Story progression

[FeelsGoodMan]

Not sure if this thread is supposed to go in "Map development" as the subject is the development of maps, or "Screenwriting, Storyboarding & Concept Creation" as it's related to script writing but I trust the mods to move it if it's wrong.

I often find myself trying to think up how to progress the story in a good and natural way, and have a bad habit of ceasing production of my map until I can think of something. I write individual scripts for each chapter of my map, but some days it's harder than others. Especially if I am doing a really important part I want it to be perfect which will also make it harder. Often I just write out the script even if it's really bad and then polish it later on.

I do some terraining, try to optimize other triggers and so on until I get a good idea but at this stage in my map the terrain is 99% finished and I just want to finish the main story lines so I can start on item systems and side quests.

I hate for the story to feel forced, so I take my time thinking out something awesome.


What do you normally do when you don't come up with any way to progress your story?

 

[deepstrasz]

Not sure what you really want or the intent of this thread is but if you ever get blocks or feel in the dark, try searching for similar stuff you're working on, pieces of history, read something related in any way to the current piece of story you're trying to perfect.

Example: you have angels in the current plot. Read about angels in various sources.

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

Not sure what you really want or the intent of this thread

It's not really anything I want. Just interested to see how others handle the same situation.

 

[deepstrasz]

It's not really anything I want.

Oh, well, then next time try using Warcraft Discussion or Off-Topic if it's too general.

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

Oh, well, then next time try using Warcraft Discussion or Off-Topic if it's too general.

Will remember it!

 

[deepstrasz]

Other times when it doesn't work even after researching, inspiration will come with time. It might even take months or more but stuff happens one way or another.
The important thing, however, is not to slack in the sense of waiting for ideas to come out of thin air without any effort to think on, explore the subject.

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

Other times when it doesn't work even after researching, inspiration will come with time. It might even take months or more but stuff happens one way or another.
The important thing, however, is not to slack in the sense of waiting for ideas to come out of thin air without any effort to think on, explore the subject.

I spend a lot of time trying to think up stuff fortunately. Often I think up three or four different scenarios before I write one of them down. If it doesn't look as good on paper as it did in my mind I write down one of the other scenarios I thought of.

Luckily I have a lot of time though, as every single encounter and "part" of my map takes quite a long time to develop so I have long enough to think of what comes after.

 

[cleavinghammer]

I more or less envision things happening as cutscenes with characters reacting to something and then each other (although in stories involving multiple characters it's best if each has a well-defined personality that conflicts with the others in the group). The hard part is connecting them afterwards.

Most important is to write down ideas as they come, even if it's just a sentence saying "X does Y", so you can come back to them later and move them around.

 

[Shar Dundred]

Create a story before you start working on the maps not during it.
Write a script, no matter how detailed, before you open the map editor.

You can add new stuff during the map creation process, but always write down how you want
things to go BEFORE you create the map.
The other way around is not the best way to create a good story.

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

Create a story before you start working on the maps not during it.
Write a script, no matter how detailed, before you open the map editor.

You can add new stuff during the map creation process, but always write down how you want
things to go BEFORE you create the map.
The other way around is not the best way to create a good story.

I did have a general baseline, but no specifics at all. The narrative and story was already decided on when I started, but it was really as simple as "You start as XXX in XXX, your objective is XXX and XXX will happen along the way". Then it kinda just evolved from there and now I have something nice, but the ends needs to be connected in some way, and most of the conversations needs a heavy overhaul as they were done really quick just to have a dialogue written out.

I still have to write a script (mainly conversations and specific story twists and how they should play out in the best possible way) for around half of one of the story lines though (there are two different playable story lines).

 

[Razorclaw_X]

You have a basic outline of what should happen. Take that and then ask the question "Why?" because that is the most important thing to ask.

Don't worry about making a twist or being smart. You need to give a good reason why things are happening the way they are. For all we know the campaign could be as simple as looking for the Flour of Life to bake the Bread of Happiness so Grandma Hero can have one last grand meal before she dies. I made that excuse plot up right now, and as silly as that sounds, you CAN make people care about it if you really wanted to, or you could make it a comedy.