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+---- Thread: How would you want a plot to be presented? (/thread-18263.html)
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How would you want a plot to be presented? - Tomato Cat - 09-10-2012
Now, I'm not asking for instruction on creative writing. I'm simply
wondering how this community likes its custom story plots to be
articulated.
Ignoring the cliche, lets say that your character wanted to exact
revenge. How would you want something like that to be presented?
As you probably could tell, I'm working on my own story. And I wanted it
to be rather unique. But I'm having a bit of difficulty in leading the story on and making the player feel the
struggle of the protagonist. Again, I'm not asking for anyone to write the story for me. All I want is your input on what can make an interesting and immersive story, well, interesting and immersive.
RE: How would you want a plot to be presented? - FlawlessHappiness - 09-10-2012
You need to think it all through! What is it gonna end with? Will the player get revenge?
Who is the other person? What kind of revenge?
Then start off with a small teaser, in the start-cutscene.
FG made it easy, because of the fact that Daniel has Amnesia. Then they could put simple diaries from Daniel himself, and that would make the story a little by little.
In case this is not amnesia, you will have to present it another way, like in voice acting.
Use notes rare, and only to present different stuff like: how you start this machine (But presented as a letter from the engineer).
Since i guess the player will be alone in the whole game (Except for monsters, and the final revenge) then i would suggest to make the player talk to himself, or voiceact as if he was thinking.
Also sound, like breaking bottles and a loud scream, presents some story. In this case, somebody died. You don't know who. But you might find out later, when you get to the room where it happened.
Now i don't know your story, but i suggest not making notes that are speaking directly to the player. This seems so unrealistic. How could that person be so sure that the player would find this note?
So a shot resumé: Start-cutscene, voice acting, Player-thinking, sounds, Players voice
RE: How would you want a plot to be presented? - Tomato Cat - 09-10-2012
Thanks for the input. =) And I see what you're saying.
See, my protagonist is an inmate, suffering from memory loss (kind of cliche =/ ), so it wouldn't make so much sense that he left diary pages lying around everywhere. Thus, I'm *trying to* progress the story through diaries and notes left by others. But it feels like the player wouldn't be getting to know the protagonist, even though he makes a commentary on the current events via the mementos section. (I don't think anyone reads the mementos)
Gah, this is probably the most difficult part of custom story creation. >.<
RE: How would you want a plot to be presented? - Robby - 09-10-2012
(09-10-2012, 04:29 PM)Mr Credits Wrote: Gah, this is probably the most difficult part of custom story creation. >.<Story's more important in custom stories. That's what makes players interested. And it ain't easy to create something interesting here nowadays.
RE: How would you want a plot to be presented? - FlawlessHappiness - 09-10-2012
(09-10-2012, 04:29 PM)Mr Credits Wrote: (I don't think anyone reads the mementos)Oh i do!
Remember mementos are something that is going to be there in a longer time, easily access-able and is short. I would prefer to look at my mementos than looking through all my notes to find the info i need.
I use mementos like: "The machinery is broken. I need to fix it somehow". This sets a goal for the player. No goal? No reason to continue.
Having a memento which is going to be there for a lot of levels, is a possibility. But don't make the goal to obvious. Don't say: "I need to get revenge on [PERSON]". More like: "Somebody got killed here!".
RE: How would you want a plot to be presented? - Tomato Cat - 09-10-2012
(09-10-2012, 04:32 PM)Nemet Robert Wrote: Story's more important in custom stories. That's what makes players interested. And it ain't easy to create something interesting here nowadays.I agree. A custom story is an original piece of work. And the story should reflect that.
RE: How would you want a plot to be presented? - Robby - 09-10-2012
(09-10-2012, 04:39 PM)Mr Credits Wrote:I've seen some custom stories that had bad level design, but they were interesting. Their story was the interest here.(09-10-2012, 04:32 PM)Nemet Robert Wrote: Story's more important in custom stories. That's what makes players interested. And it ain't easy to create something interesting here nowadays.I agree. A custom story is an original piece of work. And the story should reflect that.
RE: How would you want a plot to be presented? - Tomato Cat - 09-10-2012
(09-10-2012, 04:41 PM)Nemet Robert Wrote: I've seen some custom stories that had bad level design, but they were interesting. Their story was the interest here.It's always the story that pulls you into the environment. I definitely see how a poor environment can break the experience.
RE: How would you want a plot to be presented? - Theforgot3n1 - 09-10-2012
When you're making a custom story that features a protagonist without Amnesia, then you've basically thrown away a large part of their story-telling system. Flashbacks wouldn't make sense and diaries even less (they didn't make much sense with the Amnesia concept either, but would be even worse), and as I see it, you'd be forced to have the protagonist speak his mind a lot, separating the character from the player.
So even if it follows the same pattern, it's still not a bad pattern by any means. You shouldn't fret over the beginning so much, you can still make the story unique in other ways.
Just wanted to motivate and cheer you on your choice of evidently resigning to the original concept.
RE: How would you want a plot to be presented? - FlawlessHappiness - 09-10-2012
You know what i did was making a different story, next to this one, which on first sight looks completely different, but the two stories ends up connecting