Thing is though, short stories and game scripts are very different concepts, that would be like making a playable terraining contest and naming it a "mapping contest" just because you make both in the editor. We can certainly talk about bringing back the short story contest, hell I might even consider entering, but I don't want to mix them. I would prefer "Game Script" to be it's own thing, because it's more related to modding/game development than a short story usually is.
I'm working on the contest template right now, I'll post it some time in between christmas and new year, then we can talk about the theme and general composition of the contest
I understand.
I would sugest that the "game script format" should be as flexible as posible, the restriction of freedom may end in lack of interest (that what happened in the terraining contest 21 and story contest 8 , freedom was very restricted.
An example of a game script should be shown in the frontpage but, to encourage users to do the script in the way they consider better for themself.
An example would be like this
-Story:
a long text to explain the lore elements, characters, ideal to be a normal narrative text like any book. and how everything reach the current point of conflict
here there can be a list of characters with icons and descriptions regarding faction lore, past and gameplay skills,
-Main Intro cinematic: a best eye candy situation to sell the campaign, like wow intro cinematics, Anduin and Sylvanas in the battle of lordaeron.
-soundtrack of the cinematic (here we can put youtube links to script wich music will create the drama or pace of whats going on, (like victory, the death of a character, entering a ruin, an overwhelming attack.
-Chapter 1
- main soundtrack of the chapter during gameplay, diferent gamplays may have different soundtracks, is not the same a dungeoning chapter than a siege chapter.
-Introduction: here will be loading text of the chapter
The wolf traveled from Kualandor to the Grove. There they met a mayor resistance of night elves.
-Short Gameplay Description:
The wolf clan forces are gathered in the south of the city and they have to launch a mayor asault on two night elves bases in the north.
(The game will be played as a normal melee map)
-map base to be used (aprox): link of a map that could be used, can be either a melee map, an aos template, or custom terraining template map.
-Initial Cinematic
-soundtrack of the cinematic
-brief descrition of the enviroment
-dialogs and character actions (such as attack or walk).
- Initial Main objetive
-minor dialogue events not related to quest.
-Discovery of a new objetive: Secondary cinematics and or Minor dialogue events.
-End of an objetive: cinematics or minor dialogue events
-minor dialogue events not related to quest.
-Ending cinematic
-soundtrack of the cinematic
-brief descrition of the enviroment
-dialogs and character actions (such as attack or walk).
Chapter 2
repeat all previus stuff of chapter 1
I sugest a wide theme please, the main challange for this contest will be to learn and make the script fun to read at a nice pace.
restrictive themes should came later.