Thursday, October 08, 2009
Game Design: Plot and Genre - Mixin' it up!
It's pretty safe to say that Lois McMaster Bujold is now my favorite science fiction writer. I read two more books in her Vorkosigan series this week. Now, I might be a little a biased as part of the reading experience was enjoyed while lying on a beach in the sun, and I'm nowhere near the best-read of my peer groups. So don't take me as an authority or anything. But the fact that she's tied for the greatest number of Hugo awards with Robert Heinlein probably says something.
I've been told that her fantasy is just as good. I'm planning on checking it out once I've finished all of the Vorkosigan books.
The Vorkosigan series take place in the same universe, featuring generally the same characters. Most involve Miles Vorkosigan, whom my wife describes as a, "hyperactive super-genius" who over-compensates for his physical deformity by constantly pushing the envelope of what any human should be able to do. In The Warrior's Apprentice, the first book chronicling his exploits (chronologically earlier novels involve his parents), he tends to solve immediate problems by escalating them into even BIGGER problems that he then has to solve later in much the same way. He starts by sticking his nose where it doesn't belong to help out a down-on-his-luck, desperate freighter pilot, and ends up turning the tide of an interstellar conflict, with a mercenary army sworn to his service. Things just keep escalating. As his handler / bodyguard Sergeant Bothari complains as things spiral out of control so very quickly, "Two hours! We've only been in this bloody place two bloody hours!"
The neat thing about the series is that in spite of consistent quality, setting, and characters, they are extremely varied in style and plot. Some read more like a murder mystery. Others like a rollicking adventure / space opera. Others are twisted tales of political intrigue. Some are hilarious, and others are heart-rending. In one short story Miles must battle generations-old social injustice in the backwoods of his father's lands. In another, he starts a revolution in a POW camp while stark naked.
As much as I love the high melodrama and hysterical antics of The Warrior's Apprentice, I'm pleased that this formula didn't dictate the form of the rest of the series. Many of the plots and characters would be at home in a modern-era detective yarn or set in Tzarist Russia. Sure, plotlines involving clones would have to be modified to be lost siblings (maybe a twin), but it would be possible. But the point is that the setting - the genre - doesn't force the plot. Romantic comedy among the stars? Sure, why not?
So... let's talk video games. Specifically, RPGs. Even more specifically, indie RPGs.
Let me preface my comments by saying that I love 'em. Yeah, anybody who's been reading this blog for more than a couple of weeks knows that I wax evangelical about indie RPGs. Once upon a time, they were scarce (and most were made by Spiderweb Software). Nowadays - they are almost too plentiful. I'm playing several as I can find the time, but I can't keep up. Here are a slew of indie RPGs that may be worth your time. Check 'em out as you can.
While I like 'em as much as I like a good ol' space opera, most suffer from having too-similar plots. Those styled after the 16-bit console jRPGs seem to be the worst (most created with RPG Maker). It's like the creators got so excited about making a game in the style of the SNES-era Final Fantasy games that they borrowed the plot as well. Oh, the details are where things get cool and interesting (I still enjoy a well-written Lord of the Rings clone, too). But you can only go so far before a trope becomes trite and trite becomes a joke.
Genre doesn't have to dictate plot. You can have a world of dark prophecies, dragons, wizards, demons, mighty-thewed barbarians, and all that without the the big save-the-world plot with the prophecied hero and evil lord Foozle.
Borrowing a page from Ms. Bujold, how about transposing a non-fantasy plot into a fantasy RPG? If it's not enough to build an entire RPG around, it can be combined with some other plots and unified into an overall arc. I recently watched the classic Hitchcock movie Vertigo, and thought to myself, "Wow - in a fantasy setting where things like demonic or ghostly possession is easily accepted as an explanation, and where wizards can cast illusions to make even more powerful disguises, this plotline would totally still work."
It could also be a real puzzler for players, too, unless they've read this blog. Nine out of ten players would never figure out why their quest failed. So there'd have to be a lot more clues and hints thrown their way. And the whole thing could be expanded upon from there. But a fantasy game where the real plot is far more mundane than the overt quest? And a simple murder mystery instead of an Ancient Evil coming to Take Over The World?
I guarantee you it could be every bit as compelling and fun.
Labels: Game Design
- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 7:39 AM (Permalink)
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did you just.. come out and admit there are too many indie crpgs being churned out, and they are all the same and gasp, and all made with rpg maker tools??
nooooooo! tell me it isn't so, that rpg maker isn't a tool for spitting out dross!
OK, so I'm overreacting a bit, but the problem is not with the tool inasmuch as its a problem with people creating these games thinking they are unique and they really really need to bust them forth opon the world.
oh who am I kidding, I hate anything churned out with rpg maker.
I'm so done with space operas and epics. I don't want to be the lone soul who goes from lowly farm plough to uber evil god defeating world conqueror. A murder mystery would be interesting as long as
a) you were not related or knew whomever died
b) you didn't at some point decide to get revenge (aka kill the protagonist)
c) you didn't trapse through the underworld/heaven and fight hosts of demons and demigods just to find the ne'er do well.
to be a rich man, a penny for hackneyed plots.
I'll shut up now.
nooooooo! tell me it isn't so, that rpg maker isn't a tool for spitting out dross!
OK, so I'm overreacting a bit, but the problem is not with the tool inasmuch as its a problem with people creating these games thinking they are unique and they really really need to bust them forth opon the world.
oh who am I kidding, I hate anything churned out with rpg maker.
I'm so done with space operas and epics. I don't want to be the lone soul who goes from lowly farm plough to uber evil god defeating world conqueror. A murder mystery would be interesting as long as
a) you were not related or knew whomever died
b) you didn't at some point decide to get revenge (aka kill the protagonist)
c) you didn't trapse through the underworld/heaven and fight hosts of demons and demigods just to find the ne'er do well.
to be a rich man, a penny for hackneyed plots.
I'll shut up now.
Lois McMaster Bujold is my favorite SF author, too (although I don't like her latest fantasy/romance experiment, The Sharing Knife). But definitely read The Curse of Chalion!
Returning to computer games, yes, too many rely on standard fantasy elements. I still remember Darklands, which had such a wonderful, unique vision. (But it was fatally flawed by having cookie-cutter towns and absolutely NO reason to go anywhere, since nowhere else in its extensive world was any different than where you started the game.)
And I'm currently re-playing Planescape Torment, which is so remarkably different in many ways.
But my biggest wish is to start seeing some turn-based science fiction-themed RPGs (real science fiction, not magic in space). X-Com: UFO Defense was such an incredible game, but it didn't seem to start any kind of trend. Starflight II (I never played the first one) was also great. I realize that these weren't RPGs - though they had RPG elements - but why didn't RPG game developers see the potential there?
Returning to computer games, yes, too many rely on standard fantasy elements. I still remember Darklands, which had such a wonderful, unique vision. (But it was fatally flawed by having cookie-cutter towns and absolutely NO reason to go anywhere, since nowhere else in its extensive world was any different than where you started the game.)
And I'm currently re-playing Planescape Torment, which is so remarkably different in many ways.
But my biggest wish is to start seeing some turn-based science fiction-themed RPGs (real science fiction, not magic in space). X-Com: UFO Defense was such an incredible game, but it didn't seem to start any kind of trend. Starflight II (I never played the first one) was also great. I realize that these weren't RPGs - though they had RPG elements - but why didn't RPG game developers see the potential there?
@Stu - I know, I know. I'm a big cheerleader when it comes to indie games - especially RPGs. I figure my job here isn't criticism or review - there are (fortunately) a few other sites that'll do that now. And frankly, I really don't have the time to do in-depth reviews of these games if I felt so inclined. When they are 30-80 hours of gameplay each, and coming out at a rate of 2-4 per month, it would be more than a full-time job just to keep up.
But there are definitely different degrees of quality. And yeah - the ease of making RPG Maker games has resulted in some games which are definitely less worthy than others. I can recommend some games - like the Aveyond series - without any reservations whatsoever. Others are a bit more spotty. They can still be a lot of fun, and have some cool aspects to them, but they do not have the same level of craftsmanship. In a game with an off-the-shelf engine using off-the-shelf content, that can be the kiss of death through obscurity! Even if the craftsmanship is perfect, it's just another face in the crowd.
@WCG - I *DO* have a non-SF RPG planned (it was planned even before Frayed Knights) which goes into a totally different direction. But it's quite a ways away yet. Part of the reason I backed off to work on Apocalypse Cow and Frayed Knights was that I did not feel confident enough in my own abilities to pull it off.
But there are definitely different degrees of quality. And yeah - the ease of making RPG Maker games has resulted in some games which are definitely less worthy than others. I can recommend some games - like the Aveyond series - without any reservations whatsoever. Others are a bit more spotty. They can still be a lot of fun, and have some cool aspects to them, but they do not have the same level of craftsmanship. In a game with an off-the-shelf engine using off-the-shelf content, that can be the kiss of death through obscurity! Even if the craftsmanship is perfect, it's just another face in the crowd.
@WCG - I *DO* have a non-SF RPG planned (it was planned even before Frayed Knights) which goes into a totally different direction. But it's quite a ways away yet. Part of the reason I backed off to work on Apocalypse Cow and Frayed Knights was that I did not feel confident enough in my own abilities to pull it off.
I think you should set up a compo - one for indie rpg makers where you CANNOT use any of the typical elements of a jrpg. No amnesia, waking up on a beach, etc etc. Not saying the games have to be completely non-genre, but that some aspect must be prominently NOT jRPG style. You'd definitely get a ton of submissions I'll bet. Look at Flare http://www.arcceleste.com/index.html
but the problem is not with the tool inasmuch as its a problem with people creating these games thinking they are unique and they really really need to bust them forth opon the world.
Well, the thing is, at least at the moment and from what I hear... there is a big audience that EATS THAT STUFF UP! So it's pretty reasonable for them to keep churning it out if it keeps selling.
I admit to a certain amount of envy because I'm just not capable of making games that quickly. Nor does the RPGmaker crowd really appreciate my wacky and different endeavours. :)
Well, the thing is, at least at the moment and from what I hear... there is a big audience that EATS THAT STUFF UP! So it's pretty reasonable for them to keep churning it out if it keeps selling.
I admit to a certain amount of envy because I'm just not capable of making games that quickly. Nor does the RPGmaker crowd really appreciate my wacky and different endeavours. :)
There's a market for those cheap romance books, too. Fill in the blanks, publish a new novel, sell your X thousand copies...
The reason that there's a formula for these things at all is because the formula WORKS.
And I'd probably be in the same boat if I had more time. I *do* enjoy these games - my limitation is more about time than funds.
But for people like me - who can't play every game (at least not much) - we have to be more selective. And I tend to select based on the games that really stand out in some way.
The reason that there's a formula for these things at all is because the formula WORKS.
And I'd probably be in the same boat if I had more time. I *do* enjoy these games - my limitation is more about time than funds.
But for people like me - who can't play every game (at least not much) - we have to be more selective. And I tend to select based on the games that really stand out in some way.
I guess that since gamers are constantly getting older, you see more "mature" gamers who have more limited free time and hence are more selective of the games they choose to play (plus they've likely seen all of the stereotypes before and had enough of that). Hopefully this translates into gamers who will look beyond the mainstream and the cookie-cutter games.
# posted by 
: October 08, 2009 4:54 PM
: October 08, 2009 4:54 PM
Here is a planed RPG I found at image of the day.
http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=544039
Looks pretty cool and somewhat along the wishlist on the artical and comments.
I have trouble getting into RPG story lines most of the time. Very few really draw you to attention. For most I basically play them for the combat and skills and rush through the story. But there are some exceptions and these are the games that truly go above and beyond on making dialog interesting and tying up a good story line with interesting inhabitants.
I have heard Coyote go on about Persona and I am looking forward to giving this on a try in the future. Along the same lines I am currently playing Devil Survivor by the same team and both the gameplay and story are riveting and addictive.
http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=544039
Looks pretty cool and somewhat along the wishlist on the artical and comments.
I have trouble getting into RPG story lines most of the time. Very few really draw you to attention. For most I basically play them for the combat and skills and rush through the story. But there are some exceptions and these are the games that truly go above and beyond on making dialog interesting and tying up a good story line with interesting inhabitants.
I have heard Coyote go on about Persona and I am looking forward to giving this on a try in the future. Along the same lines I am currently playing Devil Survivor by the same team and both the gameplay and story are riveting and addictive.
I'm a firm believer in Sturgeon's second law ("90 percent of everything is crud.").
This expains the quality of most cRPGs - whether scifi or the ubiquitous Tolkienesk fantasy setting.
So, even if you grasp other settings and plots (which is done with PnP RPGs - thanks to the smaller budgets and financial risks) then 90% of that would also be crud.
Not that I'm criticizing that - I'm all for new experiences and flavors - but it should be clear to the consumer that he will have to carefully select the games in this scenario, too.
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This expains the quality of most cRPGs - whether scifi or the ubiquitous Tolkienesk fantasy setting.
So, even if you grasp other settings and plots (which is done with PnP RPGs - thanks to the smaller budgets and financial risks) then 90% of that would also be crud.
Not that I'm criticizing that - I'm all for new experiences and flavors - but it should be clear to the consumer that he will have to carefully select the games in this scenario, too.
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