Who Wants to Go to the Library?

That question barely receives a “yes” in the real world, so I find myself stumped at why game creators think it's a good idea to put libraries in games.

Libraries are an attempt to give a player more information about a game world, in hopes that it'll make it more immersive. Most RPG libraries consist of history, news, and the creator's own version of fan fiction. I barely read history in reality. What makes game creators think I'll read it in a fantasy world where my only goal is to get enough cash to buy that super cool weapon that'll cut through a bus?

Let's take a look at different types of libraries in games.

Examples of Good Libraries:

Sims
These are there for two reasons: skills and entertainment. In the Sims 3, this comes in handy because you save a ton of money on buying books for skills. Also, these libraries have computers to perform extra tasks.

Harvest Moon
Great reference tool. Harvest Moon's library is for what plants grow when. It tells you how to play mini games, how to plant crops, and you can actually meet people in there.

Tomb Raider
Each book in Lara's Mansion in Tomb Raider: Anniversary has a clue to solving the next puzzle. Without the books, it makes it harder to play the game. The books actually have purpose and are necessary.


Examples of Bad Libararies:

Legend of Legaia
I'm in the middle of a mist-ridden society, trying to find an exit; I'm not going to read your stupid diary. Legend of Legaia's libraries are of little use. They are mainly people's diaries about the mist, or just useless information that I can't do anything with. The only positive point to these libraries is sometimes you find new battle combinations. That's really about it.

Legend of Dragoon
The main library in the game is full of information. Information I care nothing about. I've all ready sat through some elder giving me a “in the beginning” speech, and I don't feel like sitting through more of it. Long narrative CGs + giant libraries = zzzzzzz

Oregon Trail Version 745 (Or however many they have now)
This is a menu option in the game, where you can study different diseases and treatments according to the time period. As informative as this is, HOLY CRAP there's a lot to look at. None of this information, however, is incredibly critical to the game. You still get bitten by a snake and die.

My problem isn't with RPGs trying to get across more information. My problem is how loquacious game creators feel like being when they make libraries. The point of a game is to play. If you want to write fan fiction, put it on the internet like everyone else.

Ways to Get Across Information:
There are different ways to get across game world history in a game without resorting to long winded libraries:

Dialogue
If the information is critical to the story, slip it into the dialogue. Not with a “in the beginning” CG, but with a simple, “Remember how...” or “We haven't had a famine this bad since [this event in history].”

Townsfolk
Townsfolk are notorious for useless information. Short bouts of useless information. If you're going to give out non-essential information, the best thing to do it to keep it short and coming out of crazy, useless people.

Letters
Instead of having characters find diaries or go to libraries, have them find single sheets of paper in offices and houses that explain things. This increases the entertainment value and still gets the point across.


If you want libraries in your game, I have nothing against you. Just know that I probably won't be stopping by.

Libraries in games should be more for reference then anything. References like synthesizing and alchemy, battle strategy, and simple gameplay are easy to put in libraries without boring the player to death.

Save libraries. Keep them useful.

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

Hello and a Prompt

For the 3 people that follow my blog, you probably haven't really noticed that I haven't posted in forever. Sorry about that. I'm sure one out of the 3 of you missed me. The other two forgot this page existed.

I'm working on finishing up Crisis Core--the prequel to Final Fantasy 7-- as we speak. I know there are a ton of FF7 fans out there so it should be fun to ward the bunch of you off with a stick. But I'm never going to be able to review this game if I don't finish the 500 random missions I have to do, which I'm sure Square Enix just threw in so the game would be longer. But at least it goes with the plot fairly well. And I mean fairly. More on that later. (But beofre you all get defensive, know that I'm actually enjoying the game. And also know that getting defensive over a game is a waste of energy.)

So I thought I'd give you a nice easy prompt to warm up the old blog.

I forgot how I even start these things...

Your assignment for this week is to take two characters from games (or if you would like, you can use movies), stick them in a room with no windows or doors, and watch how they react with each other as well as towards the fact that there's no escape.

This could be really fun, if you try. Sephiroth and Mario. Nina Williams and Rocket, the slime from Dragon Quest. The Terminator and SpongeBob Squarepants.

The point of this exercise is to watch characters interact, without forcing chemestry between them. You simply observe and record. When you think about it, that's the basic block of writing. A writer is not meant to control circumstance. S/he is meant to record what is happening in his/her imagination.

This is an exercise I'd really love to get replies for, so leave me your prompt!

Character Development #2: Interview

Your character should be as real to you as possible. If he or she is not real to you, why would he or she be real to anyone else?

If you’re a writer, you’re part crazy. And that’s ok. You should be crazy enough to be able to see and talk to your characters as if they were real people. In that case, interview your characters. If you want to roleplay as both an interviewer and the character... well, you’re crazier than I am.

There are many questions you should ask your character, whether or not it comes into light within your story, plot, or gameplay. These questions that you ask your characters will shape who your character is, regardless of whether you tell your audience or not.

Here are some questions you should have the answers to for your characters:


Background
-->What were your parents like? Did you have a good relationship with them? Who did you like better? What was their relationship with each other like?
--> What about other family members? Do you have aunts, uncles, nieces or nephews? Cousins? Pets?
--> Did you like your childhood? What would have changed?
--> Where were you born? What was the neighborhood like that you grew up in?
--> Were you traumatized by anything as a child?


Personal
--> What ethnicity(s) are you? Where do you get those from?
--> What is your religion? Why are you that religion? What do you practice?
--> What is your philosophy towards life? Are you optimistic, pessimistic, or a realist?
--> What social class are you? What is your annual salary?
--> Which of the 7 Deadly Sins do you suffer the most from?
--> What is your highest education? Do you have any awards or degrees?
--> Do you have any illnesses? Physical or mental.


General
-->What do you do in your free time? What hobbies do you have?
--> What subjects interest you? History, Art, Literature, Music, Math, Technology, Philosophy, Medicine, Zoology, Dance, Language, Cuisine, etc...
--> What are you afraid of? Heights, spiders, enclosed spaces, dogs, UFOs, work, sex, being buried alive, germs, the world spinning backwards, dust, everything...
--> What is your biggest strength? What are some other strengths you have?
--> What is your biggest weakness? What are some other weaknesses you have?
--> What are your dreams?
--> What would you like see in the world? What changes would you make if you could?
--> What clothes style do you like? What clothes style do you think is really stupid?
--> What form of exercise do you like? What type do you hate?
--> What are foods you can’t live without? What are foods you wish never existed?
--> What are your pet peeves?
--> What turns you on? What turns you off? What do you think is romantic? Are you old fashioned or modern?
--> What are your best traits? What are your worst habits?
--> What skills do you have?


Personality Traits
--> How do you handle problems? Slow to anger? Quick to anger?
--> Shy or loud?
--> Quick witted or slow to process?
--> Sarcastic or sincere?
--> Show off, goof, or angel?
--> Rebellious or obedient?

The list can go on and on if you let it. And you should! The more you know about your character, the better! Characters have to be living, breathing people to you or else your story will be weak.

Remember: Stories are character driven, not plot driven. I can’t emphasize that enough. Your characters tell the story, you’re just there to put it on paper.

Helpful Tip: Look at my blog on character development with astrology here: http://thickorthingamewriting.blogspot.com/2008/12/character-development-type-1-astrology.html

Use it with the questions to create an awesome character!

Writing Assignment #3-- Character With a Handicap

Most of us are regular people. Even if you are a politician who claims to have godly powers, truth be known, we still all have our strength and weaknesses. Some of us have physical or mental handicaps.

The assignment for this week is to write out a character with a physical handicap. What is s/he physically incapable of doing? What elements in a plot would challenge this?

Now, you don't have to go all Touched By An Angel and make it so the character becomes cured of their ailment, but at least think about a plot in which this character would have difficulty. Plot is based on struggles, right?

In a book series, Keys to the Kingdom: Mister Monday by Garth Nix, the main character has asthma. His violent attacks are softened by a magical key that he has to grasp in his hand. I know this isn’t a video game reference, but the idea of a handicap is still behind it.

Why have a character with a handicap in the game? Isn’t the point of game characters to have someone to identify to? The point isn’t to have gamers shed a tear when the main character realizes he can do amazing things even as a handicapped person, the point is to make stories rich with characters we can identify to.

If you want to go so far in this exercise to figure out gameplay, have at it. I'm sure there are a few game designers as well as writers out there, so feel free to put in whatever aspects necessary.

Post what you come up with!

Writing Assignment #2-- Bad Guy

There are many types of antagonists. Some of them are really boring, others I find a delightful twist in. Have you ever noticed how much creativity goes into antagonists meant for kid shows? I’ve seen more originality in comic book characters than in video game bad guys.

All right, so here’s your assignment:

Give me the background to an awesomely evil dude. Where he grew up, what he likes and dislikes, who his family is, what morals does he stand by, what things does he fight for, why does he oppose the protagonist....

Remember that bad guys have strengths, the same way that good guys have faults.

Writing Exercise #1-- Your First Mission

I thought I'd start a new regular article on my blog. I'm going to post some writing exercises in which you can work on some writing elements.

Your first writing exercise is going to be a first mission. There are a few types of writers in the industry: a technical writer, a dialogue writer, plot writers, and mission writers. I'm going to start you out with a mission writing exercise.


Background: Rhet is a dark elf that lives in a secluded forest village. He only has one weak spell: Lightning.

Task: Give Rhet a task to do in the village or forest involving his lightning spell. Remember that this will be the first mission within the game, so do not make it too difficult or long. Write a basic overview of what the mission is, what tasks are involved for Rhet to complete his task, and if you wish throw in some dialogue that will be exchanged in this mission.

Feel free to post them up here!

Poll #3--Elements of Writing

What element of gameplay do you think needs the most work?

Choice #1-- Dialogue
Some characters are all kinds of dull. They tend to fall into a speech pattern cliche that drives me crazy. Or worse, to better "immerse" yourself into the game, they take out the speech of the main character entirely. I really don't see the cleverness to this. If you want to make it more like the player, why don't you let the player choose traits for the main character and base speech patterns off that? It would take some work, I realize, but it would give the game tons of replay value.

Choice #2-- Character Development
This is my vote. Two dimensional characters piss me off. If your character is going to be cold and quiet give him a REASON to be so. Not just cause you saw Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children and thought "Omgz Cloud is awesome!!!! My entire life will be based off his totally cool example!!! I love youz!!!!"
...Sad.

I have nothing against Cloud, but the clones I see throughout RPG games is to say the lamest thing I've ever come across in game writing. If you're going to have the strong, silent type don't make him the main character.

And another thing, what is with the stereotypes? I haven't found a black character that wasn't all "Bust a cap" with an insane gun and ready to pop someone the face whenever they said something remotely suggestive. Way to profile, jerks. There seems to be only seems to be 4 or 5 types of characters in games anymore; few with any real depth.


Choice #3-- Plot
We get it. The bad guy is the main guy's father. Someone is always magically royalty. The bad guys want to rule the world for no real reason other than to mark it off their checklist of "Things to Do Before You Die." How many times are you guys going to use these lame plot devices?

Now I'm not saying not to use what has been used before. That would be nearly impossible. But at least put a spin or an angle on it. In Final Fantasy 10, they had Sin (the main bad guy) as Tidus's father. But they didn't tell you that at the end, where it would have been retarded and not that great of a surprise. They told you directly after they set up the fact that Tidus hates his father with a passion. So during the game, you watch as Tidus gets ready to destroy his own father, but starts to become torn between his hatred and his compassion. It has some dorky parts, but at least it put some sort of depth into it.


Choice #4-- Romantic Chemistry
Anyone who knows me well knows that I can't stand the fact that Tidus and Yuna get together in Final Fantasy 10. Not to piss off you Yuna fans, but Tidus and Yuna had the worst romantic chemistry of any two game characters I've seen. They were entirely fake. Remember that forced laughter scene? Look it up on youtube if you've never seen it. It's ridiculous. It is my personal opinion that Rikku was much better for Tidus. Not only did they work well in battle situations together, but the first thing she does when meeting him is knocks him out. It's funny and it works.

If you want two characters to be romantically involved, you have to have them bring out the best and the worst in each other. A romantic interest should bring out all of the characters colors and just lay them out on the table whether they like it or not. It's even more fun if they hate it! And by the way, if you have two well developed characters, the chemistry should speak for itself. You won't even have to put much effort into the chemestry because the characters will do it for you.


So what do you guys think? Leave some comments!

Character Development Type 1: Astrology

Whether or not you believe that the stars can tell you your future is irrelevant. The use of astrology in order to create a character is a great way to create someone with depth.

There are two types of astrology: Chinese and Sun Signs. (I do hope that if you create a character, s/he is real enough to you that you would give him/her a birthday. ) Chinese Astrology is the type that has to do with the years. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “Year of the Rat” or “Year of the Dragon.” Sun Signs have to do with monthly readings, such as Aries, Virgo, Cancer, etc.

The point of using these is to make sure that your character is a complete person. Often we fall in love with our characters so much that we refuse to give them weaknesses and bad traits. This is ridiculous. Can you think of anyone you adore that doesn’t have at least one trait that bothers you? Big or small, weaknesses and bad habits are important to a character.

Another good use for this strategy is for character compatibility. A lot of astrology sites can show you compatibility with two people regarding work, romance and friendship. People can’t agree on everything, and what they do and don’t agree on you can use to your advantage.

I’m going to do two sample characters to give you an idea of how useful it is: Marc and Dhara.

Marc’s birthday is going to be February 3rd, 1984. This is going to make him an Aquarius, Year of the Rat. Now, I don’t have to use ALL the traits mentioned in one of these sites. None of us meet all of these, and some of us barely meet any of them whatsoever. The point isn’t to have as many traits as possible, its to have depth and dimension to the character.

Here are Marc’s traits using Sun Signs: Original, independent, and honest. He also has a dry sense of humor, doesn’t forgive easily, and has a tendency to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing just for the heck of it. Some traits from the Year of the Rat that I can use for Marc are that he has his own agenda and is quite persuasive.

With these traits working together, I’m sure Marc will end up getting on my nerves frequently, but wondering what he’ll do next will keep me interested.

Next is Dhara. I’m going to make her birthday November 22, 1982. This makes her Year of the Dog and a Scorpio.

Here are some traits of Scorpio: Forceful, intuitive, emotional, and passionate. However, she’s also going to end up being secretive, compulsive, and is almost never satisfied with the results of something. Traits of the Dog that I will add in for Dhara are a firm code of personal ethics and a love of physical activity.

Now, I just made up birthdays before creating these characters. I had nothing pictured in my head for either one of them. But I can all ready tell that no matter the plot, these two are going to have some interesting chemistry. I don’t have to use a guide to tell me that Dhara won’t take any crap from Marc, but if Marc wants what he wants badly enough, he’s eventually going to stick around and use Dhara’s traits against her to get it for him.

If I want these two to be romantic, I’m going to have to use some of their traits in order to create reasons why these two would even fall for each other. Whether or not the compatibility tools on a site agree or disagree means nothing. They’re just helpers if you can’t think of something yourself.

For Dhara, I’m going to make her slightly impressed by Marc’s honesty. Even if he’s persuasive and tricky, he’s not going to be dishonest. She’ll also end up being intrigued by his original and inventive mind.

Marc is going to be excited by the challenge Dhara presents for him. Putting his mind to work in order to get her to help him for his tasks may frustrate him at times, but ultimately he’s going to love the mental exercise. And sooner or later, whatever emotional reasons Dhara reveals for passionately perusing what she’s doing is going to get him to think a little more about himself and get him to understand and empathize with her.

As work partners, I can tell these two will be quite competitive; as friends, they’re going to try to outshine the other with quick wit and personal accomplishments.

The story can almost be seen through the personalities of these two characters. That’s the point. The characters are the most important part of the story. Stories are character driven: not plot driven. A great plot is awesome, but without characters that drive the circumstances, these plots end up weak and typically cliche. Make sure that you have characters that people love or love to hate, because those characters are what keeps people interested in what happens next!

Here are some good Astrology sites:
http://www.astrology-online.com/persn.htm
http://www.usbridalguide.com/special/chinesehoroscopes/dog.htm
http://www.theholidayspot.com/chinese_new_year/zodiacs.htm
http://horoscopes.aol.com/astrology/zodiac-central/aquarius
http://www.astrologycom.com/zodiac.html
http://horoscopes.astrology.com/index/dailychineseindex.html

Poll #2

New poll has been posted.

What Character Stereotype Are You Most Sick Of?

#1-- Cool and Heartless Jackass.
This one is personally my pet peeve. These characters are in mass production. They're usually quiet, with this annoying view that they can't/should not be loved. They normally have really cool weapons and sometimes some humorous sarcasm, but overall they're pretty boring to me.

#2-- Peppy and Bubbly Misfit
Usually a girl character, which is fine because I'd be really creeped out if a guy was like one of these characters. This person usually yells "We can do it!" some time during the game. No one really cares whether she's there or not.

#3-- Sweet and Soft Princess
My 2nd worst pet peeve. She's too damn sweet to do her own fighting and she's usually spouting off some garbage about saving the rainforest or something. She never raises her voice. She's like a robot with a plastered on smile. It hurts me.

#4-- I Want to Rule All Bad Guy
See #2 on my Avalon Code post. This guy has been DONE.

Quick Tip: Portfolio Articles

At the recent E For All, I tracked down the editor of GamePro Magazine and asked him a simple question: What do you do when you want to put articles in your portfolio, but you can’t afford any of the new games?

His advice was to write about games that have been released in the last year. Don’t go too far back, but the articles in your portfolio don’t always have to be the new hot games coming out. Just show that you can write.