RED_NOVA'S PROFILE

Bug report:

I got a weird-ish error with using the Letter. It pointed me to "Kread-EX Item Charges" line 325. I was only able to get this error when I was in Haven, before going into Purgatory for the first time (I'm kinda assume you can get back to Haven at some point before the end-game.). The weird thing about it is that it seems to work the way it should when I re-checked the item in Purgatory.

Cool. Thanks for telling me. I've fixed it, and the fix will be in the next update. And yes, you go back to Haven every time to clear a Stratum in Purgatory.

I'd really like to see more HP healing in general. With the Childhood Arc, I know it doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense to just find Candy lying around (The blat Arya gives when she finds Candy in that one pot was cute, by the way.), but I'd still like to see something. I dunno. I'm the kind of player that tends to load previous saves when a battle resolves with a KO character. Also, since the game is supposed to be about survival, I'm not sure if this is the right move for this game.

Remember that Arya and Alex have a Wake Up Slap ability which revives anyone that goes down in battle. It's only usable outside of battle though, so that could be something to keep in mind. If someone goes down, they don't have to stay down. But yeah, I've gotten enough feedback about the Childhood Arc being too hard to start making some changes... I'm debating on whether or not Candy should restore more HP or not. How much Candy did you find? Did you find the stash of three Candies behind the church?

Also, keep using Arya's Superguard whenever you can. Nullifying damage is a wonderful thing. Especially when the enemies use Miasma Charge.

That aside, I really, really like this story. I definitely feel attached to Zero, and her plight. What maps in Purgatory that I've seen were pretty neat too.

Thanks!

author=Jeroen_Sol
Emerald was the very first game I played when I got my GBA all those years ago. I do hope they'll make a remake of that too, it would be a shame not to have rayquaza.

Pokemon... Chaos Emerald. Where you can get Sonic as a new Pokemon.

In all seriousness, I played and loved Ruby, but someone stole it from me (And it was right after I caught Groudon too!). This'll be my chance to finally come back and beat it.

author=CashmereCat
The more plot twists, the better. Plot twists, make the story. Without plot twists, your story is a granny story. Sorry, but it's the truth.

Having plot twists just to have plot twists, huh?

... Hideo Kojima, is that you?

The best kind of games tell their story through gameplay.

When you take control of a game character, the gameplay needs to be able to bridge that gap between player and player character. Then, when the plot twist does occur, it will convey the emotional shock that will stick with you forever.

ICO is my favorite game of all time because it blends story and gameplay so perfectly together that you can play it multiple times and still feel the emotional impact that it offers. You spend 90% of the game lugging the only other friendly NPC in the game, Yorda, around by holding hands. That simple act of hand-holding builds up a strong bond between the player and Yorda as you help guide her through obstacles, help her across gaps, and pull her up high ledges. That bond becomes so strong, but you won't even notice or think about it. Until it's too late.

A plot twist occurs near the end and Ico and Yorda are separated. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but the way the twist is handled was so perfect that you will feel for Yorda just as much as the main character did. You don't have to empathize with the characters on screen, because veteran gamers will not have that kind of empathy when they've seen it a thousand other times. Those feelings of helplessness, loss, sadness, and anger all occur directly to YOU, the PLAYER, as well as the main character.

If you're writing a story that has a game to keep you entertained while you go from one plot point to another, you're doing it wrong. Granted, that approach will work if you're trying to create a GAME. But the approach ICO used is what separates games from experiences.

So, to answer the OPs question, it really does depend on what you're setting out to do with your game. If you want to create a good game with a good story, then plot twists are essential. But if you really want to make something from a story-driven standpoint, then you need to have the gameplay help tell the story.

Edit: Holy crap. 5 replies in the time it took me to write this. I am way too long-winded for my own good.

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