BonzaiRob
3dPE Benevolent Dictator
- 42
- Posts
- 18
- Years
- Seen May 7, 2024
I haven't posted much, but I thought I could help out here.
A lot of pokémon fangames aren't really thought out. What's the point of playing a fangame if it's just a copy of the real thing? You want to make it better than Nintendo, right? I'd like to start a series of tutorials on making your game professional and awesome, starting with the most basic element: plot.
Having taken a short university course on screenwriting, it seemed that game writing is very similar. If this is popular I'll expand with characterisation and suchlike, followed with tips for music, spriting, etc.; if it's deleted, then so be it.
The Basics
Every story has these elements:
Beginning: Incentive moment, the start of it all.
Climax: The exciting bit with all the explosions.
Resolution: The end, everything's back to normal.
The resolution can feed back into beginning in something called Freytag's Triangle, this is common in movies where something unexpected happens. Usually this is some sort of double-cross or the first climax was a false one.
The above is easily identifiable with most movies or books, but it's still quite basic and leaves out a lot. However, if you start with the ideas for those three parts, you will find that the rest of the story easily fills itself in. We will start with this, in a fetching purple:
This missed out various gyms and evil organisations, but that's the basics of pokemon. So, let's add in some steps.
Tzvetan Todorov: 5 Stages
The tutor didn't go over who Tzvetan Todorov is, but a quick wiki check says he was a philosopher and literary theorist. So he knows his stuff. Those three basic steps are now extended to this:
Equilibrium: Everything is normal, this is what life was like before the story.
Disruption: Something disrupts normal life, as the above's Beginning.
Recognition: People start running around screaming, or loading the guns.
Repair: The disruption is repaired, see above Climax.
Reinstatement: The equilibrium is put back to how it was, more or less. See above Resolution.
Now we hit a problem, because the pokémon stories often don't quite fit this mould. In pokémon, the equilibrium part is either very short (first, second and fourth gen) or nonexistant (third gen, when you move house). The idea here is that not all stories are identical (thankfully), and so you can start dropping the steps as you feel like from here on in, depending on how it fits the story in your head. Just keep the three basic ones above.
The Hero's Journey: Pick Your Steps
Now we go onto the final part, where you can drop and keep essentially whichever steps you like. This plan is from the book The Writer's Journey by Chris Vogler. Here they are:
The Ordinary World: Normal life, as above.
The Call To Adventure: This is more like the first set's Beginning.
Refusal Of The Call: This one adds some depth. Perhaps a character had a bad experience with pokémon as a child and doesn't want to train?
Meeting The Mentor: There's usually some crotchety old fart around with an opinion, but sometimes they come in useful.
Crossing the First Threshold: This can add tension if done right.
Tests, Allies and Enemies: This is the meat of our story, or the main game in pokémon.
Approach the Innermost Cave: Almost literally Victory Road. The last steps before the goal are usually the hardest.
The Ordeal: This would be the E4 again. The biggest, baddest fight/conflict the hero has ever had to face. Climax.
The Reward: Hall of Fame, anyone? This is what the hero did it all for, and it's very satisfying.
The Road Home: Going home, getting back to normal. Resolution.
Resurrection: Hur hur. *ahem* If the bad guy's not quite dead, this is where he sits up and takes out the dagger. This is the start of the Freytag's Triangle, above.
Return With The Elixir: The hero can return with what he's learned and do some good.
There are two rules for these steps:
And, going back to the Basic steps, we have a slight Freytag's Triangle on that last step, with the hero starting out on a new adventure of sorts. As you can see, not all steps were used, and some at the top were moved around, but the story still fits inside that template.
Conclusion
If you know the basics, writing a story can be very easy indeed, and also come out looking pretty good. A good exercise, while watching a movie, or reading a book, is to think about the steps and how they fit. I can guarantee that all of them fit with these guidelines.
Likewise, there's nothing wrong with taking inspiration from stories you know if it fits. Try to make it your own however; having a time traveller called Jack Connor fighting an organisation called Skynot everyone will know what movie you watched the night before you wrote the plot. However, unstoppable robot assassins are a staple of sci-fi, so if you're writing a horror game and want to build up tension, there's nothing quite like glowing red eyes to set the mood. You get the idea.
I hope that this tutorial helps those prospective game makers who read it. If it's helped you, feel free to let me know; likewise, if you're after some advice, I'd be happy to help, although I can't write the whole thing for you :P (I barely have time for my own fan game, but that's another story).
If you have any suggestions for additions, or and requests for my prospective series, drop me a line also. I believe my contact details are all up on my profile. You can also email me at bonzairob{atlol}googlemail.com .
A lot of pokémon fangames aren't really thought out. What's the point of playing a fangame if it's just a copy of the real thing? You want to make it better than Nintendo, right? I'd like to start a series of tutorials on making your game professional and awesome, starting with the most basic element: plot.
Having taken a short university course on screenwriting, it seemed that game writing is very similar. If this is popular I'll expand with characterisation and suchlike, followed with tips for music, spriting, etc.; if it's deleted, then so be it.
The Basics
Every story has these elements:
Beginning: Incentive moment, the start of it all.
Climax: The exciting bit with all the explosions.
Resolution: The end, everything's back to normal.
The resolution can feed back into beginning in something called Freytag's Triangle, this is common in movies where something unexpected happens. Usually this is some sort of double-cross or the first climax was a false one.
The above is easily identifiable with most movies or books, but it's still quite basic and leaves out a lot. However, if you start with the ideas for those three parts, you will find that the rest of the story easily fills itself in. We will start with this, in a fetching purple:
Beginning: The trainer starts their journey, with their first pokemon.
Climax: The trainer fights the elite four, to be the best trainer in the region
Resolution: The elite four beaten, the trainer goes back to filling their dex.
Climax: The trainer fights the elite four, to be the best trainer in the region
Resolution: The elite four beaten, the trainer goes back to filling their dex.
This missed out various gyms and evil organisations, but that's the basics of pokemon. So, let's add in some steps.
Tzvetan Todorov: 5 Stages
The tutor didn't go over who Tzvetan Todorov is, but a quick wiki check says he was a philosopher and literary theorist. So he knows his stuff. Those three basic steps are now extended to this:
Equilibrium: Everything is normal, this is what life was like before the story.
Disruption: Something disrupts normal life, as the above's Beginning.
Recognition: People start running around screaming, or loading the guns.
Repair: The disruption is repaired, see above Climax.
Reinstatement: The equilibrium is put back to how it was, more or less. See above Resolution.
Now we hit a problem, because the pokémon stories often don't quite fit this mould. In pokémon, the equilibrium part is either very short (first, second and fourth gen) or nonexistant (third gen, when you move house). The idea here is that not all stories are identical (thankfully), and so you can start dropping the steps as you feel like from here on in, depending on how it fits the story in your head. Just keep the three basic ones above.
Equilibrium: The trainer (say Red) is having a normal day in the starting town.
Disruption: Oak stops Red from going into the wild grass.
Recognition: Isn't it Red's birthday? Here, have a pogeyman!
Repair: Red travels around, leveling up, till he beats the E4 and becomes champion.
Reinstatement: Red can go back to Pallet and sleep in, but he's now the most powerful trainer in Kanto.
Disruption: Oak stops Red from going into the wild grass.
Recognition: Isn't it Red's birthday? Here, have a pogeyman!
Repair: Red travels around, leveling up, till he beats the E4 and becomes champion.
Reinstatement: Red can go back to Pallet and sleep in, but he's now the most powerful trainer in Kanto.
The Hero's Journey: Pick Your Steps
Now we go onto the final part, where you can drop and keep essentially whichever steps you like. This plan is from the book The Writer's Journey by Chris Vogler. Here they are:
The Ordinary World: Normal life, as above.
The Call To Adventure: This is more like the first set's Beginning.
Refusal Of The Call: This one adds some depth. Perhaps a character had a bad experience with pokémon as a child and doesn't want to train?
Meeting The Mentor: There's usually some crotchety old fart around with an opinion, but sometimes they come in useful.
Crossing the First Threshold: This can add tension if done right.
Tests, Allies and Enemies: This is the meat of our story, or the main game in pokémon.
Approach the Innermost Cave: Almost literally Victory Road. The last steps before the goal are usually the hardest.
The Ordeal: This would be the E4 again. The biggest, baddest fight/conflict the hero has ever had to face. Climax.
The Reward: Hall of Fame, anyone? This is what the hero did it all for, and it's very satisfying.
The Road Home: Going home, getting back to normal. Resolution.
Resurrection: Hur hur. *ahem* If the bad guy's not quite dead, this is where he sits up and takes out the dagger. This is the start of the Freytag's Triangle, above.
Return With The Elixir: The hero can return with what he's learned and do some good.
There are two rules for these steps:
The steps should not call attention to themselves.
They can be reshuffled, dropped or added to as necessary.
And finally, the story of Red, as here:They can be reshuffled, dropped or added to as necessary.
The Ordinary World: Red wants to go and find professor Oak.
Meeting The Mentor: Oak finds Red, chews him out for being in the long grass, and takes him to his lab.
The Call To Adventure: Red is offered his first pokémon!
Refusal Of The Call: None.
Crossing the First Threshold: Red walks carefully out onto Route 1, and the adventure begins, apart from that package.
Tests, Allies and Enemies: Red trains for and beats Gyms, battles with random strangers (My favourite battle intro ever: "Don't you think the flowers are so pretty here?") and makes some friends along the way. Perhaps he catches some legendary pokémon.
Approach the Innermost Cave: Red has beaten all the gyms, and is on his way through Victory Road.
The Ordeal: The E4, plus the current champion: *gasp* Green! It's the biggest trial Red has faced: fighting 5 high-level trainers with no pokémon centres in between.
The Reward: Red wins, and is the new champion; he and his team are entered into the Hall of Fame.
The Road Home: The credits roll, and Red wakes up in Pallet Town.
Resurrection None.
Return With The Elixir: With a twist. Oak is offering Red a ticket on a ferry...
Meeting The Mentor: Oak finds Red, chews him out for being in the long grass, and takes him to his lab.
The Call To Adventure: Red is offered his first pokémon!
Crossing the First Threshold: Red walks carefully out onto Route 1, and the adventure begins, apart from that package.
Tests, Allies and Enemies: Red trains for and beats Gyms, battles with random strangers (My favourite battle intro ever: "Don't you think the flowers are so pretty here?") and makes some friends along the way. Perhaps he catches some legendary pokémon.
Approach the Innermost Cave: Red has beaten all the gyms, and is on his way through Victory Road.
The Ordeal: The E4, plus the current champion: *gasp* Green! It's the biggest trial Red has faced: fighting 5 high-level trainers with no pokémon centres in between.
The Reward: Red wins, and is the new champion; he and his team are entered into the Hall of Fame.
The Road Home: The credits roll, and Red wakes up in Pallet Town.
Return With The Elixir: With a twist. Oak is offering Red a ticket on a ferry...
And, going back to the Basic steps, we have a slight Freytag's Triangle on that last step, with the hero starting out on a new adventure of sorts. As you can see, not all steps were used, and some at the top were moved around, but the story still fits inside that template.
Conclusion
If you know the basics, writing a story can be very easy indeed, and also come out looking pretty good. A good exercise, while watching a movie, or reading a book, is to think about the steps and how they fit. I can guarantee that all of them fit with these guidelines.
Likewise, there's nothing wrong with taking inspiration from stories you know if it fits. Try to make it your own however; having a time traveller called Jack Connor fighting an organisation called Skynot everyone will know what movie you watched the night before you wrote the plot. However, unstoppable robot assassins are a staple of sci-fi, so if you're writing a horror game and want to build up tension, there's nothing quite like glowing red eyes to set the mood. You get the idea.
I hope that this tutorial helps those prospective game makers who read it. If it's helped you, feel free to let me know; likewise, if you're after some advice, I'd be happy to help, although I can't write the whole thing for you :P (I barely have time for my own fan game, but that's another story).
If you have any suggestions for additions, or and requests for my prospective series, drop me a line also. I believe my contact details are all up on my profile. You can also email me at bonzairob{atlol}googlemail.com .