I blogged yesterday about making future games (after GOG) in a way that doesn’t take as long. I’ve been giving it more thought, and here are more details.
First you have to understand what excites me about this game: short versions of the classics, where you can actually get inside, and it’s always being updated.
I love choosing stories and making backgrounds (at least at first). I love the energy of adding amazing new stuff.
What I do not love is when it takes ages. Which basically means all the stuff that I add. 
I won’t bore you with details, but anything that is not in the original text (new dialog, complex puzzles, clues, etc.) takes ages to get right. It’s like writing another novel AND drawing it and animating and all the rest, and there’s no guarantee it will be as good as the original. So, you see, my goal is to add as little as possible. Obviously something must be added, otherwise you’ve just got a static book on the screen, but less is more.
Another issue is that these stories tend to become very serious. I want to add action and tension, but the tone so easily becomes heavy. I’m no great author, so I’ve been reading “how to write” books. All the books say that you need conflict, conflict, conflict! Make the hero suffer! Add danger and tension then ratchet it up and up! GOG will be like that – very Hollywood formula. But really I want to write fun, upbeat, exciting stories.
Other stuff I want to do is make Peri more part of the action, and have fewer heaven scenes. Partly that’s to save on extra backgrounds and characters, and partly because I think it makes the story easier to relate to. Anyway, here’s what I’m thinking of doing:
1. New stronger theme: “angels among us!”
Think “Highlander” meets “Quantum Leap.” Peri and Virgil are both guardian angels who are reborn again and again. They come to Earth to help, but they cannot interfere directly. So in most stories, Peri and Virgil play bit parts.
( Note: how do I stop Peri just solving everything and changing the book – e.g. rescuing Fantine before she slides downhill, or comforting someone who is lonely? Three ways. First, the games move faster so any problem areas are quickly over (like how I made Fantine’s early life be over quickly). Second, angels have to act in secret, yet keep the same face, so they can’t do anything that will draw attention to themselves. Third, and related, Earth is a training ground where people have to learn for themselves. Like Star Trek’s “do not interfere” rule. (Except that angels can interfere, but only by putting ideas in people’s heads, so the people still make the final decision.)
How does this save development time?
No need to make a heaven scene for every game. Easier to reuse characters.
How does this make the game a better experience?
More down to earth (literally!). I think it’s an easier concept to explain to people. And I think it’s an attractive concept: your real life friend could be an angel! Note: this may raise theological questions (especially from unimpressed atheists) but experience tells me that players aren’t really interested in those details.
2. Faster move through the story
Instead of re-writing the story I want to use the original text as much as possible. Basically I’ll show the story as it is, until a natural decision arises, then the characters will only say a few simple clues until the player makes the right decision and it moves on.
How does this save development time?
No need to re-write the story. In the first three stories I had to re-write stuff is just in case the player does the “wrong” thing, or because I’ve devised some puzzle that’s more complicated than it needs to be.
How does this make the game a better experience?
First, most people buy the game for the familiar story, not for anything I might add. Second, most people like easy games. Ad if a game is easy enough then you don’t need alternate dialog because people will never see it. Sure, it makes each story more linear, but this way you get to see more stories!
3. The game stops for clues.
Right now players might go for clues at any time. So I have to create all kinds of clues to anticipate what the user might do. But my new plan is, when the story reaches a decision point, then you cut to Peri (who is probably nearby) and she comments on the decision and gives a clue. There will still be levels of choices (so you get some satisfaction from working it out yourself) but I won’t need to code other clues for other people, except very simple repetitive ones.
How does this save development time?
Clues are much easier to write.
How does this make the game a better experience?
At first this might seem awkward, but this is exactly what Shakespeare and the ancient Greeks do! When they want to make some point then the Fool or the chorus (or whoever) will step in and make a comment. It’s also what a lot of players do – as soon as they get stuck, reach for the cheat sheet or help file. But it won’t feel out of place because Peri will often be standing nearby. This also helps to reinforce Peri as the star of the show without being “the” star. And since the game will be faster moving there’s no need to give Peri some artificial problems of her own (except those that are naturally part of the main story). So Peri is usually more upbeat, and most of the story is from the original text so the story is just better.
To summarise…
In summary, a story will begin with a cutscene just as in the original book. When a natural decision arrives, the character can’t decide. We pan to Peri (who is the gardener, jailer, or whatever) who gives you a clue for what to do. You do the right thing, and the next cut scene starts. Repeat until story ends. Result: faster story, better story, I spend less time on adding extra stuff, so you get more stories. This makes the game world richer, and quicker, it makse it more exciting as you’re always only a month or two away from the next story, and I can react more quickly to good or bad sales with stories people want. Everyone wins!
