Things to avoid when writing a game's story.

This thread is great. Noticed Valigarmander mentioned having world building in mind about this topic, and it reminded me of some things I don't think I had a chance to cover in those comic reviews.

Having towns with nothing but shops and a few NPCs can be fine. The minimum you need for the game to stand out:


- each town/castle has at least one non-shop place or thing to make it unique.

Like an extra house that also happens to be one of the hero's parents home, something that can flesh out back-stories or the world itself. Or some magical stonehedge that the player can come back to later for something, and helps further add setup for what's going on.


- figure out how magic works in your world, but don't feel you need to explain it

Magic is a big deal, changes a world and how people do things. You need to keep it consistent, and that's by knowing how it works. But to keep it interesting, you shouldn't flat out explain it. Let the player piece it together, it's magic, supposed to be 'out there'.

If it's something that requires years of devoted study, then ask yourself why you give it to little kid heroes and not old lord of the rings men. Elves live longer, look younger, you have options.

Can do it like Harry Potter, where kids can use it, but when they mess up it's no big deal, like a fart or messed up hair. And as they become more powerful, the drawbacks and danger of using it is more severe, like curses, disfigurement, death, etc.

Magic having a cost besides "MP" is something compelling.


- explain your monsters

Spoon's dungeon crawler comes to mind. Monsters need a context for why they are there. They're as big a deal as magic if they're in your world. It affects towns, traveling, lots of things.

Also make sure to put in scenes setting up their danger or anything. If we begin the game just fighting giant spiders without any setup as to their threat, they could just as well be tiny sprites in a video game. Give them weight. Have them kill or hurt a NPC before you meet the first monster, make dungeons full of them a big deal in the world. Show the player why.


- Anything you introduce, follow through somehow

Hero is a master swordsman? Have them find his training ground later on. Doesn't have to be part of the core plot. Tie in characters to the world. Party's rogue is a huge jerk? Have them find his hometown and everyone treats him like a joke.

I like bestiaries for this thing. In AR-PUH-GUH!, the creatures you fight aren't referred to as monsters because, simply put, they aren't.
They're mostly wild animals who are either trying to prey on you, are defending their territory, or some other type of reason. There are machines about that are either malfunctioning due to multiple reasons, or they were programmed to destroy you or any intruders (in the case of guard robots). There ARE monsters in the game, but they're a sub-class of foe, as they are a type of creature you come across who's only desire is to make your life miserable for whatever reason they want, whether it's for fun or because they hate your kind.
Monsters are my most favorite part of games, and thus why I make a ton of them all the time.

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dOn'T MiNd mE! i'M jUsT CoNtAgIoUs!!!
Play Orbs CCG: http://orbsccg.com/r/4r6x

I'm probably going to be known as the resident thread necromancer before I contribute anything worthwhile. T.T

Know your tropes: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage
Simply knowing about something can give you a greater perspective about your story.

Write the story because you enjoy it. Writing a story to make money or to gain acclaim will gain you little of either. It is when you write, and later design, because you either want to have fun doing it or want to tell a story that you can gain either.

And most importantly, don't be afraid to do something unconventional. Want to have a gay main character? Go ahead! Want to have a character who drinks blood from vampires to survive? Have at it!

The main thing, though, is not to worry whether or not someone will like it, it should be enough that you enjoy it.
And if other people enjoy it as well, then so be it.

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May the Moon light your path, and the Shadows hide you from your prey.

Posgagen urzefa Posyosriig ahgesqizeur genyouldr Jiikyouldr, gariigig urzefa Sazegaigyouldsa zegesigfe genyould fr'yopos genyouldr jiikrfagen.