G
Guest
Guest
A story can be
linear like a straight line, or rhizomaticly linear like a
root (different actions cause branching in
different directions). Neither one is bad..
Baldur's Gate had an interesting story
even though its linearity was very line like in the way the main
points arced . No matter who you killed, what your alignment
was, which class you sided with or what you did,
you went from the Friendly arm inn-> the mines->
bandit forest -> cloakwood mine-> BG-> candlekeep -> BG again.
this form of linearity (in the specifics of the story, not plotpoints locations)
is what I bemoan in most games today.
Granted, it takes a lot more work to make a game rhizomatic in
relation to the key points (i.e. if X is killed or option Y taken over option R and/ or
the PC's aptitude rating makes them opposed to M then story point #1 will be Q..
if P is killed or option R is taken over option Y and/ or the
PC's aptitude rating makes them opposed to W then story point #1 will be A... )
but it pays off in the long run (i.e. you make a bloody fantastic game IMHO).
To clear this up abit,
in terms of Story Elements (A, B, C, D, E). A is where the story starts, E
is where it ends, and B, C and D are necessary to further it along.
Another way to think about branching is that Element B is actually B1, B2,
B3, B4 or B23 based on what you did before you got there.
Start with A and then move
to B2.. from B2 you can get to either C1 or C3,
but have closed off the route to C2. From C1
you can go anywhere except D1.. Of course,
if 5+ options existed per stage I'd vote to restrict more than just one
avenue)
This kind of stuff already goes on in CRPGs, just not in the main story arc
(as far as I can tell).. It alters only slight things, like dialog
options.. never actual plot events ..(which would be pretty bloody cool, no?)..
linear like a straight line, or rhizomaticly linear like a
root (different actions cause branching in
different directions). Neither one is bad..
Baldur's Gate had an interesting story
even though its linearity was very line like in the way the main
points arced . No matter who you killed, what your alignment
was, which class you sided with or what you did,
you went from the Friendly arm inn-> the mines->
bandit forest -> cloakwood mine-> BG-> candlekeep -> BG again.
this form of linearity (in the specifics of the story, not plotpoints locations)
is what I bemoan in most games today.
Granted, it takes a lot more work to make a game rhizomatic in
relation to the key points (i.e. if X is killed or option Y taken over option R and/ or
the PC's aptitude rating makes them opposed to M then story point #1 will be Q..
if P is killed or option R is taken over option Y and/ or the
PC's aptitude rating makes them opposed to W then story point #1 will be A... )
but it pays off in the long run (i.e. you make a bloody fantastic game IMHO).
To clear this up abit,
in terms of Story Elements (A, B, C, D, E). A is where the story starts, E
is where it ends, and B, C and D are necessary to further it along.
Another way to think about branching is that Element B is actually B1, B2,
B3, B4 or B23 based on what you did before you got there.
Start with A and then move
to B2.. from B2 you can get to either C1 or C3,
but have closed off the route to C2. From C1
you can go anywhere except D1.. Of course,
if 5+ options existed per stage I'd vote to restrict more than just one
avenue)
This kind of stuff already goes on in CRPGs, just not in the main story arc
(as far as I can tell).. It alters only slight things, like dialog
options.. never actual plot events ..(which would be pretty bloody cool, no?)..