Storyline

[zbriggs]

Myth:

Given this is a multi-player-ONLY mod - how CAN there be a story? It's not ABOUT a story - it's about BLOWING *edit* UP ONLINE!

Fact: Agreed that FPS games are often times not truly about the story and more about the action. However, the rest of this statement is almost 100% inaccurate.

Given this is a multi-player-ONLY mod

Not sure how many times this must be stressed but Core Decision is not a mod. Also, I'm once again stunned by a myth that floats around, Multiplayer Only. If people would take the time to read the FAQs and the Interviews they would see that this game is not only Multiplayer but also has a very large compliment of Singleplayer levels as well. Which in addition we will most likely release an expansion pack for later. If it were multiplayer only we would have released it already.

how CAN there be a story?

Easy, we hire storyboard artists, writers, researchers, and some very hard boiled critics. They then proceed to write a story and have it ripped to shreads in front of them until they get a small part of it right. That small part goes on to the storyboard artist who make pictures to go with it while the writers continue to find more gold in with the rock.

Rest assured that we do have a story.

it's about BLOWING *edit* UP ONLINE!

This is mostly accurate. Except the online part. You can do it both online and offline.

[Unix]

Just as a side note here about the story. I got a chance to hear the first couple chapters of the story and I my first impression is that it's really well written, smart, witty and enjoyable. One of the short falls of Descent, IMO, was that the characters were never developed that well or that they lacked character.

The Core Decision main character is a good blend of Bad-Ass and Smart-Ass.

I'm optimistic that the story will really carry the game along.

Okay enough rave reviewing

[Sirius]

Fact: No game was ever released on time. Do you think CD will make an exception? o_O

Freespace 2 was released a month early.

[Shadowfury333]

Fact: No game was ever released on time. Do you think CD will make an exception? o_O

Freespace 2 was released a month early.

That's still not on time.

[zbriggs]

Off topic guys. Let's bring it back.

Zach

[dissent]

I'm optimistic that the story will really carry the game along.

Okay enough rave reviewing

Story - schmory ...
Just let me know when I can blow somethin' up.

[Unix]

Haha!

Of course there will be a healthy of amount of sheer destruction, but the story is the backbone. Bascially, the \"why\" as to why you're blowing ★■◆● up.

[Kilarin]

Consider me solidly on the side of having a good story. I once abandoned a game in the middle because, even though the game mechanics were actually BETTER than a previous version that I enjoyed and played all the way through, the story was literally making me ill. A bad story can RUIN a good game, and no story at all leaves a game with a lot less to grab my attention. The best games have BOTH a good story and excellent game play.

Kilarin

[Lothar]

Consider me solidly on the side of having a good story. I once abandoned a game in the middle because, even though the game mechanics were actually BETTER than a previous version that I enjoyed and played all the way through, the story was literally making me ill.

I think the most important thing is to have a tolerable story.

If you have a story that's total crap -- either makes people mad to play the game, or just loses their attention -- people don't play.

If you have a mediocre story, most people will still play through if the game mechanics are good. I've never heard of anyone say "I stopped playing because the story was only average."

A great story will make people a little more likely to play through again, but I don't think most games really need a GREAT story, just one that's good enough not to make people mad.

[zbriggs]

Not to be a spoil sport but I will be moving this discussion about story to it's own thread shortly.

Zach

[MD-2389]

I have to agree with Lothar about story quality. Have a look at the original Freespace game. Without a top-notch story, the game would've fallen apart drastically. The Lucifer wouldn't have been a credible threat, nor would there have been a sense of impending doom.

[Lothar]

Have a look at the original Freespace game. Without a top-notch story, the game would've fallen apart drastically. The Lucifer wouldn't have been a credible threat, nor would there have been a sense of impending doom.

The FS1 story enhanced the gameplay by really motivating the player, but I think the gameplay itself was good enough that I'd have enjoyed it with a lesser story. Freespace 2 left too many loose ends hanging at the end, but similarly, the story definitely motivated the gameplay up until that point. I never quite "got" the weapons balance so I didn't enjoy the game as much as FS1 -- the mechanics are what made the game less enjoyable for me.

Look at the original two DooM games. The story was just a cheap excuse to kill stuff. A good story wasn't necessary because the gameplay was so good.

What you really want to avoid are these things:

- a game that makes no sense to the person playing it. "Wait, I'm supposed to shoot the green guy now? Why?" "What am I doing in this cutscene? Are these the bad guys? Huh?" Trying to make a story too clever can have this effect.

- a game that makes the person playing it mad, sick, etc. If the game is too dark, or if the only way to win is to do something people will find horribly offensive (like some of the War3 single player missions, where you had to kill certain people) a lot of people won't want to play it.

- a story that makes the gameplay suffer -- say, by forcing the player into stupidly contrived situations. (Most RPG's have one or two moments like this, where no matter how powerful you are or how soon you realized your "ally" was evil, you can't avoid being captured in a really lame way.)

If you can manage an incredibly great story, hey, go for it. It will make the gameplay better for sure. But I honestly don't mind a game where the story is only so-so... as long as it stays away from the aforementioned pitfalls. The benefits of having an awesome story are probably small compared to what it takes to create one.

[zbriggs]

Not to be a spoil sport but I will be moving this discussion about story to it's own thread shortly.

Zach

Hmmm... I'm sicker than I thought. I thought this was under the Myths section. Sorry about the confusion. Carry on.

Zach

[KoolBear]

Not to be a spoil sport but I will be moving this discussion about story to it's own thread shortly.

Zach

Hmmm... I'm sicker than I thought. I thought this was under the Myths section. Sorry about the confusion. Carry on.

Zach

LOL, sorry I meant to post a notice that I had split this off. It really was deserving it's own thread.

Please carry on ...

[Wurby]

are some of the walls distructable? that would be sweet
y'know make your own tunnle to like a secret place

[Ferno]

That would be more of a question about features and technology than about the storyline.

[catch22]

I've always been a fan of the side stories/missions that exist within the main storyline of a game. Gives the game some good replay value.