Cliches: When To Use Them

So, I believe I've mentioned that I hate cliches. I don't believe I've mentioned what I think a cliche really is.


Here is the standard public definition to a cliche: "Plot element that has been drastically overused."


Here's my definition of a cliche: "A well known plot element that has been used often and BADLY."


Let's take a brief look at some over-used plot elements:
--> Town is burnt to the ground (Legend of Dragoon)
--> Villain is the hero's father/uncle/brother/sister
--> Female protagonist finds out she either is or isn't a princess (Just about any Final Fantasy)
--> The main villain isn't really the head villain, but a pawn of the head villain (Again, any Final Fantasy)
--> The guy you OBVIOUSLY killed, is, in fact, alive
--> The main character is an orphan (practically every game/movie/book ever)
--> Your best friend betrays you (Bully)
--> You get shot at by 50 different guys, never eat a bullet, and end up taking out all 50 of them with a stick, a pack of bubble gum, and a photograph.


Let me point out that I'm not against any of these plot elements. I'm only against them if they're used badly. What do I mean by that? If you use any of these plot elements as filler, plot devices, or without any real reason, that's when it becomes a horrible cliche.

It's not whether or not your element has been used or not. It's how it's brought to life. It's how it fits into the story. It's how it's narrated. It's angles you put on it.

So let's take a look at when it's ok to use these plot elements.

When Cliches Are OK to Use
#1- When they're used sparingly
One or two of these elements is fine by itself. 5 or 6 of these elements say to me that you really didn't try to come up with a story at all. All of these elements say to me that you're either a n00b that wanted to make a game and feel special about yourself, or a big company that just needed extra funds to pay for extra pizza parties.

#2- When they're critical for the story to make sense
I would rather have a good, solid plot that has a few typical elements, then a weak one that I can blow a ton of holes in. If you avoid a cliche just to avoid a cliche, and do something that's totally out of character, I believe that stands out more then a overly-used plot element. It's more important that the plot is smooth.

If the villain is a pyro, it would make sense to have him burn down a city. If my best friend is mentally unstable, it makes sense that he would betray me. If you're going to use a well-known plot element, set it up well.


#3- When it's for a younger audience
Kids haven't been around long enough to criticize a cliche. If they do understand something that's been done before, they don't really care. Games meant for younger audiences aren't expected to have highly complex plots. Now, don't get me wrong. Just because younger audiences don't have complex storylines doesn't mean that they shouldn't have original ones. My point is, I'm not going to care as much about cliches if I'm playing a game by Nintendo that's rated "E" as opposed to a Sony game that's rated "M."


#4- When it's not really a "surprise"
Most of the cliches I mentioned above try to be "GASP" moments. This effect probably only works on half of the audience. If you want to do a plot element such as the guy you shot being alive or your best friend betrays you, a good way to do it is to let the audience know while your characters are in the dark.

A good example of this is Kingdom Hearts. We all could see that Riku was going to betray Sora, but we were interested in how he was going to betray him. The betrayal was obvious, but his plans weren't. It was definitely a good angle to take.



Other Notes

--> If your plot has many elements that have been used before, that doesn't make it a bad story. The only real downside to having a ton of cliches in a story is that you'll get tougher criticizm. Probably from me.

--> If you're going to use a cliche element, make sure that it completely makes sense. Foreshadow it. Work on character development to set it up. Work on backstories.

--> I have read totally original stories that-- I thought-- were complete crap. People try harder to be original then to make a good story. Don't do that.

--> If Legend of Zelda uses the same exact story for every single game, and each game does well. Meditate on that for a bit.

Creepy image of Link (C) Nintendo

Multiple Endings Poll

New Poll: Multiple Endings: Do you think they strengthen a game plot, or do you think it weakens it?

Personally, I love multiple endings due to the fact that I get to choose my own story. I think this makes it much more immersive and fun. Sometimes it makes the game better, because then I don't have to deal with the fact that Tidus ended up with Yuna, when he had better chemistry with Rikku. (No, I will NOT get over that, thank you!)






So, what do you guys think? How do you guys feel about multiple endings?

Describe Me

I think one of the things I love most about the old RPGs are the items you get while travelling. Staffs, swords, potions... Small items that give you a sense of reward.

Now that games are far more complex, there seems to be a massive amount of items a player can buy or find throughout a game. And two things determine how much of a reward these items are: what they do and how they're described.

For example, would you rather have:

Olympus Sword: A polished sword. Offense: +10

or

Olympus Sword: An elegant sword with a marble handle, made from the stones of Mount Olympus. Offence +10

Your prompt-- if you choose to accept it-- is to take the 4 following items and describe them:

1- Tiger Sword

2- Charm Bracelet

3- Fire Ruby

4- Mage's Cloak

Tips for Description:

--> In a game, a description for an item can't be too long. So figure on a trait or two that stands out about it and focus on that, instead of trying to do a generalized description.

--> Potions and some armor don't need a whole lot of description. Healing Potions heal. We get that. If you want to go more into detail, go for it, but again, keep it short.

--> Descriptions should match the tone of the game. Serious games don't describe something as "An awesome sword built for ownage." A comical game, however, does. Games rated "E" have simpler explinations then those rated "M." Keep these things in mind.

--> Write more then one draft. Always. For everything.

Let me know what you guys come up with!

Photo: (C) Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town

Signs of the Zodiac

Seeing as how my birthday was a couple days ago, I was inspired to do a astrological prompt.

Pick a random day on the calendar. Look up the astrological characteristics for a person born on that day. Now, create a villain based on those characteristics.

For example: Say you picked today. That would make your villain a Cancer. Cancers are highly emotional, they're very strong-willed, and are usually night owls. This could be fun for a villain. A Cancer villain would have very deep motives, stemming from a past hurt or betrayal. This could either be a villain that the player would sympathize with, or one that would scare the player half to death.

If I were a villain, I think I'd be closer to the second one.

Opening Cutscenes

This might be a little more fun for you poetic and dramatic writers. Cutscenes are a HUGE part of gaming anymore. It started out as impressive, silent graphics and has now turned into short films about the characters and settings. Opening cutscenes can easily suck a player into playing a game.


Your prompt: Create a great opening cutscene. It can either be full of talk or speechless.


Reasons for speechlessness: A video game script doesn't just have dialogue. It has narration. A game script's narration is usually short and to the point, but there is plenty of it. A great opening isn't always full of talk. Sometimes confusion or an adrenaline rush can suck in a player.


Other notes: Even if your opening has no talking, be sure to involve sounds in your description. Sounds add tons of depth to any game.


Examples of great openings:


Final Fantasy 8

This cutscene has absolutely no speaking. The reason this make a great intro is because it shows many elements of the game: relationships, action, and future events. The music gives a nice adrenaline kick as well.







Prototype (CAUTION: This is a M17 game. It contains graphic violence. Like, people getting cut in half violence.)

This is a great opening because not only do you see really wicked action, but you learn the story of the character you're playing. Even with my weak stomach, I'm itching a bit to play this game myself because the story is so facinating. (Even if it is a bit of a I Am Legend steal.)







Uncharted

I like this opening because it makes me laugh. Ok, there are more reasons than that to as why it's a good opening. You learn about the characters you're going to be spending a good week looking at. The story is set up and when that is settled, it goes straight into the action. Perfect!









Kingdom Hearts 2

This is a very complicated opening, which makes it so great. Not only is this the opening to KH2, but it's a synopsis of the events in KH1 and KH: Chain of Memories. So it's like 3 games meshed in one. Not easy. This is another opening with no real talking other than the song lyrics.

Bully

System: XBox 360/PS2/Wii/Windows
Release: 2006/2008
Developer: Rockstar


PLAY THIS. I don't think I could be clearer about it. Rockstar is a company that has some of the best character and humor writing. Rockstar is famous for their sandbox games, including Grand Theft Auto.

So what do I give it?

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Side Quests: 5/5

Plot
The basis of Bully is that you play as the new kid at a boarding school that seems to be especially made for juvenile delinquents. Trying to survive relentless attacks by jocks and bullies, you try to make your way to the top of the social food chain.

The plot is simple enough, but almost anyone can identify with it. If you've ever been picked on in school, it feels great to walk up to a character in one of these games and just glass jaw him.

The main idea in this game is to earn respect of everyone in your school by doing jobs for people. Starting at the bottom of the totem pole with nerds, you slowly make your way up to the top. Your only accomplices are Pete, a wimpy follower, and Gary, a psychopath that I'm glad I never went to school with.

So Gary convinces you to take over the school, then betrays you and tries to get you to fall to the bottom of the food chain and tries to take over the school himself. So not only do you have to defend yourself against bullies and Fonzie wannabes, but you have to find Gary and destroy him before he destroys you.
In the end, you set Gary up and the principal gets him expelled. You're the top of the food chain. But only in Video Game Land. Sorry.

Characters

Jimmy
Even though Jim is a type of live-and-let-live type of character, he also helps others---at a price. Jim has a great amount of complexity in him, which is why I like him. He's got an attitude problem (that you can tell is from his lack of decent parents), he doesn't want to deal with anyone, and yet he still manages to become the most popular guy in school by helping everyone. For the goody-two-shoes (Does anyone understand that expression? Do rebels only wear one shoe or something?) that never talked back to teachers or meddled with school property, you will be surprised at Jim's behavior, but the teachers' behaviors kind of balance it out.


Gary
This kid doesn't belong in school, he belongs in a psychiatric ward. This kid makes an excellent teen villain due to the fact that he's absolutely crazy. Almost Kefka crazy in a sense. Finally releasing himself from medication, Gary goes nuts and tries to destroy Jimmy in order to get the school for himself. (Why is it that crazy people are the first to pursue big dreams?)




Other Characters
There really aren't a lot of major characters. They're evenly distributed throughout the game. The most interesting thing about the characters in this game is that they aren't copies. Each one has a name and personality. That's definitely a rarity in a sandbox game.

Side Missions
The funny thing about missions is that they were so much like the mainstream ones that I couldn't tell the difference. Some of them were a little more disturbing mind you, for example, getting your butt ugly lunch lady a date as she spits in the vat of mystery meat; but all in all they went seamlessly into the gameplay. It really is the best mission writing I've seen thus far.

Final Say:
Play it! Don't ask, just do it!

Other notes:
How about a female sandbox game, Rockstar? Why should guys get all the fun of hitting people, stealing cars, and pissing off authorities?

Prompt: Princesses

Inspired by Fat Princess (Sony), I thought I'd dedicate today's prompt to princesses. These are the types of princesses we usually come across in the world of games:

Sweet and Sincere
These girls are quick to think, slow to anger, and even slower to say anything. If they say anything relevant at ALL, it usually ends up being something timid and philosophical.

Punk Princess
These princesses usually have armor, a sword, and sometimes less clothes than normal people. They're quick to anger, quick to speak, and usually end up destroying one thing or another in the process.

The –Not So Secret-- Princess
Yes, yes. You're really a princess. We NEVER saw that coming. Come on.


Your prompt: Come up with a princess. Make her original. Make her deep. Make her bigger than a size 2. (Why are all princesses so TINY?)