Hello! I’m utterly new here, having been sucked in by first Spelunky, then Derek Yu’s tutorials on game creation. I was just trying to think of a good idea for a platformer and starting writing the below blurb. I have no experience writing game synopsis..ees (plural sic..) so I have no idea if this is good or bad, so perhaps some kind or even ruthless individual could give me some pointers. Also I’m aware that this is not a good idea for a first game… I’ll definitely stick with the existential space shooter for now, but I was wondering if this could have a microscopic glimpse of potential.
The Saga of Glizzard, a lizard creature from the planet Herpis.Glizzard is a typical fry chef at Chez Gres Spork. Capite Chef Limbergard has assigned him the additional role of general gofer and monkey boy for all menial tasks , and as such Glizzard is due for his next semi-humiliating and deflating undertaking, namely; tracking down a pair of highly-prized undershorts as an appropriate and impressive gift for the Capite’s most esteemed and valued restaurant patron: the feared Herpian food critic Monsieur Haup.
However, the errand goes awry when Glizzard is hit by a Misinformation Beam meant for the local metropolitan superhero, Vrungiji-Moot-185 (all superheroes in the Herpentine society are genetically engineered and assigned to a local metropole), that was designed to lead him on a fools errand as a distraction, while an evil gang of ne’er-do-wells proceed to evilly engorge themselves on a potentially record-breaking baked spam in the hero’s absence. (The record that the record-breaking spam is due to break is the Record for the Largest Baked Spam Ever Baked. They are doing this to protect tourism interests in their home town of Little Spamton, The Home of Herpis’ Largest Ever Baked Spam. (Formally Little Spewton, Home of the 5-hlizor Egg Breakfast.))
Glizzard believes he is a superhero bent on protecting the ‘Wooden Trophy of Excellence’ from almost certain theft (an erroneous mental implant from the Mis. Beam). His damaged mind interprets the highly-prized undershorts as the ‘Wooden Trophy’, and the ‘Holy Trophy Repository’ in his mind is, in fact, the Male Herp section of the undershorts store in the local mall. Much hilarity (hopefully) abounds as Glizzard’s holy quest of undershorts purloinage gets underway.
Thinking of this as a story driven platformer in the ‘wacky humour’ vein (not sure if this is too popular, or even a vein, but hey) with some expository cutscenes mixed in, colourful characters, etc.
The player will have a clear view of the situation unfogged by the dementia affecting Glizzard, yet the game will progress towards the perceived goal of obtaining and protecting the ‘Wooden Trophy’ as Glizzard has been brainwashed to believe he must undertake with all haste and importance. He could start feeling better, or at some stage the game might turn 180 degrees and he would have to take down the spam self-engorging gang with his spatula.
Possibilities for interesting situations may be store personnel becoming in Glizzard’s mind evil henchmen in need of suppression, mall cops becoming the same, etc. Glizzards ‘superpowers’ could become menial abilities enhanced by obtained items, eg. A ‘mind ray’ is a clump of penlight laser pointers taped together with which he can heroically blind bored/underpaid store employees attempting to half-heartedly obstruct him.
Does anyone think this is a worthwhile idea, or even have potential for humour..(unintentional..)? I was thinking Space Quest type humour. I don’t pretend to think this could or should go for Monkey Island level. I don’t really know if platformers should be purposefully funny.. well, I mean, Spelunky is pretty much constant and awesome schadenfreude. Maybe I should stick to programming?
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