Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
their flavour, their gameplay, what they are doing with story and dialogue,
particularly those that are close in style to the game you are working on. At
the same time, though, try to change and adapt the story and characters so
that they offer something original and fresh.
Character or story changes
You get a phone call asking you to come in to the developer's offices for a
meeting to discuss the game. On arrival you find that story discussions have
been taking place of which you were unaware and now the main character
is no longer a teenage male but a female in her mid twenties. After you pick
your jaw off the floor you quell your anger and ask what prompted such a
major change.
There could be a number of reasons why this has happened, none of
which will probably feel satisfactory. Any major changes of this nature are
going to have a big impact on the story and, depending on how important
that story is, on the game as a whole. Be sure that the developer understands
the amount of work involved as a consequence of the major changes being
requested. Even if you have allowed time in your schedule for work of this
nature, it is unlikely that you have been expecting it to be on such a scale.
One thing you should not do (unless the developer gives you no option
to do otherwise) is to cram the new ideas and changes into the original
structure. A major change to the main character will probably mean that you
need to go back to your original plotting notes and build up again from
there.
At each step of incorporating the changes you should think through the
implications. A seemingly straightforward request could have a big effect if it
means changes in each section of the game, particularly if the game is non-
linear. Understanding the structure and flow of the game along with its story
and characters is even more important when it comes to dealing with the
changes requested.
Bug testing and fixing
All games need to be thoroughly tested before release - nothing spoils a
player's enjoyment more than a game that pulls them out of their immersion
because of graphical oddities, technical glitches and gameplay oversights.The
story and dialogue in a game can become potential problems if not properly
tested and the bugs eliminated. Hopefully, as the writer on the team, you have
been involved in the ongoing process and have been playing new builds of
