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[Soulliard]

I've got a pretty good plan set out for my next game, for the most part. The mechanics are unique and innovative, and I think it should be fun. The gameplay's pretty much all planned out.

Unfortunately, I have no idea of what direction I should take with the game's graphics and plot. All I have is an abstract set of mechanics, with no way of drawing players in or making them care.

It's very frustrating. I can't easily continue development until I have a solid concept for the story, and I'm drawing a complete blank for story ideas.

It's gamer's block. And I don't know how to deal with it...

Anyways, if anyone has any advice for how to approach this problem it would be greatly appreciated.



Note: This is a long post. If you would like to know more of the details, and are unusually helpful and/or bored, read on.

To elaborate:

The game will be somewhat similar to a tower defense game, although there are a number of elements that should set it apart. For example:

-There is no form of currency or resources used to buy or upgrade 'towers'. Instead, certain units send out waves of energy, which build or upgrade a tower automatically on contact. Your only limits are making sure each tower has access to this energy, and making sure one tower isn't getting in the way of another (they have to fire around each other).

-Enemies don't follow paths. Rather, the levels are similar to those of a platformer, and enemies jump from one platform to another to reach your towers. This allows for some interesting opportunities, such as pushing enemies into pits or other hazards.

-The objective isn't merely to survive a level. Your central tower sends out a beam of energy which must be guided to the exit by waypoint towers. Once the exit is charged with enough energy, you can proceed to the next level. Enemies will try to destroy the central tower and waypoints, so you will need a strong defense. Some levels will have multiple exits (so there's actually room for exploration).


What does this mean, as far as the plot is concerned? It will take place in interior platformer environments, it will have some opportunities for exploration, the object of the game will focus on transporting 'something', and gathering resources or valuables will not be important.

Otherwise, I have few ideas for a plot.

Here are a few ideas I've thrown around:

-Originally, the game was set in outer space. The enemies, a species of aliens, were eating the constellations. It was up to you to build new arrangements of stars to fight off the invasion.

I really liked this idea. Unfortunately, as the gameplay evolved, this stopped making much sense. The focus moved to transportation rather than defense, and the platformer elements would work better in a terrestrial environment.

-Then, I decided that the game would be set in an abandoned underground bunker/laboratory. You are the computer in charge of the defense systems, but you need to expand your network in order to protect the farthest reaches of the place.

This one has potential. But its still somewhat lacking. The biggest problem is that it's difficult to make someone care about a computer.

-Finally, I decided to focus more on the character than on the environment. You are a psychic goldfish who can only exist in small bodies of water. You need to send out psychic waves to teleport yourself from one body of water to another, and avoid being injured on the way.

Overall, I think this idea is pretty good. However, I can't think of why this goldfish would be under constant attack (or who would want to attack it), or what the goldfish was trying to accomplish.


If you read through all this, thanks for listening. I know I probably rambled on quite a bit. If you have any ideas to throw out there, that would be awesome. My idea-maker could use a bit of a jump-start.

[moi]

Yeah Writer's rocbloc is a bitch.

But I don't think you need to worry that much, if the gameplay is good enough it doesn't matter if the story doesn't make a lot of sense (very few videogames have coherent stories, especially not the succesful ones)

all of these ideas are good.

Here's another idea:
Your robots have breached into the queen chamber of an insect-like alien colony, you must survive long enough against the swarming enemy waves so that your automatic system of defense can send a locking signal to an orbital laser in order to obliterate the alien colony. Destroy all colonies to save earth.

[Xion]

I like your second idea best, the one in the abandoned bunker or something. It makes sense. But you need some motive to be protecting the bunker. Why is it abandoned? And why are you still active? Who is invading and for what reasons? Based off of that idea, I came up with this:
The surface world has a big war (with other nations? with aliens?)
It gets real dangerous up there (radiation? war still going on? Roaming dangers?)
People move into large underground cities, bunkers, what-have-you.
They think they're safe, but an unexpected attack from the "threat" on the surface leaves them crippled.
With their few resources, they create you, a defense computer.
The underground is now too dangerous/they don't have enough resources to build your system throughout the subterranean  complex, so they program you to propagate yourself until you have spread into an effective, protective networked defense before the "threat" returns to finish the job.
game begin.

This scenario has some background, as well as gives a reason to care: you're protecting people - the remnants of a culture and society - from destruction.

So, yeah...hope that helps?

(also, gameplay sounds cool.)

[PaulMorel]

This happens to me all the time, although usually in slightly different forms.

I agree with moi's statement that if the gameplay is strong enough, then you don't really need a good story.

The problem with not having a story is that you don't know how to design the graphics.

Personally, I would just charge ahead with abstract graphics like those in Everyday Shooter or Geometry Wars.  Maybe just forget the story entirely and just give the user an objective like "GUIDE THE BEAM TO THE EXIT" and then set them loose.

Your gameplay idea really sounds like fun!

[Melly]

Inspiration can't be seeked. You have to let it come to you.

Don't be frustrated over it. Give it time. Do other stuff, other games, read, watch movies, music...

I would only be worried if you spent a year without ideas.

[Soulliard]

Thanks, guys. Those are some really great ideas.

I'll take the weekend off. Hopefully, I'll have something worked out by Monday.

[fish]

i had the same thing with fez.
for a long time all we had was this one mechanic, and thise loose idea of what kind of world we wanted that mechanic to be used in. but that was it.

the story evolved from a single haiku explaining everything (the world is sloooowly exploding and you simply have to go up to survive) to the much more elaborate and rich current little bit of fiction we have now. im really happy with it because it unobstrusive, almost makes sense, has a few cool concepts with it, and the whole aesthetics of it fit perfectly with the gameplay.

but all that came slowly. the gameplay/story stuff usually emerged from the gameplay, and rarely the other way around. as it should always be in our medium, i think.

ive never been a fan of big storytelling games, because usually, the stories suck and are told shittily.

also, ive never played a tower defense game, but they dont strike me as the best theater for rich storytelling. so id say you should prolly keep it real simple.

and finally, you should defenitely have a story arc about miscarriage in there. for sure.

[Melly]

i had the same thing with fez.
for a long time all we had was this one mechanic, and thise loose idea of what kind of world we wanted that mechanic to be used in. but that was it.

the story evolved from a single haiku explaining everything (the world is sloooowly exploding and you simply have to go up to survive) to the much more elaborate and rich current little bit of fiction we have now. im really happy with it because it unobstrusive, almost makes sense, has a few cool concepts with it, and the whole aesthetics of it fit perfectly with the gameplay.

but all that came slowly. the gameplay/story stuff usually emerged from the gameplay, and rarely the other way around. as it should always be in our medium, i think.

ive never been a fan of big storytelling games, because usually, the stories suck and are told shittily.

also, ive never played a tower defense game, but they dont strike me as the best theater for rich storytelling. so id say you should prolly keep it real simple.

and finally, you should defenitely have a story arc about miscarriage in there. for sure.

You watched Yahtzee lately.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

I think you're thinking about it too much. Just sit down and make it, and let the ideas come to you during the process of creating it. I created a story-based tower defense game myself, and I didn't sit down and plan out all this before making it, I planned it during the process, and altered the plan as I thought of better ways to do things. It should be an organic process, not like an architectural blueprint.

[Aaron G.]

While I agree with the sentiments that you should get started on the game and just let the story come to you, this is awesome:

Your robots have breached into the queen chamber of an insect-like alien colony, you must survive long enough against the swarming enemy waves so that your automatic system of defense can send a locking signal to an orbital laser in order to obliterate the alien colony. Destroy all colonies to save earth.

Your towers could essentially be a node-based target painter and every level could end with an epic explosion, destroying all the player's hard-work in spectacular flame and glory!

[William Broom]

I like the idea of transporting a bomb or other weapon rather than a character.

[Soulliard]

I think you're thinking about it too much. Just sit down and make it, and let the ideas come to you during the process of creating it. I created a story-based tower defense game myself, and I didn't sit down and plan out all this before making it, I planned it during the process, and altered the plan as I thought of better ways to do things. It should be an organic process, not like an architectural blueprint.

At this point, though, I need at least some direction for the story. Otherwise, it's too difficult to add new graphics and levels. I'll probably run with the bunker idea for now; I can expand on it as I go.

While I agree with the sentiments that you should get started on the game and just let the story come to you, this is awesome:

Your robots have breached into the queen chamber of an insect-like alien colony, you must survive long enough against the swarming enemy waves so that your automatic system of defense can send a locking signal to an orbital laser in order to obliterate the alien colony. Destroy all colonies to save earth.

I agree that this is an excellent idea. I'll try to work it in somehow...