Poll: Annoying Game Beginnings

What Game Beginning Are You Most Sick Of?

#1: The hero's town burns down, killing his/her parents. The hero swears for revenge.

This is a popular one. In almost every RPG, something catches fire. It's usually a town and then lots of people die. So whether or not our hero knows who did it, s/he seeks revenge.

If you really want to kill off a character close to the hero, I'm pretty sure you can be a little more creative with it. Poison. Arrows. War. Toxic gas. Shove them off a cliff. A fire is just a way to escape the process of coming up with something original.


#2: Someone wakes the hero up, tells them he or she is lazy and to get to the daily chores...And something goes wrong.

There are a couple reasons why this sucks.
#1-- If we wanted to do chores, we would stick to reality, not a game.
#2-- It's usually an in-game tutorial that most people don't want to play

If you want to throw in an in-game tutorial, at least give the player an opportunity to blow the guy off. If you want chores to be done, make it one chore that has some critical meaning. Have the player go into a tiny opening in a cave because s/he is the only one that can fit. Don't have us go feed the sheep or ask around town for someone we don't care anything about.


#3: Someone needs the hero's help for something and you have to run around for an hour trying to figure out who the heck the person is and where s/he is at.

This one doesn't bother me too much until I realize I have no idea who I'm looking for or where and it takes me an hour to accidently find them. If the town is small, no real problem. If the place requires a map or a "You Are Here" marker, forget it.


#4:You're fighting someone and you don't know who they are and why they are trying to kill you.

This one is a little more exciting, in my opinion, but I would still like to know why I have to beat up all these people. If you're showing off your totally awesome battle system, then whatever. But if you just have no idea how to start a game and your battle system is incredibly weak, don't do it. Just make sure it actually GOES with the story... Don't have me get my butt kicked and then "Oh, you're pardoned. It's cool." What?


Note: I'm not against any of these openings if they're done right. It's all about angles.


What do you guys think?

Crisis Core

Platform: PSP
Developer/Publisher: Square-Enix

I'm disappointed. I was all prepared to tear into Crisis Core's lack of substantial plot and dialogue; Ready to use my distaste with Final Fantasy 7 as a base for a lot of ranting and poking fun... And now I can't.

Thanks a lot.

If I wanted to review the game in general, I could tell you that the game is insanely easy, it has no replay value whatsoever, and the DMW is really irritating, but that's not what my blog is for. It's about game writing.

And the writing is actually good.

Well, at least plot-wise. There's still the mission writing and Aerith that I can have a rant-fest about, so it's all good.

Let's get to it, shall we?

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Mission Writing: 2/5

If you've played Final Fantasy 7, I doubt there's really any spoilers here.


Plot

All right, so you play as Zack Fair, Cloud's old war buddy. You know, the guy Cloud spent half of FF7 thinking he WAS. So you get to watch as Zack flirts with Aerith, watches Shinra go to crap, and gets shot in the face at the end of the game.

FF7 seems to have a large amount of mad scientists. In this game, mad scientists are busy cloning people's genes and sticking them into random people to make some sort of ugly army.

For FF7 fans, you get to watch YET AGAIN Sephiroth find out that he's a human experiment, go nuts, burn down the town, and stab a couple people.

After you kill some random character named Genesis, your friends die, and Cloud is out of harm's way, you get rewarded by getting shot numerous times by the army and then dying.

Good times.

Strengths:

--> Follows the plot of FF7 with no hiccups

--> Easily mixes two genres together seamlessly: fantasy and sci-fi. People who enjoy one but not the other, will still appreciate the plot

--> Emotional dialogue and strong character connections

Weaknesses:

--> Individuals not familiar with sci-fi plot complexity (or Final Fantasy 7 for that matter) might get slightly confused at what's going on. There's a whole lot of clones floating about which makes things complicated.

--> I have the army and all of Shinra after me and I don't even know why...

--> You mean to tell me that the entire army riddled Zack with bullets, but he still had enough time to talk to Cloud in a dramatic scene before dying? Unlikely.

Characters

Zack

Square Enix is actually doing a good job in keeping to the story of FF7. The character in those blocky FF7 flashbacks is the same character portrayed in Crisis Core: fun, loyal, hard-core, and squat-happy. Zack is a strong character, chasing after all the people who have betrayed him in order to help them.

I like this character for a couple reasons. 1, he shows his loyalty to his friends in a non-after-school-special sort of way (*cough*Sora*cough*) and 2, he's a little naïve and has normal weaknesses. I like a bad-ass character as much as the next person, but I am so BORED with characters that have no weaknesses, flaws, and have a plan for everything. You know, the guy that comes out of an explosion with a cleanly pressed suit and perfectly cut hair.

The great thing about this game is you get to see why Zack meant so much to Cloud. Other than an annoying giggle-fest about the names of their hometowns, Zack and Cloud have a pretty honorable relationship. Zack carries Cloud through half of this game (Tifa carrying him for ¼ of the game and Cloud amazingly walking for himself—or leaning against a wall or laying flat on his face-- for another ¼.) and takes on numerous amounts of enemies in order to protect him.

Improvements: I know FF7 is against emotions of any kind, but Zack lost all his war buddies. Can he show a little anger or resentment? Some agony? 13 hours of this game and I get 2 scenes of him upset? Can I at least get some inner thoughts?


Cloud
I know this comment is on the borderline of blasphemy, but I have found a new respect for Cloud. Probably because I got to see him try to hold down his lunch after a helicopter ride. He's human now! I got to see his wimpy little butt get kicked over and over again, with Zack coming to his rescue.

My only question: He gets car sick, but if Sephiroth stabs him he can unrealistically use the blade as a see-saw to throw Sephiroth into machinery? Huh?



I have to say, I'm glad the story cleared up the whole clone mess. I was confused on if Sephiroth was a clone of the original Sephiroth, or Cloud was a clone of Sephiroth, or if Cloud was a clone of Steve Burton's character on General Hospital...


I mean, come on. There's even a girl with two kids that Burton's character is in love with, but can never seem to get together with. (If you didn't know, Steve Burton IS the English voice actor of Cloud.)

So as it turns out, Sephiroth is the “perfect monster” and once Cloud gets stabbed, some mad scientist injects him with Sephiroth's cells in order to create another monster like him. It's just too bad that Cloud is too weak towards the Mako and spends half the game as a zombie. Until his friend is shot, in which he magically snaps out of it for the dramatic end of the game. The dude can't walk for half the game and then all of a sudden he can pick up the Buster Sword and head towards Midgar. Yeah. That's how that works.

I have to say, watching Cloud go from motion-sick-dork to what he is in Advent Children is an interesting transition. I actually found him more interesting in Crisis Core, due to the fact that it shows his depth. When he complains about not being able to save anyone in Advent Children, you realize that by playing Crisis Core, he's sort of right. He gets in a couple good shots and that's about it. Which I like better. It's more realistic.

Improvements: Cloud is anti-emotion as well. His best friend dies, he does the usual “noooo!” that everyone in every game does, and then he thanks his dead friend? Confusion. Maybe he's not emotionless...just bipolar.


Aerith
Anyone who knows me, knows that I hate Aerith. But after playing Crisis Core and getting to know her character better, I have realized that I had good reason. She's irritating. Not to say that she's a badly developed character. In this game. In FF7, she still sucks.

The sweet and shy princess-like character is more annoying to me than the bad-ass emo characters Square Enix likes to recycle, and Aerith takes the cake when it comes to that genre.

Here's what bothers me about her: my friend dies and she talks about flowers, I make her a flower wagon that is perfectly suitable and she wants a do over, she writes Zack about the flowers... GET OVER THE STUPID FLOWERS.

Improvements: She lives in slums and she's watched constantly by Turks. Can't she have a bit of an attitude? Some spunk? Something OTHER than an obsession with flowers?!



Sephiroth

Sephiroth is actually one of my favorite villains because the dude is insane. In this game, he's perfectly honorable and loyal, until he finds out that he was a scientific experiment and then everything hits the fan and he goes berserk.

However, I do hate the whole “the universe is MINE!” crap, and it seriously needs to stop. He was betrayed by his father and a bunch of scientists, not the universe.

Improvements: The rule the world thing. I'm done with that.


Other Characters

Genesis: I love the whole poetic sort of character, mainly because they're so rare. Genesis has this crazed obsession with the Gift of the Goddess, like a seriously disturbed religious person. I'd like to know why he's so interested though.

Angeal: He's like the sweet uncle you adore. He pokes fun at you and tells you stories about life. And then he manipulates you into killing him and then after he dies, his clone protects you. Just like in real life.



Missions

All right the missions in this game were lame and I'm going to tell you why: They were all the same.

No, no. Seriously. I get a mysterious letter or someone wants to challenge me, I go to the middle of a field that has 2 boxes, and I find one lone monster by itself, kill it, and I'm done.

Square Enix seems to have put missions in this game to make it longer. (And maybe to show off Yuffie a little bit more.) That really seems to be it. They went to great lengths to describe what I'm doing, but they don't give me any info into why I should care or what happens after I'm done.



FINAL SAY
If you're a FF7 fan, you won't be learning more than you all ready know, but it's a good look into character development over time and relationship chemistry. If you're not a FF7 fan, I don't think you'll get much out of it. The characters won't have any real depth to you. I'd take a look into this game if you're either a sci-fi nut or a FF7 fan, but that's really about it.


Other notes: What is with Cloud's relationship commitment issues? How long do the fans have to wait before Cloud FINALLY gets together with Tifa? I mean, really.

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!

Poll

I'm a little sad that there's only 2 votes on my poll at the moment. There's only 5 more days to vote, guys!

Dead or Alive XTreme 2

Console: XBox 360
Developer: Team Ninja

This game has the deepest, more emotionally impacting storyline and characters that I have seen in the history of gaming.

Yeah. Right.

Let’s be honest: half of you don’t know what this game is, and the other half are surprised I’m writing about this game at all. The basis of the game is you choose to be one of 9 bikini-wearing Dead or Alive girls, then take an island vacation choosing between water and beach sports, such as volleyball or water skiing.

So why AM I making a review on this game?

All games have writing. Even for games in which the writing may seem like it has no purpose, there should still be an effort to bring across the characters and plot as strongly as possible. Even casual games need story.

That, and this game is really addicting.

So, to the fact that there are no spoilers or deep plot twists, feel free to read the entire post.

Characters: 2/5
Storyline: 2/5
Interaction: Great!

Zack
Zack scares me. This can be a plus or minus to an audience depending on your angle. But as a character, he stands out quite well. He is the comic relief, and he has the personality type that makes me believe that he would, in fact, pull up a desert island from the bottom of the ocean and trick a whole bunch of girls to escape on it so he can make cash.

Improvements: It’s his island, but there’s no interaction with him during the game. He gives you a present every night (creepy) but he never talks to you. If he’s in charge of the island, don’t you think he would check up on you?


Niki
Niki is meant to be the girl that is head over heals for her boyfriend. She plays it well. The problem with this is she almost lacks personality of her own. She’s sweet and seems to make a good partner with Zack, but I think she could use a little individuality.

Improvements: She can be her own person. Make her more than just “Zack’s girlfriend.”


Kasumi
According to the insert, Kasumi is a runaway ninja. For a ninja, is sure is sensitive. She’s more like a Disney princess than a trained assassin.

Improvements: Make the background match the character’s personality.


Hitomi
This girl is quite childlike. She reminds me of a 10 year old girl, not an 18 year old tournament fighter. I found this character a little bland. She seemed like a rather generic character, with nothing that really stood out.

Improvements: Have something about her that stands out!


Leifang
Leifang has the least amount of character depth out of any of the characters in this game. She’s far too generic, with nothing that stands out.

Improvements: Personality! Make her an individual.


Christie
Since there are so few girls with spunk in this game, thank God for Christie. She’s cold and rude, which fits her background as an assassin very well.

Improvements: Christie doesn’t seem to play well with others. This makes it hard for me to believe that she would try to play volleyball and tug of war with other girls.


Kokoro
While Hitomi reminds me of a 10 year old, Kokoro reminds me of a 5 year old. She’s constantly whining and worrying about her mother coming and taking her off the island. Other than that, she almost has the same traits as Kasumi, in the fact that she seems like a Disney princess.

Improvements: Add a little more maturity to this character. And why are both the Japanese girls these dainty and sweet little things?


Helena
Contrary to American stereotypes that make the French seem rude and selfish, Helena is a sweet girl that looks at the finer things in life. She is almost never rude and is very in touch with her surroundings. Way to go on going against stereotypes!

Improvements: Add a little more flavor to her. She’s got the sweet, now where’s the spicy?


Tina
Tina is a southern girl, showing off the American way of being sugar and spice at the same time. She’s spunky, but kind. The story behind Tina is that she has ran away from her father for a good time. Tina is one of the better characters for the fact that she has a distinct personality and a background that matches.

Improvements: Sometimes she’s randomly rude to you if you ask her to be your partner, but if you play as her she’s normally semi-sweet. It’s a little inconsistent.


Lisa
I take it back. Lisa is the most bland out of the characters. She has 2 alternating lines that are completely generic and boring. Try again.

Improvements: Everything.


Ayane
Ayane is hot and cold. If you play as her, she’s nice and frisky; if you play as someone else and ask her to be your partner, she’s a jerk. Bipolar?

Improvements: Not only does she not have that much character depth, but she can’t decide who she is. Pick a personality (or lack there of) and stick to it.


Interaction
The interaction in this game is the best part regarding the writing field. Each character is programmed to respond to the other whether or not it’s in volleyball games, casino playing, or jet ski racing. When someone is with a group of people, there is usually more interaction than someone talking to themselves. It’s important to remember those types of things when making casual games.


Final Say:
If you’re looking for a game that’s mentally stimulating, you’ve picked up the wrong game. This game can’t even give you an assortment of female personalities. The interaction between the characters, however, is good and more games should have that sort of interaction.


Other notes: I don’t care if you have 18 different songs. They all suck.

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!