I want to make a good introduction for my game on forums, but i'm too wary of spoiling things because i want people to discover things
for themselves. That brings me to this question: What counts as spoiler?
How could i make an introduction thats interesting, catches people's eyes and also at the same time, doesn't tell that much?
I'm not sure if this is the place to ask, hopefully it is ;x
What counts as spoiler?
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That depends entirely upon the plot and/or subject matter of your game...
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I mean I just don't know how far into the story i can introduce aside from the first 10 minutes.That depends entirely upon the plot and/or subject matter of your game...
Just like movie intros or trailers they introduce things that normally would be introduced by the pacing of the movie.
Doesn't that ruin the experience and the way movie does its thing a bit?
but then again if they didn't show some stuff how would they pique the interest of the viewers?
I don't know the extent of how far can you go with that D:
Though as you said it depends, but i don't know how i could tell..
It's your regular story driven rpg like breath of fire, in a modern setting. for the first hour, you're introduced the things in the world so i could include that,
But i don't want that introduction to be done by like 10 sentences being read, but without any of that i have no idea how to write a decent introduction
for it.
Wow.. rambled so hard... sorry XD -
This reads like you might be combining two different things: an intro (which is literally the beginning of the game) and a demo (which showcases various aspects of the game and is rarely a straight chronological presentation).
If it's the intro i.e. literally the first few minutes of the game, then the question is: how much does the player absolutely have to know? You could drop them into the opening situation and have the story gradually unfold. This is my preferred way of doing it. It doesn't have to be "This is the name of the world. This is the political situation. This is what happened 200 years ago and which is now going to cause terrible problems for the world of today." All of that information can be given in bits and pieces as you go along. That way, no spoiler at all. -
the intro is what I decided to show, and thats why i have no idea what should I put into the written part of the post that is interesting enough. You're right about yourThis reads like you might be combining two different things: an intro (which is literally the beginning of the game) and a demo (which showcases various aspects of the game and is rarely a straight chronological presentation).
If it's the intro i.e. literally the first few minutes of the game, then the question is: how much does the player absolutely have to know? You could drop them into the opening situation and have the story gradually unfold. This is my preferred way of doing it. It doesn't have to be "This is the name of the world. This is the political situation. This is what happened 200 years ago and which is now going to cause terrible problems for the world of today." All of that information can be given in bits and pieces as you go along. That way, no spoiler at all.
way of doing, i'd like to do it like that as well that's why i can't just describe the situation in the written part. ;< -
Obviously I can't write it for you - not least because I have no idea what your story is! However, perhaps something along these lines
"The story opens in a small, wooded glade, closed in, claustrophobic even, but will open out into a huge world where [name of character] must face questions s/he didn't even know existed. Finding the answers will mean traveling to strange places, a journey which will change him/her from a shy academic into someone whose actions and choices will have consequences that are literally life changing. If s/he had known this at the beginning, would the journey even have begun?
Why did the Mountain Mage disappear? Who is the man they keep seeing in the distance? What is the meaning of the book that no one can read? As a small group gathers around [character] these questions seem to provoke a sinister response. They sense danger, but cannot see its source.
etc."
Gives a flavour, without actually telling you what happens. -
:o that is a good way!Obviously I can't write it for you - not least because I have no idea what your story is! However, perhaps something along these lines
"The story opens in a small, wooded glade, closed in, claustrophobic even, but will open out into a huge world where [name of character] must face questions s/he didn't even know existed. Finding the answers will mean traveling to strange places, a journey which will change him/her from a shy academic into someone whose actions and choices will have consequences that are literally life changing. If s/he had known this at the beginning, would the journey even have begun?
Why did the Mountain Mage disappear? Who is the man they keep seeing in the distance? What is the meaning of the book that no one can read? As a small group gathers around [character] these questions seem to provoke a sinister response. They sense danger, but cannot see its source.
etc."
Gives a flavour, without actually telling you what happens.
Thank you for your help i'm gonna use it x3 -
I also prefer this strategy because info dump is not fun. It's not a spoiler to introduce conflict --> goal (for resolution) early but if the entire climate of the world is flung at me in one serving I'm probably going to get confused and forget things. A game can open with just a few lines of text, become playable, and then introduce many of these things organically through the exposition of the game and interaction of the characters. It's even normal for the "prologue" to play after the first dungeon/area (or what have you).If it's the intro i.e. literally the first few minutes of the game, then the question is: how much does the player absolutely have to know? You could drop them into the opening situation and have the story gradually unfold. This is my preferred way of doing it. It doesn't have to be "This is the name of the world. This is the political situation. This is what happened 200 years ago and which is now going to cause terrible problems for the world of today." All of that information can be given in bits and pieces as you go along. That way, no spoiler at all.
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The best approach is to have the story unfold on its own, with a minimal bit of text. My current game just starts with, basically, "I don't remember how to get home, but I feel I need to. I have the same dream every night. I wake up to screams." And I'm tempted to remove that and have those as aside comments the PC makes during some conversations.
If you're done it right, it's far more dramatic to have the player discover what's going on and why.
Think of it this way: How many novels and movies give you a wall of text intro? At most, they give one screen's worth. And most don't even give that. -
I agree, the best way is to let the player figure it all out through playing the game, thats why i dont want to include too much in the intro, maybe even make the intro something that just gets people interested without any explanation, or at least thats what im hoping for :D i made it that way anyway, thats why im at a loss of what should i even type that doesnt ruin that in like the forum introduction, but ksjp17 s helped me, just tell things that dont really explain anythingThe best approach is to have the story unfold on its own, with a minimal bit of text. My current game just starts with, basically, "I don't remember how to get home, but I feel I need to. I have the same dream every night. I wake up to screams." And I'm tempted to remove that and have those as aside comments the PC makes during some conversations.
If you're done it right, it's far more dramatic to have the player discover what's going on and why.
Think of it this way: How many novels and movies give you a wall of text intro? At most, they give one screen's worth. And most don't even give that. -
I would also look at the RPGs you love. What do they do?
For me:
Final Fantasy IV. Starts with a cutscene where Cecil takes a Crystal from Mysidia, upon orders of his king. Two ultra-easy battles later, you're back at the castle. You question the order and the king bluntly removes you from your post, then orders you (and your friend Kain) to take a package to the Valley of Mist...
Once you do that, a wall of text describes some vague backstory ("Why are the monsters increasing?" is a part I remember)
Chrono Trigger: Starts with Chrono waking up in bed, his mom telling him not to be late or he'll miss the fair. He goes to the fair, meets Marle and ends up going back in time to help her. His friend, Lucca, comes back to help.
In these 2 games, you start right in the action. You find out everything you need about the world as you explore. The exploration uncovers the story. To me that gives a much more immersive feel. -
Think of your game as a book. A novel, if you will. It just so happens to be an interactive book. The first chapter NEVER gives away everything at first.
Try to write your gameplay down as a complete story. It'll be easier for you to follow through in the more final stages of development...