Storytelling in Theory - The Game Maker's Companion: Game Development - page 185

is confident in his role as Andy's favorite toy. He begins to realize his mistake when he is knocked
off the bed (his personal throne) in favor of a cardboard spaceship. Buzz Lightyear has arrived.
Refusal to the Call
This stage is less straight forward. It deals with the fears and reluctance that the hero might feel
when first faced with the prospect of adventure. Lots of games miss this. After all, the player has
come for adventure. If he doesn't go on it, then there's no game to play. But it can be quite an
important stage. It is another opportunity to show that the hero is just an ordinary guy like us,
and the fact that he doesn't rush in without thinking could actually be to his credit. Another
reason could be that he has a fear of change and doesn't believe in himself (a deliberate flaw we
have given him—more on that later). This small hesitation makes him more likeable and makes
the audience consider equally what is at stake here, and what he could lose by accepting the
challenge.
If a call is refused for too long, it could have a drastic impact on the story. The hero might
miss his opportunity altogether. In some stories, you see these tragic heroes as supporting
characters in another hero's tale, like Gollum in Lord of the Rings .
In Toy Story , this stage shows Woody refusing to see the truth, while Buzz takes the other toys
by storm and slowly all the cowboy motifs in Andy's room gets replaced with space motifs.
Woody is even made to be the villain in one of Andy's games. But Woody denies it; “I'm still
Andy's favorite toy….”
Meeting with the Mentor
The mentor is a powerful character and someone we'll hear more about later. This is a character
that gives the hero information and helps him make the right decision. We don't have to take this
literally. It doesn't have to be a character. It can be a telephone call, a book, or even something
that the hero suddenly remembers. For Flynn, both the parrot and his dad perform this role by
giving him information about his mother.
In Toy Story , Woody finally understands that he is being replaced; he sees the poster on the
wall has changed, Andy's bed is covered in a Buzz blanket, and Andy has scribbled his name on
Buzz's foot. All these little things come together to perform the mentor role. Woody decides that
he has to do something.
Crossing the First Threshold
This stage is where the hero actively steps into the new world. Sometimes he does so unwillingly
or even inadvertently, but all the same, he has crossed into the new world. In the three-act
structure, we called this the point of no return. As already mentioned, the hero himself can show
fear or unwillingness, but here he can also meet a lot of resistance from other people serving as
“threshold guardians.” This can be friends advising against the new adventure or characters from
the new world trying to stop the hero entering, as Cerberus guards the underworld. It can even be
something as simple as a locked door.
In Toy Story , Woody is spurred into action when Andy's mother tells Andy that he can only
bring one toy to Pizza Planet. Woody decides to get rid of Buzz by knocking him down behind a
piece of furniture out of sight when Andy comes up to choose his toy. The plan goes wrong, Buzz
is knocked out of the window instead, and the other toys turn against Woody in outrage. Andy
arrives and chooses Woody, as he can't find Buzz. Woody is launched on his adventure, knowing
that if he comes back without Buzz, the other toys won't take him back.