Today I started to finalise the beginning cutscene script however, instead of showing a step by step guide of how I made and edited the script, I will provide snippets from the script and discuss them.
Throughout this script, I have applied my previous research and have tried to keep exposition to a minimal, only showing the player what information is vital and then alluding the rest through environment and subtle cues. Due to this, the overall tone to the script will be quite pessimistic with elements of humour, reflecting Lucas’ nature and his views upon the dome. This will also be an effective use of my research, with this being the first thing a player will see in the game/demo.
Introducing the game through a crinkled fairy tale book symbolises the fact that Lucas believes fairy tales - happy endings by extension - are old concepts that don’t exist within his world – through his experiences he thinks that happy endings are the fantasy. Portraying this, the player is instantly alluded to the concept of our game and will remain engaged, knowing that this game is what was advertised to them. The book also subtly nods to our original stimuli of the fantasy theme when creating this game.
Through Lucas’ first lines, the mood of the game is set and the player has been given some vague information that will leave them hooked – wanting to know the answers. Starting with a one-word sentence emphasises the effect and intrigues the audience, hooking them into wanting to read/watch on – adding to their immersion. By also expressing his views and dry humour, the player can instantly start building a profile on Lucas, allowing them to start relating to him as a character.
Lucas then goes on to develop the backstory for the player – providing them with the core information they need whilst lightening the mood with a witty word pun at the end, expressing his personality further. Using this obvious word pun would provide a sense of humour for our younger audiences as well as our older ones – entertaining them and adding to their flow of the game.
The line after this narration were also used to clarify the joke for potentially confused players, whilst also expanding upon the information given to them prior.
Throughout Lucas’ next few lines, use of words with clear negative connotations have been deployed to further enforce Lucas’ rather pessimistic personality. Using a common phrase “Jumping out of the pan and into the fire” also adds an element of realism to his character, as relatable catch phrases can help develop a bond between the player and the playable character. On the other hand, the use of this phrase could be a hindrance if we were to produce the game past its demo stages, with different cultures and languages not sharing this expression. Despite this, I included this line as it will appeal more to the audience that will actually see our demo, as development towards the overall game will be stopped due to this being a college project.
The use of the colour purple was carefully picked to fill the dome. Purple has several connotations that benefit the subtle communication throughout the game, this colour is often associated with wealth due to purple dye being hard/expensive to use, therefore symbolising the rising wealth within the dome. The second connotation also boosts the ideas of our game, purple is often used to allude to poisons and toxins – especially within games that are target audience will most likely play. These connotations would therefore communicate to the player that the rising wealth within the dome would also figuratively ‘poison’ it’s residents.
One of the last ‘stage directions’ provide a sense of irony, as the flip book being used to display the animation displays the words “Happily Ever After…”. This irony can be used as humour for older audiences whilst also suggesting that the end of one story is the beginning of another – feeding into our minor educational influence.
Lucas’ last line of dialogue within this cutscene also provides the player with the end goal of the game and present what they will work up too. This is used as to clearly present the player with our game and its planned story, whilst also keeping enough information from them to keep it entertaining and immersive.
Overall, I think this script will be effective and will ready players for the game whilst keeping them hooked and immersed. The applications of my previous research were vital and allowed me to successfully communicate to the player through subtle cues and indications, immersing them into our game/demo whilst also informing them. If I were to continue with this script, I would implement a cinematic view of the dome, providing a brief close-up of its main NPCs – therefore providing the player a sense of familiarity when entering the game whilst also giving them enough room to explore the world at the same time. I wouldn’t implement that within the demo due to the time and skill needed to make that scene look professional and engaging.
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