Is there any website that has a good format for writing game manuscripts. Even a movie manuscript format would do just fine.

Try this.

Seriously, though, there's no standardized format. I think you're on a good path in thinking about using film manuscript formats, but keep a few things in mind:

-You don't have actors. Spell things out in minute detail if you must, but don't rely on anyone else to translate characters' actions and such.
-KISS principle applies. You can get away with convolution and odd stuff in a movie that won't fly in a game.
-Make sure to include the appropriate stuff related to the game itself, and don't limit yourself to cutscenes.

Movie scripts is a pretty good way to go yes. But keep in mind what the previous post said. If you want to take a look at how movie scripts are written in more detail you can check out Drew's Script O Rama:

http://www.script-o-rama.com/

The site has a lot of movie scripts but just pick one and you see how the format goes and how they do.

Good Luck!

[Edited by - sigmaent on December 19, 2004 5:13:19 AM]

I was just using what I remember from a play script to write the story straight through the first draft - train of thought through the entire story. Adding a movie style scripting would allow for a more accurate camera/cut scene description. The details on specific story critical level design would be added later with attached or hyperlinked concept pictures. No picture would be uber detailed as there isn't a set stylization yet for the different species and the cultural melting pot that would take place between the species. By about the 3rd pass some pictures and chapters would be in place. The 4th or 5th rewrite would add any dynamics to the plot line - story branches - due to character choices. If there is time for a 4th or 5th rewrite and the technology agrees, that is.

The script is for a FPS, so there isn't a lot of non-linear events to under go. I don't plan on pre-rendered cut scenes to do the job as they seem to yank the player too hard out of the world the player is in as opposed to flow the player along the plot line - no push, just naturally progress the story while not yanking the player out of the loop.

I do plan on using "character actors" in a way. The artist, even if it turns out to be me, will need actor scene exit left/right through door X instructions along with camera pans, etc. I've already taken to numbering camera "views" and positions so that I don't have to write "4' in far corner of room next to exit 2 targeted at far corner, blah blah" 3000 times. Actor directions are written in accordance to the direction they will need to exit, enter, and what not in the context of the camera view. Of course, I do tend to go into facial expressions when it is relevant to the story. But live actors, no, not beyond whomever I can sucker into doing some voice acting. That of course is where video comes into play for adding the face to the speech.