Looking back - My MA

Well - what is the best way to surmise my MA games design project?

It didn't start out perfectly, it had a great middle and a less impressive end. 

Well, that might be a little too short and critical.

I started the degree while I was working at a computer games company (CCP Games) as a QA tester, which lead the focus of my project towards what the company was interested in. As such, my original plan for the degree was to research the concept of mid-core games as a market and tablet gaming. I should point out that I personally held no interest in these subjects, but I was swept up in my first job at a AAA games company. Once that contract ended and I came back home I started to realize that my own interests lay in a completely different direction - I also found out that mid-core was a bum-theory and I had little to no interest in the overly saturated tablet gaming market.

I started looking into tabletop role-playing games and storytelling systems as they are something I am absolutely interested in. I always found that when I played role-playing games with friends I always seemed to have different priorities and desires to the other players around the table; I later found that I was trying to reap a different emotional reward to the other players, which made me realize that there were many different emotional rewards that role-playing games can deliver to their players, and even different ones to aim for!

I settled on trying to solve a question the disparity between my interests and the interests of my friends raised - which boiled down to why they liked creating stories anywhere but the role-playing table. I found that It came down to a lack of creative boundaries and jumping off points which are integral to simplifying and streamlining the creative process into something entertaining. To prove my hypothesis I created Preposterous!

The Preposterous box

Preposterous was a rather successful game, it proved that given the right creative boundaries and jumping off points players enjoyed the process of telling stories. It was my favorite part of the project and I wish I had stuck to my guns and tried to make the tabletop role-playing game based around the same findings. However, I wanted to make a digital game and explore my theory on how random chance might be able to a more immersive role-playing experience in a choose-your-own adventure plot.

The final part of my project was a huge undertaking - perhaps far too much for the time slot and a little too ambitions for myself. Trying to learn Actionscript 3.0 enough to make a game that didn't lend itself well to tutorials was the first hurdle that tripped me up, the 80K+ writing was a rather tall order also. If it weren't for my contracted artist (Rebecca MIchalak) I wouldn't have even been able to finish the analogue version of Wasteland (working title).

If I had the time to do this all again I would cut the desire to work in a digital format and the part where I stopped looking into what I wasn't interested in - that being said, I am not sure that things would've been any different any other way. Overall I am impressed with what I was able to achieve, it might not be perfect but I don't think anything ever hits the deadline completely finished.

Wasteland - the Analogue version

Cover of Wasteland

The finished Wasteland product - well, almost. Due to timing constraints I had to send the book off to print before I could finish the proof read! Luckily, I will be able to proof read the document before the hand-in. It is too bad that the actual book is nothing more than a layout and display piece, however I couldn't chance the book not arriving before the hand-in.

I am pleased with how the project has gone - the analogue version is an almost-perfect representation of the games system; a few of the more dynamic parts of the game have been removed but overall the system has benefited from the analogue system. I wasn't expecting the book itself to be as long as it turned out, but I was trying to create something that diverted from the usual methods creators of such games use to shorten their pieces. What else could I expect?

If there is anything I learnt from this project it is this: I really ramble when I type.

It's something that has become more and more apparent to me through this blog and writing that book; a lot of the writing I did could do with iteration and re-writing. But that's something I will have to work on in the future, it is unfortunately not possible before the end of this project.

Well, I am glad to see the project come to a conclusion with a physical representation of my product. It is a choose-your-own adventure game that takes an alternate approach to the illusion of choice in games: instead of there being a right and wrong choice for the protagonist there is a series of jumping off points to lead the player in their choices, two or three options and multiple outcomes for each.

A change of plan

After a few months of trying to learn Actionscript 3.0 and implement my game I have been forced to scrap the digital part of my project, while this is disheartening I believe that due to the time constraints it would be impossible to get the Flash game to a finished state in time. I believe that I failed to account for the amount of bugs that I ran into also failed to account to exactly how much text would be involved in this text-based adventure. If I would have had it all to do again I would have started this process much sooner, but that's neither here nor there!

It seems a shame to throw all of this code away... It was by no means early figuring out how to half-get this game working. I did learn a lot about AS3 during this process, overall I learnt that there will always be bugs and things will always take longer than you think.

I plan to continue the same project, instead producing it as a choose your own ending book with a twist! I will have to include a random chance system to maintain the same system however I believe it is more manageable than trying to maintain the digital interface.

Current story structure - expanded

Flash Game Story Structure

Gate One

The story begins with the character walking alone on the lonesome highway 89. Land stretching into the distance rolling over dirt hills, the sky an ever changing landscape of unnatural shades of gray cloud dancing like a choppy ocean. It was sickness that drove you from home, people were getting the shakes so bad they couldn't even feed themselves; you knew there was no cure for them and so did they. You were always warned about travelling towards the city but you had no other choice, it was a desert in all other directions and you did not like your chances in the big empty.

Events

Begger - An opportunity for the player to show charity, for better or for worse.
Motel Six - Gives player opportunity to interact with other survivors.
Ambush - Life or death situation, does the player take any chance he can get?
Stand-off - A conflict rages on! Does the player intervene or simply stand by?
Lucky Break - See how much the player believes in luck.
Desolation - Player arrives on a gristly scene, does he respect the dead or be objective?
Flood - Another risk-reward situation for the player to undertake or ignore.
Illness - Player gets the shakes! Does he risk stopping to heal or ignore it?
Emptiness - Chance to see what the player does when (s)he thinks nobody is watching.
Friends - Jealousy measure event, what will player do out of spite to nice people.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gate Two

Camping one night you hear voices coming from the road, to your suprise a group of 6 individuals come towards you. Although they are armed they ask to share your fire and appear very friendly, over the evening you get to know them and they seem to have similar goals and outlooks to your own. They offer to bring you along as a member of their group, they even offer you a gun. They do warn you that you are unlikely to survive the journey any further on your own. What choice do you have?

Events

Disagreement - Group disagreement turns hostile, chance for player to pick sides!
Food Crisis - Not enough food for group, do you risk starvation or turn cannibal?
Slavery - Slavery company block path and demand a group member, do you fight or give up?
Ill Weather - The beginnings of a romance for the player, allows them to show if they like x.
No Man's Land - Group find a minefield, does the player test his luck or risk somebody else?
Warzone - Caught between a gang and slavers, do you intervene or hide from injustice.
Desolation - Gives the player the option to attempt to dick over the group he is with.
Slavery Sale - Gives player an opportunity to either set aside morals or stand up for them.
Mutant Dogs - Does the player truly believe that Nobody gets left behind?
Missing - Member of group goes missing, group panics! What will player do?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gate Three

After a long and very tense journey the group hit the city limits, you camp out at the edge of the city and they tell you that this is where you and they part ways. They allow you to keep the gun and slip away one morning before you awaken, you are sad to see them go but you are finally at the city. Now you have to try and find the society your parents grew up in.

Events

Cruelty - You witness an act of injustice, another chance to be a bystander or to intervene.
Hold-up - Help up at knifepoint, since you have a gun do you threaten him or kill him
Storehouse - You find somebody's store of food, do you take what you can or leave it?
Romance - You meet a mysterious stranger who seeks affection from you, do you believe in love?
Help - A man pulls a gun on you and then almost falls to his death! Do you help him or not?
City-state - You find an insular society hidden away, they invite you in, do you steal or not?
Sewers - You are forced into the sewers by raiding parties, Do you explore or exit again?
Ruin Diving - A flooded stairwell underground, you find hidden water still, steal it or leave it?
The Collapse - Climbing an overturned building, it begins to shake! Do you hold on or run?
The Smog - A billowing smog begins to choke you, do you seek higher ground or lower ground?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gate Four

You hear a scream coming from another building over, you recognize a voice, it is the members of your previous group! You make your way over and see that she is caught in a blunted bear trap that was hidden in a small pass, you turn just in time to see the eyes of a wild, dangerous looking woman who hits you square between the eyes. You flutter back into consciousness in a makeshift jain cell with others who seem to have been caught the same way.

Events

Feeding time! - You are starved, the guard gives you a fresh human arm to eat! Do you do it?
Stockholm - Attractive guard befriends you, eventually the relation deepens, sleep with or not?
Gang Politics - Guards argue with one another, do you turn them against each other or not?
The Hunger - the gang contemplate eating somebody and make you vote! Who do you vote for?
Escape Attempt - Two prisoners hatch escape attempt, do you go with them or stay in safety?
Sickness - One person in prison shows signs of zombification! Guards ignore, wait for it or kill?
Blood Sport - You and another are thrown into a ring to fight, finish him off or refuse to kill?
Pack Mentality - Big guy starts to bully prisoners, do you beat him into submission or submit?
Dog Eat Dog - As a joke the guards throw a rabid dog into the cell for 'lunch', how do you deal with it?
The attack - Another gang attacks your captors, use the chance to escape? Do you trust them?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gate Five

The guard that favours you helps you to escape, however while you run into the dark subway system you hear the gang yelling after you - it is blood sport. You are the prey and they are the predators, you struggle to navigate your way around in the dark, doing your best to stay one step ahead of the hunters as they scream profanities and scrape the walls in their hunting frenzy.

Events

Close Call - a torch bearing group runs deathly close to you, run or stay perfectly still?
Survivor - You run across another victim, they know a lot about it... trust or kill?
Exit - You find a ray of sunlight, an exit perhaps? It is out in the open, go or not?
Flooded - chased towards a flooded tunnel, swim into the depths or find another route?
Power - You find a circuit breaker, you could light subway system! Use lights or not?
One on One - You run into the cell guard you liked, do you kill him or love him?
Scouts - You meet another group in the sewers, do you warn them about the hunters?
Music - You hear beautiful singing, smell food, see a beautiful woman, is it a trap?
Argument - Three hunters argue over some cans, evade them or steal the food?
Collapse - You are caught dead to rights, a cave in starts! Take cover or run for it!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gate Six

The ending of the story is different depending on the choices and stats of the characters. The ten different endings are listed below:

violence - You find a automatic rifle and ammo, payback time! You hunt & kill them all!
Mutual - They chase you into a strange room, you open a door and zombies kill you all!
Stockholm - They corner you and you kill one of them, this was an interview, you passed!
Bleak - You escape this situation, see the world and realise that you've escaped nothing.
Meaningless - You find your way out of the city and live a long and normal life after all.
Cannibal - You find a body in the subway and realise you thirst for human flesh!
Lucky - You make a ridiculously lucky escape from it all and feel lucky.
Hopeful - Cornered, trapped, Your original group comes and saves you at the last moment!
Humanitarian - You escape to find a society trying to rebuild humanity, at last you are home.
Romance - You are saved by your romantic interest, you realise love conquers all things!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Expansion on Look and feel

The basic layout for the game will be an appropriate piece of artwork to help the player visualize the current event, then text shall animate into the image slowly, to simulate the speed at which the events occur and add an element of dynamism. As a constant background there will be an off-black backdrop with animated smoke rising from it, along with some bloodstains and other decals. The image to the left is one of the three current proposed layouts, in this layout the artwork covers most of the screen and the text is carefully overlapped over the image to ensure no direct separation. This runs the risk of obscuring the text from the player.

The second proposed layout has a similar layout, with the artwork covering most of the background. However, small cut-always will hold parts of the text (aka. the Choices) to separate them from the events and push attention onto them. The benefit of this is that it clearly separates the choices of the game from the artwork and serves to allow the player to clearly see the artwork.

The final idea for the layout has the artwork as just snippets or 'windows' filling in dynamic shapes over the background, with the text filling all the other space. This has the advantage of making it easier for the player to identify and read the text while allowing the artwork to be less monochrome so as not to interfere with the text. The downside is that the artwork occupies a smaller section of the screen, however I am not sure which of the layouts I prefer at present. The artwork used was taken from the internet and does not exist in the final piece, however the fonts used will probably be used, the title is a working title and will not be in the final project.

Look and feel of proposed flash game

One of the many short stories found throughout Lost Odyssey, this would be the sort of direction I would want to take - with ambiant music, SFX and text animation at this level. I think perhaps a different painted image background for all 50 of the events, the gates and the endings. I would do a similar fade in-out and the buttons would be text that highlighted when selected, I would say that this would be the correct level of visual representation the game would need.

Implementation
At first I was concerned by the amount of content, however, if I used flash to create this game I would not have to code a great deal - most of the code would be the same page copied for different events. animation and music/graphical implementation would also be hassle-free. I might need an artist to create 70 decent images, but I am sure I can find that. SFX are easily found on the internet in large open source areas. Finally If I couldn't find a musician then I myself could create the music using Adobe auditorium. The first act would be to create the story content itself, something I would have to think about a lot (it would be the main content). At the same time I would need to prototype the game, getting a single, linear version of it running so that adding to it would be easy. I feel confidant I could finish this by the end of the degree, since I have over half a year to do it!

What would be the purpose?
Apart from creating a fun, interactive game with good replay value? I have already proven that people find it fun to tell stories, however the method by which I proved this was to randomly give players items and ask them to extrapolate a story. By the same token, I should be able to do the same thing digitally and fire the imagination of the player of my game by introducing random chance and thereby adding value to their choices.

Proposed Flash game - A probability effected choose your own adventure game

Event layout of my proposed CYOA Flash game

So here is my suggestion for a digital storytelling game. This game would be a mixture of constant events and variable events (much like the parallel story structure), however probability will affect every part of the game, meaning that every time the player starts the game up they will have a different story told to them. 

When the game begins the player will choose the character's name and gender, after that they will be presented with a brief back-story, which will comprise of 4 different elements (positive, negative, family and job). This initial event allows for a separation between the player and their character, it allows them to perceive the protagonist as an individual in their own right, since the player did not have the option to choose this back-story. They will then encounter Gate 1, the initial starting event for the story; after that they will encounter a series of 1-5 events, randomly selected from a series of 10 possible events before coming to gate 2. This repeats at all 5 gates. During each event, players are faced with a choice, they may choose either of the two options, the outcome of either could be they were successful at that action or they failed that action. There will also be a possibility for death in some of the events, irregardless of the choices they made. Finally, depending on the pre-generated back story elements to the character, they may gain access to a third option, this option always succeeds. Depending on the choices the player makes at the Final gate they will progress into one of 10 possible endings, the ending they get will be based upon the adventure they have undertaken and how it had effected them.

The intention is to make a text based adventure game that embraces random chance to derive more meaning and emotion from the player; it is harder to care about something when 'death' means you can restart and pick the same options again to receive the same outcome.