Hi, I am involved in a game team that is open to every one on this website I regular to help but it turns out that programmers and pixel artists can''t write scripts and it has been left to a bunch of complete n00bs who piss me off to high heaven and no one but me seems offended by there rediculous suggestions for a game plot. I need help explaining that you need a concept and a system description on fighting, health, items, magic, comunication etc etc before your write a story, because as much as they seem to think there lameoid chessy storys are the dog bollocks I always thought believe a game concept is more important that a story but as a pixel artist I don''t know enough about the technical side of a game to explain this to them and actually make it clear. If any one could come up with a paragraph on what I have just explained using your technical game making knowledge I would love you forever, it would also be a good thing for people in this section of the forum to have reference to, maybe a small tutorial on why a story isn''t a game script could be made out of it ^_^

I''m confused as to what you''re asking.

I''d love to write a paragraph that slaps a bunch of idiots upside the head, but I need to know what you want first. I''ve been looking at programming for a while and I''ve dabbled in it some, but I''ve come to the conclusion that I''m a lot better in the creative writing/conceptual side of games.

If you want my help, I''d be glad to do it.

-NeoMage

I''m with NeoMage, you haven''t exactly provided a whole lot of information for anyone to go on. The plot/storyline/script for a side-scroller action game will be completely different from that for a heavily detailed 3D RPG.

"you need...a system description on fighting, health, items, magic..."

True - but are you asking in terms of concepts for the script or game mechanics? A description of fighting is game mechanics and not relevant to the script/storyline (unless you''re designing a new martial arts system.) The same is true for items and communication, unless - again - the way items work or the way people communicate are important to the storyline rather than game mechanics.

What you should do is sit down and write out the plot/concept for the game: Character X does Y and in the end finds Z, the end. Then you need to design:

Character X
Character X''s city/planet
the people Character X will meet along the way
the antagonist/bad guy Character X faces

Then, having figured that out:

Why is Bad Guy A doing this?
Why are Citizens 1-25 important to the plans of Bad Guy A and/or Character X?

and so on, and so on, and so on...

I''d argue that while you CAN sit down and write out a story as if you were writing a book, you then need to go back and detail the reasons for every character''s existance and their motivations for why they do things (AND, just as importantly, why you as the designer NEED them to do these things). Work out the choices the player''s character has to make, and what each decision will do to affect to the game world.

How does magic work in this world? Can anyone learn it? Is it vocal or somatic? What principles is it based upon? How is it learned? Where does the energy come from? This may not be important to the player, but you as a designer need to know this!

There''s a lot more you''ll need to do but that''s my simple version. Others may offer more, or alternative suggestions. Essentially yes the story plays a role, but everything needs a WHY answered for their existance.

Since you''re working with a group with obviously disparaging views, why don''t you all sit down with a list of your main characters and - one by one - go down the list and discuss the goals, motivations and origins of each and every one. Make sure someone is taking notes during this process. At the end of the day/week/month when all is said and done, you''ll probably have a clearer picture of how everyone is intertwined with your basic plot.

Then do the same for the "magic", "politics/society of City X", and "plants", "animals", "monsters" and "citizens" and see how you fare. Design - in words, not art, not yet - the terrain, the climate, the seasons of your world and the technology level of the people. Once your group has a clearer picture of how they want the world and its people to look and act, then you can move forward to concept art and game mechanics.

But right now it doesn''t sound as if you guys can agree on where to begin, let alone the details of the story