Skaven, Joe or Anyone

[Craig]

Hello Hello!!!

Its been a fair few many moons since I posted here, and I doubt anyone even remembers me.

Anyway here is my deal. I'm co-writing a DooM 3 total conversion, with a friend, and because the modding equipment and the game aren't even out we're getting all sides or the story written first, and we're aiming for well over a thousand pages of dialogue and game play instructions.

My only problem is I'm writing the first ten levels entirely on my lonesome but I've no idea as to what the template og writing a computer game script is. I'm more than happy writing the cut scenes as I just revert to normal screenwriting methods but what exactly for gameplay?

I've tried searching and it has turned back nothing.

[Maddieman]

Its been a fair few many moons since I posted here, and I doubt anyone even remembers me.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">If it helps, I sort of remember you. images/icons/smile.gif

Template wise, are you referring to the path and events that occur during a level?

I can't find it; but if I remember correctly, Sam Lake was involved to a degree with the level design too - don't quote me on that though.

A lot of the Max Payne levels have a sort of A to B, via C route. That is, the route is fairly linear, but you have to detour in the middle and complete an objective in order to progress.

Two examples would be switching on the train and getting the thug to pass you through the laundry door.

One clever thing I did notice a week ago was on the tenements level. There's a bit where a wall falls down, preventing you from back tracking. You don't really think much of it after that, but it actually serves a purpose. Later in the level, your on the other side of the counter in the pawn shop, and the police storm the room. I tried to go back to the start of the level see if I could get back into that shop from the other side and shoot the police. Of course, I couldn't because that quickly forgotten wall was blocking my path back. A clever touch, I thought.

The other thing I've noticed is how most encounters start with Max Payne ambushing the enemies or catching them off guard. These are normally built up to with a bit of dialogue echoing down the corridors. In a lot of the mods, however, the mappers mix this up, and have the enemies ambush Max - from a gameplay standpoint it doesn't work as well.

The other thing that might help is to have specific scenes or fights in mind. Specific fights that will be memorable to the player (like a bar fight, or a shootout in a kitchen, etc). Then lead up to them with smaller battles.

I know you're doing this in Doom 3, but hopefully should be able to get something out of this.

-Anyone. graemlins/dopefish.gif

[ 01-19-2003, 07:22 PM: Message edited by: Maddieman ]

[Craig]

>>>Template wise, are you referring to the path and events that occur during a level?

Pretty much how I write the path more so than events. Thomas and myself have a lot of the plot twists thought up, and many things for the later aspect of the game. I'm charged with writing up till the halfway point, but we're calling it more than a Mod as our intentions are for a long game (20 hours).

My problem is how to write the actual gameplay path. Would I just write:

Bill is left near the elevator as his team members ride it down to the next level. opposite the elevator is a set of double doors which you must go through. In the next room is a reception, packed with waiting seats, a table, some magazines and the reception desk itself. Behind the desk is a button you must press to open the locked door that will take you into the compound. Once this is done, walk through the door to enter the next area.

Is that pretty much it, because it doesn't seem right AT ALL. It seems like I'm writing too much.

[Maddieman]

I remember one of the Remedy mappers, mixuk, saying that he didn't actually spend all that much time on the planning. I get the impression that they derived their ideas, scenes, fights, and gameplay from the geometry and structure of the level.

You can read his post here (http://forums.3drealms.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=18;t=001712;p=1#000 011); in fact the entire thread is quite a good read (considering the title of the thread).

[Craig]

I've stuck it in my favourites it'll come in handy. I think Thomas is trying to do a Gunman: Chronicles, whereby we'll get the think close to completion then pimp it to publishers rather than unleash it onto the net.

It is just learning the template that is the dent right now.

[Maddieman]

Well all the best of luck with the project. If you stick around you might get a reply from Remedy.

One thing you could try is making prototype maps in another engine, to test if your ideas or concepts actually work in a game environment. At least then you would be thinking actively, and getting some visual results too.

[Craig]

Lol, that reminded me actually. Tomorrow I have two hours spare at college during the mid-day so I'll do a few sketches in my wriyind paf of the first level. I'm no artist but with a pencil and ruler I'm lethal images/icons/mad.gif That could work for me too because I'll scan my pictures into the pc then go over them in paint/photoshop. It'll help matters greatly.

[Maddieman]

Sounds good, don't forget to upload it here. images/icons/smile.gif

Speaking of which, I just re-read that entire thread I linked to. It's a damn good read in my opinion; - one of the best here for a long while. But I can't believe I let BiXen get away with getting the last word in. graemlins/tinyted.gif

EDIT: --------

Either I'm a slow reader, or that thread took the best part of 50 minutes to read from start to finish. images/icons/shocked.gif

Don't let me put you off though. images/icons/wink.gif

[ 01-19-2003, 08:49 PM: Message edited by: Maddieman ]