Dream
by Robert Richey · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 03/18/2003 (5:57 pm) · 5 replies
For as many games as I've played, I can't recall hardly any games that successfully pulled off a dream/quasi-real sequence (playable).
What I'm proposing, I cannot imagine how it could be implemented.
The plot could be that your character lives a stressfull life doing whatever, be it intergalactic policing or living in poverty trying to make some cash. This could be used as a back drop for the story, and cut-scenes.
The game play could be that when your character goes to sleep, he/she has recurring dreams/nightmares. They start as short memory blurs but your character begins to gain more control of what happens within the dream. The style could be that of FPS / Puzzle/Adventure. This is reminiscent of the Matrix. You bend reality, at will as you gain confidence in knowing that you are "the one" (just using a Matrix reference).
The point? Perhaps this character is a seer of the future but the images are cryptic, non-linear. With each dream sequence solved, the cut-scene following shows something in his/her real character life that occurs similar to what happend in the dream. But, your character doesn't completely buy into the idea in the beginning... he/she is in disbelief and dismisses it as coincidence.
The end? That is a really good question. My only answer for right now is by (yet again) making another Matrix reference - in that, once your character has complete control of his/her dreams, they begin to realize that the dream is actually an alternate plane of existence and being.
Sequel? Your character jumps in and out of other NPC dreams, to solve them and help that character enter into a sort of enlightenment, or cogniscent of the dream state.
Possibilities? Well, it goes without saying that you could splash the suspense theme, survival horror, strange oddities, as well as memory flashes of good times intermixed with good feelings (expressed visually of people laughing/smiling/etc) to try and piece together this character's past or what not. Yeah, it's dark themed but not so much so as Doom III :p and, it's not your typical FPS or any other type of game. I mean, if the dream sequences could be believably pulled off, just think of all the potential. Personally, I have some weird dreams I'd like to reinact to have a conclusion on them (but, a conclusion I ultimately control hehe). And, if the game ships with 20-30 dream sequences (aka missions), it's a good possibility that it will either be similar to a dream someone else had OR will be so darn intriguing that will make it a very memorable experience (hopefully, ultimately, a positive experience).
I have no problems if someone really wants to take this idea and run with it. I'm in no position to see this to fruition (I'm not a coder, not a artist, not a producer). Ideas are cheap. Mine are cheaper.
So there's my $0.02 ... actually, I don't think we account for inflation since this term was coined. Then wouldn't it be more appropriate to say, "So there's my $0.00186"? lol
-Robert
What I'm proposing, I cannot imagine how it could be implemented.
The plot could be that your character lives a stressfull life doing whatever, be it intergalactic policing or living in poverty trying to make some cash. This could be used as a back drop for the story, and cut-scenes.
The game play could be that when your character goes to sleep, he/she has recurring dreams/nightmares. They start as short memory blurs but your character begins to gain more control of what happens within the dream. The style could be that of FPS / Puzzle/Adventure. This is reminiscent of the Matrix. You bend reality, at will as you gain confidence in knowing that you are "the one" (just using a Matrix reference).
The point? Perhaps this character is a seer of the future but the images are cryptic, non-linear. With each dream sequence solved, the cut-scene following shows something in his/her real character life that occurs similar to what happend in the dream. But, your character doesn't completely buy into the idea in the beginning... he/she is in disbelief and dismisses it as coincidence.
The end? That is a really good question. My only answer for right now is by (yet again) making another Matrix reference - in that, once your character has complete control of his/her dreams, they begin to realize that the dream is actually an alternate plane of existence and being.
Sequel? Your character jumps in and out of other NPC dreams, to solve them and help that character enter into a sort of enlightenment, or cogniscent of the dream state.
Possibilities? Well, it goes without saying that you could splash the suspense theme, survival horror, strange oddities, as well as memory flashes of good times intermixed with good feelings (expressed visually of people laughing/smiling/etc) to try and piece together this character's past or what not. Yeah, it's dark themed but not so much so as Doom III :p and, it's not your typical FPS or any other type of game. I mean, if the dream sequences could be believably pulled off, just think of all the potential. Personally, I have some weird dreams I'd like to reinact to have a conclusion on them (but, a conclusion I ultimately control hehe). And, if the game ships with 20-30 dream sequences (aka missions), it's a good possibility that it will either be similar to a dream someone else had OR will be so darn intriguing that will make it a very memorable experience (hopefully, ultimately, a positive experience).
I have no problems if someone really wants to take this idea and run with it. I'm in no position to see this to fruition (I'm not a coder, not a artist, not a producer). Ideas are cheap. Mine are cheaper.
So there's my $0.02 ... actually, I don't think we account for inflation since this term was coined. Then wouldn't it be more appropriate to say, "So there's my $0.00186"? lol
-Robert
About the author
#2
03/18/2003 (6:53 pm)
The dream sequences in Max Payne were very well done, IMHO. If you haven't seen them, you might want to pick up the game and check it out. They were some very freaky levels...
#3
Yes, this is another "great, but I'm not helping" kind of post... Sorry. Well, since you want a strongly story-based game, take a look at this resource. Since you're just starting as a game developer, a good story about a well designed universe can help you find a team.
Flamethrowers down, everybody, I said help find a team, not the "make this game for me" management style.
03/18/2003 (7:19 pm)
Before I set up my own supernatural themed project in GG (I'm almost ready now!), let me say this is the best game idea I've seen here. Yes, this is another "great, but I'm not helping" kind of post... Sorry. Well, since you want a strongly story-based game, take a look at this resource. Since you're just starting as a game developer, a good story about a well designed universe can help you find a team.
Flamethrowers down, everybody, I said help find a team, not the "make this game for me" management style.
#4
I think you have started a nice jumping off point for a game treatment and since you offered I am going to add my own $0.00186. One large pro of this idea is that you can rapidly switch between the story line with out it having to make sense as long as it always obeys the dream world rules that you have setup for the player. The downside is that since you can switch your genre for different dreams that your development team will kill you, but don't worry I figured out a solution for that.
Dreams are really episodes some re-occuring some not so the game engine should be developed to handle the dreams like plugins. Different teams could create the dreams and they would only have to follow guidelines and the back stories of the character(s) to keep a sense of continuity though out the story.
Yes that brings me to the story. Even before you mentioned the Matrix this game idea made me think of the Matrix and I am sure I will not be the only one. So this is my twist on the story keep it in the matrix universe. Every human in the matrix is connected to each other and the world of the matrix over a large scale network with those horrible spikes that go in the back of their heads. Our character for some strange reason can get in to other peoples heads and explore the world that exists in their minds. He of course sees them as dreams and passes them off as nothing more then that. The reason, unbenounced to our character that he can suddenly get in other peoples minds is that the machines have been trying to tap into human minds to use their brains as super computers, the human mind is more advanced then even the best A.I. and because of this humans poses the ablitiy to problem solve to get past any situation. The problem the machines are trying to solve of course how to break in to Zion and destroy the last bits of free human society.
The game will take place in both the dream world and the world of the matrix. Once it has been established that our character is dreaming for half of the game and awake for the other half (which should be easy by showing them waking up and going to sleep) we start to have the dreams invade the world of the Matrix. This side effect was something that the machines did not account for and that they can't seem to control. We use combination of human characters that occur in the dreams with things that happen have show the characters to the player so that they understand what is happening.
Now at this point in time we have not ever told the character that they are in the matrix and they shouldn't have any clue. Our main character, until this point has been trying to figure out why he is having these dreams, which should probably include an openning scene of him in a shinks office telling us what he has seen, with some nice shots of the dreams. The shink will tell him that these are just dreams and that monsters and evil A.I. don't exist in the real world. This sets up a for the player the difference between the two worlds and that there are rules such as physics that apply in the real world (The Matrix).
So when these things start happening in the real world our character will be able to do the same things that he does in his dream, because he believes he is dreaming, after his first in counter in the real world he finds out he is awake and people are asking him how he did what he just did and what was that? At this point in time the character will start to investigate and dig to find out how his dreams are related to what is happening in the real world.
Because he is doing things that defy the rules of the matrix real world some agents come to see him and bring him in for questioning. The ask him to show them how he broke the rules by having him wake through a wall. He does it to their surprise, those cocky agents. Anyhow so on the other side of the wall he finds him self in a server room with a console on one end that has all sorts of information about the matrix real world. He is actually in a control center that the agents use to change the matrix for their needs. He opens another program the shows a video feed of the Real "real world" it is an human farm, infact the one he lives in.
The agents come in the door of the server farm at that point in time and our main character desides to make a run for it.
So at this point in time our character has found out some of the truth, I could add more, but I think it would be more fun if someone else would evolve the store from here.
Well from my experience developing the store and the characters and all the gameplay is the easy and fun part. Now we just need a team of developers to implement this crazy idea and some good designers to balance the gameplay.
Piece of Cake :-D Right?
Ok well if you are serious and this gets developed far enough and other people are interested I think it is a great game idea to start with and I am willing to help out in any way I can. I'm a graphics programmer and author currently developing a 3D modelling package, Game Engine and writing a book for Charles River Media The DirectX 9 Graphics Developer's Guide so my plate is very full right now, but it will take a bit to fully design and get a good team in place.
- Ernie Booth
03/18/2003 (9:24 pm)
Well Robert,I think you have started a nice jumping off point for a game treatment and since you offered I am going to add my own $0.00186. One large pro of this idea is that you can rapidly switch between the story line with out it having to make sense as long as it always obeys the dream world rules that you have setup for the player. The downside is that since you can switch your genre for different dreams that your development team will kill you, but don't worry I figured out a solution for that.
Dreams are really episodes some re-occuring some not so the game engine should be developed to handle the dreams like plugins. Different teams could create the dreams and they would only have to follow guidelines and the back stories of the character(s) to keep a sense of continuity though out the story.
Yes that brings me to the story. Even before you mentioned the Matrix this game idea made me think of the Matrix and I am sure I will not be the only one. So this is my twist on the story keep it in the matrix universe. Every human in the matrix is connected to each other and the world of the matrix over a large scale network with those horrible spikes that go in the back of their heads. Our character for some strange reason can get in to other peoples heads and explore the world that exists in their minds. He of course sees them as dreams and passes them off as nothing more then that. The reason, unbenounced to our character that he can suddenly get in other peoples minds is that the machines have been trying to tap into human minds to use their brains as super computers, the human mind is more advanced then even the best A.I. and because of this humans poses the ablitiy to problem solve to get past any situation. The problem the machines are trying to solve of course how to break in to Zion and destroy the last bits of free human society.
The game will take place in both the dream world and the world of the matrix. Once it has been established that our character is dreaming for half of the game and awake for the other half (which should be easy by showing them waking up and going to sleep) we start to have the dreams invade the world of the Matrix. This side effect was something that the machines did not account for and that they can't seem to control. We use combination of human characters that occur in the dreams with things that happen have show the characters to the player so that they understand what is happening.
Now at this point in time we have not ever told the character that they are in the matrix and they shouldn't have any clue. Our main character, until this point has been trying to figure out why he is having these dreams, which should probably include an openning scene of him in a shinks office telling us what he has seen, with some nice shots of the dreams. The shink will tell him that these are just dreams and that monsters and evil A.I. don't exist in the real world. This sets up a for the player the difference between the two worlds and that there are rules such as physics that apply in the real world (The Matrix).
So when these things start happening in the real world our character will be able to do the same things that he does in his dream, because he believes he is dreaming, after his first in counter in the real world he finds out he is awake and people are asking him how he did what he just did and what was that? At this point in time the character will start to investigate and dig to find out how his dreams are related to what is happening in the real world.
Because he is doing things that defy the rules of the matrix real world some agents come to see him and bring him in for questioning. The ask him to show them how he broke the rules by having him wake through a wall. He does it to their surprise, those cocky agents. Anyhow so on the other side of the wall he finds him self in a server room with a console on one end that has all sorts of information about the matrix real world. He is actually in a control center that the agents use to change the matrix for their needs. He opens another program the shows a video feed of the Real "real world" it is an human farm, infact the one he lives in.
The agents come in the door of the server farm at that point in time and our main character desides to make a run for it.
So at this point in time our character has found out some of the truth, I could add more, but I think it would be more fun if someone else would evolve the store from here.
Well from my experience developing the store and the characters and all the gameplay is the easy and fun part. Now we just need a team of developers to implement this crazy idea and some good designers to balance the gameplay.
Piece of Cake :-D Right?
Ok well if you are serious and this gets developed far enough and other people are interested I think it is a great game idea to start with and I am willing to help out in any way I can. I'm a graphics programmer and author currently developing a 3D modelling package, Game Engine and writing a book for Charles River Media The DirectX 9 Graphics Developer's Guide so my plate is very full right now, but it will take a bit to fully design and get a good team in place.
- Ernie Booth
#5
I recall another adventure "Sanitarium" in which dream sequences played important role as main hero was amnesiac and memory flashes were the only (maybe fake? dont know, didnt finish th game) links to past which could help to solve the puzzle.
03/19/2003 (4:46 am)
There was adventure called Dreamweb (if I recall correctly) - basically story about lunatic (you, the player) who "hears voices" and sees creatures form outer space ordering to assasinate visible politicians or world is going to collapse. The creepy thing about the game was - even when you had finished it, you never knew wether those "seers" were real or you were simply crazy maniac.I recall another adventure "Sanitarium" in which dream sequences played important role as main hero was amnesiac and memory flashes were the only (maybe fake? dont know, didnt finish th game) links to past which could help to solve the puzzle.
Torque Owner Ben Swanson
Just my half cent to add to your 2.186 cents.