Birthing a game (idea)

There is an old topic about this, but I wanted to see if I could rehash it.  I am would really like to hear how others craft stories, but I will share my method as well.  My process is a cycling three step one.  It's good because it allows me to go deeper without getting stuck on any one part of the plot.  The downside is that I am never really done.

The first thing I do is hop in the editor with a rough idea in my mind.  I usually have a title and an idea I want to convey.  I will draw a map, mock up a character or two, make some items, or just do anything that has to do with the concrete gameplay.  I am always thinking about what implications I can make with what I have as I go.

Step two happens outside of whatever development enviroment I am working in.  I take the time to flesh out the lore of my charactors and locations in a word processor.  This can be added to or changed in future cycles.  This is saved in a folder alongside my personal and gathered resources for this game.  Just writing this down helps me to focus my direction.  Now I walk away.

Step three is to go back and polish what I made in step one and previous iterations after reading what I have written.  I will add or edit conversation or rules of the game, create an item based on a the lore, just add personality to the numbers I created earlier.

Repeat these three steps until you are ready to call it quits.  This allows you to have an idea of what your game is, while changing it to meet the needs of your direction.  It was born in my time dungeon mastering as a teen.  You never knew what your players would latch onto.  You would have an idea, but it had to slippery enough to change when your Palidin decided that squirrels were the spawn of some devil.

Now its your turn!

I make a beginning, and an end. I also put in some little plot points here and there.
The rest I just kind of make up as I go along.

Most of my ideas actually develop from dreams I've had. Just a simple, basic idea that I become attached to by being thrown into the scenario in my dreams. Another way I get ideas is that I just let them come to me at random. Sometimes when I daydream at college, driving home, or they come randomly as a result of something someone says.

As for the details? I come up with those as I go. A lot of the details are forced by limitations (such as when I was making a game hack and had no flexibility with the events). Many times, I have to remake parts of the story to accommodate incoming ideas.

There's very few games that I've reached a finishing point for, but I frequently come up with endings on the fly, too. Usually, I aim for something sort of bittersweet. I don't think the player should get through a game, just to see a terrible ending. But I also want something emotionally moving.

For me, there really isn't a method or process. I tend to daydream a lot - just letting my mind wander and such - and sometimes I stumble across something that really piques my curiosity. If I really like it, I'll continue tweaking it until I'm happy with it.

I also tend to merge things if they're compatible enough. I'm sure a lot of people do that, though.

For me, there really isn't a method or process. I tend to daydream a lot - just letting my mind wander and such - and sometimes I stumble across something that really piques my curiosity. If I really like it, I'll continue tweaking it until I'm happy with it.

I also tend to merge things if they're compatible enough. I'm sure a lot of people do that, though.

^Basically that. Combo of daydreaming and actual dreaming for me. ;] I also think it's pretty crucial to merge compatible games - especially when it comes to the "boring" stuff. If you've made a complete database and given up to start another project, why not recycle it?

I usually start out with an idea, anything from a basic story premise to a specific emotion or atmosphere. Then I brainstorm the details and get a clearer idea that could actually be made into a game. This involves creating characters, plot, puzzles, etc. Then I actually make the game in the game engine. Planning the details beforehand helps a lot!

For me, there really isn't a method or process. I tend to daydream a lot - just letting my mind wander and such - and sometimes I stumble across something that really piques my curiosity. If I really like it, I'll continue tweaking it until I'm happy with it.

I also tend to merge things if they're compatible enough. I'm sure a lot of people do that, though.

^Basically that. Combo of daydreaming and actual dreaming for me. ;] I also think it's pretty crucial to merge compatible games - especially when it comes to the "boring" stuff. If you've made a complete database and given up to start another project, why not recycle it?

^Same here as well guys.

Well, it starts with a general plot idea.  If I'm serious about the project, I roughly follow these steps...

Step 1:  I figure out the kind of gameplay I want, followed by some eventing to create said gameplay mechanics.  I find it is much easier to write a story when I know how it will fit with the gameplay.

Step 2:  I write the script (as in the dialogue).  Writing is a passion of mine, and I've found it simply does not work to write the dialogue in the editor.  I use Final Draft, which I would recommend to anyone.  The demo version is free with all the features included.  The only limitation is that you can only save documents of 15 pages or less, so I just save the script in segments, which actually helps later when I polish.  Currently I have one project with over 80 pages of dialogue, and another with maybe 20. 

Step 3:  Put it all together!  Actually, I try to recruit people once I hit this stage.  So far I haven't had the best of luck...  Speaking of which, you can check out one of my current projects here if you're looking for a solid game to contribute to.

Step 4:  Polish everything!  ;-)

-flap