While working non-stop to plan storyline for our current title, it has been tough to keep the story interesting as a whole (the overall story), while at the same time, keep it interesting throughout the game (the smaller plot events). That is to say, we were having difficulty imagining players being continually interested in the story if the entire goal of the game is to get to the end, and nothing really happens between the beginning and end, except for lots of combat and perhaps a few puzzles and basic navigation of the levels.
Yes, when it comes down to it the gameplay is the core component that keeps people playing, but in my eyes, I don't want people to just play the game because it's fun, I want them to play because it's interesting. I want them to get a bit concerned about the story events, and hopefully, laugh when the dialog demands it. So, let me tell you of the system we came up with to organize our story. Perhaps it will help you plan out your stories in the future.
We had the beginning of the game planned out. We had the ending, and we had the climax. Unfortunately, I couldn't really think of specific events that chained those three main events together. We didn't have plot holes, we had plot craters. We're talking Highlander style. If you've waded through the movie Highlander, you will appreciate that analogy. Our Creative Director, Brighton, suggested we divide it up into 15 minute plot segments. He struck oil on that one. Allow me to explain how that small idea (and now a completely obvious to me why-didn't-I-think-of-it concept) saved our story, at least in the planning phases - To be determined by players whether or not it's actually a good story.
Create 15 Minute Plot Segments
The purposes of dividing the game into 15 minute segments is fairly simple. The first one being the obvious; it drives the game. You go here, save someone, go here, save someone else, go here, discover something, go here, encounter a big bad boss, go here, encounter these people, go here, fight these guys, go here... And so on.
The second reason I'd like to point out is that it makes the game incredibly accessible by every one, from the hardcore "I played it for 6 hours straight" gamers to the casual "I had 20 minutes to spare" gamers. Both players will feel like they've accomplished something. If you receive a mini-plot quest, if you want to call them that, you can complete it in about 15 minutes. For gamers who play the game for hours on end, they'll have accomplished lots, and really feel like this game is just moving right along, event after event, so much fun! For someone just picking the game up to play for a short time, they will have accomplished something and have likely received their next goals. The next time they pick up the game, they'll already be eager to find out what's next. I have played so many games (Battlefield: Bad Company's single player mode comes to mind) where I have played for 20 minutes, even an hour, and felt as if I've made no substantial progress in the story. At this point; the game becomes a grind and you really only continue playing it (IF you continue playing it) either A) Hoping it will magically improve or B) To suck easy but monotonous achievements through a straw. I'm not really a fan of the latter, as I'm not really into Achievement milkshakes, so generally at this point I give up and play something else. That is bad. A developer never wants their game to be put down to due lack of interest (when it's new, especially) and/or pure boredom. While I can't say that EA/Dice (developers of Bad Company) didn't try; they have some fun gameplay, but perhaps it's really the poor AI and repetitive singleplayer objectives that really do it. They generally have a new cutscene every 30 minutes. Worth a play? Maybe once, but I didn't really enjoy it as much as I could have. So again; Bad. Keep your player interested throughout.
The third reason is that it's just plain easier to manage from a developmental point of view. If I want to find a specific section of the game, bam! It's right there, nicely sectioned out in it's own 15 minute block. This helps you design your levels more appropriately and really get some idea of what you're trying to convey. In a minute I will give you an example of how our storyline documents look.
How do I create these? What is the process?
Here's how we did it.
Excuse me Sir, do you have directions to...?
First, you decide where the player must go. If he has to travel to a new land, you need to decide how long it will take him to cross the current one. One level? Two? Ten? That's the simple part. Generally the best way to do this is to think up the coolest scenarios you want to put the player through, or perhaps even just some cool scenery you really want them to see. Extreme example? You asked for it:
"It would be so much fun to have the player drive a convertible through an alligator infested canyon desert swamp while being attacked by ninjas from monkey powered helicopters!"
Perhaps too extreme. If you need the player to travel a great distance, let's put them on a river. Now you have a sequence where the player is stuck on a boat, and must fend off the enemy attacks. Halo 2 had multiple instances of this on the level "Delta Halo", where the player is required to ride 'tram cars' across a huge distance while fending off flying enemies, and enemies from opposite-moving tram cars. Does the overall story demand a tram ride? Nope. Is it mega-fun? Yes! Gears of War did this, in some ways, where you're stuck on a train and must fend off the enemy. Epic Games likely said "We have to have a scene where the scenery is rushing by and you move up the train fighting from section to section."
We have cool events. What's next?
Do you ever wonder why we're here?
Why is the player riding a sweet train with epic scenery? Oh, that's right. The story put him there. This is where your 15 minute plot segments really come into play. You have great scenarios, now to figure out how and why the player gets there. What chain of events leads up to this? While that is for you to decide, this method makes it so much easier to plan, manage, and generally speaking, come up with ideas.
Let's try a generic example of a 15 minute plot segment.
You are on your way to save the day. Someone is in peril! You must save them! You fight off the baddies and save them. You're a hero. How long did that take? 15 minutes.
In 15 minutes, the player has been giving a minor goal, fought for it, and solved it. They feel like they've just done something. Now, I'm not suggesting you rush the player. Some minor events can take much longer as well, but during those longer events, make sure you are overlapping at least one, if not many, 15 minute plot events.
Since I love examples, here is a mini-plot segment that is longer than 15 minutes.
The player walks through a town that has just been pillaged by pirates. The pirate took the women, as pirates do, and the player must save them. This is an overall goal, let's say it will take the player 30 minutes to accomplish. That means we will require two even smaller plots segments inside this one. One of the villagers, crying, tells the protagonist that the pirates have stolen all the women and taken them to their secret cove.
Let's go for the obvious; How does the player find the pirates secret cove? That will easily take 15 minutes to figure out. The player has to talk to some people in the town, perhaps do some 'talk to him' NPC searching. (You know, the old "I think so-and-so may know" trick)
Once you've figured that out, you need to acquire a boat. Perhaps this will take 10 minutes, and once you've set sail to the cove, another 5 to save the women. In 15 minutes, the player has acquired a really sweet boat. In another 15, the player has saved the day and is now a hero in that town. The player feels accomplished. I wish I was the player. I would be feeling so great right now.
This is a fairly shallow example, but I believe you can grasp the general idea. The next thing you must not forget.
Is Santa coming this year, Mommy?
Rewards! You must not forget to reward the player. As I see it (and I'm sure they've been categorized further and/or called by different names), there are two kinds of rewards:
- Emotional Rewards
- Material Rewards
The first, emotional rewards, involve anything that just makes the player feel good. Things that make the player laugh, cry, panic, or finally let out that breath they've been holding during that incredibly difficult boss fight. That "Finally!" or that "Woot!" or that "I'm not crying, I just haven't blinked for awhile and my eyes dried out" every gamer gets when they encounter something they are just so proud of, excited, or touched by. You've all come across these, these are the main reasons you play games. While you may be doing almost nothing but sitting on a couch, you feel like you've just been crowned King of Arcadia. These rewards come from simply completing things. Emotional rewards should be given at every 15 minute segment. If these aren't given, the player is not enjoying themselves since the game is not stirring any emotions, whether they be "I'm having tons of fun" or "No way, he did not just stab Aeris."
Then there's the material rewards. Just defeated a really hard boss? I hope he drops a ton of gold. Just saved the damsel in distress? You better level up. Reached a major point in the game? Plate mail, watch out, because the player is going to wear you. If you want my personal opinion, material rewards should be given out roughly every 30 minutes, usually after defeating a boss. If you're really good, you will give the player a boss, big or small, every 30 minutes.
Moving on.
This is how we lay out our storyline document(s). (Sorry, this is not an actual excerpt from our game, I made this entirely up on the spot. No sneak peeks today!)
Goal: Save the child, return him to his home.
(In the previous level, the protagonist is told of a lost child in the next valley over. He ventures there to save this child from certain death.)
/Level#1: Level Title/
[The Protagonist] travels down into the valley the old man spoke of. The air, eerily calm, does not bode welcome through the low-lying fog. (note: this describes the scene) He moves onward, encountering strange beasts that jump from the mist. He must rely on his reflexes to survive their constant attacks. Up ahead, he hears a cry for help. Figuring it must be the child, [The Protangonist] charges forward to find himself in front of the Evil Overlord, holding the child by the arm. He had been using the child as bait! [The Protagonist] demands that he let the child go. "Your quarrel is not with him! It is with me!" "Very well..." The Evil Overlord thrusts the child to the ground. [The Protagonist] rushes forward, axe drawn, and engages his foe. [Boss Fight: Evil Overlord] ...
Does he save the child? Does the Evil Overlord escape? Is the child hurt? Must [The Protagonist] hurry the child back to the village witch doctor in order to heal some mortal wounds he might have acquired?
This is the power of 15 minute segments. The player does something, something happens, something is accomplished, and something new is presented. On and on and on, throughout the story.
If you can dream it, with the help of this technique, you can make it a reality.
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