Hi all. I thought I'd wrap up my Reckless Abandon posts with one more entry. I do have very clear plans for how the game should end, but I've got other game ideas and writing exercises I want to get to soon. With that in mind, here's a brief description of the third level of Reckless Abandon, known as "Halfway House".
As a brief summary: Reckless Abandon is a military-themed FPS that centers around a college kid with zero experience with the military, combat or weapons in general. Your character is very much thrown into a situation against their will and has to fight alongside trained soldiers to make it back home.
By this level, the soldiers finally give you live ammo to go with your weapon. It's mid-afternoon and your group reaches a small town and begins searching for temporary shelter. They find a street lined with homes built right up to the sidewalk. Many of owners have converted their garage or front rooms into small shops facing the street.
Your group passes a number of these home/shops. You see a convenience store, a store selling (seemingly) nothing but hats and a tattoo parlor among others. One soldier jokes they should get you a pretty tattoo now that you think you're a real warrior.
Clearly some in the group still don't trust you with a weapon.
Without warning, you hear a single shot and the shoulder of the man next to you erupts in a shower of bone and blood. Your group quickly ducks in an alley and looks for a safe home to break into. You find a small bakery that's currently closed. A sign in the window is written in a language you're struggling to understand (you're a college exchange student after all). You realize it says "Back in 5 minutes". The group leader decides this is good enough and you break into the bakery.
Two men take the injured soldier into a back room to tend to his wounds. With a man down and others trying to help him, you have no choice but take an active role in defending your group. The squad leader and another soldier take up positions near the front door. You and your one actual friend in the group guard the back door.
From your vantage point, you can see as two armed men try to kick down the front door. You see your squad leader and the other soldier take fire. Your friend goes to help, leaving you alone at the backdoor. A sudden banging sound grabs your attention as you turn to see a large silhouette behind the curtains and glass of the back door.
Like the enemies in the front, someone is trying to kick open the back door. The music ratchets up, your heartbeat becomes audible. As you aim at the door, your hands become steady and sure. You're ready. The door kicks open and a figure races in. You fire once and bring the man down.
As he stammers and falls back against the wall, you realize he's not an enemy. In fact, he's probably the owner of the bakery, the one who stepped out for a few minutes. You also realize why he was trying to kick the door open. In both arms, you see two young children closing their eyes and covering their ears.
Your first kill of the game is a baker and a father of two.
As the other soldiers clear out the remaining (actual) enemies they slowly realize what you've done. After the action dies down, all eyes are on you. The soldiers stare and talk among themselves. The two children (a young boy and an even younger girl) can't take their eyes off you. Most disturbingly, the dead shop owner's eyes seem fixed on yours.
Wait-a-second....
I know what you're thinking: since I'm in control of this character, what if I realize he's not an enemy and allow him in safely?
Well, in that event, your character motions for him and his children to get down and away from the door. At that moment, you hear gunfire nearby. The father of two drops to his knees and reveal and actual enemy had followed him in. You should probably shoot the gunman.
The main point is an innocent man will die either by your action or inaction. It's very much a damned if you do, damned if you don't moment.
For what it's worth, the group leader puts a hand on your shoulder and tells you not to blame yourself. You didn't ask for any of this and deciding to take a life is a big decision.
The injured soldier is patched up and the group decides to move out before drawing any more attention. As you make your way out of the house, two of the soldiers grab you and drag you over to the tattoo parlor. They show a photo to the tattoo artist and force your hand to lay flat on a table. The scene fades to black.
When the scene picks up a few minutes later, the soldiers finally release your hand and you can see what they were doing. On the back of your hand, in the space between your thumb and wrists, is a small tattoo of two kids. It's the two children from the bakery.
The soldiers tell you they chose that section of your hand so you can see it whenever you hold up your gun.
"Good or bad, the first one always sticks with you," one soldier says.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Reckless Abandon (continued)
I was pleasantly surprised to receive some feedback after my initial post. Thanks for that and keep it coming!
I just wanted to elaborate a bit more on some elements further into the game. By the way, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, please see the first post about this game idea.
You can find it here.
After the first level concludes, you've been issued a standard U.S. military sidearm. I would specify which gun, but the military is currently considering a replacement for the M9 in the near future. So we'll keep it vague for now.
The important part is the player, being a run-of-the-mill college student has no experience with actual weapons. The professional soldiers take turns training you while the group races for the border to a (hopefully) less hostile country. Throughout this early training period, the soldiers each deal with you in their own ways. Some are outwardly upset you've been given a firearm. They think an armed college kid could cause more harm than good.
One soldier, the guy who untied you at the start of the game, takes pity on you. He knows you didn't ask for any of this and tries to teach you some firearm skills with respect and patience.
One of the underlying ideas here is, unlike many FPS games, you are most definitely NOT the leader of the pack. In fact, most of the pack probably wishes you weren't there.
So you're dealing with the fact the world may be at war, you're also very aware some of the people around you may actually hate you. And they're the "friendlies".
As Level 2 progresses your character starts to use a sidearm in actual combat. Aiming is, by design, less accurate at this point (possibly using a timing mechanism to steady your shot). Reloading is also a tricky affair, requiring more than a simple button press. The goal is for your character to steadily improve over time so aiming and reloading become faster.
This second level ends with a firefight to escape a hostile city. Throughout the level, that one friendly solider has been following you providing cover fire as you make do with your unfamiliar sidearm. Once the level concludes, the team leader offers a quick appraisal:
"Well done, kid. You managed to not kill any of us. I'm pleasantly surprised," he says.
He then approaches your shooting partner.
"Sergeant," he says. "I think he's ready for some actual ammo."
Yup. Turns out they issued you nothing but blanks to shoot (recovered from the destroyed headquarters). They wanted to see how you handled combat first before they gave you the means to kill people. That friendly soldier who was by your side for the entire mission? Yeah, he did all the work.
On the bright side, some of your most vocal critics are starting to come around. You're almost ready to contribute to the group.
And that's Level 2.
I just wanted to elaborate a bit more on some elements further into the game. By the way, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, please see the first post about this game idea.
You can find it here.
After the first level concludes, you've been issued a standard U.S. military sidearm. I would specify which gun, but the military is currently considering a replacement for the M9 in the near future. So we'll keep it vague for now.
The important part is the player, being a run-of-the-mill college student has no experience with actual weapons. The professional soldiers take turns training you while the group races for the border to a (hopefully) less hostile country. Throughout this early training period, the soldiers each deal with you in their own ways. Some are outwardly upset you've been given a firearm. They think an armed college kid could cause more harm than good.
One soldier, the guy who untied you at the start of the game, takes pity on you. He knows you didn't ask for any of this and tries to teach you some firearm skills with respect and patience.
One of the underlying ideas here is, unlike many FPS games, you are most definitely NOT the leader of the pack. In fact, most of the pack probably wishes you weren't there.
So you're dealing with the fact the world may be at war, you're also very aware some of the people around you may actually hate you. And they're the "friendlies".
As Level 2 progresses your character starts to use a sidearm in actual combat. Aiming is, by design, less accurate at this point (possibly using a timing mechanism to steady your shot). Reloading is also a tricky affair, requiring more than a simple button press. The goal is for your character to steadily improve over time so aiming and reloading become faster.
This second level ends with a firefight to escape a hostile city. Throughout the level, that one friendly solider has been following you providing cover fire as you make do with your unfamiliar sidearm. Once the level concludes, the team leader offers a quick appraisal:
"Well done, kid. You managed to not kill any of us. I'm pleasantly surprised," he says.
He then approaches your shooting partner.
"Sergeant," he says. "I think he's ready for some actual ammo."
Yup. Turns out they issued you nothing but blanks to shoot (recovered from the destroyed headquarters). They wanted to see how you handled combat first before they gave you the means to kill people. That friendly soldier who was by your side for the entire mission? Yeah, he did all the work.
On the bright side, some of your most vocal critics are starting to come around. You're almost ready to contribute to the group.
And that's Level 2.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Game Idea #1 (Reckless Abandon)
Reckless Abandon (working title)
Modern-day/near-future military FPS
To kick off this blog, I thought I'd start with one of my favorite game genres, the First-Person Shooter, or FPS. Before I get into the backstory for this one, let me setup my reasons and whatnot.
I've always been amused by games where the player controls a character that's already well-established in the game's world. I'm talking about games where you play a legendary war hero, someone who's seen it all. But since you, the player, are new to this world, the game needs to stop and explain stuff to you.
It seems strange to me. After all, if you're supposed to be this experienced soldier revered by others and feared by his enemies, shouldn't you already know what's going on?
Some game's handle this well (Halo, for example). I've played a couple, however, where the dialog is clearly directed at the player and not the character the player is inhabiting. It breaks the illusion and takes me out of the game world and story.
Some games get around this by giving the main character amnesia, so both the player and the hero have to be told what the hell is going on.
Me, I like approaches like the movie Inception. Specifically, Ellen Page's character. While everyone else around her knew the rules about dreaming, Page's character was clearly the rookie. She provided a logical reason for others to explain concepts they already knew. The audience could simply learn along with her.
With all that in mind, here's my pitch for Reckless Abandon (working title):
The game starts out with a very quick block of text establishing the year and the fact the U.S. is at war with....someone (more on this later in the week). Instead of playing a solider, your character is simply a college exchange student. Unfortunately for you, when it came time to study abroad, you picked the wrong damn country. You came to this (fictitious) country when everything was nice and peaceful. Now...not so much. In fact, at the start of the game, you've been kidnapped and your family hasn't heard from you in days.
When gameplay begins, everything is black. You hear sobbing, sickly coughs and foreign languages being spoken. Suddenly, you hear explosions in the distance followed by bursts of gunfire.
Somewhere, angry men are yelling and shooting at other angry men who are yelling and shooting. As they get closer, you realize some of the angry men are speaking English. The good guys have found you.
The screen jumps from pitch black to blinding white as a US solider pulls off your blindfold. Your eyes eventually adjust to see the chaos unfolding. Other soldiers are trying to lead your fellow hostages outside. As you're being untied, the soldier rescuing you is attacked. You have to help by throwing some punches. Since you're a college student and not a war hero, your melee attacks are crude and slow at first. As this first level progresses, the game directs your view to watch the soldiers as they use hand-to-hand combat. Slowly, your melee attacks become more and more precise and effective.
The soldiers escort you and the others outside to troop transports. You watch as other hostages (students, most likely) board the transports for the ride to safety. As you walk closer, the transports suddenly explode.
It's just you and a handful of soldiers now. You must make it to headquarters on foot while still being chased by the enemy. During this first mission, your small group will regularly come under fire. As an unarmed civilian, all you can do right now is fend off enemies if they get to close to the group. Thankfully, your melee attacks get better and better as the level progresses and your receive tips from the soldiers.
Being a cocky, young college student, you implore the soldier to give you a gun so you can do more. They naturally refuse, since they have no idea what kind of weapons training you have (by the way, you have no weapons training).
Throughout this first level, you hear bits and pieces of story regarding the overall war. You hear how suddenly things became violent, how foreigners like you were kidnapped.
As you get closer to headquarters, you hear soldiers discussing how things could get much, much worse if some other powerful country decided to move against America. Then, at the end of the first level, your group finally nears headquarters. As you climb a small hill, you're told the base is just on the other side. Once on top of the hill, you look down and see...
Nothing.
The base has been completely destroyed and all attempts at radio contact are unsuccessful. There's no friendly voices for miles in any direction. The soldiers wrestle with the very real possibility that they are the only ones left in a very hostile land. At that point, the commanding officer makes an unexpected decision.
"Sergeant," he says to the solider next to you. "Give that guy (or girl, your choice) a gun and show him (or her) how to use it."
END LEVEL ONE and Cue Title.
As the game progresses, your character develops the skills necessary to become a fighter. You start with small sidearms. As you gain the group's trust and confidence, they issue more powerful weapons to you. By the end, you get to wield some serious firepower.
I suppose it's somewhat like the create-your-player mode in some sports games. Like those games, your character here would start out as (essentially) a nobody. As the game progresses, your skills improve and your responsibilities grow.
I'll write more about the overall story in the coming days. For now, feel free to tell me what you think!
Modern-day/near-future military FPS
To kick off this blog, I thought I'd start with one of my favorite game genres, the First-Person Shooter, or FPS. Before I get into the backstory for this one, let me setup my reasons and whatnot.
I've always been amused by games where the player controls a character that's already well-established in the game's world. I'm talking about games where you play a legendary war hero, someone who's seen it all. But since you, the player, are new to this world, the game needs to stop and explain stuff to you.
It seems strange to me. After all, if you're supposed to be this experienced soldier revered by others and feared by his enemies, shouldn't you already know what's going on?
Some game's handle this well (Halo, for example). I've played a couple, however, where the dialog is clearly directed at the player and not the character the player is inhabiting. It breaks the illusion and takes me out of the game world and story.
Some games get around this by giving the main character amnesia, so both the player and the hero have to be told what the hell is going on.
Me, I like approaches like the movie Inception. Specifically, Ellen Page's character. While everyone else around her knew the rules about dreaming, Page's character was clearly the rookie. She provided a logical reason for others to explain concepts they already knew. The audience could simply learn along with her.
With all that in mind, here's my pitch for Reckless Abandon (working title):
The game starts out with a very quick block of text establishing the year and the fact the U.S. is at war with....someone (more on this later in the week). Instead of playing a solider, your character is simply a college exchange student. Unfortunately for you, when it came time to study abroad, you picked the wrong damn country. You came to this (fictitious) country when everything was nice and peaceful. Now...not so much. In fact, at the start of the game, you've been kidnapped and your family hasn't heard from you in days.
When gameplay begins, everything is black. You hear sobbing, sickly coughs and foreign languages being spoken. Suddenly, you hear explosions in the distance followed by bursts of gunfire.
Somewhere, angry men are yelling and shooting at other angry men who are yelling and shooting. As they get closer, you realize some of the angry men are speaking English. The good guys have found you.
The screen jumps from pitch black to blinding white as a US solider pulls off your blindfold. Your eyes eventually adjust to see the chaos unfolding. Other soldiers are trying to lead your fellow hostages outside. As you're being untied, the soldier rescuing you is attacked. You have to help by throwing some punches. Since you're a college student and not a war hero, your melee attacks are crude and slow at first. As this first level progresses, the game directs your view to watch the soldiers as they use hand-to-hand combat. Slowly, your melee attacks become more and more precise and effective.
The soldiers escort you and the others outside to troop transports. You watch as other hostages (students, most likely) board the transports for the ride to safety. As you walk closer, the transports suddenly explode.
It's just you and a handful of soldiers now. You must make it to headquarters on foot while still being chased by the enemy. During this first mission, your small group will regularly come under fire. As an unarmed civilian, all you can do right now is fend off enemies if they get to close to the group. Thankfully, your melee attacks get better and better as the level progresses and your receive tips from the soldiers.
Being a cocky, young college student, you implore the soldier to give you a gun so you can do more. They naturally refuse, since they have no idea what kind of weapons training you have (by the way, you have no weapons training).
Throughout this first level, you hear bits and pieces of story regarding the overall war. You hear how suddenly things became violent, how foreigners like you were kidnapped.
As you get closer to headquarters, you hear soldiers discussing how things could get much, much worse if some other powerful country decided to move against America. Then, at the end of the first level, your group finally nears headquarters. As you climb a small hill, you're told the base is just on the other side. Once on top of the hill, you look down and see...
Nothing.
The base has been completely destroyed and all attempts at radio contact are unsuccessful. There's no friendly voices for miles in any direction. The soldiers wrestle with the very real possibility that they are the only ones left in a very hostile land. At that point, the commanding officer makes an unexpected decision.
"Sergeant," he says to the solider next to you. "Give that guy (or girl, your choice) a gun and show him (or her) how to use it."
END LEVEL ONE and Cue Title.
As the game progresses, your character develops the skills necessary to become a fighter. You start with small sidearms. As you gain the group's trust and confidence, they issue more powerful weapons to you. By the end, you get to wield some serious firepower.
I suppose it's somewhat like the create-your-player mode in some sports games. Like those games, your character here would start out as (essentially) a nobody. As the game progresses, your skills improve and your responsibilities grow.
I'll write more about the overall story in the coming days. For now, feel free to tell me what you think!
Hello World.
My name is Philip Palermo and welcome to my Write 4 Games blog. My goal is to (rapidly) come up with game ideas centered around specific and distinct story. My dream is to become a games writer.
Until that becomes a reality, I have to show off what I can do as much as possible.
My favorite games all have interesting narratives and I would love to be a part of that creative process. I want to prove to the world that there's some fun ideas stuffed inside my somewhat large noggin. Essentially, I'm hoping to post game story idea on this blog as often as I can for as long as my brain allows.
It's been a longtime dream to meld my writing background with a career in the gaming industry. After nearly 2 years as a software tester I feel like I have a toe, perhaps an entire foot, in the door. I really want to keep that momentum going.
The purpose of this blog, if anything, is to keep my brain working. When I was a kid, I used to love writing short stories almost daily. Now that I'm an adult, I want to get back to that feeling... the sense that there's plenty of stories to be told.
I'd appreciate any comments and support you care to throw my way. I hope this turns out to be a fun ride!
Until that becomes a reality, I have to show off what I can do as much as possible.
My favorite games all have interesting narratives and I would love to be a part of that creative process. I want to prove to the world that there's some fun ideas stuffed inside my somewhat large noggin. Essentially, I'm hoping to post game story idea on this blog as often as I can for as long as my brain allows.
It's been a longtime dream to meld my writing background with a career in the gaming industry. After nearly 2 years as a software tester I feel like I have a toe, perhaps an entire foot, in the door. I really want to keep that momentum going.
The purpose of this blog, if anything, is to keep my brain working. When I was a kid, I used to love writing short stories almost daily. Now that I'm an adult, I want to get back to that feeling... the sense that there's plenty of stories to be told.
I'd appreciate any comments and support you care to throw my way. I hope this turns out to be a fun ride!
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