Last updated: Apr 12 2007 - Story
I look around at some projects and a lot of them seem to be either made by the same person or people can't really find anything creative to write.
Story Section
So you want to make a game right? But you don't know what to make it about, so first brainstorm.
What makes a good game? Story, and graphics. Don't worry about graphics, it's pointless to have a cool looking game and a crappy story.
Try to think of something you are familiar with, such as your religion, knowledge of certain sciences, or something you think can drive the hero's environment.
So like in grade 5, when you wrote that little story you had to do for homework, you must first BRAINSTORM.
Who is the protagonist? antagonist? other minor characters?
Where does this take place? What's the culture like here? Is it Democracy, Monarchy or Anarchy?
When does this take place? What year? Era? Is it a special day?
What is taking place? An election? A war?(Cliche, but like all cliche's, it must be done properly)
Why is this taking place? Did the previous king die? Did another country show a threat to the hero's country? Did someone murder his parents or someone he loved?
Don't omit any ideas that come to mind, if it sounds corny at first write it down anyways. After you get a few you like, figure out how to tie these things together.
Post as much information on your topic as you can, but be careful not to spoil anything major.
What not to do:
"[Hero] doesn't know anything about his past, he is the chosen hero of the land of [Location]. He is now on a quest to save the world for no reason what so ever."
That will not work. Why? The hero has no background story, let alone the location. What drives the hero to save his land and from what?
If you want to make the hero mysterious, you must do it in a proper way.
"[Hero] is an amnesiac, lost all his memories of the past 2 years and is in the care of an old women. They live in the town of [Town], in the plains of [Area] outside the capital. The land of [Location] has always been peaceful, but one night a group of pirates burned down [Hero]'s town and left him for dead. On the brink of vengeance [Hero] journeys across the land in search of the evil in which he will face."
See? That is a much better background story. But still isn't there yet.
You want to give as much information as possible without spoiling the plot. So let's make a simple plot first.
"[Organization] is a group of people who believe in a God. This god is one day suppose to free the land of oppression. The hero is a member of this organization and is a faithful member, but little does he know, the organization is really a front for an international conspiracy group."
So that is your plot, but you don't want anybody to know that. So you tell people this.
"[Organization] is a group of people who believe in a God. A god in which will one day free the land of oppression. A low ranking member of this organization is determined to be one of the most faithful, which will inevitably bring him towards the truth."
This will create suspense and will intrigue the reader into possibly playing your game. Now we'll make a title for this game.
Naming your Game, Characters, and Objects
So you got your perfect story, and background information. Now you are ready to name the game, but be cautious not to use the following words:
- Apocalypse
- Darkness
- Chaos
- Legend
- Legacy
Those are HIGHLY cliche words. The thesaurus is there for a reason, please use it. Also make sure to make the name have something to do with your game, not just because you think it's a cool word.
Now characters... Don't give a white guy a japanese name please... just don't... Actually refrain from using "unique" names unless your absolutely sure it's truly unique and suits your character. Don't name them japanese words either...
So you named your character "Ramsus". A suitable name for a god like killing machine. But is your character a little ninja with a dagger? Choose a better name.
Now you need to name your weapons and armor. First thing every game hero starts with is "Bronze Sword" or "Iron Sword". Iron and Bronze aint that weak >.>
And eventually they will use "Katana" and "Masamune" or "Excalibur". If your character uses a long sword to begin with, don't make him use a Katana. Because he doesn't know how to use it.
Don't use cliche'd names like "Masamune" or "Excalibur".
Want a uniquely powerful weapon name? Make up your own.
Back to Story for a sec, Hero's Girlfriend
Ok, so you want your hero to "fall in love with the beautiful princess from the ball the other day". If anyone here ever did fall in love before you should know damn well you don't do it in a single day. Make your hero work for it, and make their character change to show this slowly over time. Only then will he spit the words "I love you".
Things to avoid:
- A healer for a girlfriend (Do you ever fall in love with your nurse? If you do, you got problems)
- A childhood friend (What the hell? So you didn't bother asking her out before? It's too late now buddy, she should have another man. And anyways she's your "Best friend", nothing more.)
- Fall in love the first night (Unless it's Romeo and Juliet, you can't love someone and marry them in one night, unless you two were REALLY drunk.)
- The first girl in the party (Ok, so you spent more time with her, unless done properly don't try this. It is super Cliche, your better off making an NPC your girlfriend)
How to do things properly
I repeated many times how to do things properly, I'll explain how.
Cliche's. OMFG SCARY!!!! But don't worry, you can still use them.
First you want to determine if it's a cliche. So you think it's a cliche or you know it's a cliche. Don't worry, use it in your game. You'll want to change it though, to make it seem original at least.
So "A war broke out over a mana tree, the tree died and a group of totally random heroes will try to save it" can be turned into "A war over a border happened to be taking place near a forest which is home to a mana tree, the war destroyed the forest and the tree making all magic unusable. All elven people will die if a new tree isn't planted, so a hero and his bodyguards are chosen to save the land and it's people."
There, now you have a reason. And if you like you can use the thesaurus to change a few words in the plot for Final Fantasy and you get a story for your own game.
Tip: It's better if your Hero doesn't like being the hero, then you'll be able to have someone motivate him.
That about wraps it up. If you have anything to add, or wish to change feel free to post.
Discord
Light Style