I'm copy and pasting some of the correspondence with my mentor, Ian Christy of Radical Entertainment. Perhaps it will give some curious people an idea of the playWRITE process so far, at least for me, and maybe also offer some tips for the other playWRITErs.

Hi Ian,

My broad strokes story is about the dreams of a man who's not a hero, lacks self awareness, fears change and risks, is self-protective, represses emotions, etc. He also has many unresolved issues, which are starting to dynamically, symbolically and overexaggeratedly manifest themselves in his dreams, since he won't deal with them in real life. I've been trying to think of ways to raise the stakes on this character to make his situation more interesting, but also keep him human. I've decided that in real life, he's dying and so his subconscious, even more so, thinks it's very important that he deal with these unresolved issues ASAP. You don't know all of these issues at the first of the game, but discover it through dialogue, in game artifacts, actions and observation of symbols, characters and environments.

The main story arc of the game is (I'm going to cheat and copy and paste from my blog):

When the game begins, you are as confused about your whereabouts and identity as the character is, although the player will be already aware this game is about being in the dreams of your character. However, your first interaction with an NPC reveals that someone at least pertaining to be you has killed a number of people in this dream world who are close to you in real life. Your objectives are:

1) Discover who this imposter is.

2) Seek power in order to defeat him.

3) Discover who you are and why you've been brought here.

e wrote:

I'd like to see a separation of the plot through lines and the mission / gameplay plots. The latter should support the former, basically. Can the overall story boil down to one sell line? A pitch line, basically. Star Wars the Hero's Journey, or Matrix “Destiny Abducts Reluctant Hero," etc.

Other words, can you capture the vibrant hum of the gist of your yarn in one sentence. There after can come breakdowns of dramatic beats that will in turn inform the parameters of the spaces wherein the mission narrative aspects will subsequently live.

In order to do this, you must gain experience by fighting what you fear and interact with a number of characters to discover more about who you are, why you're here, who this killer is and what events transpired. There will also be minor story arcs or missions where you deal, at least symbolically, with a number of unresolved issues in the character's life. However, I think the main objective is to confront this Shadow before your character dies in real life, or at least before he wakes up so he can have the inspiration to change his life around before it's too late.

e wrote:

It's a groovy premise. Still not sure I'm "hooked" in yet, though. You're on the right track, first figure out all your cast and events, then shuffle 'em like cards to see how you can find fun relationships, situations, twists, and misdirections that can then get expanded into missions, situations, mechanics / abilities / choices / interactions, locations, etc.

Okay, now this I'm going to throw out there since the idea just occurred to me recently. I've been thinking I could make my game more like GTA where the dreamworld is more of an open sandbox with strange abstract environments that can be explored, battles can be fought and various interactions can give the player a better idea of what's going on in the head of their character and help them resolve some issues, which could be beneficial in: the real/waking life world, which is more linear and mission driven. The guy could still be dying soon, so his missions could be last minute and interesting things he feels he needs to do. They could range from something character driven, like connect with your daughter by driving frantically quick to get to her soccer game on time. Or could be more fun like go dirt biking through the desert or pick a bar fight. How well you do or what you do in these two worlds could have an impact on the other world. It makes things more complicated for my bible, but it's an interesting concept.

e wrote:

I'm so glad you decided to go more the Bioshock route. That said, I will offer feedback from both first and 3^rd person perspectives, partially because Radical does 3^rd person open world games better than FPS, partially because I've worked on both, and partially because when you're developing a narrative experience, I think it's good to keep your ear open for other options even when you pick a focus to run with initially. Perhaps some parts of the game need to switch to third person, or a god like perspective. What if a chapter can only be told through following the upward battle of a salmon or fur allergies of a flea?

True, things can and will change and get scoped down to the bone. However, you should try to raise the best fatted calf you can before stabbing it with your steely knives to cull out a fine flank or two. Starting out overly conservative or frugal can really bite you like a feral muppet down the line, just as being a bloated spice baron can as well.

Start big in the idea phase, then crash diet through pre-production to prepare for production, but don't toss out the big britches, because once the core of the game is solid, you can start adding back on the layers.

Hope this helps. :)

~Amanda

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Hey Ian,

Here is what I wrote up last night. I hope it gives you a clearer idea of my game. A lot of the stuff I've posted so far isn't very specific and tends to be heavily theme-based. I also included some images, which I hope will also give you a firmer idea of the concept and experience of the game.

e wrote:

Solid images. I get the gist, being somewhat of a tentacle, deadbolt, & stitches kind of monster aficionado myself.

For fun, consider placing the entire game into dreams, and leave the reality for a punch line.

Or alternately bridge into the other world seamlessly, as if from the protagonist's perspective the two exist seamlessly, kind of like how dementia works, when what's in your head seeps out to stain the ointment of your surroundings.

Don't get me wrong, I have no desire to tell you how to craft your story, rather, I would encourage you to take different vantage points and see which might best serve the tone you’d like to preserve while also affording the best opportunities for exciting and visually engaging gameplay?

The gamer's experience will be a first person view of the wonderful, strange and sometimes unnerving dream environments surrounding you and the intricate and meaningful people you interact with. This head space allows you to see through the eyes of your character and immerse you in their mind and the dreams it has created. However, you will be aware of what your player looks like through cut scenes and occasional mirrors throughout the game.

e wrote:

Cool.

Although the game's character and NPCs have very real, dramatic and sometimes stark issues in real life, the game's atmosphere is nowhere near this serious and sober, but it will not be overly light either (although some missions may be lighter than others). These issues, themes and the protagonist's psyche will be illustrated by more universal and fantastical symbols, people, creatures and missions. This could take the form of archetypes, missions based on popular myths and sometimes humorous personified slices of the protagonist's mind (e.g., the protagonist's fear of his own death and unwillingness to accept the five years old death of his wife, could take the shape of a mission like Orpheus and Euripides where he goes into the Underworld, battling the forces of death like zombies, ghosts, etc., meets with some Hades figure, manipulates, negotiates and convinces him to release his dead wife, struggles to take her back to Earth while again fighting off the forces of death, although this time, he can't look back at her (even accidentally as he fights). They will have an emotional impact and symbolism that is clearly reminiscent of the more specific events in this person's life, but illustrates them in a more universal and appealing way for the player. The world will be fantastical, imaginative and strange with a strong tone of adventure, wonder, suspense, urgency, bizarre transcendentalism and some darkness.

emon wrote:

Kudos for hitting up classic myth as an example. Once you know your arc for a series of missions, you can build that arc along a theme, be it Greek legend or Delta Blues or Voodoo Hoodoo Folktales. First, though, need to know the big story beats to start hanging outfits on them.

You defeat enemies, solve some mysteries and progress the game through a combination of weapons, puzzle solving, aversion and NPC interaction. The fighting style of the game is fairly similar to first person shooter, although you won't always use guns, blades or other standard weapons to kill your foes. Sometimes you use objects you've picked up or puzzles and/or triggers within your environment to defeat your enemies. Also, the weapons/objects you pick up tend to deteriorate through time and use. However, for the big bosses at the end of each mission (i.e., the culmination of your character's fear/dilemma and the theme of the level), the POV will still be the same, but the gameplay will be somewhat like the Shadow of the Colossus. The weapons you use are often objects/symbols you find in the room or earlier in the game. The bosses and the rooms they're in tend to be puzzles that you may figure out in order to defeat them. However, you don't have to follow a set strategy in order to defeat the creature. (refer to "personality/battle tactic choices")

e wrote:

I like this, reminds me of the Pan's Labyrinth classroom idea, multiple strategies to challenge, subvert, or sneak around an enemy, each strategy with different potential wins, losses, and consequences.

The game is on rails, but it also many venues for player agency. There are rails in the sense that the player must complete missions to advance the game. The protagonist's backstory, which is driving the narrative and symbolism behind the missions and NPCs, is also set. However, what happens to this protagonist and how this inner turmoil is dealt with is up to the player once the game begins. On one extreme, they can get into the protagonist's head, act as he would and try their best to solve the missions and overarching mystery in a manner that would be most psychologically meaningful and helpful for the protagonist. On the other extreme, they can just crash through the game, command and conquer this strange world and its terrible creatures and forgo much interest in the NPC interactions and story development. Either way would be challenging and fun and both have repercussions and rewards for these strategies.

e wrote:

There is always a risk of front loading too much exposition into a game. In case I haven't mentioned this, lay out all your candidate plot / characterization / thematic / and location elements like a tarot reading and you'll likely find that the more you shuffle them up, the richer gameplay opportunities emerge, and that through presenting the player with a prospective mystery they'll more likely buy in and root around. Reward the player with more and more aspects of story as they roam and play and poke around, kind of like each of your big missions is an episode of Twin Peaks or Lost, and Mission Arcs are Season Finales, with 4 or 5 Finales culminating the game with enough tantalizing what if questions remaining further downloadable episodes or a full blown sequel might be a possibility once fanatic audience members clamber enough for it on social sites.

The game's interactions and points of player agency are divided three ways.

1) NPC Interaction/Dialogue Choices: Your dialogue choices and perceived personality will influence how an NPC interacts with you, how much they open up to you and, sometimes, whether they give you objects or weapons to help you on your odyssey's missions. You can use your skills of understanding people and speak to each unique person in a manner that will give you the most information and rewards (kind of like those "Negotiator" or dating lifestyle games). However, this will be limited by their already established perception of you, which is influenced by your other actions throughout the game.

e wrote:

There are a few things going on here mechanically. I realize you're speaking to intentions of your interactions, and that's cool. Let me push forward into how these sorts of interactions might manifest in the game space.

• Talk at you: either you hit a button or walk near 'em or maybe the world goes fuzzy and they appear in your mind's eye (because you stepped into a trigger volume) spatial context, or your completed a task “consequential context, or you seem lost or in need of expositional presentation“ story context).
• Talk with you: either through text boxes, dialogue, or a combination of the two. Mass Effect probably pulled this off the best of recent memory, for while the text bubbles were overt, the dialogue didn't match one to one, a fun surprise sometimes.
• Player reputation here is the RPG element, for sure. The game states adjust reacting to the player's context / statistics / choices. Mission or character options / difficulties / availabilities change based on what has come before through the player's time in the game space. More than just success and failure, the game can take into account the style with which the player is solving problems and adjust to reward / challenge / punish such actions towards benefitting the overall agenda of the game. Does punching everything in site eventually become counter-productive, like Capt. Caveman? Or is it just another means to eventually revealing the ultimate evil in the universe, like Conan the Barbarian?

2) Tactical Battle Choices: How you choose to complete your missions and, especially, your final adversaries at the end of each mission determines what strengths you are given, the reputation you will get and how NPCs treat you, which will ultimately decide how much you discover about yourself and solve the mystery of who is killing all your friends and family.

e wrote:

Exactly. Nothing ties a player in more to a game experience than seeing the game adapt to what the player is doing, regardless of whether the reactions are positive or negative or more rewarding or more challenging.

I've of a mind that if there is an ability in a game, there must be some time when use of that ability has merit and could potentially garner a reward. There is game in choice, timeliness, and appropriateness of action. There is not joy in being able to leap buildings in a game of nothing but open, barren fields.

3) Order of Missions Choices: Each mission represents a symbolic struggle your character is having in real life. Your character will be more ready for certain missions based on what he has accomplished and dealt with already. For example, it would be much more difficult for him to deal with the death of his father (one mission) if he hasn't already completed another mission that forces him to deal in someway with the death of his pet dog (this is just an example I pulled out of my ass, no real intention of using these). The second mission may have given him some inner strength power or a weapon or useful object that would aid him in the father mission. If the player takes the father mission first, he's just making things difficult, but not impossible, for him/herself. So the player must choose wisely. They will have an idea of the mission they're about to undertake by speaking to the NPC that guards the door to each mission.

e wrote:

You're describing mission arcs, sounds to me, and good eye for that. There is an adage among platform game designers called T3, meaning Teach, Try, Test. Show them a situation or system of interactions or an ability, allow them to mess around with it, poke at it, without any harsh penalties, then slam them into a final exam where they must demonstrate a proficiency with that mechanic to progress.

Example:

• Teach: Mom said people die. Grandpa died once. Kids say the darndest things.
• Train: Talk to friends about death. Everyone has an opinion but only a few people recall someone they knew dying. Finally one person has a horror story about going to a funeral. You're left dubious through, because aspects of the story are being filtered through a child's limited experiences and a mind that still allows unwavering allegiance to Santa Claus and Angels.
• Test: Where is the dog? I tied it up, I swear! Break down into tears, then chin up and go scour the surrounding yards, the field across he highway, break down and cry again, can't find any of your friends to help look, keep avoiding this one stretch along the highway, where the ditch runs, cause you know, and your dad gets home, he tells you he'll help, he knows right where to go, tells you to go a different way, back up the hill to your Granny's yard, and when you get back he's digging in the garden and there is a big burlap bag you think potatoes used to live in and you can see some dark tuft of fur or maybe it's a weed it's fur and your dog your best friend of all to sleep on the porch all summer your dog only one and a half years old followed you home from when you were hunting crawdads and no one answered the newspaper ad so he was yours and licked your cheek no matter how much grime and watermelon juice had gone tacky there and your dad's shoulders are heaving as he shovels the hole deeper and your. Dog. Is. Dead.
• Sorry, rocking your out-of-ass example.

There are ultimately three personality/battle tactic categories that can be chosen.

A) Evasive: try to avoid having to kill creatures/people as much as possible. Usually maintains your health more, but costs you experience in the long run. Has both good and bad implications (depending when you do this) on your personal success (e.g., how you're perceived by others, what you find out about yourself, not dealing with issues, etc.)

e wrote:

In country we call this "stealth" essentially meaning conflict avoidance. Thief versus the fighter, shy pacifist versus extraverted meat juggler.

B) Psycho: more of a brawn before brains maneuver where you usually don't use the puzzle pieces much and instead use whatever means possible to kill things even if they're a bit morally reprehensible (like gouging a guy's eyes out while he's down). You get more experience this way, which helps you to continue being a psycho, but it almost always negatively impacts the personal side of the game. The protagonist's "true personality" is a weird combination of Psycho and Evasive. He's aggressive and power hungry when the defeat seems easy, but evasive when things get risky or too challenging.

e wrote:

Do these over lap with the whole ID: Ego psychological run, or Fight versus Flight, or the crocodile brain versus the cognate dreamer, or the self-aware versus the self-obsessed? Psychonauts had some nice gags about this sort of stuff, but there is ample room for a more grown up approach, well, on that also allows the inner child to run around slaying dragons or befriending them to dance barefoot through a daisy field while brownies play bagpipes made from matchless socks.

C) Clever Boy: The happy medium that uses their brain to defeat foes by figuring out the puzzles for each monster and within the missions. This likeable personality is usually very adept at getting the information they need out of NPCs. This is a happy medium for battle success and is sometimes, but not always, the best for personal implications. However, this way can also be more risky for your health and you sometimes won't be able to kill your foe, just cripple them. This is a more challenging gameplay style. This is the kind of person the protagonist wishes they could be more like.

Of course, it will be rare that a player will constantly use the same fighting style and personality throughout the game. How these choices affect the gaming experience is based on what you choose most and in what circumstances you choose it. I'm also considering certain mixtures of category choices to have implications (e.g., predominant Evasive/Clever Boy choices), but I still haven't fleshed that idea out quite enough.

e wrote:

I’d dig seeing a third tier added to the very bi-polar karmic model Bioshock and bioware's Jedi game used, so you could have lawful, unlawful, and the third answer, where characters like Mad Max, Fletch, and Han Solo live. I think these are Rogues in D&D, but been a long time since I played that, and might be getting my Gygax and Claremont mixed up, and what a zany, madcap Reece's Cup that would make!

p.s. I picture this as a game for the console, but that may be because that's where most of my serious gaming experience lies.

e wrote:

PC is currently a niche market EXCEPT for massive multiplayer on-line games that benefit from the better PC networking abilities, stuff like WOW.

Console though is divergent between Wii and PS3 / 360 due to the controller schemes. Doesn't make a huge difference from the narrative side, but totally affects the player's interaction model. For simplicity's sake, I'd advise picking one platform so that should you get into mechanics for interactions, which I'm hoping you will, you would only have to deal with one sort of controller. So think about which you'd be most comfortable with. Lots of wand action like Harry Potter, go Wii. Lots of Bioshock style activate / deactivate / multi-target slaughter go 360or PS3, 360 currently having the larger install base but MGS will help PS3 increase market share, as will Blu-Ray.