Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
11. The droids
want
to remain together,
but
are about to be split up
when Owen Lars chooses a red R5 unit instead of R2-D2.
12. Luke Skywalker
wants
to see the rest of Princess Leia's message on
R2-D2,
but
the droid doesn't seem able to comply.
13. Luke
wants
to leave the moisture farm and join the Academy,
but
is
made to feel obligated to continue helping his uncle with the farm.
14. Luke
wants
to be seen as responsible,
but
he allows R2-D2 to es-
cape into the deep desert.
15. Luke
wants
to recover R2-D2,
but
he's knocked out by Tusken Raid-
ers.
16. The Tusken Raiders
want
to steal Luke's equipment,
but
they are
confronted and scared off by a hooded, wailing Ben Kenobi.
17. A message indicates that Princess Leia
wants
to protect the galaxy
from the evils of the Galactic Empire,
but
she's been captured and
needs Obi-Wan Kenobi's help.
18. Obi-Wan
wants
Luke to come with him to Alderaan to help rescue
the princess,
but
Luke, feeling obligated to stay on Tatooine, re-
fuses.
Point 18 completes the introduction of the story's first main conflict:
there is a princess who needs rescuing
. This major challenge drives us
through much of the rest of the story.
But notice how many smaller conflicts we see first! (And this is by no
means a complete list.) From its very first shot to the moment the Death
Star explodes,
Star Wars
is saturated in conflict. Virtually every scene in-
volves characters with opposing, or at least obstructed, goals. Some are
resolved favorably (e.g., R2-D2 and C-3PO
do
escape the Imperial Storm-
troopers who are pursuing them) while others are not (the Tusken Raiders
lose their prey). Some are physical conflicts, while others are social or
emotional.
Watch the movie all the way through and you'll notice a constant stream
of new sub-conflicts, all related to the main conflict of a princess needing
rescue. Obstacle after obstacle is thrown into the path of the Hero, requir-
ing him to think, fight, run, shoot, swing, climb, escape …
Then, once the princess has been rescued, a new main conflict
emerges: the plans on R2-D2 must be used to destroy the Death Star be-
