Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
Path: gmd.de!xlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uunet!world!tob
From: tob@world.std.com (Tom O Breton)
Subject: Re: Help on designing a game (LONG)
Message-ID: <CJFuEx.94w@world.std.com>
Reply-To: tob@world.std.com
Organization: BREnterprises
References: <1994Jan10.101240.9851@netnews.wku.edu>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 23:54:33 GMT
X-Posted-By: My own casual posting program
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mollems@wkuvx1.wku.edu (Molley the Mage) writes:
> Having seen other posts on the topic, I'll take this opportunity to
> delve into my own philosophy of game design, and let the comments flow
> freely!
>
> First of all, I agree with a previous posting that Story must come
> before all else.

Not if you mean that in the sense of a "plot" for the game, a sequence
of things which must happen, if not in precise order, at least with
strong order constraints.

> Seriously, though, at least a sketchy plot outline is a must before you
> can decide on anything else.

I surmise that you do indeed mean it that way.

I'm puzzled to see the number of posts here that want to do that. Isn't
having a "plot" throwing away 90% of the power of the interactive
medium? Looks to me like an awful lot of energy spent first making a
player go a certain way, and then trying to disguise the essentially
forced nature of the action.


Discussion question: Why do not-interactive stories have plots anyways?
(Aside from a little bit of experimental fiction that does not)

It's because the linear nature of the print medium forces a rigid,
unchangeable sequence. Following a protagonist's experience
chronologically is an obvious way of organizing this sequence.

IF has no such limit, so why force a plot on it? Is the motivation
simply to make a player explore your entire creation?

As an amateur writer, I can tell you that stories may come out like
that, but they don't go in like that. You (or at least I) start out with
a setting, atmosphere, motivation for the character(s), possibly a few
other characters (NPC's), climax to aim for, et.al. But IMO a story that
knows in any great detail where it is going comes off as forced.

All these things, setting, atmosphere, motivation, et al. can be used in
IF without a forced sequence.

So in summary, *why* use the print device of plot?

        Tom

-- 
Having finished it's [sic] evil speech, the Tom spreads it's scaly
wings and soars away...  (tob@world.std.com, TomBreton@delphi.com)
