasons: 1 is that our game has to stand out and to do this most every aspect has to be fun, different and interesting(those three are key) 2 is that the game is somewhat serious,(we aren't making a game were you are a plumber who stomps on dinosaurs who live in the piping) so we have to be rational about where these things come from, I don't think having the enemies just be part of the world is very interesting, yes we could do that but I think we should shoot for something more creative.
So far I have mentioned that the enemies could be mutations like the flood, or from a different dimension or world, like Diablo. There is also the idea that the monsters come from the sky?.. i know it sounds kinda lame but we might be able to make it work, like maybe Merle sees one crash land off the cost of his home and checks it out, and maybe that's why the ships have come, it could tie nicely. But it still doesn't answer WHY they are here. Brace yourself I'm gonna go all final fantasy here, maybe the monsters are sent from beings from the sky or another planet to "test man". Maybe the player finds out that the world is being watched by these god-like beings that decide to start challenging the inhabitants(the alchemists?)... Idk where this is going, but i thought about two things when I came up with the approach: 1. is the reference to War of the World's in that the aliens have been watching us for some time, and the other reference is the Greek God's in the battle for Troy, they sort of sit and watch the goings-on and play chess with the characters, giving them hope,restoring their courage and killing them off.
All this said, I don't think we need to go into a lot of depth with them reason or origin of the enemies and how they fit. I mean, we are creating an adventure game, and we like the notion of "basic is fun" so i see no issue with having it be simple but interesting at the same time. For instance, because we are doing a game where you essentially just kill things and lvl, it would behoove us to not think too much into the reasoning behind the relevance of the monsters, basically what I'm saying is that we are going for "fun first" and we saw that with Final fantasy XIII it wasn't fun first, it was like a company produced a bad product and tried to put shiny stars on the box that said "look i have a new battle system and the graphics are amazing", but it wasn't any good, and the story was way too intense and needed way too much explanation. In short, we should stick to the roots of the game, fun first and basic is better. -n8b
Maybe, for instance, the creatures have an origin point, them come from a certain spot or location. An example of this would be Diablo in that the minions you fight sprout from hell, due to Diablo and his brothers creating a link between both worlds, and thus a hero is needed. I think that it is important to have a unique take on the monsters in the game for two reasons: 1 is that our game has to stand out and to do this most every aspect has to be fun, different and interesting(those three are key) 2 is that the game is somewhat serious,(we aren't making a game were you are a plumber who stomps on dinosaurs who live in the piping) so we have to be rational about where these things come from, I don't think having the enemies just be part of the world is very interesting, yes we could do that but I think we should shoot for something more creative.
So far I have mentioned that the enemies could be mutations like the flood, or from a different dimension or world, like Diablo. There is also the idea that the monsters come from the sky?.. i know it sounds kinda lame but we might be able to make it work, like maybe Merle sees one crash land off the cost of his home and checks it out, and maybe that's why the ships have come, it could tie nicely. But it still doesn't answer WHY they are here. Brace yourself I'm gonna go all final fantasy here, maybe the monsters are sent from beings from the sky or another planet to "test man". Maybe the player finds out that the world is being watched by these god-like beings that decide to start challenging the inhabitants(the alchemists?)... Idk where this is going, but i thought about two things when I came up with the approach: 1. is the reference to War of the World's in that the aliens have been watching us for some time, and the other reference is the Greek God's in the battle for Troy, they sort of sit and watch the goings-on and play chess with the characters, giving them hope,restoring their courage and killing them off.
All this said, I don't think we need to go into a lot of depth with them reason or origin of the enemies and how they fit. I mean, we are creating an adventure game, and we like the notion of "basic is fun" so i see no issue with having it be simple but interesting at the same time. For instance, because we are doing a game where you essentially just kill things and lvl, it would behoove us to not think too much into the reasoning behind the relevance of the monsters, basically what I'm saying is that we are going for "fun first" and we saw that with Final fantasy XIII it wasn't fun first, it was like a company produced a bad product and tried to put shiny stars on the box that said "look i have a new battle system and the graphics are amazing", but it wasn't any good, and the story was way too intense and needed way too much explanation. In short, we should stick to the roots of the game, fun first and basic is better. -n8b
Friday, February 11, 2011
More about Merle
Really enjoying the color of hair you gave him, almost this dusty-blonde shade, it goes well with the his name and gives off the idea that he is a builder, sorta like he has been in a shop carving, building,crafting and dealing with wood-chips and sawdust. Also the idea of having the armor become more intricate and detailed as it reaches new heights is mint. Like I said earlier, the palette is great as well, in addition to the way it was applied to the character. I agree that the boots need to be reworked for sure, however, you mentioned that knee-guards were a good source to look to and so I completely agree with that. I tried to give them a "armor plate look" as well as seeming strapped on to his leg. The scarf could be really cool in combat too, maybe its not as long as i drew it, maybe its just a tail off of his shoulder, because I totally agree with the rhythm it could add to the movement. I am going to work more on Merle for the time being, at least until we can discuss more about plot and structure. It is very important to have a really solid main character and we are well on our way to having one.
I also had the idea of giving him overalls, not ones that look like a pair that a farmer would wear, just more like a mechanic maybe. Not many characters have them so it would at least be different.
I also had the idea of giving him overalls, not ones that look like a pair that a farmer would wear, just more like a mechanic maybe. Not many characters have them so it would at least be different.
The coloring
Well I liked the fact that you gave him some small amount of armor... say for the beginning stages of his leveling.. he looks like he just got a few pieces but thats it. I wanted to keep them simple and just metal gray or crome colored at first. maybe as he levels the armor gets more intricate and has more interesting color patterns? That would be badass. The final armor being like Black with a Gold Inlay.. you know, something a king would wear.. but only for battle.
I like the scarf-I tried to give it a color that would stick out against the orange vest/robe/tunic.. and it would be cool to have the scarf fly up behind as you run through the levels to make the character feel more alive and have rhythm to his movements: also- while sword fighting the scarf would act as another element enhancing the dynamic aesthetics of his movements *keeping in mind the way he looks when he fights is very important. It doesn't have to be a turquoise or teal, but a blue/green shade seemed less likely to appear anywhere else..
I think his hair can be a dirty blonde .. maybe even off-white, just to further set him apart from every other game character.. (no browns.. no blacks.. no yellows. But if we choose a solid color, like blue, it would have to be the perfect shade.. can't appear as a cartoon- thats not realistic enough I'd say.
I think you nailed his age- giving him a stout size with some muscle because he is a builder after all.. he should have muscles. And his hair has some curls in it but not too many- so he does look about 18-21 years old, which is what we're looking for. I like the sword- perhaps as he upgrades his sword does too (or separately) in the same fashion as his armor (color and inlays..)
I found that I want to have a go at merle as well. I think his boots are almost there, just need some tweaking. I would draw him again in that fashion- just making minor changes and see what you can come up with. maybe just draw the boots.. draw everything separately and when we get what we think is best- put it all together in one outfit. Just keep drawing... thats the key.
--------------
I like the idea of going out in the blizzard and coming back to the warm hall with the roaring fire- it would also be cool to have that place when the fire is out and no one is around- something to think about further down the road.
The stash- We definitely need a stash. I would say doing something like Diablo does or maybe FF where the 'stash' is in every new level, or is connected with the save points. So you can access your loot anywhere. up for debate though. We have to think what goes in the stash first, and than we decide how often they appear.
I like the wall idea. perhaps its not just a wall- but a bridge, something you have to cross to get over into another part of the town- but can't at first... interesting.
Also the city in the sky is cool too. The Ethereal city if you will. Its also a good idea to have somewhere you can go that is outside off the charts.. outside of the map. Makes good for creatures that are further unknown. Maybe that city is where you get some diesel armor.
more to think about.
I like the scarf-I tried to give it a color that would stick out against the orange vest/robe/tunic.. and it would be cool to have the scarf fly up behind as you run through the levels to make the character feel more alive and have rhythm to his movements: also- while sword fighting the scarf would act as another element enhancing the dynamic aesthetics of his movements *keeping in mind the way he looks when he fights is very important. It doesn't have to be a turquoise or teal, but a blue/green shade seemed less likely to appear anywhere else..
I think his hair can be a dirty blonde .. maybe even off-white, just to further set him apart from every other game character.. (no browns.. no blacks.. no yellows. But if we choose a solid color, like blue, it would have to be the perfect shade.. can't appear as a cartoon- thats not realistic enough I'd say.
I think you nailed his age- giving him a stout size with some muscle because he is a builder after all.. he should have muscles. And his hair has some curls in it but not too many- so he does look about 18-21 years old, which is what we're looking for. I like the sword- perhaps as he upgrades his sword does too (or separately) in the same fashion as his armor (color and inlays..)
I found that I want to have a go at merle as well. I think his boots are almost there, just need some tweaking. I would draw him again in that fashion- just making minor changes and see what you can come up with. maybe just draw the boots.. draw everything separately and when we get what we think is best- put it all together in one outfit. Just keep drawing... thats the key.
--------------
I like the idea of going out in the blizzard and coming back to the warm hall with the roaring fire- it would also be cool to have that place when the fire is out and no one is around- something to think about further down the road.
The stash- We definitely need a stash. I would say doing something like Diablo does or maybe FF where the 'stash' is in every new level, or is connected with the save points. So you can access your loot anywhere. up for debate though. We have to think what goes in the stash first, and than we decide how often they appear.
I like the wall idea. perhaps its not just a wall- but a bridge, something you have to cross to get over into another part of the town- but can't at first... interesting.
Also the city in the sky is cool too. The Ethereal city if you will. Its also a good idea to have somewhere you can go that is outside off the charts.. outside of the map. Makes good for creatures that are further unknown. Maybe that city is where you get some diesel armor.
more to think about.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
brainstorming
So I thought I would begin to list some things that I personally would like to see the game feature-In conjunction with what you had already posted, which I agree with mostly.
I think that an interesting part of the game would be if you are in a town and weather strikes hard (Probably snow) and you have to go out and brave the harsh elements. What I picture is, Merle standing in the town hall(maybe in the tundra town) in front of a huge fireplace discussing the problem with the townsfolk. He is asked to leave the town and go venture up a mountain(just an example) and come back with something important(maybe a person,item etc.) SO the cool part being that you have to go out in this whiteout blizzard and fight monsters, only to come back to this sweet fireplace inside the town hall. I enjoy the idea of regaining warmth after a long cold mission.
As for being stripped of your gear, i like the idea, but we have to come up with an interesting way to depict this. I think that losing memory is too stale, so we should consider more creative ideas.
I also want to mention the idea of a stash. Now, I think that have an inventory is a must, one easily accessed from the main menu- but it would interesting if the character had a certain "personal chest" at each town inn, or something. If you remember back to Resident Evil, at each save point you had a chest that you could stock shit in (great Idea). However, it is worth noting that in RE you were constantly having to store your loot all the time and you kept visiting the save rooms, so I'm not sure how we could do this in the game, seeing how the towns would be far apart and not evenly spaced, but its worth looking into the idea.
I like the idea of having a giant wall somewhere in the game. Almost like what you were saying about having something that you can see, but cant quite get to until later. SO i had the idea of having this huge wall in the distance(think the wall of china) and when you get to it, you have to defend it like in the two towers of something. Also, it would be neat if it was a way to travel too, maybe not through the whole game but a small portion, like you could run down the top of the wall fighting shit and you could peer out over the walls showcasing a preemo view.
The prospect of having places that you experience differently is HUGE, this could be really unique and awesome if executed properly. Not many games give the player a real sense of environment and culture. So I say this- If we do go ahead with this theme, we should include an area that is very different from all the rest. Maybe a dream world, or maybe an area that takes place in the sky. Or, I had a vision of maybe a village that is WAY high up on a mountain shrouded in mist(Think the Ancients in Diablo). Like almost an Atlantis type scenario were its not really known and doesn't translate to Merle's map.
I like the idea of having an environment in the jungle- I was thinking of maybe a string of houses that are res in the canopy so if you fall you die and you make your way around by way of wooden plants connecting through the tree trunks. It would be interesting if you were fighting big bird-like creatures that make nests and shit, (maybe you can like set fire to the nests or something).
these are just some more ideas to ponder... the enemies are up next.
I think that an interesting part of the game would be if you are in a town and weather strikes hard (Probably snow) and you have to go out and brave the harsh elements. What I picture is, Merle standing in the town hall(maybe in the tundra town) in front of a huge fireplace discussing the problem with the townsfolk. He is asked to leave the town and go venture up a mountain(just an example) and come back with something important(maybe a person,item etc.) SO the cool part being that you have to go out in this whiteout blizzard and fight monsters, only to come back to this sweet fireplace inside the town hall. I enjoy the idea of regaining warmth after a long cold mission.
As for being stripped of your gear, i like the idea, but we have to come up with an interesting way to depict this. I think that losing memory is too stale, so we should consider more creative ideas.
I also want to mention the idea of a stash. Now, I think that have an inventory is a must, one easily accessed from the main menu- but it would interesting if the character had a certain "personal chest" at each town inn, or something. If you remember back to Resident Evil, at each save point you had a chest that you could stock shit in (great Idea). However, it is worth noting that in RE you were constantly having to store your loot all the time and you kept visiting the save rooms, so I'm not sure how we could do this in the game, seeing how the towns would be far apart and not evenly spaced, but its worth looking into the idea.
I like the idea of having a giant wall somewhere in the game. Almost like what you were saying about having something that you can see, but cant quite get to until later. SO i had the idea of having this huge wall in the distance(think the wall of china) and when you get to it, you have to defend it like in the two towers of something. Also, it would be neat if it was a way to travel too, maybe not through the whole game but a small portion, like you could run down the top of the wall fighting shit and you could peer out over the walls showcasing a preemo view.
The prospect of having places that you experience differently is HUGE, this could be really unique and awesome if executed properly. Not many games give the player a real sense of environment and culture. So I say this- If we do go ahead with this theme, we should include an area that is very different from all the rest. Maybe a dream world, or maybe an area that takes place in the sky. Or, I had a vision of maybe a village that is WAY high up on a mountain shrouded in mist(Think the Ancients in Diablo). Like almost an Atlantis type scenario were its not really known and doesn't translate to Merle's map.
I like the idea of having an environment in the jungle- I was thinking of maybe a string of houses that are res in the canopy so if you fall you die and you make your way around by way of wooden plants connecting through the tree trunks. It would be interesting if you were fighting big bird-like creatures that make nests and shit, (maybe you can like set fire to the nests or something).
these are just some more ideas to ponder... the enemies are up next.
Conflict
As we have talked a lot about games *and we have*, what we keep coming back to is what makes a game fun. The only thing that can make a game fun is the interaction with the world and what the player can do to/in it. So we must look at certain systems. One important system is the combat.
So to make the combat fun we need to know what kind of style the combat will have. We mentioned kingdom hearts-style fighting- jumping around sword wielding.. be able to cut through things realistically but having a sense of unrealistic speed and accuracy of course; i.e when you hit the x button you want the player to swing his sword fast enough so you can do it again and again without waiting for anything- a rapid response system.
How to fight can all be flushed out later. It is very important to the game being fun but I think it is important to stick to the story arc at first. The reason I bring up combat is because we also need to talk about what it is that we are fighting.. and this points back to the story line. DO these 'creatures and monsters' play a role in the story? Can they just exist without purpose besides being in your way the whole time like in FF13? I don't think thats a great way to handle the enemies.. Things you fight have to have a reason behind it. Otherwise, what's the point?
I haven't thought much about the enemies yet and why Merle fights them. They need to be introduced on the island somehow so the player can learn the combat system and see how it works.
Perhaps what he fights on the island isn't really the threat.. maybe Merle just fights a few menacing forrest animals and critters that cause trouble for the farmers.. something like that that isn't very aggressive or threatening. But as the story progresses, once Merle leaves the island, he end up fighting the real monsters and is are now skilled enough to face them. and so on..
I have been thinking about what the conflict in the game is for the purpose of a solid story line and I am having a hard time coming up with ideas that aren't cliche.
I don't think they can't be the following:
Aliens
Rebels
Enemies of the island... doesn't make much sense to hate the agricultural island.
Just random Monsters.. seems too thin
So I feel they have to be natural to the world, but not from where Merle is from- or created somehow.. The ideas we had about the scientists and their 'experiments' wasn't bad, it just needs flushing out. I would stay away from the work "experiments" too, thats not very creative!
All things to consider while thinking of story line anyway. I want it to be global.. because you will be traveling a lot.. I think they goal of the game should be to have the player travel and experience different cultures and environment because I believe that is good for everyone so to mirror it in the game is a good idea. At least it gives the game legitimate backstory to why we are making it what it is. Purpose.
-------------------------------
Here are some ideas I had about what I want to see in the story:
1) Fighting in the sand. Beaches in the beginning of the game moving to more intense grounds and harsher environments to survive in. I think we agree that where Merle is is one of the more important things about what he is doing.
2) I want to have a scenes at night in a city- lots of happenings and activity. I want this to contrast when you're in the woods and its not busy. I want the player to be able to notice and really feel the difference between rural and city life. Also the things you fight in both places have to be equally balanced.
3) I really like the idea of a boat capsizing or getting attacked (maybe it gets attacked but on you see the monster... ) and Merle waking up on unknown shores. Nothing is cooler in a game than getting used to what you have and your powers and then having it all taken away and you don't know what is going on. I think its a necessary risk to include complete loss of momentum in a game just to built it back up even faster. So maybe not in the beginning of the game but more towards 1/2 way through.
4) I want mountains that stretch out in the distance that look sweet but later in the game you get to go there. Traveling is key. Especially if you can see the location but can't get there at first.. like you have to be at a certain level or need an important item.
5) I like waterfalls.. we need to have some kind of village/town/gathering etc. behind a waterfall.. thats bad ass anyways. but to incorporate it into a serious story- the more badass it becomes.
6) Snow level. Merle needs to see snow so we can render the sky nice and blue and have ice and snow covering everything- its a great aesthetic. It would be even better if we could change a place that Merle has already visited into winter- perhaps on the island? when you are able to visit it again after you leave- it is the winter season and things are shut down- this can create new challenges in the game *different / more monsters to fight, maybe you can go someone you couldn't get to before.. things like that.
7) Some sort of Jungle area because it just calls for big monsters and a lot of fighting.
8) A forested area below the mountains in the winter.. tundra plains.. cold winds.. scary beasts. A desolate place is good as well.. we need the player to feel 'not at home' as possible.. I'd say something like the canadian tundra.. just a small town maybe.. but lots of open space and fighting weird monsters.
So those are some of the thoughts swimming around in my head. But I am struggling to nail it down- but I think thats not important.. It is important to keep working on shit! It will fall into place eventually. Just have to keep going.
So to make the combat fun we need to know what kind of style the combat will have. We mentioned kingdom hearts-style fighting- jumping around sword wielding.. be able to cut through things realistically but having a sense of unrealistic speed and accuracy of course; i.e when you hit the x button you want the player to swing his sword fast enough so you can do it again and again without waiting for anything- a rapid response system.
How to fight can all be flushed out later. It is very important to the game being fun but I think it is important to stick to the story arc at first. The reason I bring up combat is because we also need to talk about what it is that we are fighting.. and this points back to the story line. DO these 'creatures and monsters' play a role in the story? Can they just exist without purpose besides being in your way the whole time like in FF13? I don't think thats a great way to handle the enemies.. Things you fight have to have a reason behind it. Otherwise, what's the point?
I haven't thought much about the enemies yet and why Merle fights them. They need to be introduced on the island somehow so the player can learn the combat system and see how it works.
Perhaps what he fights on the island isn't really the threat.. maybe Merle just fights a few menacing forrest animals and critters that cause trouble for the farmers.. something like that that isn't very aggressive or threatening. But as the story progresses, once Merle leaves the island, he end up fighting the real monsters and is are now skilled enough to face them. and so on..
I have been thinking about what the conflict in the game is for the purpose of a solid story line and I am having a hard time coming up with ideas that aren't cliche.
I don't think they can't be the following:
Aliens
Rebels
Enemies of the island... doesn't make much sense to hate the agricultural island.
Just random Monsters.. seems too thin
So I feel they have to be natural to the world, but not from where Merle is from- or created somehow.. The ideas we had about the scientists and their 'experiments' wasn't bad, it just needs flushing out. I would stay away from the work "experiments" too, thats not very creative!
All things to consider while thinking of story line anyway. I want it to be global.. because you will be traveling a lot.. I think they goal of the game should be to have the player travel and experience different cultures and environment because I believe that is good for everyone so to mirror it in the game is a good idea. At least it gives the game legitimate backstory to why we are making it what it is. Purpose.
-------------------------------
Here are some ideas I had about what I want to see in the story:
1) Fighting in the sand. Beaches in the beginning of the game moving to more intense grounds and harsher environments to survive in. I think we agree that where Merle is is one of the more important things about what he is doing.
2) I want to have a scenes at night in a city- lots of happenings and activity. I want this to contrast when you're in the woods and its not busy. I want the player to be able to notice and really feel the difference between rural and city life. Also the things you fight in both places have to be equally balanced.
3) I really like the idea of a boat capsizing or getting attacked (maybe it gets attacked but on you see the monster... ) and Merle waking up on unknown shores. Nothing is cooler in a game than getting used to what you have and your powers and then having it all taken away and you don't know what is going on. I think its a necessary risk to include complete loss of momentum in a game just to built it back up even faster. So maybe not in the beginning of the game but more towards 1/2 way through.
4) I want mountains that stretch out in the distance that look sweet but later in the game you get to go there. Traveling is key. Especially if you can see the location but can't get there at first.. like you have to be at a certain level or need an important item.
5) I like waterfalls.. we need to have some kind of village/town/gathering etc. behind a waterfall.. thats bad ass anyways. but to incorporate it into a serious story- the more badass it becomes.
6) Snow level. Merle needs to see snow so we can render the sky nice and blue and have ice and snow covering everything- its a great aesthetic. It would be even better if we could change a place that Merle has already visited into winter- perhaps on the island? when you are able to visit it again after you leave- it is the winter season and things are shut down- this can create new challenges in the game *different / more monsters to fight, maybe you can go someone you couldn't get to before.. things like that.
7) Some sort of Jungle area because it just calls for big monsters and a lot of fighting.
8) A forested area below the mountains in the winter.. tundra plains.. cold winds.. scary beasts. A desolate place is good as well.. we need the player to feel 'not at home' as possible.. I'd say something like the canadian tundra.. just a small town maybe.. but lots of open space and fighting weird monsters.
So those are some of the thoughts swimming around in my head. But I am struggling to nail it down- but I think thats not important.. It is important to keep working on shit! It will fall into place eventually. Just have to keep going.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
game sequencing-
So, as you mentioned, we need to plot out some beef for the stories structure. The island is great and the ships could be interesting( we have the beginning sort of thought out) , so the next part is what happens after you leave the comfort of your home. Now there are a few approaches to what we could do. After you join the men on the ships and leave- you could...
A. Crash- due to some disturbance, like monsters or maybe you are shot down...maybe the weather plays a part
B. You make it to where the men on the ships are trying to get and the scene that they have described has changed drastically- maybe its far worse or new information has presented itself and the goal of the game has changed slightly
C. You fall off the ship? something to the degree of an accident occurs and you find yourself alone somewhere
D. maybe you expose the men on the ships and fall victim to their ploys-(not as strong as the previous examples)
so these are just a few Ideas, tell me what you think about the takes. Personally i think that if you fall off the ship that could lead to an interesting story arc, almost like, the men on the ships have described the scenario that they and you are faced with, and you fall off the ships somehow and find yourself right smack in the middle of it all.
A. Crash- due to some disturbance, like monsters or maybe you are shot down...maybe the weather plays a part
B. You make it to where the men on the ships are trying to get and the scene that they have described has changed drastically- maybe its far worse or new information has presented itself and the goal of the game has changed slightly
C. You fall off the ship? something to the degree of an accident occurs and you find yourself alone somewhere
D. maybe you expose the men on the ships and fall victim to their ploys-(not as strong as the previous examples)
so these are just a few Ideas, tell me what you think about the takes. Personally i think that if you fall off the ship that could lead to an interesting story arc, almost like, the men on the ships have described the scenario that they and you are faced with, and you fall off the ships somehow and find yourself right smack in the middle of it all.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Island layout Concept
I wanted to have some key elements on the island:
Place for agriculture w/ plenty of forrest,
a small Village,
Merle's house of course,
The cliffs where the cinematic takes place,
some place mysterious: 'the cave',
harbor and docks
beach line..
*each line is an inch apart: 1in. = 2 mi. So the island is about 7x8mi. Thats plenty of space I'd say, for a small farming colony.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The mood of the game
I was watching an interview with some developers of Resistance 3 for PS3 and one of the guys talked about his team working on "Mood Maps", designed to give the player an emotional feeling when making his way through the world. So I thought, one thing we might want to explore is the idea that, when you start on the island things are naturally bright and warm, but when you leave the island... its sort of like the old "we're not in Kansas anymore" vibe. As in, things are so different(but not SO drastic that the game feels disjointed) that you feel like the hobbits, out of your element. Whats more, is that I was also reading more on tolkein's themes for his books and one that stuck out was, yes the hobbits are in a world that is indeed too big for them, but they have within them a strength to accomplish great deeds, deeds grand enough to even be counted among the very brave.
So this idea would be one to play with when thinking about Merle, sort of like, he longs for adventure but when he is thrown into one, he feels like its too much. And although it takes him a second to find his grip on things- he finds his grip strong.
So this idea would be one to play with when thinking about Merle, sort of like, he longs for adventure but when he is thrown into one, he feels like its too much. And although it takes him a second to find his grip on things- he finds his grip strong.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
video game design
this guy is kinda annoying.. but he makes good points and has some similar vids. check it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlOXAtPvMDk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlOXAtPvMDk&feature=related
Intro Cinematic
I enjoy the approach.
But we could make it a little more extravagant by adding some of the other elements that we talked about before.
Rustling of leaves and branches, everything must feel hurried, urgent.. but silent almost... just the sound of breathing and rain drops from earlier in the night perhaps. No breeze.
Then when you break the tree line and are in the tall grass (knee-high to be specific, or 'sand grass') it opens up wide like you said and its night time, big full moon, lots of stars and maybe something weird is going on to let you know its a dream.. there is a slight vignette to the whole scene. It blurs at the edge so you can't really see what is around. But if we do that, it should be playable, so the player has some point of reference so far.
So how about this: there needs to be something drawing you to the shoreline. So maybe your put in the middle of the woods and you start running with low erie music playing.. almost totally black except for the fading moon light through the trees onto the path. A faint light appears down the path, naturally the player will run towards it.. as you get closer it moves further away.. The player fill follow. Just before clearing the forest you can hear the ocean..
Very shortly after chasing the 'light' a low bass hum starts and gets louder with the music until you can barely see the light (it moves faster than you can.. like in a dream) You break the tree line and the view expands. By now you are sprinting (a prompt will pop up to teach you how to run..'Hold X to Sprint') you run through the grass, pass the fence on the edge of the grass, through the sand only a short way...
The cinematic takes over with excellent graphic quality: Merle sprints down the beach toward incoming tides, he runs onto a long narrow dock made of wood and as he reaches the end of the dock, just before he grabs the light it flies up out of his reach leaving him alone at the end of the dock. He looks up and boom, music cuts out, just the sound of a ocean breeze.. lots of big black ships. Some just sitting high above, some still coming in. But many of them.
Screen goes black to the sound of a low bass hum and ocean waves crashing.
Player wakes up in his house, explore a little bit.. when you first run outside.. the camera takes over and shows where you are.. maybe just a view of your house from afar. showing a little bit of the landscape and what a preme-o summer morning it is. and while the camera is panning it splashes the title of the game. (think lord of the rings during return of the king)
SO. Thats an idea to play with. the problem is this: what was the "light" that you chased to find the ships.. maybe something from the ships.. like a recon droid or something that is not known to the player. but the ships use it with there advance technology to seek out life and other people. maybe it is something that the player uses in the game later.. an aid to the story, referencing the fairy from zelda.. something along those lines.
anyways- So I think we have it down for the start: dim-lit forrest, chasing down a path, forrest ends, expands view with stars, grass, sand, beach- big ships, cut to house.
It just depends on how its handles. maybe none of it is playable? do you like that better? I just thinking, when you put the game in for the first time- it is very interesting to be put into a story with no prompting first.. just like .'annnnd go!' Running through dark woods chasing something!.. exciting and mysterious to go with the music tone.
Oh check this out: at the title screen the music that plays should have close resemblance to Radioheads' 'Kid A'.. the intro piano? Its so killer. You'll see! Sets a great mood, just like final fantasy.. sets the tone for a big long adventure that will take place if you choose to press the 'New Game' option.. but it won't be all good things.. its not a happy tone. its suspenseful. there will be battle and war.. you'll meet characters to rely on.. and theres lot of death.
Let me know what you think.
But we could make it a little more extravagant by adding some of the other elements that we talked about before.
Rustling of leaves and branches, everything must feel hurried, urgent.. but silent almost... just the sound of breathing and rain drops from earlier in the night perhaps. No breeze.
Then when you break the tree line and are in the tall grass (knee-high to be specific, or 'sand grass') it opens up wide like you said and its night time, big full moon, lots of stars and maybe something weird is going on to let you know its a dream.. there is a slight vignette to the whole scene. It blurs at the edge so you can't really see what is around. But if we do that, it should be playable, so the player has some point of reference so far.
So how about this: there needs to be something drawing you to the shoreline. So maybe your put in the middle of the woods and you start running with low erie music playing.. almost totally black except for the fading moon light through the trees onto the path. A faint light appears down the path, naturally the player will run towards it.. as you get closer it moves further away.. The player fill follow. Just before clearing the forest you can hear the ocean..
Very shortly after chasing the 'light' a low bass hum starts and gets louder with the music until you can barely see the light (it moves faster than you can.. like in a dream) You break the tree line and the view expands. By now you are sprinting (a prompt will pop up to teach you how to run..'Hold X to Sprint') you run through the grass, pass the fence on the edge of the grass, through the sand only a short way...
The cinematic takes over with excellent graphic quality: Merle sprints down the beach toward incoming tides, he runs onto a long narrow dock made of wood and as he reaches the end of the dock, just before he grabs the light it flies up out of his reach leaving him alone at the end of the dock. He looks up and boom, music cuts out, just the sound of a ocean breeze.. lots of big black ships. Some just sitting high above, some still coming in. But many of them.
Screen goes black to the sound of a low bass hum and ocean waves crashing.
Player wakes up in his house, explore a little bit.. when you first run outside.. the camera takes over and shows where you are.. maybe just a view of your house from afar. showing a little bit of the landscape and what a preme-o summer morning it is. and while the camera is panning it splashes the title of the game. (think lord of the rings during return of the king)
SO. Thats an idea to play with. the problem is this: what was the "light" that you chased to find the ships.. maybe something from the ships.. like a recon droid or something that is not known to the player. but the ships use it with there advance technology to seek out life and other people. maybe it is something that the player uses in the game later.. an aid to the story, referencing the fairy from zelda.. something along those lines.
anyways- So I think we have it down for the start: dim-lit forrest, chasing down a path, forrest ends, expands view with stars, grass, sand, beach- big ships, cut to house.
It just depends on how its handles. maybe none of it is playable? do you like that better? I just thinking, when you put the game in for the first time- it is very interesting to be put into a story with no prompting first.. just like .'annnnd go!' Running through dark woods chasing something!.. exciting and mysterious to go with the music tone.
Oh check this out: at the title screen the music that plays should have close resemblance to Radioheads' 'Kid A'.. the intro piano? Its so killer. You'll see! Sets a great mood, just like final fantasy.. sets the tone for a big long adventure that will take place if you choose to press the 'New Game' option.. but it won't be all good things.. its not a happy tone. its suspenseful. there will be battle and war.. you'll meet characters to rely on.. and theres lot of death.
Let me know what you think.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
story start.
OK.... so picture this as a starting point...
put the game in... a few studio names pop up (fun first) and then the main menu -
4 or 5 options here, new game, load game, settings and extras... or something to that degree.
click new game... screen fades to black.
while the screen is still black, the player hears rustling and movement through the woods (broken twigs, crunching of leaves) it is nighttime with a full moon(you catch glimpses of it through the dense trees as the camera keeps up with Merle... then the player can see the back of Merle from about 10 feet away as he makes his rush through the woods.
Finally he makes it to the edge of the woods and proceeds through the long grass just before the sandy beach that awaits him...(IMPORTANT: as soon as he exits the woods, the camera shifts to the side and sees him not from behind anymore, but from the side with a wide angle shot...
He moves toward the shoreline and steps a few feet into the water, and as he does this, the camera goes from the side shot, and loops back around behind him and you get a glimpse of what he is attracted to... black ships.. a row of black ships on the horizon moving toward him with a low bass tone. then maybe you see his awestruck face and then bam!.. he wakes up in his bed, atop the hill on a sunny morning.
Merle shifts his feet off his bed, scratches his head and maybe a text box comes up, or even he says aloud "black ships in the sky... I wonder what it means?"...
so... now, you explore your house for a second, and then proceed to town with a reason.. like maybe someone left a letter on your doorstep or some other type of intrigue to explore from the start, it has to be fun remember.
next you leave your house on the hill, proceed to run down the path towards town. I'm not sure what you do in terms of getting acquainted with the movements and play style.. but I would like to see you actually end up on the beach in your dreams somehow(maybe you need to visit someone or fetch something of importance)...
I have some other ideas that will act as fillers for time and story building- let me know what you think of this approach.
put the game in... a few studio names pop up (fun first) and then the main menu -
4 or 5 options here, new game, load game, settings and extras... or something to that degree.
click new game... screen fades to black.
while the screen is still black, the player hears rustling and movement through the woods (broken twigs, crunching of leaves) it is nighttime with a full moon(you catch glimpses of it through the dense trees as the camera keeps up with Merle... then the player can see the back of Merle from about 10 feet away as he makes his rush through the woods.
Finally he makes it to the edge of the woods and proceeds through the long grass just before the sandy beach that awaits him...(IMPORTANT: as soon as he exits the woods, the camera shifts to the side and sees him not from behind anymore, but from the side with a wide angle shot...
He moves toward the shoreline and steps a few feet into the water, and as he does this, the camera goes from the side shot, and loops back around behind him and you get a glimpse of what he is attracted to... black ships.. a row of black ships on the horizon moving toward him with a low bass tone. then maybe you see his awestruck face and then bam!.. he wakes up in his bed, atop the hill on a sunny morning.
Merle shifts his feet off his bed, scratches his head and maybe a text box comes up, or even he says aloud "black ships in the sky... I wonder what it means?"...
so... now, you explore your house for a second, and then proceed to town with a reason.. like maybe someone left a letter on your doorstep or some other type of intrigue to explore from the start, it has to be fun remember.
next you leave your house on the hill, proceed to run down the path towards town. I'm not sure what you do in terms of getting acquainted with the movements and play style.. but I would like to see you actually end up on the beach in your dreams somehow(maybe you need to visit someone or fetch something of importance)...
I have some other ideas that will act as fillers for time and story building- let me know what you think of this approach.
Character Outfitters
SO, there needs to be some rules on what the characters apparel and gear:
-Boots: He needs to be able to run on a lot of terrain so he needs to have boots (reference Link's boots only a little more rugged looking-must be able to handle running on rocks/snow/water etc..)
- Gloves: Any decent hero has some gloves; no one can handle the world of swords bare-fisted. Making the gloves iconic is not a bad idea- it reinforces the gravity of his hands making them seem important (this can be done through bright color or just a simple design tweak)
- Pants / Shorts: Referencing several FF characters the "half-pants-half-shorts" look isn't bad but it needs to be unique some how. No good having a character running around slaying in Levi's. Pants can make or break an outfit- Baggy is no good- can't run and jump high in baggy pants. perhaps some small pieces of armor around the shin and knee like a soccer shin-guard that covers the top of the boot as well.
- Shirt / Jacket: Perhaps the sleeves on his shirt are not full-length but like a baseball shirt- just down below the elbow. If he is on a beach he can't be wearing a jacket- but up in the north mountains where its cold and snowy he needs to not freeze balls.
- Hat / Helmet : It would make sense for Merle to rock a helm, but it doesn't have to be. It is dependent on whether or not his hair is of any specific design. I vote for a hat at least of some kind- just to complete the outfit (boots, gloves, hat... ) He needs to be ready for all types of things on this adventure- a hat is almost always crucial. Bilbo forgets his hat in the beginning of the Hobbit (which I have just picked up again) and doesn't want to continue without it! (luckily Dwalin allows Bilbo a spare cloak and hood!)
:: Extras ::
- weapon: Clearly he needs a sword. It needs to be tailored to cutting all types of material: flesh, bone, armor, scales, thick monster skin.. It needs to be believable. As if you swung the blade at a robot you might just cut it in half. But not too realistically sized- that takes away from the fantasy fun of it. If the sword has any kind of power to it, perhaps it emits a light or a dim glow when the lights are down. Example: The blade reacts to the stars when you are running around outside at night... something alone those lines to create a deeper picture of your weapon. Merle's sword MUST be iconic.
- Scarf: I think we agree a scarf is a good idea. It is not a new idea (Kane from soul reaver, Star destroyer from force unleashed, Vincent valentine..) but it comes with a good description of the character that dons it. Scarves are not for everyone, thats why it is good to have a main character with one (or ever an enemy)
-Boots: He needs to be able to run on a lot of terrain so he needs to have boots (reference Link's boots only a little more rugged looking-must be able to handle running on rocks/snow/water etc..)
- Gloves: Any decent hero has some gloves; no one can handle the world of swords bare-fisted. Making the gloves iconic is not a bad idea- it reinforces the gravity of his hands making them seem important (this can be done through bright color or just a simple design tweak)
- Pants / Shorts: Referencing several FF characters the "half-pants-half-shorts" look isn't bad but it needs to be unique some how. No good having a character running around slaying in Levi's. Pants can make or break an outfit- Baggy is no good- can't run and jump high in baggy pants. perhaps some small pieces of armor around the shin and knee like a soccer shin-guard that covers the top of the boot as well.
- Shirt / Jacket: Perhaps the sleeves on his shirt are not full-length but like a baseball shirt- just down below the elbow. If he is on a beach he can't be wearing a jacket- but up in the north mountains where its cold and snowy he needs to not freeze balls.
- Hat / Helmet : It would make sense for Merle to rock a helm, but it doesn't have to be. It is dependent on whether or not his hair is of any specific design. I vote for a hat at least of some kind- just to complete the outfit (boots, gloves, hat... ) He needs to be ready for all types of things on this adventure- a hat is almost always crucial. Bilbo forgets his hat in the beginning of the Hobbit (which I have just picked up again) and doesn't want to continue without it! (luckily Dwalin allows Bilbo a spare cloak and hood!)
:: Extras ::
- weapon: Clearly he needs a sword. It needs to be tailored to cutting all types of material: flesh, bone, armor, scales, thick monster skin.. It needs to be believable. As if you swung the blade at a robot you might just cut it in half. But not too realistically sized- that takes away from the fantasy fun of it. If the sword has any kind of power to it, perhaps it emits a light or a dim glow when the lights are down. Example: The blade reacts to the stars when you are running around outside at night... something alone those lines to create a deeper picture of your weapon. Merle's sword MUST be iconic.
- Scarf: I think we agree a scarf is a good idea. It is not a new idea (Kane from soul reaver, Star destroyer from force unleashed, Vincent valentine..) but it comes with a good description of the character that dons it. Scarves are not for everyone, thats why it is good to have a main character with one (or ever an enemy)
Monday, January 31, 2011
Excellent posts so far- especially the story's dos and don'ts. It is very key too always be aware of dry spells and scenes that feel like fillers rather than enhancers. As for the main character, the pose and posture is interesting, and the examples are great. So far we have concluded that the main character is "well grounded" and is modest. So I think his stature and physique should differ quite a bit from, say, Sora's. Sora feels like a stiff breeze would blow him over, but he also looks like an adventurer from the start so its taking one for the other, depending on the actual character traits and body type. Love that sense of purpose that Tidus has in the water with his sword, that's what Merle needs too. He needs to fit in the world and have reasons to either protect it, explore it etc. We definitely need to show sketches of what he should look like to further nail it down before we continue with other aspects of the game, so we can move on to other things. Without the vision we are still in the dark about who is driving the game. However, i'm not saying that we shouldn't read up on everything we can tho...
How to Write a Video Game Script- bill kalif
Write An Executive overview of the story in prose
This is the most important part of your game script and this is what will sink or float your script. This overview has to tell a compelling and unique story and it should tell the complete story from the opening scene of the game through the major steps all the way to the completion of the game. An overview like this can be almost any size and it would be very easy for this to be ten written pages or more. Remember that today's video games are very complex and the stories can be very complex. This overview is also the most important part of the script. You would shop this to game developers to see if they are interested in developing it into a game.
Write a History and Background of the world
Video games are complete worlds and game designers need to know what the world is like and what kind of history it has. This will help the designers to visualize what the world will look like.
Create a Flowchart for the entire game
Your game is going to be very complex and there will be many decisions that the player will have to make and each decision opens up a whole new path for the player to take. Creating a flowchart is the best way to keep track of all the possible paths through the game.
Create sub-quests and write a prose overview of each quest
Sub quests can be simple or complex but each one is a story in itself and you must tell these stories.
Create character descriptions and bios for all the major characters in the game.
Game designers need a complete picture of the characters in the game. Many of the non-player characters you create will pop up time and time again. And their story is woven deeply into the fabric of your world. You need to describe this relationship in detail to the game designers.
Write interactions with non-player characters
Your game will probably involve interaction with non-player characters (NPC's). You should write out the dialogue and flowchart the choices the game player can make. These interactions are often critical to the story and they can take the player on very different paths toward the conclusion of the game.
Write Cut scenes
Cut Scenes are short animations or movies that come before or after major plot points in your story. A cut scene should always be written to enhance or describe the story. A cut scene is also a reward given to the player for achieving a major milestone in game play.
Writing the actual storyboard script
This is the final step in the whole video game script writing process and it is the most detailed. You do this step last because you need all the supporting materials to understand and describe this correctly. This part is very similar to that of a movie script. You progress through each scene of your story and you detail all the necessary information. Here is an example:
Scene 1:
Location: A dark cathedral with stained glass windows. An NPC is kneeling before a stone casket in the center of the main room
Music: background music of an organ playing introduces the scene but subsides
Characters: Main player, NPC named Thomas, seven were creatures
Player Goal: Discover the location of the underground lair
Action: Player must initiate discussion with Thomas, upon first contact we activate cut scene (1) where Thomas morphs into a were-creature and summons his were-minions. Main character must battle the were-minions then re-initiate discussion with Thomas.
Flowchart: No decisions made at this point: If battle is completed Thomas reveals the entrance to the underground lair and player advances to that level. If player is defeated in battle revert to death cut scene (11) and move to try again screen.
Notes: Player is locked in the cathedral and there is no exit. The only viable way out is to initiate contact with Thomas. Random were-creatures can be activated if player explores cathedral before talking with NPC.
Scene End
When writing a video game script you have to remember that your primary audience is not the game player but the game developer and what the developer needs is a complete picture of what your game is about. This means that you are not just writing a story but you are creating a world complete with a tone, sounds, characters, story, plot, and subplots. To successfully communicate this to the developer you need to use a whole set of creative tools and this is where video game scripts depart from normal scripts and open up a whole realm of creative possibilities.
This is the most important part of your game script and this is what will sink or float your script. This overview has to tell a compelling and unique story and it should tell the complete story from the opening scene of the game through the major steps all the way to the completion of the game. An overview like this can be almost any size and it would be very easy for this to be ten written pages or more. Remember that today's video games are very complex and the stories can be very complex. This overview is also the most important part of the script. You would shop this to game developers to see if they are interested in developing it into a game.
Write a History and Background of the world
Video games are complete worlds and game designers need to know what the world is like and what kind of history it has. This will help the designers to visualize what the world will look like.
Create a Flowchart for the entire game
Your game is going to be very complex and there will be many decisions that the player will have to make and each decision opens up a whole new path for the player to take. Creating a flowchart is the best way to keep track of all the possible paths through the game.
Create sub-quests and write a prose overview of each quest
Sub quests can be simple or complex but each one is a story in itself and you must tell these stories.
Create character descriptions and bios for all the major characters in the game.
Game designers need a complete picture of the characters in the game. Many of the non-player characters you create will pop up time and time again. And their story is woven deeply into the fabric of your world. You need to describe this relationship in detail to the game designers.
Write interactions with non-player characters
Your game will probably involve interaction with non-player characters (NPC's). You should write out the dialogue and flowchart the choices the game player can make. These interactions are often critical to the story and they can take the player on very different paths toward the conclusion of the game.
Write Cut scenes
Cut Scenes are short animations or movies that come before or after major plot points in your story. A cut scene should always be written to enhance or describe the story. A cut scene is also a reward given to the player for achieving a major milestone in game play.
Writing the actual storyboard script
This is the final step in the whole video game script writing process and it is the most detailed. You do this step last because you need all the supporting materials to understand and describe this correctly. This part is very similar to that of a movie script. You progress through each scene of your story and you detail all the necessary information. Here is an example:
Scene 1:
Location: A dark cathedral with stained glass windows. An NPC is kneeling before a stone casket in the center of the main room
Music: background music of an organ playing introduces the scene but subsides
Characters: Main player, NPC named Thomas, seven were creatures
Player Goal: Discover the location of the underground lair
Action: Player must initiate discussion with Thomas, upon first contact we activate cut scene (1) where Thomas morphs into a were-creature and summons his were-minions. Main character must battle the were-minions then re-initiate discussion with Thomas.
Flowchart: No decisions made at this point: If battle is completed Thomas reveals the entrance to the underground lair and player advances to that level. If player is defeated in battle revert to death cut scene (11) and move to try again screen.
Notes: Player is locked in the cathedral and there is no exit. The only viable way out is to initiate contact with Thomas. Random were-creatures can be activated if player explores cathedral before talking with NPC.
Scene End
When writing a video game script you have to remember that your primary audience is not the game player but the game developer and what the developer needs is a complete picture of what your game is about. This means that you are not just writing a story but you are creating a world complete with a tone, sounds, characters, story, plot, and subplots. To successfully communicate this to the developer you need to use a whole set of creative tools and this is where video game scripts depart from normal scripts and open up a whole realm of creative possibilities.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Story Arc
I. Starting in Merles' hometown
a) Explore
b) Learn Controls and Leveling System*
II. Arrival of 'others' via Large Carrier ships / airships
a) discuss why ships have shown up
b) thicken story plot / learn more about the world
III. Leave hometown on cargo ship in secret
a) explore ship, find items revealing truth about mission
IV. Ship is capsized by giant creature during a stormy night
a) first glimpse of large monsters
V. Wake up on an unknown beach
a) recover gear/ party members
b) explore terrain / fight a lot
c) many upgrades and bulk of leveling
d) discover truths about world and creatures
VI. Discover new 'catalyst'
a) Final boss moments
b) resolve story
VII. Return home: everything destroyed. have to leave again.
End Game.
a) Explore
b) Learn Controls and Leveling System*
II. Arrival of 'others' via Large Carrier ships / airships
a) discuss why ships have shown up
b) thicken story plot / learn more about the world
III. Leave hometown on cargo ship in secret
a) explore ship, find items revealing truth about mission
IV. Ship is capsized by giant creature during a stormy night
a) first glimpse of large monsters
V. Wake up on an unknown beach
a) recover gear/ party members
b) explore terrain / fight a lot
c) many upgrades and bulk of leveling
d) discover truths about world and creatures
VI. Discover new 'catalyst'
a) Final boss moments
b) resolve story
VII. Return home: everything destroyed. have to leave again.
End Game.
Friday, January 21, 2011
game design-
ok. Now, we have mentioned that we want to introduce ships alongside naturalistic landscapes and characters. Being that this approach has been done to death, namely with the FF series, it is up to us to make each element unique to the games aesthetic. SO... it would behoove us to start brainstorming what we want the style of the game to be. What does it look like, how do the characters act, what does the world feel like to be in and how does the main character and others fit into the levels and overall visual design. We need people to look at it and say, hey that looks cool AND different. Its not enough to say oh it looks cool, and throw it in, In other words, we need to have methods for the madness.
We have a main character established, well.. at least his name, Merle. So the next logical step would be to flush the character out until we are satisfied with how he looks. GOAL 1: Establish a main character fully, covering everything from age, clothes, weapon and motivations. Once we get him established, we can move on, but not until this happens, otherwise we will floating around without a catalyst. -N8B.
We have a main character established, well.. at least his name, Merle. So the next logical step would be to flush the character out until we are satisfied with how he looks. GOAL 1: Establish a main character fully, covering everything from age, clothes, weapon and motivations. Once we get him established, we can move on, but not until this happens, otherwise we will floating around without a catalyst. -N8B.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)