I'll make this a quick one but im designing a jrpg and have a foundation for the world, characters, and have even written some scenarios. But im curious in the style of jrpgs, what is the most efficient way of writing a story?

Generally a script. Specifically an animated movie or comic book style script, with the usual accompanying storyboards. The exception is if your story is highly interactive, then you probably need more of a flowchart.

Or did you mean workflow rather than format?

I'm also working on a jRPG which started out as a short story, not a game. We kind of rolled with the idea of making a game based off of a book, so I write chapters of a novel that serves as a basis for the game's narrative. When I'm writing, I try to do so with no regard of the fact that a game is being based off of this story (I want the story to drive the game, not the game drive the story). Another writer makes adjustments and changes to each chapter as necessary to make the story flow well in the game.

To sun: What do you mean workflow rather than format?

Format is how you organize sentences into a document. Formats include: outline, synopsis, poem, prose, and script. Interactive fiction too, though that's more a collection of similar formats than a single format.

Workflow is the order in which you use techniques to accomplish a complex task (in this case writing a story). Some writers plot out a story beforehand, some freewrite then revise heavily, some do character worksheets, various brainstorming techniques can be used before or during writing, there are various revision techniques too, and then a storyboard like I mentioned above is an after-writing technique to help the transition from text to visuals.

Format is how you organize sentences into a document. Formats include: outline, synopsis, poem, prose, and script. Interactive fiction too, though that's more a collection of similar formats than a single format.

Workflow is the order in which you use techniques to accomplish a complex task (in this case writing a story). Some writers plot out a story beforehand, some freewrite then revise heavily, some do character worksheets, various brainstorming techniques can be used before or during writing, there are various revision techniques too, and then a storyboard like I mentioned above is an after-writing technique to help the transition from text to visuals.

I would do a sub-section-esque structure. With the right formatting, it will always allow you to keep tabs on your big themes and ideas and plot consistencies. Once you've threaded enough of your 'main substance' I think it's fair to go a little bonkers brainstorming, keeping the things that really 'hit you' and excising those do-not-wants.

But yeah, in JRPGs characters are probably the integral ingredient, which is why it's easy to make a JRPG using only tropes- they 'sustain' the narrative. So, I've seen critiques leveled at the entire genre to the effect that "it's overformalized pap" which is SOMETIMES correct in my opinion. But it's a useful critique precisely because it forces the mind to wander and ask 'how do I make these solid characters and compose an effective narrative around them"?

For me the problem was having a pretty abstract 'plot' but without good characters to populate it. Working on that now for my plot...

I would do a sub-section-esque structure. With the right formatting, it will always allow you to keep tabs on your big themes and ideas and plot consistencies. Once you've threaded enough of your 'main substance' I think it's fair to go a little bonkers brainstorming, keeping the things that really 'hit you' and excising those do-not-wants.

But yeah, in JRPGs characters are probably the integral ingredient, which is why it's easy to make a JRPG using only tropes- they 'sustain' the narrative. So, I've seen critiques leveled at the entire genre to the effect that "it's overformalized pap" which is SOMETIMES correct in my opinion. But it's a useful critique precisely because it forces the mind to wander and ask 'how do I make these solid characters and compose an effective narrative around them"?

For me the problem was having a pretty abstract 'plot' but without good characters to populate it. Working on that now for my plot...

Themes are very important in pro story design, though I didn't really get the feeling this particular poster had enough experience to be focusing on themes yet. Your project is interesting - I've wished two or three times now that I had anything helpful to say towards it. I suspect I disagree with your premise though, which is a terrible place to start critiquing from, there's no way I could be fair. But have you by chance looked through my developer journal? This entry is particularly relevant to generating characters: http://www.gamedev.net/blog/90/entry-1033044-plot-iv-plot-as-thematic-argument-characters-as/

I would do a sub-section-esque structure. With the right formatting, it will always allow you to keep tabs on your big themes and ideas and plot consistencies. Once you've threaded enough of your 'main substance' I think it's fair to go a little bonkers brainstorming, keeping the things that really 'hit you' and excising those do-not-wants.

But yeah, in JRPGs characters are probably the integral ingredient, which is why it's easy to make a JRPG using only tropes- they 'sustain' the narrative. So, I've seen critiques leveled at the entire genre to the effect that "it's overformalized pap" which is SOMETIMES correct in my opinion. But it's a useful critique precisely because it forces the mind to wander and ask 'how do I make these solid characters and compose an effective narrative around them"?

For me the problem was having a pretty abstract 'plot' but without good characters to populate it. Working on that now for my plot...

Themes are very important in pro story design, though I didn't really get the feeling this particular poster had enough experience to be focusing on themes yet. Your project is interesting - I've wished two or three times now that I had anything helpful to say towards it. I suspect I disagree with your premise though, which is a terrible place to start critiquing from, there's no way I could be fair. But have you by chance looked through my developer journal? This entry is particularly relevant to generating characters: http://www.gamedev.net/blog/90/entry-1033044-plot-iv-plot-as-thematic-argument-characters-as/

While this is no 'place' to critique my premise, I've also had reservations about the entirety of my project as well- but that's for other places. I'd be interested in inquiring as to what about the premise you find flawed, even if it is just a 'sentiment' of doubt. I'm no pro with this stuff, and let my 'philosophical fancy' carry me- and of course, this is exactly the thing to be avoided, the 'debacle' eventuates.

If you'd like to get some more juice on things I might have been working on I'd be glad to carry on discussion in a pm if you have the time or what not.

ANYWAY.

I've had some discussions with Superherox7 (if he does not mind my mentioning them) regarding this topic and we've had some interesting conversations about what he considers the 'hook' in his tentative project. I looked through your journal, and I think it's generally sound- but I'm playing around with different conceptions of narrative as I speak.

The article in question positions actors or 'moral agents' as the breeding ground for the tree of plot. Events occur, as it were, naturally from a soil where conflict is deeply embedded preferably implicitly rather than explicitly in my opinion. To use your example, the three magics should not voice their standpoint, but rather 'act in line' with the nature of those magics and reveal how one position somehow 'sets itself apart' from the others- to good or bad import.

I like your article though because it deals quite nicely with the underlying geometry of a 'good' narrative. I'm also aware of a few articles in which you mention an acquaintance with Aristotle, so I can see where perhaps a few of these ideas come from.

I've often conceived of RPG stories as 'characters in a world' or 'world in a character'. I use Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger to illustrate this to myself. Chrono Trigger had an intimate cast that ventured off into the world and resolved deeply personal/universal knots. Chrono Cross sported a structure in which the 'world' almost acted like its own organism, or in a sense, the plot dominated the characters. Thus it was more about the message and less about individual characters. Perhaps this makes CC flawed- though I'd disagree.

Anyway, sorry for blabbering. Glad to hear your input.

Stumpmaestro, I decided to reply to this in your thread about elements of your RPG.