“What’s the story?” - David Braben Pens First Column for Develop

[Callum Rowley]

David Braben, Founder of Frontier, has recently set in motion a new column for Develop. Every month David will be contributing a monthly article on “technology, design, and the murky ground where they cross-over”. The first article which can be found on Develop’s website or the latest Develop magazine has been posted to the Frontier website.

"For those of you that don’t know me, I started in the industry in the early ‘80s, co-writing Elite with Ian Bell, and going on to found Frontier. Frontier is one of the larger British developers, with 250 people based on Cambridge’s Science Park. In these columns I’ll be covering a wide range of topics, all sparked off by current game releases and events in the industry and all pertinent to game development."

Read the full article...

Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

[Geraldine]

Read the article. Well, yes story and game play should mesh together. Some of the greatest games of the recent past did this, like Deus Ex, Neverwinter Nights, KOTOR and others. All of those games I mentioned were RPGs. That's important because the player is made to feel part of the story because their character on screen is changed by it by obtaining new abilities or suffereing consequences for their actions. So yes David has a point. But will a games industry which has largely focused on dumbed down story lines, weak plots and fancy explosions, change their ways?

[rgmarett]

I really enjoyed Modern Warfare 2. And I seem to be the only one who was glad it was just a five hour game (I'm glad Crank 2 was a short film too). With all the action and set pieces going on, I just wanted to get through it and complete the game quickly.

I have Mass Effect 2 now though. Wow. What a game. Would Modern Warfare have been a better game if it incorporated Mass Effect style story telling - I think yes, it would have been a better game, by far.

[dcforeman]

Storys are great. Providing you've got a good story to tell. As David said. Films suffer from bad stories alot, how many terrible films have there been? Wolverine, terminator salvation, and dragonball evolution, all spring to mind. As games become more realistic, as motion capture technology, and animators become more sophistiated with real time technology, and gain access to faster and faster hardware, it's not supprising the line between games and films will start to blurr.

Upon saying that, it's not the only way to write a game, even for the next few generations. MMO's largely offer very limited stories. The generated quests are repetitive, the story doesn't really evolve at a speed that anyone recognises. And they don't really take you anywhere. Take Eve Online for example, there's almost no story there at all. There's alot of fiction written around it, but it's much like Elite First Encounters newspaper system, something you read online, yet never really interact with in any meaningful way. It's not really a part of the game, and doesn't really affect any but the most envolved players.

The reward for MMO's is reward of leveling up, as well as the interaction between friends, and other users online.

Also remember that the whole story line buisness also doesn't apply to smaller games. Most people would think, I expect, that there's no such thing. Which isn't true, mobile devices such as the iPhone, Nokia, and Windows mobile based phones are all powerful enough to play the sort of games we where playing a decade ago. But the nature of these devices is different. You're not sat in front of a dedicated TV, console and PC. The best kind of games for these devices are not epic storyline driven games. But puzzle games, card games, social games. Games like worms are ideal on the platform and highly addictive simply because you don't get so involved, you pick up an iPod touch, load it up, have fun playing it, drop it into your pocket again and carry on doing whatever you where doing. So for causal, play in a lunch time, on the bus, or while waiting for someone in the pub, storylines are not always that appealing.

Games are not limited to consoles and computers anymore, they expand a wide range of products. The new Kindle DX supports apps now, I image there will be an emerging market there. Which is great for indie developers like me, because we're back to bedroom coding. All I need is a bright idea, a computer, and a programming language.

So really we have two generations of games on the market at the same time. Those for portable devices, and those for dedicated devices. Upon saying that, theres a medium I failed to mention. Web browser games are also extremely popular and often benefit from alternative revenues such as advertizing. These are great for the office worker lunchtime crowds, who just want to play something while choaking something down. I remember my Boss back in 2000 sitting there in front of the computer addicted to a simple marble game, a grid, different colours and he had to make combinations to win.

So it's important not to apply a hard and fast rule to all markets. My company makes a good profit catering to the iPhone, and we don't do it with complicated in depth stories.

[SuperG]

I disagree. Games are games and movies are movies there is some overlap. There is market for movie like games and deep emotional story like games. So they will sell to if done well. But some big titles with no story of meaning are big hits to. So story in game is optional. It's is more a matter wich audience you are reaching. And how large they are.

Story writing for movies. Large part of earth population are female. And they like relational and drama soapie like character bulding and love triangle crap etc. This is where oscars are trown at. So it's a big market for big screen movies.
But there is a other market more male more aktion focused.
Females in those movies they must be hot. Screen filling. But must not distract from action to much. And lot's of over the top action. Tough guys. In a bit believable setting. Humor mixed with aktion.
These movies with shallow back story lent them self for pure games perfectly.

It's the gaming. Not the cutscene that count. Male (hunter warior instinct) wants to get bussy. Aktion

So you have different audience. Because more females do game these day's. That audience has growen. Where you aim for. Who like deep emotional story's.

Example Stargate TV series.
Stargate SG1 and Atlantis are Action exploring humor scifi oriented TV series.
The new Stargate Universe is a character survival drama relation ship soap...... and drip of Scifi and humor.
It attracts a different audience and killed off a decent part of the previous audience.

So for me a movie like Titanic is drama crap.
Transformers 1+2 and Rambo4 is a must have on BR. The latest startrek movie to. District 9, Cloverfield. Prefere Armagedon over deep impact.
Altho the level of drama is in place and not over the top.

Unlike Stargate universe does. Or depressing drama overdose BSG remake.

So a title like heavy rain sounds new, new gameplay field to me but would I like it!

If a deep story make a game more emersive and fit tighly in it. Is revealed by gameplay instead cutscenes. It could add to it. But it's the gameplay that counts. Dislike MSG4 to long cutscene. Learn to late a way to skip that. The overall gameplay was my thing. Except the bosses.

like there are exceptions some females like aktion. My sister and my mother. And some guy like drama to. Don't now anny. The audience might be 50 / 50.
Could be that the more intellectial people add to that side. If so they don't like most current games and past. Or search for those story driven exception avaible. Or arent gamers at all. Because this audience is not adressed.

Because I have no interrest in those games i don't know them.

That my opinion as a cutscene skipper. I'am part of that other audience.

[Steve O B Have]

Originally Posted by SuperG

Or depressing drama overdose BSG remake.

Hard call that one - I think the BSG series was one of the best Sci-Fi series to come out in the last decade, right up there with Babylon 5 easily.

[dcforeman]

Originally Posted by Steve O B Have

Hard call that one - I think the BSG series was one of the best Sci-Fi series to come out in the last decade, right up there with Babylon 5 easily.

I agree. BSG's focus was on a more realistic, humanity, rather than the idealistic model (star trek for instance lost it's humanity, and starting becoming "which scifi device saves us today) that's been common to entertainment since the 60's. The simple fact is, if you want realistic, then you have to include fear, depression, lonliness, isolation, etc. These are all part of real life. What BSG did well, was also intergrate a more positive message, whenever their backs where up against the wall, they pulled through. They overcame moment's of betrayal (boomer shooting adama) it took time, but Adama got over it and accepted the new Boomer. So it wasn't all black, and depressing. They also gave us some amazing scifi moments. Galatica falling out of the sky, only to jump away again, pegasis coming in at the last moment to pull their arses out of the fire. It was a good balance. The twist at the end was great as well, shedding off technology.

[SuperG]

Originally Posted by Steve O B Have

Hard call that one - I think the BSG series was one of the best Sci-Fi series to come out in the last decade, right up there with Babylon 5 easily.

If you like drama a lot. Because of that there is a heavy need of drama acting. So it a quality show with a experience and high level of acting.
Wich I don't care about if only take lot of airtime for drama.

My first Scifi series is Firefly. A nice mix and balance out show with Aktion exploring humor drama. It's the only show where all 15 eps are rewatchable.
Then comes Stargate Sg1.

1 FireFly good balance out.
2 Stargate SG1 like the Humor aktion combo.
3 Stargate atlantis bit less.
4 Stargate SGU it beat BSG remake
5 BSG remake.
6 Startrek voyager
7 Farscape
.
.

x Andromeda entertaining
y crusader entertaining to

The drama are bad point to me but those show have strong good points.

What I realy dislike even more then Black seven. Is Doc. Who.

[SuperG]

Originally Posted by dcforeman

I agree. BSG's focus was on a more realistic, humanity, rather than the idealistic model (star trek for instance lost it's humanity, and starting becoming "which scifi device saves us today) that's been common to entertainment since the 60's.

Realism and drama ar not the same. The realism stay if you cut edit most of the overdone drama and keep the main story line.
The anti heroism and emancipation stil stand. It's what you give airtime. Like digging deep into characters. To deep that it hurts! The characters still show being flawed and not perfect by desision they make.

The simple fact is, if you want realistic, then you have to include fear, depression, lonliness, isolation, etc. These are all part of real life.

No you don't need 66% of al airtime to overflood it to the viewer. Some of it to give the deep meaning is enough.

What BSG did well, was also intergrate a more positive message, whenever their backs where up against the wall, they pulled through. They overcame moment's of betrayal (boomer shooting adama) it took time, but Adama got over it and accepted the new Boomer.

That unrealistic. Hate build up for non human enemy is even extremer so it has no chance agains paranoid against your enemy. This is unrealistic to depend feet survival of last humanty on a enemy. there is such thing as contra spying NSA CIA stuff. So they use them. But not to critical stuff. What realistic is raping a cylon this is actualy real human behavior in war time. Like the rusians invade germany in WW2. So non human the barrier is even lower. The mutany isn't a possitive thing. Killing of halve the crew.

So it wasn't all black, and depressing. They also gave us some amazing scifi moments.

Between the drama was the good stuff. But it is drama and disaster and extreem dark. A good example of Happy scifi is startrek.

Galatica falling out of the sky, only to jump away again, pegasis coming in at the last moment to pull their arses out of the fire. It was a good balance.

The good scifi FX stuff wich get my attention.

The twist at the end was great as well, shedding off technology.

Well that was a great surprise because I have both classic series to.
What a remake full surprises.

I weight the good stuff scifi agianst the bad stuff drama. So i have the whole series on box. And FFW

I look to the lesser TV show to I'am not that picky. Till the crap is to much.

[Steve O B Have]

Originally Posted by SuperG

If you like drama a lot. Because of that there is a heavy need of drama acting. So it a quality show with a experience and high level of acting.
Wich I don't care about if only take lot of airtime for drama.

My first Scifi series is Firefly. A nice mix and balance out show with Aktion exploring humor drama. It's the only show where all 15 eps are rewatchable.
Then comes Stargate Sg1.

1 FireFly good balance out.
2 Stargate SG1 like the Humor aktion combo.
3 Stargate atlantis bit less.
4 Stargate SGU it beat BSG remake
5 BSG remake.
6 Startrek voyager
7 Farscape
.
.

x Andromeda entertaining
y crusader entertaining to

The drama are bad point to me but those show have strong good points.

What I realy dislike even more then Black seven. Is Doc. Who.

I massively rate Farscape - stunning series that one. I have enjoyed all the Stargate series as well - I'm struggling with Stargate Universe.

Back on subject - I'm at times a cutscene skipper - but only if it becomes pointless waffle. I have sat through every single bit of Mass Effect 2 and enjoyed it completely. I think a good story is essential for an entertaining game but not a substitute for playability. Again using ME2 as an example - I will not be playing that through again as the gameplay is a bit thin and for me it's just an entertaining interlude that helps the game move along a bit. It would not stand on it's own.

I've found Modern Warfare 2 to be at the other end of the scale - no story to speak of but from a raw gameplay perspective, I'm quite happy to jump in and out and just shoot some stuff. It's a shame because it could've been much more but I don't think that it's a terrible game for it. It reminds me of an action movie where you just switch off and enjoy the explosions and complete lack of a cohesive story line doesn't matter so much.