I have been working on the beginning of the official story for AOS. I have had lots of ideas and background material that has been percolating for years, however to actually begin the design of something that is supposed to excite, intrigue, and surprise people is extremely difficult. Having no formal training in storytelling or writing, and being cursed with a programmer’s brain, I am working at a great disadvantage.
The background story is a set of journal entries that were recorded by Alyssia. This is the character the player will be controlling and the central figure in the game. Currently there is only one entry and I am working on the second, which will cover her meeting with the last of the council and her escape from the city into the tunnels and catacombs beneath. There will be several more entries, likely five in total.
During the game a journal is shown at the beginning to introduce the setting and the story background. The player will read through each entry and at the end of each will be given some character customization options. After the initial entry is completed in the game, which is already revealed and can be read on the story tab, the player will be given options on equipment and supplies Alyssia can take from the armory/storeroom at the Sun Guard garrison in High Court where she is stationed.
Other journal entries will influence things such as abilities, future encounters in the game, the starting location of the game, and there will be very powerful random artifacts given. The purpose being to provide variation before the game begins. I don’t plan on revealing all the journal entries on the website, only a portion. The entire set will provide a history (once completed by the player) of Alyssia’s journey to the wilds of Erimere where the game will begin.
Beyond the background story is the arduous task of developing the detailed story for the game itself and all of the scenes, quests, encounters, puzzles, clues etc. This is something that is a major undertaking and I have only just begun expressing this into some early maps and design documents. This process will accelerate once more of the framework is in place.
For the most part, I have only been working on prototype scenes that allow me to test both the functionality I am building in the framework and the look and feel of the game. A big part of what I want to achieve in AOS is having the proper ambiance. This involves the art, sound, prose, scene, story, ui, mechanics, etc. and how it all combines together. I need to perfect this feel within a prototype before I move on to detail the actual game and the scenes that will make it up.
Feel free to provide feedback on my story concepts through email or commenting on this post. I want to get as much positive and negative feedback as possible as it will help to improve the direction I am going.