MRPG Storyline Brainstorming

Okay, for the story, I was gonna start with one event, and the story branches would be from all the different possibilities that that mission could take.

So, lets start with the beginning level. I was thinking of doing something simple. Mabye like an attack on the ship that the character is on, or a simple mission gone awry.

Oh, and also note, I don't want to start the character as a Chozo Power Suit clad bounty hunter. We will come up with a mission branch where the character becomes one though. The thing is, the story will be based off of the Metroid universe, but I don't want the character to become that close to Samus, it would be far too cliche.

Okay, to start, what style of RPG are we making? Is it turn-based or realtime? Based on which one we pick, I would have different suggestions for storyline and character, although I do agree about the powersuit being an optional upgrade and nothing more later on in the game. Maybe it could have something to do with the Chozo, or the main character could be a GF trooper (rogue SP, even?) The possibilities are endless, so a choice of style could help narrow it down.

The style is a tough choice...

Although, since it's Metroid based, I think real-time is a better idea.

As for the role of the power suit, I will only make it critical to one plotline, and one only. On the other plotlines, it will either be not included or you'd have to go out of your way to get it. I don't want the game to be centered around it in any way.

I like the idea for a GF trooper character. I had an idea though that we could possibly make the beginning an attack by SP's. You would probably be a civilian or military trooper, and you would be fighting against basically unbeatable odds. Usually RPG's start with something that is a predetermined win or loss so this is what came to mind. I also think that a civilian character possibility would be cool because it leaves a lot of room for improvement. :D

Actually, that's the idea I had for the first level. Although, I wouldn't make it a predetermined outcome, because if the player is skilled enough to make it, it would be far more interesting for the player if it opened up a new storyline possibility.

As for the character, I was also gonna go for a GF trooper, and what the character becomes later on depends on the player's choices.

Multiple choice is a huge chore to make happen....I'm not saying don't but think about consequences!

Anyways, how about this?
John Bloggs, Private 7th Ceribus Devision Rank T ES34, approaching destination - Ignia. ETA 12 picocycles.
"Right Soliders this is your breifing, Ignia is a molten piece of crap floating at the edge of the universe, but funny stuff's been going on and we have to deal wiv it! Now don't get too excited probably just a bit of smuggling- although you might be lucky something might not happen." The irony now...


Right that can have people moving in a general direction - this is an example of what I have absorbed from above. This will be a slow start but that is needed for the player to get used to it, maybe we can jump them straight into action thereafter!

True, multiple choice plots are a chore to do, but who said that this was gonna be easy?

As for the player's character, he/she shall remain nameless. I will have a feature that will allow the player to name their character.

As for your intro, I think it's a great start. As for how fast it will be... it seems like it can start just as quickly as any other RPG.

Nobody did ;)

Hmm.. I think a rogue SP would be cool, but that's just my opinion. It'd let people see Metroid from the other side.

If we go with the beginning we have now, I'd go with this (I do like Ignia as the location):

Commander: All right soldiers, listen up. We have been shipped off to Ignia to investigate rumored criminal activity, possibly armed. It could be just your average thieves, but transmissions from the planet have stopped, and the latest ones have led us to believe that it is something more. That is why we are being sent in. You are among the top soldiers; you are the ones we trust to handle this. We are currently approaching the planet now. Get your gear and get ready.

<here there will be a gaming sequence where you go get some equipment, possibly also choose your name. then, when you get back...>

Commander: Good work. We've almost reached Ignia. The planet is very hot so I have had your uniforms altered accordingly. We'll be arriving soon, so be ready for anything.

<transmission screen flickers to read "voice only", commander jumps back>

Transmission: Welcome to our fine planet of Ignia. We're delighted that you have chosen to visit. We will have representatives waiting to welcome you when you land. We hope you enjoy your stay.
<transmission screen dies, ship lands>

How does that read? After you land on the planet, of course, you get swarmed by space pirates and have to fight them off.

As far as choices are concerned, I don't know if we should get too elaborate with it, or do it at all. It would be very hard to pull off; look at the trouble MP2D had just making a straightforward Metroid sidescroller with few to no secrets or diversions. We should probably try to keep it simple.

I like the dialogue it sounds very RPG'ey. Also it is nicely ironic because the players know something is gonna happen. I love those cliche's. Anyways, I was wondering if we should have a character who is really good at the beginning of the game and then loses equipment and abilities. Also, choices would probably be extremely hard. Instead if making one game we'd have to make like 3 or 4. During that break that Serris suggested we could also do a small tutorial on the ship. Either that or a tutorial against a few space pirates.

Thanks, and that's a good idea. Maybe we could have some sort of training simulation or something that tells you the controls during that first gaming sequence. I suppose if there were choices we could have them in the same places, just doing different things, but it'd just be really hard to execute well, IMO.

I like your beining. I also liked how you worked in spots for important in game events, it's very nice work!

As for the choices, I know it's not gonna be easy. I could release the game in parts, but I'm gonna see what I can do first. There may be a way where I don't have to do that. IMO, I think the choices are necessary, because otherwise the game kinda enters that grey area where people ask if it's really an RPG or just an Adventure game.

Hmmm... I suppose you're right. Do you have some sort of system with which you're going to incorporate the choices? Are the stages going to be the same with different situations, enemies, missions, story, alterations, etc.?

Well, the story will work (code-wise) using a variable system. When a player does a certain thing, like going into an area or killing a certain character or finding a secret exit, will alter a variable. Then, once the variable is altered, the ending for that mission, and the next level the player goes to will be different depending on what the player does.

Like the intro level for example. If the player is defeated by the space pirates, then he/she will have to escape from their ship after being captured, but if he/she survives, then they'll have to find a way to escape/call for backup/destroy the space pirates.

You see, the missions will be set, and won't change, but what you do will determine what mission you do next.

Oh, so it is basically the same game, only in a different order? Or some of the missions the same with some different ones for each story? We're going to have to limit ourselves or else we're going to end up with about ten thousand different plot branches to come up with, so I think a combination of differing and repeated stages would be the most logical solution.

I just want to ask about how long do you want this to take. As Serris said if we make every stage a plot branch then there will be a whole lot of plot branches. It takes years for developers to make video games. If we do this seeing as we aren't professionals yet, I would assume it would take longer. I think that the changing plot is a good idea, but if we take it too far we will never finish.

I think that the repeated stages idea should work. For example, if you get captured by the space pirates and escape you do the mission you would if you had beaten the pirates. If you beat the pirates then maybe you get captured after calling for help. Just a few ideas to slightly lessen the production time.

Not exactly. Each storyline will have different missions, the only one they'll truly have in common is the first mission, and mabye the last for some of them.

And we probably will have to pick and choose which plot branches that were gonna include. Because we definitley won't have time to do all of them. Some storylines may have stages in common other than those though.

I think that before we come up with all kinds of different scenarios, I think we should come up with a few basic plotline ideas, and I mean basic. We should come up with a title for each plotline, and what they go through, then we'll work out the exact storyline details.

Okay, I'm gonna need to think for a while on this one. We've gotta have enough different plotlines to keep interesting, but few enough to keep it within creation ability. First choice: Win or lose SP battle. Now of course this "win" is relative. Are we going to strand our character on the planet, the lone survivor of the attack, but with the enemy defeated? Or is it going to be a substantial victory with many troops left. We can't have both as options, at it would be too complicating too early (we need to be able to branch off later), so I'm leaning towards the latter, in which case we can choose to either go back on the starship or stay on the planet. However, the definition of "loss" here is also confusing, since if you die, the game is over. Unless getting defeated results in you getting captured and having to escape. I suppose that the first thing to do is come up with clearer "win" and "loss" parameters.

Well a loss would result in capture for obvious reasons. And a win in this case would be just surviving. Remember, their being attacked and overrun, I doubt that the GF troopers could win in that situation.

Yea they would probialy lose...