11 replies to this topic

[starstutter]

I have an idea for a game (in all honesty it's mostly just something to go off of for technical engine development), and the story is somewhat similar to bioshock, although there are some major differences and the general progression of the backstory is different as well.

One way I want the story to be revealed is through diarys, journals, and pictures left behind by the people who once lived there. These events would also coincide with puzzles, subtley explaining how or why they are there.

One thing I do know about people is that practically nobody actually reads the notes and stuff to follow the story because frankly, most people don't like reading. And if you put vital information in them, that's forcing them to read. And no one likes being forced to read...

So I want to put it in audio recordings of some kind, the technology cannot be more advanced than 1930 (although some imaginative technology has been thought up). I want to use something like tape recorders, but I feel like I don't want to copy from bioshock anymore than I "technically" have.

I say technocally because it's different in a lot of ways and most people wouldn't make the connection.

Also, I didn't really copy anything, and it pisses me off because I thought this up like half a year before I even knew what bioshock was ><

[jaytraveller]

i dont know what your game is about, but the player could be hearing whispers in the air, pretty much ghosts.
or a radio station, with someone operating it, manipulating the player...
but then again, i dont know the setting of your game

[starstutter]

Well, that would be fitting with the story, but it would also be a little too mystical for this style (this is true horror genre). Also, the ghost thing would be like Bioshock even more lol.

I do want ghosts in a *way*, but not so much ones you see so blatently. Idk, you might be onto something. I guess I should expand on it some.

[TheNut]

Bioshock had a story? What?

Write the game how you want to tell it, it's plain and simple. Don't worry about who has done what. If you try to hard to become original or avoid showing similarities, than you will most certainly affect the quality of your game.

[starstutter]

TheNut said:

Bioshock had a story? What?

:O blasphemy!

I do agree that can hinder creativity, but it's a shame to have worked so hard on an idea, and then have people think that you completley stole it. I find what's best in those situations is to keep modifying the ideas (and keeping track of them) untill you come across one that is both unique and good.

[Mattias Gustavsson]

starstutter said:

I find what's best in those situations is to keep modifying the ideas (and keeping track of them) untill you come across one that is both unique and good.

How on earth did you come to that conclusion? Every time I've seen that being done, it's ended up with the game being less good than it could have.

Unique, is not even desirable. Good is all that matters. :yes:

[starstutter]

Mattias Gustavsson said:

How on earth did you come to that conclusion?

Do you have any idea how many story tweeks the half life series went through? They essentially make about 3 whole games worth of content and "deleted scenes" before getting it right. Ideas can definitley degrade with modification (yeah I've seen that plenty of times too), but that's why you keep track of them and sleep on it. I agree that revisions are usually worse than the origional, but it's to a *point*. Kind of a roller-coaster thing

[Mattias Gustavsson]

Oh, I'm all for the concept of keep modifying and improving a game. But not to make it unique, only to make it good :D

[starstutter]

Well, I guess I'd have to give you that one. Most great games are just modified versions of a concept that was already out, but not perfected. I think it is important to be unique in a way, because, if your game is a tired concept, people won't like it. If it's so unique AND so good, you could end up like the guys that made narbacular drop... getting hired by Valve to work on Portal ^^. (lucky sonza)

[Mattias Gustavsson]

I don't know if it's that lucky... I'd rather continue to work on my own stuff than be hired to work on someone elses, if I had the choice :D

[Reedbeta]

Narbacular Drop was the precursor of Portal. They weren't hired to work on someone else's stuff, they were hired to make a professional, best-selling version of their own game. :cool:

[onyxthedog]

Possibly you could get your friends to let you record their voices and they could be the person who wrote the note reading it. It is like this in a lot of games but it is usually more of a cut screen type feel because you cant do much if anything while this is happening.