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HOW SHOULD I GO ABOUT WRITING THE STORY FOR A GAME?
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pyrodoom
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CloseI normally write my stories as if I'm writing a book, except without dialouge. I normally don't write dialouge, and try and type things the characters would say off the top of my head, just trying to make sense. I sometimes write down ideas, plot, characters, stuff like that. But that apparently doesn't work for me, because it all, still is somewhat random. And I run into problems where I run out of ideas. I need to think it through a bit more, I know. But the way I write stories, won't alllow me, but it's the only way I know how to write now. I need some help.
I canceled a project "Am I Evil?" for RPG Maker VX, it was just a test anyway. Super Mario Seasons is my official project write now. And really, I know I will finish Mario Seasons soon, but I'm a bit bored. And as a side-project, I started making sprites for a game "Sonic Humans"
Now "Super Mario Seasons", "Sonic Humans", and "Really Augumented Virtual Reallity" on my shoulders, and I know one of them will bite the dust. I think it will be "Really Augumented Virtual Reallity", but I'm not sure. So to make this topic more clear, I'm asking for a way to write the story for Sonic Humans, without it blowing up in my face.
Oh, and by the way. I really need a place to store my ideas for new games, so I don't start making too many games, and without fear of losing it. :(
I canceled a project "Am I Evil?" for RPG Maker VX, it was just a test anyway. Super Mario Seasons is my official project write now. And really, I know I will finish Mario Seasons soon, but I'm a bit bored. And as a side-project, I started making sprites for a game "Sonic Humans"
Now "Super Mario Seasons", "Sonic Humans", and "Really Augumented Virtual Reallity" on my shoulders, and I know one of them will bite the dust. I think it will be "Really Augumented Virtual Reallity", but I'm not sure. So to make this topic more clear, I'm asking for a way to write the story for Sonic Humans, without it blowing up in my face.
Oh, and by the way. I really need a place to store my ideas for new games, so I don't start making too many games, and without fear of losing it. :(
WonderPup
50
I tend to come up with a very rough outline for my characters. Then, I write out the scenes. Some times, the scenes deviate from my original plan, because the characters won't allow things to go how I planned. That sounds strange, but I won't force things on a character for the sake of the story; I present events to my characters, and I write their responses based on their personalities. It can be a little frustrating at times.
But I feel that if you aren't writing your dialogue, you can't accurately chart your course.
But I feel that if you aren't writing your dialogue, you can't accurately chart your course.
author=WonderPup
I tend to come up with a very rough outline for my characters. Then, I write out the scenes. Some times, the scenes deviate from my original plan, because the characters won't allow things to go how I planned. That sounds strange, but I won't force things on a character for the sake of the story; I present events to my characters, and I write their responses based on their personalities. It can be a little frustrating at times.
But I feel that if you aren't writing your dialogue, you can't accurately chart your course.
Seeing as it's a Sonic game, I would go by the personality of the characters they are. Sonic, Shadow, and Silver. I do have a plan for 2 fan characters to be part of the game, a human Pyro and Evil Pyro. Very slight differences would be in there sprites.
How do you go about writing those scenes then?
WonderPup
50
Well, I just start writing. I may begin a scene with typical interactions between characters - banter or whatever - until a catalyst is introduced. Then, the characters react to this in accordance with their personalities.
It can sometimes have unintended consequences, like I said, where the plot starts to get off course. When that happens, I see if it's possible to rein it back in. Occasionally, it's not. In that case, I may have to weak things down stream in the plot to maintain whatever it is I'm trying to convey/tell/illustrate. You just have to maintain continuity with your characters and have their actions be true.
Whenever I read a character doing something uncharacteristic in a story, I usually quit reading.
It can sometimes have unintended consequences, like I said, where the plot starts to get off course. When that happens, I see if it's possible to rein it back in. Occasionally, it's not. In that case, I may have to weak things down stream in the plot to maintain whatever it is I'm trying to convey/tell/illustrate. You just have to maintain continuity with your characters and have their actions be true.
Whenever I read a character doing something uncharacteristic in a story, I usually quit reading.
author=pyrodoom
Oh, and by the way. I really need a place to store my ideas for new games, so I don't start making too many games, and without fear of losing it. :(
I find that putting stuff into Notepad helps to sort ideas. Or, you know, an actual, physical notepad. It depends how ideas come to you, and where you are when they come to you.
Do not be afraid of writing things down in a stream-of-consciousness manner! Some of my best (and worst) ideas have come from stream-of-consciousness writing.
author=Marrendauthor=pyrodoomI find that putting stuff into Notepad helps to sort ideas. Or, you know, an actual, physical notepad. It depends how ideas come to you, and where you are when they come to you.
Oh, and by the way. I really need a place to store my ideas for new games, so I don't start making too many games, and without fear of losing it. :(
Do not be afraid of writing things down in a stream-of-consciousness manner! Some of my best (and worst) ideas have come from stream-of-consciousness writing.
Well, there are a few problems. If I put it on a computer, the PC may crash, and I will lose everything I have, plus I don't have my own flashdrive, to save it on. My dad has the only one. And a real notepad, my brother, parents, and even people who come to the house may be sneaky, and decide to look in it, and then put it somewhere I wouldn't expect it to be. Plus, I'm very forgetful. :(
I write down everything. Like, as soon as I get an idea for anything I will tap it into my phone memo's for later use. I am.. very forgetful.. >_>
I start by waiting for a gimmick or main plot point to hit me (normally at weird times). For example, I was watching a Bounty advert earlier and it involved a desert island, so I started thinking about a game where you're on a plane to some destination or whatever and you have to pick your seat. The plane OBVIOUSLY crashes into the sea (because planes must crash in games/films/books) and you just so happen to save the person you chose to sit by. That person becomes your companion on a desert island and you could play the game over and over again with different companions from the plane. I rarely sit down and think, "I need a plot, let's make one" or my brain explodes.
Then I go on a walk, listen to some music and think of cool scenes that might happen in the game or the relationships between the characters and write all that down. Later on, I'll develop those ideas into something better or scrap the worse ones. Maybe there's a fight between the two survivors and they split up, or maybe one of them is very clingy and can't bear to be alone.
Like Marrend said, don't worry about making it too stream-of-consciousness or even keeping a journal of your thoughts. Or even recording yourself speak as you think so you can listen back on ideas. Or even roleplaying in your head. Take the position of each character and really try to make them feel realistic.
I once read a bit of a book by a guy who wrote comic books, and he said you should aim to tack "and" onto the end of every sentence. Don't just say "he's a 14 year old boy," say "... and he's got red hair.. and he plays the trumpet.. and he collects spiders.. and his parents were murdered by spiders.."
From what I gather from your situation, you've got too many ideas which you think are too unrelated to be within the same universe. What you need to do is put them all into the same world without them seeming too disjointed, or scrap various ideas which you don't think are quite so cool as the others. You can come back to them later, but if they were really that cool, you'd have no doubts on which to pick.
I start by waiting for a gimmick or main plot point to hit me (normally at weird times). For example, I was watching a Bounty advert earlier and it involved a desert island, so I started thinking about a game where you're on a plane to some destination or whatever and you have to pick your seat. The plane OBVIOUSLY crashes into the sea (because planes must crash in games/films/books) and you just so happen to save the person you chose to sit by. That person becomes your companion on a desert island and you could play the game over and over again with different companions from the plane. I rarely sit down and think, "I need a plot, let's make one" or my brain explodes.
Then I go on a walk, listen to some music and think of cool scenes that might happen in the game or the relationships between the characters and write all that down. Later on, I'll develop those ideas into something better or scrap the worse ones. Maybe there's a fight between the two survivors and they split up, or maybe one of them is very clingy and can't bear to be alone.
Like Marrend said, don't worry about making it too stream-of-consciousness or even keeping a journal of your thoughts. Or even recording yourself speak as you think so you can listen back on ideas. Or even roleplaying in your head. Take the position of each character and really try to make them feel realistic.
I once read a bit of a book by a guy who wrote comic books, and he said you should aim to tack "and" onto the end of every sentence. Don't just say "he's a 14 year old boy," say "... and he's got red hair.. and he plays the trumpet.. and he collects spiders.. and his parents were murdered by spiders.."
From what I gather from your situation, you've got too many ideas which you think are too unrelated to be within the same universe. What you need to do is put them all into the same world without them seeming too disjointed, or scrap various ideas which you don't think are quite so cool as the others. You can come back to them later, but if they were really that cool, you'd have no doubts on which to pick.
Killer Wolf
1235
It is a very low-fi gimmick, but I enjoy using note cards. I write out brief descriptions of characters, the scenes, and any big conversations. I don't try to write a bunch of dialog, I just write a summary of what they would talk about "So and so explains his plan to other guy", and then flesh it out later.
Using notecards, you can shuffle your scenes around (as long as you keep an eye to continuity) to get the feel and pacing you want in the final product.
Using notecards, you can shuffle your scenes around (as long as you keep an eye to continuity) to get the feel and pacing you want in the final product.
author=Caz
I write down everything. Like, as soon as I get an idea for anything I will tap it into my phone memo's for later use. I am.. very forgetful.. >_>
I start by waiting for a gimmick or main plot point to hit me (normally at weird times). For example, I was watching a Bounty advert earlier and it involved a desert island, so I started thinking about a game where you're on a plane to some destination or whatever and you have to pick your seat. The plane OBVIOUSLY crashes into the sea (because planes must crash in games/films/books) and you just so happen to save the person you chose to sit by. That person becomes your companion on a desert island and you could play the game over and over again with different companions from the plane. I rarely sit down and think, "I need a plot, let's make one" or my brain explodes.
Then I go on a walk, listen to some music and think of cool scenes that might happen in the game or the relationships between the characters and write all that down. Later on, I'll develop those ideas into something better or scrap the worse ones. Maybe there's a fight between the two survivors and they split up, or maybe one of them is very clingy and can't bear to be alone.
Like Marrend said, don't worry about making it too stream-of-consciousness or even keeping a journal of your thoughts. Or even recording yourself speak as you think so you can listen back on ideas. Or even roleplaying in your head. Take the position of each character and really try to make them feel realistic.
I once read a bit of a book by a guy who wrote comic books, and he said you should aim to tack "and" onto the end of every sentence. Don't just say "he's a 14 year old boy," say "... and he's got red hair.. and he plays the trumpet.. and he collects spiders.. and his parents were murdered by spiders.."
From what I gather from your situation, you've got too many ideas which you think are too unrelated to be within the same universe. What you need to do is put them all into the same world without them seeming too disjointed, or scrap various ideas which you don't think are quite so cool as the others. You can come back to them later, but if they were really that cool, you'd have no doubts on which to pick.
I was thinkking of putting Sonic, Silver, and Shadow in the game "Really Augumented Virtual Reality", because why just stop at a Lavender Town reference? I should go even further! But then, I think of the problems, what I think of it, and what others may think of it. I did that with the Sonic Human characters, but not Lavender Town. Lavender Town was just an idea I wanted to use at the time, no matter what others said. The Sonic Humans wouldn't make sense in a virtual world where Shadow creatures and Light creatures are fighting to know who will take over. Plus, you do a few things alike to what I do. Such as getting ideas at random or strange times, such as a video I watched we gave me the idea for a game. "Sonic Humans"
And funnily enough, I paused in the making of this post, starting listening to a song, and it helped me come up with the plot. I do roleplay the characters, I do think of their personalities when making their responses to what's going on around them, the only thing I don't do, is write dialouge. But now I know what to do, I have a plan.
Start the way I normally do, plan game plot, story ideas, characters, bla bla bla.
But then I go about it here, where I try the 'chapter' idea, so I have stopping places, and I will summarize certain things that characters do, such as a fighting scene between 2 characters(in this case I will use Sonic vs. Evil Pyro)
Sonic says "(whatever he says)" -Fight begins between Sonic and Evil Pyro-
Tell me if my plan has something wrong in it, and if there is something wrong with it, tell me what it is. I would love to hear it. Here are the videos that are giving me ideas right now:
This is the plot idea video(the video I got my plot idea from).
This is the character and theme song idea video(where I got the song for the game's title screen, and the picture that helped me make some sprites)
Anything else?
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
If you want advice on how to go about planning the story for your game, read this excellent article.
http://rpgmaker.net/games/4305/blog/8136/
http://rpgmaker.net/games/4305/blog/8136/
I don't see anything wrong with the way you're doing things now, but damn, LockeZ just gave you the most AWESOME article on writing a story. Take the advice in the article and use it to spruce up your current methods!
Also, if I feel that words don't do the scene I want justice, I'll get out my notepad and draw a crude picture of the scene happening. I can always put that into nicer words later. It doesn't really matter what the picture looks like to anyone else, because I'm the only one who needs to understand the reasoning behind it.
Also, if I feel that words don't do the scene I want justice, I'll get out my notepad and draw a crude picture of the scene happening. I can always put that into nicer words later. It doesn't really matter what the picture looks like to anyone else, because I'm the only one who needs to understand the reasoning behind it.
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