Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
worry about what people, places, or things were like before the main con-
flict arrived?
There are a number of good reasons. First, we must give our Hero
somewhere to start as a character, a place from which he needs to grow.
(Character change and growth is covered in more detail in
chapter 4
,
“Characters and Arcs.”) In order to understand any change, we need to
have a clear picture of the
before
, as well as the
after
. Generations of
weight-loss advertisements have proven this beyond any reasonable
doubt.
We as the audience also need to understand
why
the Hero would want
to confront the conflict at all. The Hero is often charged with improving
not only his own lot but also the condition of those around
him—sometimes that of his whole community. Why will he care enough to
try? It's almost always because the world he's from is a good one and
worth fighting for, or it's a bad enough place that it's going to require a
struggle to improve it.
A particularly important element of Act I is the
Inciting Incident
. This is
the event, occurrence, or action that first introduces the Hero to the main
conflict. Without it, the Hero wouldn't become aware of the conflict and
therefore would never have an opportunity to resolve it (which is the entire
point of the story's existence!).
So, despite its introductory nature, Act I is full of important elements that
lay the groundwork for the rest of the story. Returning to our automobile
analogy: Think of Act I as starting the car, adjusting your mirrors, putting
on your seatbelt, checking the gas gauge—all the things you really should
do before putting the vehicle in motion.
Act II: Middle/Confrontation
This is the “meat” of the story, kicking of at the point when the Hero finally
commits to resolving the conflict. With initial setup complete, it's time to
start seeing what kinds of obstacles the protagonist will confront and how
he'll manage to overcome them.
We'll also become acquainted with the source of the main conflict, if we
haven't already. This story element often takes the form of a
Villain
(or ant-
agonist, if you prefer), supported by lesser
Henchmen
who will,
