Story can exist at many levels.

In Freespace 2, I'm just a pilot. The story is playing out around me and I am but a small part of it.

In Neverwinter Nights, I am a key part in making sure that Neverwinter is preserved.

In Doom, I am living the life of a marine, and having the experiences and facing the challenges and surprises of an angry marine bent on killing demons.

In No One Lives Forever, I laugh at myself for my appreciation of silly spy flicks. The actual story playing out in the game is secondary.

In Morrowind, I am writing the story of myself in a world full of major and minor plots. Had I been more of a superhero type being sent on clear missions by a clear authority, the story would have been those major and minor plots.

In Battlezone, I am part of a small but hopeful force of outer space soldiers trying to secure our home from invaders. Whether or not I am playing the part of the narrator is unclear. Sometimes I am, sometimes not.

In Myst, I was just trying to get home, but cautiously taking time to explore this strange world, and in the process, discovering a story of family devotion and betrayal. (Stunk that I never got hime at the end, guess that was a figurative representation of being sucked into video games)

EverQuest had me hoping for a story but had me killing rats to make money for a meal. Then I raised to higher levels to meet other players that just enjoyed being high level and never really seeked adventure. So the world I would have contributed to was vague at best.


[edited by - Waverider on December 14, 2003 9:33:51 PM]

Story tends to depends on the game''s style. A game without any interactivity is essentially a movie, so in general, you''ll need SOME form of mission/event/etc. for the player to actually DO while immersed in the story.

But even so, think about how you go through events in your own life. As you are going through "missions", do you always think about the greater scheme that got you doing what you''re doing? Or are you mostly focused on the task at hand, and once it''s done you can resume those more widespread thoughts? As irking as it may be that sometimes the story gets set on the backburner because of a strange side-quest, it''s a decent reflection of what we really do.

And if this is the way a game is set up, having the story seem to flow around "side events" can be quite believable and rewarding IF those side events make sense in the context of the story (i.e., they are not just missions for the sake of having missions).

Ultimately, deciding on a genre for your new game idea should then be accompanied by an analysis of which story presentation method would best deliver. And there is definitely no shortage of story approaches.

Aida ~
http://rainydayart.com

quote: Original post by Waverider
In Myst, I was just trying to get home, but cautiously taking time to explore this strange world, and in the process, discovering a story of family devotion and betrayal. (Stunk that I never got hime at the end, guess that was a figurative representation of being sucked into video games)
[edited by - Waverider on December 14, 2003 9:33:51 PM]

Mostly to give a topic a bump, I''ll respond to Waverider''s comment about Myst.

SPOILERS

You should, durring the game, find two halves of a letter by Atrus showing that both his sons betrayed him, not just one, and that the secret white page can be found by flipping every single marker switch to the same position (sorry, can''t remember if it''s on or off), and flipping the first one you encounter. Then, look in Atrus''s library for a book with 52 diagrams of a bunch of squares on a grid. I don''t know which number is correct, but at least one can be used at the fireplace in the tower. The fireplace will turn, opening passage to Atrus''s prison book. Place the white sheet in the book and enter. Atrus will thank you for saving him, leave you the island and all connected books, tell you he may call on you again, and leave to take care of some "unfinished buisiness." When you leave, the son''s books will be all burned.

END SPOILERS

So, Myst does have a happy ending.

____________________________________________________________

official Necromancer of GameDev forums Game Writing section

But you never get HOME. Also, a man killin ghis sons is hardly "happy". Necessary? Maybe. Just? Perhaps. I suspect that your bizarre sense of justice is what makes you smile when you learn that he''ll torch his sons, but I can''t figure out what it is that compells you to necro all these threads! Stop now!