Unit 70 Computer Game Story Development

Is your story believable?
In terms of realism, no. Not many people would believe it.

Is your story rhythmic?
I feel I have paced it well and kept a certain amount of suspense and mystery.

Do your sentences sound meaningful or emotional?
I've tried to put as much as I can in terms of description, and hopefully this can convey the emotions I was feeling at the time.

Is your story enjoyable?
After asking a friend to evaluate, he said the following: "As I read through the first paragraph, I felt drawn into the story. The author explained his dream in very high detail as if he was actually there. I found his story to be very interesting and enjoyable. I could feel a plot arising as I read on."

Do you want to find out more?
He then went on to say this: "Yes, the amount of detail that was put into writing the story was very high, which made it clearer and easier to understand. This helped portray an image in my head."

This was the story mentioned:

Dream story-

I once had a dream which was actually lost in a dark and gloomy facility. I had stumbled around in blind panic, keeping my hands on the smooth cold stone walls to navigate the darkness that seemed to be getting thicker by the second. It felt as if it was pressing down on me, trying to rip the light from my eyes. I don't know why I was moving so fast, I just knew I had to keep moving, but I trusted my instincts. I turned a corner, a small lamp on the floor halfway down the corridor was the only light source. At the end of the corridor, I could just make out the shape of a door. Solid and shining in the dim light. I made my way towards it as fast as I could go. But my legs were made of lead, I had to drag them along behind me. It was almost like wading through a thick layer of mud. Eventually I reached the door, as I had suspected, it was a cold hard steel door, yet the handle was wood. I twisted it slowly, at the time it seemed normal. The door whined and complained as I forced it open but eventually I managed to squeeze through.

I found myself in a room much like the rest of the complex. Darkness covered up every corner never letting me see anything in detail. A table stood at the end of the box of concrete I stood in. A file resting on its smooth wooden surface. I edged my way closer, taking the file in my hand. It was dusty, obviously old and weak, it had lived a long life. I opened it at the top, easily breaking through the old thin paper. Inside was a pure white sheet of paper, words littering its surface. It read roughly as follows:

Nov 12 2012-

"An investigation into the deaths of the two unidentified bodies found in the Forest of Dean came up empty with no evidence of damage to the bodies or any means of identifying either of the two. The following details apply to both victims. The tips of their fingers were shown to have been removed, and no teeth remain for dental records. The flesh has decayed leaving only a skeleton yet testing has revealed they died only two weeks before discovery."

I do not remember further than this point.

Research How Story Is Used To Enhance Gameplay In Computer Games.
AKA the history of storytelling

Various Forms Of Story Telling.

1. Cave drawings

This was the most early known form of telling stories and was used all around the world before humanity had any sort of structure or before they could even talk. The concept was extremely simple; paint on a rock wall using juice from berries or other coloured ink-like substances, to create pictures in an order that would tell a story.

2. Oral Story Telling

Oral story telling is by far one of the earliest forms of story telling. It's what people used to tell of great adventures and new worlds before writing was even close to being invented. The power of being able to communicate also brought about an age of being able to share ones thoughts and creations they had made in their mind. Stories could be explained in much more detail, creating atmosphere and tension and pacing.

One of the earliest forms of this kind of story telling was most likely when language was first formed. Stories were created through chants of people working in the fields, songs which told of things that had happened and things that were to happen. Myths were created to explain the unexplainable, and people would gather around campfires telling tales of ventures they'd been on and creatures once slain that were foretold to return.

3. Theatre

Theatre came later on but was used by the likes of Shakespeare to tell many stories. It's still used today in fact, less often, but it's still around. Stories would be written and people would be told to act out characters, read lines, become their character. Sets were made on stage to create the setting and position and timing were essential. This meant music could be implemented into the stories, meaning more forms of media to enhance the experience.

4. The Written Word

This is nowadays one of the most common forms of storytelling. Books are created with new ideas and stories every day. Anyone can write a book if they are dedicated enough and create their own universe for people to experience all over the world, wherever they want, whenever they want. Books have revolutionised story telling and created new possibilities with multiple choice books, various trilogies and series, and more. Chapter by chapter books can draw readers in until they are lost in a world they can only wish was real. The lack of imagery and sound sparks the readers imagination, encouraging them to create a characters face in their head or imagine some hideous creature from the words they are given. Books truly are the ultimate form of story telling.

Game Genres.

1. The FPS genre

This is one of the most popular genres of video game, the first person shooter. This genre is when you take a character, and let the player see through his eyes, then give them targets to aim and shoot at. It's basic, yet effective. With bigger maps, better graphics, and more guns to shoot with in every instalment  This genre usually implements a multiplayer in which to shoot other players from around the world, adding a partially social aspect to the genre. It's a genre of games which ask, who will kill who?

2. The TPS genre

The third person shooter genre is a little different in the way it's executed in games. Usually, these games implement a cover system, meaning you can hide behind objects and occasionally pop out to shoot several things from your position. This genre allows you to see your character from behind meaning if someone approaches from behind, you will see them once they're close enough. This works as a system to give the impression that your character has a high awareness of his surroundings, giving the player a sense of power over the enemies.

3. Racing games

This genre is all about speed. Get in your vehicle whether it be a car, a hover board, a motorbike, a plane or a boat, and get to the finish line first. These games focus on how to reach a certain point before someone else

4. Fighting games

This is quite a simple concept, pit two fighters against each other to see who comes out on top. These can range from brawling games with health bars like Mortal Combat or Tekken, or 3D combat games like assassins creed or overgrowth.

5. Puzzle games

These games can range from being entirely based around working out how to proceed or having set puzzles appear throughout the story, if there is a story. These generally try to confuse you, to really get you to concentrate to see the way forward.

6. Roleplaying games

These games are exactly what they sound like, games where you play in a role of another person. This is generally a character you have created yourself. You gain power as you travel along, levelling up in some games, gaining new equipment, becoming stronger and more powerful to face fiercer opponents.

7. TBS and RTS

Turn Based strategy and Real Time Strategy. Two very similar game genres, with very different required tactics. Strategy games are usually top down where you command a single unit or a squad or even hundreds of units at once, ordering armies forward. The main difference between the two games are (as the name would suggest) the flow of time. Either you will move, then your enemy will move, like a game of chess, or both sides will be advancing at the same time. This was created for faster gameplay requiring you to keep an eye on all your troops at one time.

We were then asked to develop a story for a game, and so, this is what I created:

Chapter 1- June 8^th 2010 1:19PM

The first thing I see when I open my eyes is darkness. Flashes of light blind me before throwing themselves far away down the tunnel I can see. A silhouette appears, they are sitting, their head turned to the side giving me a profile view. Suddenly, everything is blindingly bright. I blink a few times and rub my eyes. When I open them again, I see I am also sitting down, the man opposite, my collegue, my friend, Harry Lair. We're both on a train back to London. We were called for a case. Nothing serious, just something they needed us for when we had time, and here we are.

I sit up from my slouched position and look around the dusty carriage. The chairs are dark blue, laid out like older trains. One set of chairs on each side of a compartment. The floor is metal and grimy, chewing gum and mud and sweet wrappers litter the area, especially under the seats. This certainly wasn't first class but why spend unnecessary amounts for small comforts on a temporary journey? Outside, a blur of green and brown rushes past the window in a forest that never ends. The clatter of the carriages can be heard beneath our feet as we speed along and I take a deep breath in, turning to Harry. 
"How long was I out?" He looks away from the window for a second acknowledging the fact I was now conscious. 
"Around half an hour, you didn't miss much don't worry." I give a small smile and reach under the seat, pulling out my case and flipping it open. I pick the top file from the stacks of papers and small-bagged items and photos before shutting the case and returning it below the seat.

I flip open the document and scan the page. The case was simple. A couple had attacked a man entering their house. The man had recieved a crippling injury to his eye and was detained for questioning after spending time in hospital recovering. All we needed to do was find out why. He'd been a weekly visitor, Larry Crane. Always arriving on Thursdays then leaving about 10 minutes afterwards. A search of his bag revealed high quality meds. They apparently weren't stocked in the shops in the first place. So where did he get them? And why was he attacked? Why did he visit once a week? And why wouldn't the couple say anything? There were too many questions, I just had to calm down, and move through the case one step at a time.

We arrive at 3:21PM, Lair striding through the thick station doors and me just behind. There are more police here than usual, I could tell there was a buzz in the air. Everyone seems tense, it’s almost tangible. Before us, is a curved blue desk unoccupied, leading to an office around the back. It's a small room with cream walls and a metal door in the left corner. a set of green padded chairs line the wall to our right, they appear quite comfortable. We walk to the front desk and an officer quickly accompanies us. Immediately Harry flashes his ID card. 
"Detective Harry Lair with assistant Damon Fade, we've come to talk to Mr and Mrs Hunt." At this the Officers eyes widen.
"They didn't tell you?" He looks around then back at Harry. "Mr and Mrs Hunt died this morning sir, I'm sorry, you should have been informed." There's a moment of silence before Harry looks back at me, eyebrows raised. He turns back to the officer 
"Do we know the cause of death?"
The officer shakes his head 
"I'm afraid not sir, they both died within minutes of each other, almost as if they'd been poisoned. But all food they were given was tested!"
"Thank you officer, wasn't there a third person involved?" He replies.
"Yes! A Mr Crane sir, would you like to speak with him?"
"If it's at all possible, yes." The officer nods and scurries off. We both walk over and sit on the leather seats by the wall. This, hadn't happened before, the way they'd both died around the same time, but how? "We have to look through all possible scenarios" Harry spoke as if reading my mind. I shrug slightly, lost in thought. "Not a coincidence, too unlikely, Poison, heart attack though unlikely. Hidden suicide pills, sickness.." The cogs whirr in my brain and I sit up. "It was some sort of illness, most likely contracted at the some time due to similar times of death." Harry looks across to me.
"And what makes you say that?"
"The medicine." I reply quickly "The visitor had high quality medicine in his bag, by his weekly visits it could mean it was used to keep something at bay" I pause for a moment then sit back once more "So why didn't the couple tell us?"

Harry nods "well done, that's why I asked to see him. The medication probably will give us information, and I'm sure we can find out why they wouldn't say anything about it." I nod and sit back

"we'll have to examine the bodies at some point as well, just so we can be certain of what killed them." I say. We sit in silence for a few minutes, just thinking. I start listing diseases that need regular treatment in my mind. Addison's Disease, Cancer, STD's, it could be anything. So what killed them?

A little later on the officer comes back out through the metal door and gestures for us to walk through. "He's ready for you sir." Harry walks quickly, not wanting to waste any time. As soon as we're on the other side of the door the officer locks the door and walks in front. The corridor before us is quite wide with white walls and a blur streak on both sides leading along the wall. It's quite dim, with our footsteps echoing off the walls as we walk. Eventually we reach a door similar to the one outside. The officer unlocks it and steps to the side while pulling it open. We both walk inside slowly to see a figure sitting on a chair at a small table. Harry walks forwards slowly and pulls a chair out. The room is small and almost entirely concrete. Light streams in from a small window high up with metal bars and a window containing one way glass is on our right. The room almost seems like a cell in itself.

Theres a pause before harry steps to the side. "Damon, you can take this one." I nod and step forward taking a seat. This was something I was getting more used to, Harry would let me take an interview if he thought I was capable. He calls it learning through experience, like learning a new language. Harry pulls out a small pad and pencil, and readies himself to write down notes. I clasp my hands together and clear my throat. "Mr Larry Crane?"

Chapter 2- June 8^th 2010 3:39PM

The man across the table shifts in his seat, leaning back and crossing his arms. He had dark skin with dark brown eyes, darting to the side every so often to look at the window, the door. All the exits. He has a beard that’s been well trimmed and gives him a rougher look, as if he’s been in many fights before. By his posture though, he appears inexperienced. Either he hasn’t done anything that would put him in here before, or he isn’t used to being caught.

Finally he speaks up “Yeah, I’m Larry.” I nod and take a deep breath

“do you know why you’re here?” The man shrugs

“I was attacked, don’t know why I’m still in here.” He leans forward “I have a life y’know, I’d like to get back to it” I take another deep breath and unclasp my hands, placing them on the table. “You’re here because two people died today and we think you might know something about this.”

The mans eyes widen and he unfolds his arms, leans forward and places his hands on the table as I have done. “Listen man I don’t know nothin’ about them dying, they was alive when I saw them last!” I clasp my hands once more and nod. “I know Mr Crane but we believe you might have information that could lead us to the reason these people have died today.” The man sneers and this and leans back “Like what?” I look down at the desk then back at him “Why were you visiting these people Mr Crane? Do you know them?” The man stops at this, he knows he needs to be careful how he answers this next question.

Finally he speaks up “Yes.” There’s a long pause before I speak again.

“And why were you visiting them each week? A friendly visit?”

“Yeah, just to chat and all that” he looks down at the table and I pull out a file from my case.

“In that case, why all the medicine? We looked through your bag and found medicine not out on the shelves yet. Can you explain this to us?”

Yet another long pause ensues, the man looks to the window, then at the floor. He’s playing with his thumb for a few seconds before I ask him again.

“I’d like to ask again, why all the medicine?” I speak slowly, sternly. Finally he replies.

“They had something wrong with them, I just came over every week, gave them medicine, then left.” I reply quickly, not giving him time to think of any excuses.

“What was wrong with them?” He shrugs once more

“I dunno, you’re the experts, you go find out with your DNA testing or whatever.” I stop speaking and stare at him for a moment

“Thank you for your time Mr Crane” I stand up and gather the papers back into my case.

“What, that’s it?” he asks.

“Oh no Mr Crane” I speak quickly and distractedly as I pack things into my case, not bothering to look up at him “This will not be the last time we meet.” I lock the case and look up at him “Good day sir” And then we’re gone, walking back down the corridor.

Chapter 3- June 10^th 2010 6:49PM

After leaving the interview room we’d requested permission to examine the bodies of the couple. An appointment was arranged for two days later. We stand outside the room containing the two. We don’t often get to examine bodies but today, we get to examine two. I’m a little nervous, I don’t like being near dead things but it’s part of the job and I need to deal with it.

Eventually we are called in. Me and Harry stand on opposite ends of the  large rectangular room. The examination tables in the middle look just like they were polished not 5 minutes ago, which they probably were. A large metal box with several cabinets that can slide out are scattered around its face. The biologist we have with us heads towards the cabinets containing our particular gruesome project. The scientist looks back at us before slowly pulls the cabinet open. The next few seconds are a blur.

A mass of seething worm like creatures erupt from the container, slipping onto the floor and squirming along at incredible speeds, at least for their stature anyway. Immediately the scientist is down, they flow over him but seem to shrink in numbers as they land. Then I realise the horrible truth. These things are burrowing through his skin, working their way through flesh and muscle. He’s full of moving bulges of flesh, disappearing through the wounds made by their bodies. The scientist thrashes around, screaming for help, but we both realise there’s nothing we can do.

Harry, being closest to the door, wrenches it open and holds it open for me. I rush out into the corridor, the scientist left screaming behind me. As soon as I’m out Harry bundles after me and slams the door shut. The screams of the scientist can be heard, but muffled. I can tell now I won’t ever forget them.

We stare at each other then look back at the door in silence. The scream eventually quietens to a small whimper, and eventually silence. But we’re both rooted to the spot. Unable to do anything but listen to the thousands of bodies squirming around in the room we stood in just moments before. My breathing is heavy and my back is to the wall, my eyes locked on the door. One question circles around in my mind the whole time; what were they?


Creating a Game

After this, we were asked to design a text based game, this is a video of mine in very early alpha:

The game can be found here: http://make.textadventures.co.uk/Play/Play.aspx?id=28501