Delivering the concept of a game project through writing is essential when trying to convey your ideas to gamers, testers, or even funders with whom you can't communicate in person. Proud to say Machines in Motion's in-development title, "The Kingsport Cases" now has some decently functional concept flavor text!
If any of you out there have interest in the project, take a peek at our (in development) website:
You are the detective...
You arrive late at night to the port town manor at the behest of a friend who says a darkness is afoot. Inside a party drawls on; the ale and mulled wine is flowing freely, but though the cheer is palpable you glance a pair of narrowed shifting eyes in the gathering. You move to ask him a few questions but a waiter obscures your view in a clumsy display of servitude. When he passes, shifty eyes is gone, and a horrible wail from the depths of the manor fills the room and silences all. No one moves. No one speaks. It is obvious your friend was right. And what can a good detective do but investigate further...?
A spin on the horror game genre...
The Kingsport Cases is a horror game all about, well, horror. It's about being afraid to play, see what happens in play, and stare frightened into the dark corners of your home after play. The game will weave constantly changing, terrifying storylines based on player interaction, exploration, and survival based gameplay in a procedurally generated, all new one of a kind universe each playthrough. It's the type of fear you can never get used to.
A twist on how stories are told...
Our game is all about the player, not about the character they play. Are you quick-thinking enough to solve this case? Do you like that shifty looking waitress in the corner? Social Horror adapts to your style of play, whether your one mission is to find all the clues and solve the case or chat up the handsome chap at the bar to get a free drink. Whether you pursue it or not though, the story moves on, and all the characters have their own goals to attend to...It's up to you how you engage with the constantly changing universe and survive the calamities sure to come.
A change of pace for gamers everywhere...
Ever loved a horror game so much you played it constantly and now you aren't frightened of it anymore? We understand. That's why our promise is to deliver fresh, procedurally generated content every time you start up a new game. That means new maps, new characters, and new storylines each time you play! Experience great fright, gameplay, and replay value at an unending rate.
I think I actually posted on the blog of someone else in your company earlier. Can you give a bit more info on how it's random but with a storyline still? I guess I'm asking how exactly the story is going to change randomnly without losing too much quality? I've seen quite a lot of procedural horror games on here but this is the first one that seems to have any real storyline, aside form simply "you are being haunted".
Hi jimothyjim! Thanks so much for your question! We're very excited about the procedural generation of not just the maps, but the writing as well! The most concise way I can answer is to bring up the idea of linear, or even "branching" story telling. Take a game like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, or Deus Ex: HR for example. The player is given choices that when selected, open up a new branch of other choices, like a tree. The idea behind our writing system is to obliterate such (very well executed) simplicity.
Rather than branches of a tree, we like to think of dialogue and stories as singular nodes that when strung together with limited yet precise care, can create innumerable possibilities. I know this is somewhat vague (and for that I apologize), but your question has inspired me to use this blog to provide a better answer over time. Because of the complexity of the system it is very hard to explain it all at once, but I will post updates one hefty chunk at a time (also, drawings will really, really help here and I can't seem to provide them in the comments).
Sorry for the not-so-informative response, but hopefully I can get a new blog post up in the next few days!
So does the entire story generate when you start up or does it try and factor in things you have/haven't done as you play? Also I look forward to future blogs.
Parts of the story are generated when started, like the general plot line, character roles and goals, initial clue locations, and the like. Some things stay static, like the overarching plot and the roles each character play, but things like NPC goals and the locations of certain clues change based on how you play. The goal of the writing engine is to make the game feel as "real-life" as possible.
As an example, say there is a cultist (but you don't know he's a cultist), who is very sure his plan is going to work out. Therefore, his demeanor toward his guests will be lax, and you won't see him doing anything shifty. Now say you collect a couple of clues and create the knowledge that a cult is afoot (gasp!). If you (the player), say...ask the cultist about some of the clues you found, thus letting him in on the fact that you know about his cult, he may vaguely answer your question, but then disappear after. At this point, clues may start to go missing, and the countdown clock for you getting anything useful starts to dwindle, merely because you were naive enough to tell a cultist your notions (clearly you didn't collect the clues that implicated him).
So, A LOT of things change during play based on your actions. It's all about what you do, and I won't lie, we're making it hard--believable--but hard. Detective work isn't easy! Thanks again for your thoughtful questions, and for your interest in our game!
Oooh, that's actually even more interesting than I was expecting. That could make for some awesome "i knew it!" moments.