Ideas for story, Post, discuss, debate on plot lines Options

[Sparrowsmith]

In terms of the plot besides that last thing (whichever one we decide, or possibly as many as we can get away with), I think it sounds solid. Just hash out the details. Which hero loses his body and winds up talking to the pandora critter? Which kids are without the game in question? And just who is this shopkeeper? For this we'd actually need to know who's who.

yup
we have a nice plot outline (not to brag) but the hard stuff is ahead of us. It's all character development and nitty gritty details from here. While it is technically 'tomorrow' where I am, I won't be able to work on this until I wake up, but oh what a day we're going to have then

[thatbennyguy]

Are we gonna call it The Rogue Program? That's a pretty cool name, IMO.

[bulmabriefs144]

I don't think so.

But then, we're gonna hash things out with plot first.

[Kaust]

We considered titles a couple of times in this thread if you feel like looking through, but ultimately the game just isn't sufficiently developed yet. Everyone gets the working title 'Community Project', and really the title just isn't that important an aspect imo (a good title's nice and all, but the game itself bears more importance).

[MEands]

I think with the open ended nature of this game, we shouldn't ever give the rouge program an official name, we'll just have characters refer to it and suck.

[ShanattoGunner]

I have been following this post and I want to help if it is okay, I'm going to read the beginning and give my thoughts later.

[kayden997]

Great to know. You can read what Sparrow's got so far over here.
Other then that, would love to hear what you've got. (I'm not much of a writer. I just float around here)

[ShanattoGunner]

Great to know. You can read what Sparrow's got so far over here.
Other then that, would love to hear what you've got. (I'm not much of a writer. I just float around here)

This will be my first big project that I am helping with, but I have a few suggestions. Why not have the Virus spill into the real world at some point. Allowing the programmers to take digital weapons to fight the final series of battles?

Just a question.

[shinyjiggly]

It's sort of implied that the 3rd layer has restrictions on what can be transferred to it. Most likely transfers of physical matter will be impossible in layer 3, but transfers of data and energy will be used instead.
It's sort of how we have e-mail and fax machines, but we don't have teleporters.
This is just one of the nuances that make layer 3 seem "slightly more real" than layer 2 or 1.

Then again, even this excuse isn't set in stone yet. It all depends on if the others working on this agree upon it being a good idea.

[Sparrowsmith]

The Program does escape into the security systems, and takes control of machinery, which is pretty real, in layer 3. Eventually, maybe, it takes control of a robot of some kind too. Not like a Terminator robot, but a robot like the kind we already see today (maybe more advanced given the technology) which makes it 'real' but also no more powerful than a person. At this point it begs for its life, and the player is given the option of whether to kill it or not.

[shinyjiggly]

Well, the machinery is already there in layer 3, so only the data of the rogue program needs to be transferred.
It still fits within the guidelines.

[ShanattoGunner]

If it does spill into the machinery will it be at some point the programmers have to duke the robot out?
Or could the robot try to make other's like it?

[shinyjiggly]

There may be a slight possibility, but you have to take into account that the programmers probably aren't very good at physical combat, let alone against robots. If they ever do have to confront a rogue robot, most likely they would probably try to hide, protect the child, or maybe even try to set up another robot to fight the rogue one. They would probably opt to defeat the robot in a much craftier method than a 2x4 to the face.

[ShanattoGunner]

There may be a slight possibility, but you have to take into account that the programmers probably aren't very good at physical combat, let alone against robots. If they ever do have to confront a rogue robot, most likely they would probably try to hide, protect the child, or maybe even try to set up another robot to fight the rogue one. They would probably opt to defeat the robot in a much craftier method than a 2x4 to the face.

I get it.....
So how bought a hacking minigame to shutdown the robot?

[Sparrowsmith]

As advanced as the company that accidentally built the rogue program is, I doubt they'd have a super advanced and lethal robot nearby. I was thinking more along the lines of it being a human-like shell as far as power goes. I thought it would be more dramatic if it kept running, trying to find a way out into the real world. The final showdown so to speak would be the choice. The robot is standing at an open door, bright lights from outside rushing in. The programmers can't decide whether it deserves to live. It tries to leave, but through some methos (the other kids using the security systems) it gets shot. In the final scene before the epilogue, it's just on the other side of the door, trying to reach up to the light.

The program was never evil, just. Scared of dying, and that fear made him dangerous. I want people to feel sad when the villain dies...

[thatbennyguy]

I want people to feel sad when the villain dies...

I completely agree with this. Adds to the drama of the piece, you know, good guys aren't all good, and the bad guys aren't completely evil either. And who are the "bad" guys anyway, are they bad people, or are they just on a different side to yours? I was thinking something like the robot putting up a fight, and then saying, "Sorry", before it explodes and the entire building crashes down, or something. Then like a "3 months later" transition, to the protagonist and his friends residing in the Layer 2 world once again happily, having been reconstructed by programmers who rebuilt the facility, this time without the corruption.

Also, it would be cool to have a twist in there, for example, a small bug in the system before the screen blacks out. But I might just be going M. Night Shyamalan on you guys there. I love the idea for the ending, though. Great stuff.

[ShanattoGunner]

I want people to feel sad when the villain dies...

I completely agree with this. Adds to the drama of the piece, you know, good guys aren't all good, and the bad guys aren't completely evil either. And who are the "bad" guys anyway, are they bad people, or are they just on a different side to yours? I was thinking something like the robot putting up a fight, and then saying, "Sorry", before it explodes and the entire building crashes down, or something. Then like a "3 months later" transition, to the protagonist and his friends residing in the Layer 2 world once again happily, having been reconstructed by programmers who rebuilt the facility, this time without the corruption.

Also, it would be cool to have a twist in there, for example, a small bug in the system before the screen blacks out. But I might just be going M. Night Shyamalan on you guys there. I love the idea for the ending, though. Great stuff.

I have a lot of Faith in this game, I love the concept!!!!!

[MEands]

I really like the idea of it being a robot and trying to escape, I had one other idea that I'm going to throw out there, I'm not even set on it, but it just popped into my head.

So you know how at the end the main character of layer 2 transferrs to the body of the programmer's son? What if for the final boss the rogue program is looking for a vessel and transfers into his son? I don't know what this would do but it would be an interesting conflict.
It might mess with the end part of the other guy transferring so it might not be the best idea.

[Kaust]

There may be a slight possibility, but you have to take into account that the programmers probably aren't very good at physical combat, let alone against robots. If they ever do have to confront a rogue robot, most likely they would probably try to hide, protect the child, or maybe even try to set up another robot to fight the rogue one. They would probably opt to defeat the robot in a much craftier method than a 2x4 to the face.

I get it.....
So how bought a hacking minigame to shutdown the robot?

For what sounds like a development of or towards the final boss beating him with a minigame just plain old doesnt feel right; even though it isnt the norm it feels a bit like a copout.

So you know how at the end the main character of layer 2 transferrs to the body of the programmer's son? What if for the final boss the rogue program is looking for a vessel and transfers into his son? I don't know what this would do but it would be an interesting conflict.
It might mess with the end part of the other guy transferring so it might not be the best idea.

The problem with this is it gives the impression of idolising his own personality over his sons. Might be good if we want to create the sort of antagonist who's eventually revealed to have no motive and abuses other's motives towards his own insanity (think ff9 Kuja), but for whats Sparrow wants doesnt sound smooth.

Great to know. You can read what Sparrow's got so far over here.
Other then that, would love to hear what you've got. (I'm not much of a writer. I just float around here)

This will be my first big project that I am helping with, but I have a few suggestions. Why not have the Virus spill into the real world at some point. Allowing the programmers to take digital weapons to fight the final series of battles?

Just a question.

You've shown a dedication to this project that already rivals most but in case you weren't clear; the theme behind this whole project that we all eventually agreed upon is numerous 'realities' bleeding into each other and trying to save one, whether or not it may be the 'real' or 'ultimate' reality.

Anyways, with that all behind, sorry I've been slacking with this recently, end of uni was crazy, but now its over I'll try to be more forthcoming and share a few ideas I hope this eventually ends up involving =]
Good work so far guys, especially Bulma and Sparrow, you've been godsends =]

[ShanattoGunner]

Thanks for the complement Kaust ,but the minigame wasn't suposed to be an end boss final fight.