Unit 74 Computer Game Story Development

Assignment 2: Create your own story

Story development is a centre point and a driven factor to what makes
something memorable and is the purpose for most forms of media like movies,
TV shows, and web series. Now in most recent years computer games has taken
a centre stage and put a drastic time and consideration into their story. When
previously games like Super Mario or Pac man, didnt really have a focus on
story, why things happened and what were the characters thoughts and
motivations. Just there was a goal and the player needed to achieve it. When in
modern times, games like Heavy Rain, The Metal Gear franchise and the very
successful BioShock, have taken so much time to create characters with depth,
emotions, a compelling plot and characters with so much depth that sometime
create stories that are worthy being a film. This assignments task is to create to
a story designed for a computer game on a console platform. Taking
consideration on the purpose, components and elements, characters and what
will happen throughout the story within the game. Also have the time to create a
script covering dialogue through gameplay or an extract from the story, showing
how the dialogue will play out and give a general vibe how it will play out.

What is the story?

Now I am linking this assignment to my final major project and developing a
story for that project too. The game in mind is called Blackwell and centres on
the main character David Gray, a man who is dealing with the death of his wife
Karen Gray. A year has passed since the incident, which is slowly developed and
pieced together for the player to slowly unveil on what happened to Karen, and
because of that incident and the devastation of losing the love of his life, he has
developed schizophrenia. A mental illness, which causes David to see
hallucinations and delusions which may or may not be there. He also
unexpectedly hear voices in his head, which slowly shows Davids true motions,
his true feelings and really show how paranoid he really is, which he may not
show to other people. This also gives another viewpoint and helps explain how
David views himself or the world around him. Now believing he has his mental
illness under control through medication and having weekly sessions with his
psychiatrist, decides to go back to his old job as a Miami Private Investigator.
This is where the story begins for the character.
David is called to investigate a missing person case for a young lady called Jamie
Madison, her last known where about of Jamie was at the 1970s inspired hotel
called Blackwell. And this is the location for majority of the game and story.
Because Jamie shows a strong resembles to Karen, David is determined to make
sure this woman is safe. Slowly discovering what has been taking place and
bringing more bad memories of Davids past starts to relive his past memories
and starts to lose his control over his schizophrenia, whilst trying to save this
young lady. Will he be able to find Jamie, solve the deep secrets of Blackwell and
his past, and will he be able to forgive himself before his mind and his mental
illness gets the better of him.
Bailey Goble
07/03/2016

Unit 74 Computer Game Story Development

Assignment 2: Create your own story
Thats the outline of the story in general, there are many plot twist that plays out
through the story, like eventually he goes through a goose chase through the
hotel rooms whilst revisiting memories of his life with Karen, but unfortunately
finds Jamie dead and then David goes through a breakdown. Then revealing
what happened to his wife and what actually happened the night she died. Karen
had a miscarriage, and the result of this sends her through a serious post
dramatic stress disorder and holds David responsible for the miscarriage and she
final comes to the conclusion of her taking her own life, and seeing Jamie
Madison dead on the floor triggers these memories. Or is this mind playing tricks
on him again? He does eventually comes to terms with what hes gone through
and learns to forgive himself for what has happened, but this only one ways how
this story can be resolved. Depending on the actions of the player through the
game, may determine on how the ending plays out. Either he moves on from
what has happened or he may end up ending his life or he completely loses his
insanity and becomes the thing he was scared of becoming.

The narrative
The narrative starts off with David being a mysterious character and through
dialogue and interactions with other characters like his psychiatrist, his boss and
friends at the Miami bureau as well as his best friend Jaden Morrison who also
works under the same Miami PI. But the narration at the start never touches
upon his past but it quickly establishes that David isnt okay, seeing him taking
medication, planning an appointment with his psychiatrist over the phone, and
getting called to work to checkout a new case and is warned to take it slow as it
is his first case back. It isnt until David goes to the Blackwell hotel where his
mental illness really is demonstrated to the player. The voices kick in when all
the clues, photos of Jamie and the similarities with Karen are shown to David, the
player. So the hotels elevator or moments like walk through a hotel room door
will sometimes enter a piece of Davids memory, which is actually his
hallucination and his subconscious reliving his memories with his wife. And this is
how the player learns what happens. Now, the story will enter horror elements
seeing his wife in a horrific state like maybe her remains or metaphor or in
vision. Like maybe relives first date he has with Karen and its all good but it
might end up with a creature chasing him forcing to see his wife get devoured or
destroyed by this creature, but this creature could be the representation of his
child killing his wife. A lot of these sorts of metaphors and how story is given to
the player is similar to Silent Hill 2. There will be clues to what happened
throughout the story but it isnt given to the player straight until the ending or
the climax. The final plot twist is actually revealed to show that Davids past is
connected to this current case. It turns out the man that has kidnapped Jamie is
a man known as Nathanial Woods. Who is the co-owner of the hotel and has set
everything in motion to get back at David. Turns out this Nathanial had a
previous relationship with Karen and Karen ended their relationship and he holds
David responsible for everything that happened, so Karen leaving him and Karen
Bailey Goble
07/03/2016

Unit 74 Computer Game Story Development

Assignment 2: Create your own story
killing herself. And he then kidnaps Jamie, set everything up to mess with David
before killing him and getting revenge for taking away the one he loved.

The characters
The main character is David Gray, he is a man who holds himself responsible for
what has happened and is trying to build his life again whilst to learn how to
deal with his schizophrenia and overcome it. Jaden Morrison his partner is the
only other character who really knew David outside his job and knew him before
what happened with Karen. These two serve has the main characters or the hero
and the sidekick tropes in major stories. More characters will be unveiled and
may serve as major characters and have a role to play in the case with Jamie
Madison. And finally Nathanial Woods, the man pulling the strings and playing all
this to make David go through hell. And will go to these extreme lengths, kidnap
a girl, play with Davids emotions and mental illness to drive this man to insanity
before killing him.

What is the purpose of the story?

This story may deal with a mystery and horror, but to its core, its a story about a
man losing his soul mate, what its done to him, what it means to let go of
something that traumatising and the scary elements of schizophrenia. This story
is about a tragic guy who is desperately trying to let go off everything and find a
way to forgive himself, overcome his mental illness and knowing how to build a
life after losing everything he once had. Trying to saviour the man he was. Some
things may be left open to interpretation and there might even be hidden
meaning to dialogue and the actions the characters may do, but deep down its a
redemption story.

Voice over choices

When it comes to consideration I believe these voice actors could portray the
characters well.
David Gray(Main Character)- Matthew Mercer
Jaden Morrison(Main characters best friend)- Troy Baker
Nathanial Woods(Villian, mysterious character or puppet master)- Yuri Lowenthal
Karen Gray(Dead wife)- Jen Taylor
Jamie Madison (Kidnap girl, similarities to Karen Gray) Laura Bailey
Commissioner Goodman (Boss and head of the bureau) Richard Mcgonagle
Bailey Goble
07/03/2016

Unit 74 Computer Game Story Development

Assignment 2: Create your own story
Jimmy lee (Owner and founder of Blackwell hotel) -Todd Haberkorn

Nick the Janitor (Cleaner and head of security) Ryan Alosio

Miss Lawrence (The physiatrist) Jennifer Hale

The script
Below will show an example of a script that will be close to the start of the game

Scene 2: Arriving at the office

Prologue- Missing person case

Bailey Goble
07/03/2016

Unit 74 Computer Game Story Development

Assignment 2: Create your own story

David just got woken up from a bad dream to the sound of his phone
ringing. He gets a missed call and a text from his psychiatrist
asking if David would be available to make an appointment this
Tuesday. Getting up in a state, getting dressed and out his flat, we
follow David as he takes a car across Miami and passing the
Blackwell hotel and heading towards the bureau building. And now
David has entered the building, now back at work he is eager but
nervous to go back to his old job.

[David walks through the front door to the building]

[David looks around confused, like everything is different then he
remembers]
Jaden: Hey David! [Jaden signals David to come to the desk]
[David walks over to him, still glaring around the room]
David: Hey Jaden.
[Jaden looks down to see Davids hand shaking]
Jaden: Hey bud, you know you dont have to be here if its too
difficult.
David: No I need to be here. [David signs his name onto a piece of
paper on a clipboard given to him by the receptionist]
Jaden: You dont need to play the hero. If youre not ready for this
then you dont need to be here.
Bailey Goble
07/03/2016

Unit 74 Computer Game Story Development

Assignment 2: Create your own story
David: Well I guess if Im here that, mean Im ready to get back to
work. [David walks past Jaden]
[As David walks past Jaden grabs Davids arm and looks at him]
Jaden: Do you really think Karen would let you[David pushes Jadens hand off aggressively]
David: Dont bring her into this. And dont you use her to get me out of
here. This is my choice and no one else. I need to do something then just
sitting inside my shitty apartment and drown my sorrows in the biggest
bottle I can get my hands on. [Stares at Jaden]

[Jaden looks away, not to look him in the eye]

Jaden: Goodman is on the third floor, he might have something for you
there.
[David takes a breath]
David: Thanks. If you dont mind, I need to do what Im good at. Ill see
you up there in a few minutes, thats if youre still my partner?
[Jaden looks back at David]
Jaden: Sure, I wont take too long. Just want to know this young fine lady
over here [Eyes up the receptionist]
David: Dont let me get in your way. [David/player walks across the lobby
to the elevator]
[As David approaches the elevator, Jadens voice can be heard across the
lobby to the receptionist deck]
Jaden: So baby, would you grab my arm so I can tell my friends Ive

been touched by an angel?

Receptionist: Im not interested.
Jaden: Hey, shooting me down that quick. But thats okay, I do like a bit
of a challenge.
[David enters the elevator and calls to the third floor]
Voice #1: What are you doing here?
Voice #2: Youre pathetic, not even good at your job.
Voice #1: Maybe you would be better at selling your body for money. Maybe
then you could get someone to touch you like she did.
Voice #2: Jaden a friend? Hes just waiting to stab you in the back.
Voice #1: Dont trust him.

Bailey Goble
07/03/2016

Unit 74 Computer Game Story Development

Assignment 2: Create your own story
[David reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pot of pills under the name
Anti-del and slides out two pills]
Voice #3: Oh that again?
Voice #1: Poison?
Voice #2: Thats poison! Youre going to die!
[David shakes a bit staring at the pills in his hand, but builds up the
courage to swallow the pills]
David: Not today, Im not in the mood to deal with this shit.
[David exits the elevator, with a bit of sweat on his forehead]
Enters new scene (End of the extract)

So that is an example of the sort of dialogue that interact with some of the
characters and how David is handling his mental illness and the sort of stuff that
torments his mind.
This assignment demonstrates my creative thought when coming up with a story
with a game in mind. I personally believe the script is a perfect representation of
a mysterious character that is trying to deal with his mental illness and move on
from his past but is struggling to move on. I also believe I have created a story I
would find it personally interesting, a story around loss of someone and dealing
with mental illness and yet still have elements of horror and mystery, sort of
similar to heavy rain and Silent hill. Tragic and showing an accurate
representation on a very severe and scary mental illness. And the target
audience I am going for is a young and mature, dealing with losing someone you
love and having to bear the weight of moving on and building your life again, and
about forgiving yourself. David is a character that shows what this can do to
someone and everything hes gone through I believe I created a character which
the player should feel sympathy more.
Looking over the story I do wish I did incorporate more of the horror elements
and twisted in the idea of the baby that died due to the miscarriage could of
became more of a imagery used and seen through his hallucinations as he
passed through the rooms of the hotel. Show a wide range of things that scares
David and really feel like we know the character inside and out. Really twisted
that genre around like Silent Hill franchise did with that story and horrifying
imagery but containing meaning behind them. This could have been more of an
element incorporating with the story and since the story I am making it suitable
for a video game story, it could have been something that could have worked for
the story and the designed game.

Bailey Goble
07/03/2016

Unit 74 Computer Game Story Development

Assignment 2: Create your own story

Bailey Goble
07/03/2016