How NOT to Make a Story for your Game

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

By the way, all the music in this video is made by Chris Doerksen. They're kind enough to allow use of their music in creative projects, so please check them out if you like! bandcamp: chrisdoerksen.bandcamp.com/music soundcloud: soundcloud.com/chris-doerksen-1

[@CorpsesReborn]

I feel your pain, ive had to restart 3x, currently taking a break

[@mistermelancholy7698]

I'm making my own little game as practice and I can already tell getting into story and inventory and just the whole process has to be one of the most code intensive and It's painfully obvious having a ton of experience in actually just ORGANISING a project and having it planned out based on that experience would be invaluable.

[@0lionheart]

@@mistermelancholy7698 it's why studios have producers, plans always change during development, keeping a handle on that is a full time job. It's why a lot of solo dev projects spiral rapidly out of control and take far longer than they should. You kinda need someone there to tell you no, and to keep you focused on the task at hand. If you're solo, _you_ have to become that person. You gotta get good at telling yourself no, and recognising when a good idea isn't a good fit for _this_ game etc.

[@dagoonite]

"Fuck. Well now I have to do it." Congratulations, you're a writer now. No, I mean that. No matter what anyone says, you did the work. You put in the effort. Even if it's just for a "silly game" you devoted two years of your life to do the thing. That makes you a thing do-er. (Do-er is a word now, don't question it.) Just like how you're a game developer now. You're also a writer now.

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

Damn. This comment hit me a little differently. I still have a hard time convincing myself. Even if I'm not sure I want to write anything in the near future, it still means a lot. Thank you.

[@sealsharp]

In a meta way it's strange to see a story about having issues writing story delivered as a compelling story. I'm not that much into platformers but now it feels like playing the game would be the next step in the story I just witnessed by watching this video. Good job.

[@helpumuch6887]

Damn well worded, when’s this gonna be on steam?

[@chiaracoetzee]

It reminds me of how two of Natasha Bedingfield's most famous songs ("Unwritten" and "These Words") are about struggling to write a good song.

[@theprinceofinadequatelighting]

I'm having trouble thinking that your story was ever "not good"... or maybe the storytelling practice paid off, because the way you tell the story of telling your story is captivating and heartfelt. It makes me really look forward to playing it, and I hadn't even heard of it before I clicked on the video. You're doing something right.

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

Thank you, I really appreciate that! I'm sure the practice helped a lot, and fortunately the story of the game's story happened to have a very convenient story structure on its own (adventure starts, ends in rock bottom failure, then main character has realization and tries again, then faces a final challenge for the climax and sorta succeeds). It almost wrote itself really 😅 Oh, and the music was a game changer as well!

[@stefanolassandro886]

I completely agree with that :D

[@cheesymcnuggets]

If you can make a video this good, there is no doubt in my mind that your story has a soul

[@diegosolis9681]

This dude just went and told an extremely compelling story about how he wrote a bad story...

[@Phoenix-sd1hp]

Danm i watched this whole video thinking this was an account with atleast 10k+ subs

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

🙏

[@ptasptasiowski]

me too xd

[@astroaldo5955]

only 257 subs much lower than i thought

[@dolphin1418]

Now 317, I hope 10k soon

[@katanamad]

Yeah, a lot of really good underrated creators are popping up lately, @BlackSpeciesGames, i wish you good luck in your KZbin career

[@Flaming_Saturn]

As someone who’s making a story that will eventually (hopefully) be turned into a game, it felt really good to hear it from this perspective! In about 5 days (as of this comment being written), I’ll have worked for 3 whole years on this story. It started off as an interesting pandemic project, and I’m incredibly surprised at how far it’s gone! I still have a ways to go, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve got a good plot going, and I’ve got a couple of people helping me behind the scenes. Needless to say, their help is greatly appreciated.

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

That's great to hear. 3 years is a long time! And having even a couple people lend a hand can go a long way. Best of luck to you!

[@davidarvingumazon5024]

@@BlackSpeciesGames Tell me the Spoiler, did the MC get bitches?

[@ArtaShrike]

I am absolutely going to wishlist your game. I have no idea how good the story in the game is - but the story of the game’s *development* is fascinating, and I need to have closure on how it ends!

[@TheBananaman39]

With a video about writing a good story, I’m so unbelievably happy there was a brief outer wilds cameo

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

Outer wilds my beloved ♥️

[@gbeebe]

I only listened to this video, audio only, during my lunch break, I haven't "watched" it with my eyes yet. But I just needed to say: Dang dude. As someone who's been a hobby dev for 20 years, sick of these YouTubing devs putting out garbage on a regular schedule. It's refreshing to hear such maturity in video. KZbin need more creators like you... or more of your videos. Well done.

[@Veiraviss]

I'm a writer and I'd want to get into game development some time in the near future. It was really interesting to hear a perspective completely opposite to my own. And as a writer, you know what I'm gonna tell you? It doesn't matter if your story is good or not. It's subjective. You're not gonna be able to please everybody. Maybe it's flawed, but what really matters is that the story is meaningful for you and was enjoyed by your friends. Also, come on, the storytelling in this video alone is great and captivating. I watched it all the way through, always wondering what happends next. You sure know how to make people care about your story.

[@yams7355]

Ive been working on an RPG maker project for about 5 years now. It started as a silly inside joke with my friends and has since spiraled into something much bigger than initially intended. Still not done with it, but getting there... Hearing about you taking breaks from the process to gain inspiration is incredibly relatable to me. So many times ive thought "oh god, my friends arent gonna like this game" only to be so astonished and proud of what i've accomplished when i eventually return to the project.

[@yousmelldepressed6353]

You have no idea how hard this video hit me, thank you so much. It's insane how similar our timelines are, I'm reaching a year after countless revisions now too! Might be time I start over

[@mrcheekibreeki3728]

Hell of a creative method of advertising as well as a peek into the indie dev process.

[@rationalagent6927]

You're a artist now thanks for a push

[@micciellyalchemistofgames]

Great video, I found it because I am struggling with making ending for my game. It makes me feel hopeful for future and to just try different ideas and get feedback and don't feel bad when first few drafts aren't good enough as especially ending needs iterations. Thank you for video

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

@@micciellyalchemistofgames I'm glad the video helped you. Thank you for the nice words!

[@coderaven1107]

I love your passion. Thank you for inspiring me today

[@codytierson845]

Subbed, wishlisted, will buy.

[@pickaxe6742]

This is a really well written video

[@azekko]

This video is super well done and impactful! I've struggled with an inferiority complex for years and this video really touched me. I even recognized Avatar's love on the kalimba from those 3 notes! You are a great writer! Take it from me, out of 200+ video essays I've watched, this is probably one of the 10 I've felt compelled to comment on. Super underrated!

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

Thank you, that's so kind of you to say! And I CANT BELIEVE YOU RECOGNIZED THE SONG ONLY FROM THE THREE FIRST NOTES, damn you have a good ear 🌊🌏🔥🌬️

[@goosewithagibus]

Writing is my favorite part but yeah, it's rough. Good job!

[@JimMakesGames]

Well you told a great story with this video, so that's promising. I've wishlisted Cosmic Pebble! Best of luck with the release!

[@oh9648]

this was very well edited, quite profound, and i've been inspired to actually go through with making the stories that mean something to me... good work!

[@smugdodofart27]

Dang this video and your journey is painfully relatable. I don’t know anything about game dev but I’ve always wanted to tell stories the way I know how which is silly doodles! Learning animation has been torture honestly spending weeks or months on just a few seconds and it feels horrible. But Cosmic Pebbles is something I’m looking forward to, and it gives me hope that I’m allowed to take my time for projects I’m passionate about. It’s so freaking cheesy in a comment but thank you man, even if this video doesn’t achieve the thousands of subs and recognition you deserve you’ve really inspired me. I hope the best for Cosmic Pebbles :)

[@Tharmorteos]

"why am i writing this story" is indeed a really good question. i think that might help me too. a lot, actually. thanks

[@sarat6488]

"is it good?" might not be the right question. "am i proud of it?" might be the right question.

[@halberdex1068]

I've been working on my own video game story for the longest time now--hitting the one and a half year mark at the time of making this comment. I think this is what I needed to really get back into writing; this was my missing piece. Thanks man, I'll have to give your other videos a watch as well. :)

[@soulsborneseeker]

As an experienced writer of fictional stories, I have the utmost respect for your perseverance to stay true to your vision and your commitment to make the story the best version it could be. I'll wishlist the game and maybe review it for my channel, it looks like it could fit with my crowd to an extent. Best of luck in your future!

[@IngarFjordheimer]

I've recently tried to start getting into writing as a hobby, and it's good to know how many of your struggles are relatable. I'm writing episodes for an animated comedy series I've had the idea for, for 10 years. That's how long it's taken me to start. I recently finished a draft for an episode, the first I've ever written. After reading it for the 100th time, I no longer know if it's funny or not. You'll never really know if what you write is truly good, because that's a relationship between you and your audience, and it's fucking nerve wracking. What I will say though, like many other commenters, is that you've clearly put everything you have into this project, and refused to give up or take the easy way out. Being able to burn everything you've written, then come back to write it again better and stronger, is one of the skills of any creative work. You are honest and heartfelt, and it will reflect in your work, and you should trust that your audience will appreciate it. Sorry if this has gotten too sappy, but actually finishing a project is an incredible feeling and I hope you're proud of what you've worked so hard for. I wish you all the best for your game and whatever comes after!

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

Thank you so much, that's really sweet! Good luck on your own project as well, I hope everything works out.

[@captainstroon1555]

Damn, this was an incredibly inspirational video. This not only made me want to play your game more than any trailer ever could, it also made me want to put my full heart into the weekly art/writing/worldbuilding project I started this year.

[@Wanderlustsflask]

I am so happy to see another greek game dev, I am just starting to look into making a game myself and it is very helpful to peek into your process to writing a good story Thank you for this video

[@ChromaSoul]

Nice video about the struggle we different artists go through during the creation process. I wish your game great success! :) (PS- this video was it's own story so if that's any indication of your writing, I think you'll be fine)

[@IndieDenma]

Nice Video and I love your accent! Don't know what people have with British and French accents, this right here is IT! 🔥

[@walid_escheikh]

such amazing work man ! it really inspired me to push through and try to make my vision come true despite the hardship, hope you find all the success you deserve 🙏

[@bite1029]

wonderful video, im in the process of writting a story for a game, and i feel like these experiences are invaluable. i was thinking about writting a story cause its a game, needs a story, although is a chore, but now i realice that was messed up. its an opportunity to really bring everything to life, and make it meaningful in some way, at least to me. thanks for the video, and wish you all the luck with your game!

[@Arzomagus]

Awesome to hear about your progress! Definitely give yourself credit for trying to learn new skills while creating a project that means a lot to you. It's hard stuff. And don't be afraid to reach out to potential collaborators to help out in the future if this project goes alright and you're looking to make more!

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

Thank you 🙏 While mostly working on your own has a lot of nice benefits and allows you to learn a ton of skills, I definitely would not work on another project alone. It can be quite isolating, you have to be the one to motivate yourself, and games are too complex for a single person anyways. And hey that computer science degree isn't gonna get itself, so I'll focus on that after this project 🤓

[@xVovex]

Subbed! Loved this video.

[@an_enigmaticdream]

Not only is this inspirational for making game stories, this is inspirational for story writing as a whole as well! Thank you for sharing your journey, it is a huge inspiration, and hey good luck on your channel dude! I thought you were a professional before watching but dang your editing is great! Again, thank you for changing my perspective in how to write a story

[@IndieDenma]

As a fellow D&D player I have to say: Each game with a double jump get's a +5 on their D8 roll! Truly one of the coolest things that has been added to gaming!

[@12DAMDO]

i'm proud of you for asking the proper questions "what is my story about?" and "why am i writing this story?" because those are 2 of the most important questions when writing.. don't give up, i believe in you..

[@IndieDenma]

16:09 that tier list, even if it's meant as a meme, is actually true! Not only because it is, but also because each step higher requires a deep look and link into all things below it.

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

Completely subjective tier list, everyone will have a different one most likely but hey, glad we're on the same page 💪

[@BlaBlaBlaInDaHouse]

Thank you for sharing. Great video!

[@grassified.]

DAM YOU ARE UNDERRATED! u gained a sub man, gl on the game

[@khiarastales2091]

Cool video about game writing, so relatable. Though I'd prefer having an ending in the initial idea already so I just need to tweak the middle parts of the story. (That won't work when I worked for a game studios where cliffhangers and continuous episodes is necessary for profitting from players' engagement, though.) Thank you for sharing and good luck for your game!

[@Najebanski]

This way beautifully edited man. You can be proud of both the game as well as this video

[@asig396]

Thanks for the video is so inspirational and I love your image of "Squidward Tentacles" 😂

[@Roockert]

I think you really hit the nail on the head with good advice for beginners. And it really applies to anything you do. The first time you do something you are not going to be good at it and you should not get stuck in obsession over the first attempt of anything being the best. Imagine someone expecting to be great at football the first week of training. Its just not going to happen. And its the same with writing and everything else. You just have to do it over and over again until you grow and become better at it. And i think too many KZbin solo devs forgets about this. Don't get stuck on a project when you have learnt everything you can from it. Its better to finish and start a new project to learn something new. Sometimes good enough is better than perfect, just so you can move on.

[@NoVIcE_Source]

I totally agree with this and how it applies to everything- but I want my story to be part of a game- and, it is discouraging to know that my whole game will not be as good as I want it to be because I can't make a good story for it- So I have to make simpler games with simpler stories in order to get good at it before i make the game i actually want to make?

[@Roockert]

@@NoVIcE_Source well not necessarily, but it is a good idea to do so. There are multiple ways to build up your skills. Though its a proven way to learn to fail fast to learn fast. One way of doing that is make many games. Your first games are most likely not going to be what you are originally thinking or even happy with, but you will learn from that to make the next one better. I think too many people are too focused on their 'dream' game and i find it completely unrealistic. Authors don't try to write their 'dream' book, or painters their 'dream' painting. They practice to become better and make better art over time. But it is also important to remember games are multi disciplinal. Most people are not going to be able to make an entire game to the standards they imagine in every aspect so you have to make sacrifices. Either if its in programming and mechanics, story, graphics, sound or whatever it is. Know what you can do and improve on, and know if you are working with people, then you also have to do sacrifices to keep a common vision for the game that everyone is happy with

[@NoVIcE_Source]

​@@Roockert Yeah- But I don't know how to not find that demotivating. I keep telling others that the reason I do what I do well is because I started dabbling with the things and after a while I just naturally got better at them, instead of trying to do a big project from the beginning and burning out, but now I cant follow my own advice aha Like, how to want to do a simple story? The only thing I wanna do is my story that I already care about- To think of 5 stories just for the sake of finally being able to properly flesh out the story that I actually wanna make.. doesn't seem like the right way to go about things. You gotta enjoy doing every single one of them, otherwise it would be a chore, and then you gotta ask yourself why are you doing that in the first place if you're not enjoying it- Wait, maybe I can make the same story over and over again but first starting simple and then becoming more complex? this comment is kind of a rant sorry

[@Roockert]

@@NoVIcE_Source making the same game over and over isn't theoretically that bad of an idea. You could kind of say Yoko Taro have been doing that for years until he managed to make the game he wanted. Most writers do also re-write as the first draft isnt always perfect or even good

[@NoVIcE_Source]

@@Roockert Yeah. Also could write different stories but they all having the same core feeling that I wanna convey- since its what I actually care about. Thanks for your time dealing with my rants lol

[@thenikspace]

I am really surprised this kind of videos start coming from my home country. Keep it man. You have my sub. I wish i had the time to go back to game dev. Maybe i will... Your video was inspiring.

[@theokladis8688]

Game good. Story 10/10 mechanics 10/10 eredan reference 10/10 Video good. Editing 10/10 Purpose 10/10 no eredan reference 0/10

[@BunchOfNerdsMakingGames]

Great video! Incredible editing! Hope the launch of the game goes well!

[@robotdudeguy]

Man im not even a game dev and im inspired to make stuff right now. This video is proof you know how to write.

[@theothetorch8016]

Not because you can create amazing art, Not because your gameplay design is perfect, Not because your performance as a game developer is great... I want to follow this channel because you saw the big questions and you answered them. That peace of mind I admire and seek.

[@Tugein95]

Awesome stuff, thankyou for making this video mate, helped heaps.

[@franknord4826]

I haven't arrived at this particular struggle yet, still doing mostly prototyping for my gamedev aspirations when I can, but I do have enough general projects (code as well as physically built stuff) under my belt to know how hard it can be. Your game does not look at all like it'd be something I'd enjoy (the only platformer I ever liked being Mirrors Edge) but I am still happy that you stuck with it all the way. Bringing a project to completion is more than most people accomplish (trust the dude who recently started the *sixth* complete rewrite of his webframework) - and you didn't just see it through to completion but also didn't shy away from completely redoing a large chunk of the project when it wasn't up to your vision. You should be very proud of such an accomplishment!

[@baranalde1]

I added this video to my watchlist like "yeah whatever" but this video ended up being more helpful on story writing than any other video i watched. Specially the "writing story for sake of having story in game" part, because that's the biggest mistake i made, and i understand it now.

[@nazathelivingcorpse]

Dude this video is great! i haven't even finished it yet but it's inspiring me so much to work on the story of my current game (that I haven't even began programming). you're very passionate about what you're talking about, and after this I'm definitely checking out your channel and your game. Rock on!!

[@evanmcgurrin]

Whoa, the timing of this video is perfect. I'm just starting on my first video game, I have a basic outline of the plot, but I'm about to start writing and implementing the story in full detail. Your game looks awesome by the way. Can't wait until the full game releases!

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

Thank you! Good luck to you as well, you got this 💪

[@meatmech.mp4]

What a great video, it was really fun to sit through, couple months ago now i was working on a comic so i can definitely relate to the struggles of writing for the first time!

[@Gaziter8]

Loved the video!! you’ve shown the struggles of working on a project in such a real and relatable way, and as a gamedev and artist myself seeing your tough realizations about writing and cutting your losses are really comforting to see ❤️ Wish you success with the game!

[@junton]

You just earned a subscriber. Thank you for this video. This gave me the inspiration that I needed for my upcoming attempt of being an indie developer. Going to wishlist your game and try the demo.

[@ocho5396]

This is a very good video. It got me reflecting on my own things when you start to question why you make stories and such. Maybe this could help me in the future for character designing and drawing.

[@RedIsACrepe]

Thank you

[@cody_the_rat]

Bumping for the algorithm, wishlisted on steam, excited to see what you've been cooking up!

[@lobban2]

This video was filled to the brim with feels. Could really relate to everything. 🥲

[@OhMyShad]

The fact that you were able to tell you struggle in making a story is the simple confirm that you are a great storyteller. I related to you a lot, "don't write if you don't have something to say". Good point

[@lordmarshmal_0643]

You've got me thinking about my own game now, hah My father was an Air Force member for a long time, and we moved around a lot to wherever he was stationed in - as a result, I didn't hold onto many friends that I made in my pre-school and elementary school years, having to try and focus more on how to acclimate to the new environment And I think I could say that's what I want my game's story to be about - acclimation to a new place

[@alexmazvi]

Writing is important, you need to actually write to realize where your story is lacking, or if it's a no go. So... failing is fine, as it's a good learning experience. I've been working on the GDD for a game for like half a year, sometimes i don't work on it for a week or 2, but everytime i come back to it i rethink the story so far, and every now an then i have an enlightenment that takes the story to another level (at least for me), sometimes overwriting huge chunks of it, but making it richer an closing argumental holes. Nice game

[@jamian_eg0istique]

"i had an epiphany" segment reminds me about how miura made his "berserk". He tried to make a generic dark fantasy shounen, but it was boring, no one really wanted to read another one edgy idealess manga and writing it this way was boring even for him. So he decided to write story about how he saw his friendship with "irl griffith prototype", make a story, that means something for him. And now a large segment of modern culture made around his unfinished magnum opus.

[@jamian_eg0istique]

Your work maybe not the best in the world, but i still kinda proud of you finished it somehow. I made my way exatly like you, but i'm stuck at "writing stage" for too long, kinda 7-8 years i guess. You gave me a good idea to straightly think about main ideas and from it started working further. Way more useful video, than most of other gamedev's vids

[@igniteshadow2902]

Man... I really wanna thank you. I'm about to start for real my game dev career. Trying to figure out what I can start with, how to start, and learn about the problems I could have. But the hardest thing for me have been the courage to start. I don't wanna just make a game. I want this to be my life. And I'm so scared. Trying to start this. To let it be real. I'm still in college, so I've got time to fail yet, but not for long. So seeing people like you, who tried, faced the challenges, and rose victorious really inspires me. Thank you.

[@raidev_]

oh wow, a fellow greek gamedev yeah im also someone struggling with story, and in an rpg where this is pretty important

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

👋Το 'χεις!

[@Teodor-ValentinMaxim]

Well, a few months ago, I've always wanted to start a comic/manga, because I was dissatisfied with the current commercial fantasy animes. They started great, but they either tended to focus too much on the character and ignore exploring the world or it was too bland, where the plot had some major holes. I would've loved if I could find a fantasy anime where my ideas were brought to life, but that wasn't going to happen. So I said, fine, I'll do it himself. Did shit, nothing ever came out to the public, but learned some stuff about what the story should be about, how to draw some panels. I've then decided to create the current manga with a more interactive experience, where it would be like a visual novel and to progress the story, it would require actual some keyboard input, which kinda basically makes it a story driven game. Then, I knnew, that the best medium to represent the idea I had is through a game. Now, I'm learning Unity to develop this 2d game, where I'm also trying to create the game assets from scratchs, art and audio. I've decided that the best way to experience this world I created is the standard way, through the character's eyes, and to keep the action to a local point, strictly focused on the character's life. I've yet to decide if I plan to tell the life of my character through a single game with multiple acts, or just expand so much on the acts, that they could become a standalone game, transforming the game basically into a trilogy.

[@Sammy213]

I am really impressed that you spent 6 years working on your game and finished it. I don't think I have put that much work into any project I did for myself.

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

Well, it's not finished quite yet :) But we're getting there 💪

[@Supersonic6427]

I've spent over 2 years working on my own game (well, only the music, worldbuilding, lore, characters, story, boss concepts, and gameplay concepts/mechanics). I'm finally writing out the story I've been thinking in my head for over 2 years now, and I've changed it quite a lot as I kept thinking. I'd say yeah, it's important to know WHAT your story is going to be and having it be apart of the development of your game. I think it flows better that way.

[@playerzero5388]

This video was amazing and quite motivational. If it means anything to you, judging from the execution and delivery of this video, it sounds like you have talent with writing clear and compelling stories. I'm interested in checking out this game and as well as (possible) future works. Thank you for the inspiration as well!

[@Iamloveless]

Ironically this video tells a great story and has a great character!

[@CobaltTS]

This video is nothing short of fantastic. Inspiring to the point I almost stopped watching early to get back to work on my project lol. Youve got a great way of contextualizing these key perspectives to doing it right. Earned a sub

[@puteraperkasasinuraya3101]

Your journey many game dev who aspire to be a writer go through. Writing seems easy, until I actually try to write a good sorry, thank you for sharing your story. I relate to it so much.

[@ghostinggray7070]

loved this video!! i started writing recently after about a year of burnout from school, and i can really relate to your struggles rn lol [: you have gained a new subscriber!!!

[@ExamplePrime]

Its wild that "yeah that's what Marvel does with their stories" is now a huge blow to your ego instead of the opposite

[@Kruku666]

hope it turns out great, good luck!

[@neetfreek9921]

Writing is a technical craft just like anything else. The biggest issue I see in your original story is that the player has minimal agency. They are merely a bystander while the side character gets the big dramatic moment. One ending you could do for this scenario is have the player at the end decide whether to take the ship alone or sacrifice themself to save all the npcs. Although most game make the different ending occur through a final decision. I think it’s much more satisfying for there to not be a final decision, but rather the ending is based off unintended consequences from previous actions. The premise is pretty bare bones so the character arcs are going to need to do a lot of the heavy lifting. Lord of the flies might be some good inspiration if you want to take some plot beats from there.

[@iamhenry4607]

I love that you made a video about your difficulties with this sort of tone and presenting what you learnt from it as a lesson, a lot of devlogs struggle with that sort of thing and I think this is really really amazing!! im 12 minutes in rn so im gonna keep watching but I just really wanted to say congrats!!!!!

[@PuckGames]

Otan eida ta plakakia sto 15:12 me xtipise nostalgia sth mouri, miazei me ti goitonia pou megalwsa xD Polu wraio video

[@cheesymcnuggets]

I'm really struggling to write a story right now, wanting to create something expressive but not knowing what I could express. The game is gonna have choices but i want to avoid a generic hero or villain choice, i want to demonstrate how being "good" is not so easy and be "bad" is not so simple, I want to drag players don't whatever path using choices they would realistically make, force them to make hard decisions, drawing inspiration from the trolley problem, and not individually reward or punish the player for their choices, it's meant to be an experience. But i have no idea what im theming it around , what i want to express or who i want to express to. I'm saving the ultimate thing I want to express for my eventual dream game, depression, when I'll actually go incredibly deep into it, as im someone with chronic and existential depression who grew up not knowing I had it or why I always felt empty. This is meant to be my first proper game, I don't want to spend 6 years on it, I've planned out all the game design and programming, I can't plan art until I know what I'm drawing. I do have some theme ideas though. I know it should be something personal to me, I got into gamedev as a form to express myself as I've always struggled with that, so my first idea IS self-expression but that's quite difficult to write about. I mentioned how my games is gonna have difficult choices, maybe I express a different part of my protagonist through each choice and the most neutral ending can end with the protagonist finding their balance. But then how do I express that the character is bottling up everything and avoiding self-expression in the video game format. Random outbursts, inner monologue? How would you play inner monologue using only text without disrupting the player, I don't want people to skip through it. Maybe tie it into the actual gameplay (pyromancy), that becomes very difficult for me as I'm not an artist but I guess I don''t really need to be for changing the emotional expression of pyromancy, but it still is more animating then i want for the scope of the project. Okay maybe a different theme then. Perhaps "change", I hate change and I did want this game to be an adventure of sorts, being forced out of your home and your comfort to venture into a world that doesn't like you. I don't think my ideas are bad, I want to use them, I just don't know how to realistically use them. This is my first game. Writing is hard lol

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

There are a lot of interesting ideas here. You did mention a lot of things and I don't know exactly what you are gravitating towards, but if you want to connect difficult choices with something like self expression, maybe you could force the player to choose between expressing themselves and helping others, so it's practically impossible to do both. That could even have gameplay implications, for example choosing self expression can make you stronger or unlock new pyromancy spells, but that comes at the expense of others or the world. Just an idea, although it's probably a bit complex for a first game. If you're making the game on your own, chances are you are underestimating the amount of work and time it will require, so maybe just make a simple pyromancy game without too much story, or make a simple story game that's solely focused on choices. Or do something else entirely. It's up to you. Whatever you decide to do I wish you the best. Stay strong!

[@cheesymcnuggets]

@@BlackSpeciesGames i know for a fact i am underestimating the work lol, i just dont know how to accurately predict it. But i have done a lot of the programming before so i can write that off as easy, game design, sound, art, story, all new to me, and i have to tie it all together. Idk... if people can do all of that during a game jam, im hoping i can do all of it in under a year. I just need confidence and commitment, if i second guess myself, i'll end up dragging the process out way too long. It's quite ambitious for sure but i have the time to waste, it''s all just a learning experience, even if it takes me 6 years.

[@Soroosh.S83]

Bro just goes trough a whole mental breakdown and psychological process of questioning his existence to know who he is and what he wants 💀

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@lew.bow.studios]

I really do not appreciate the random violence towards the innocent notebook, good sir! >.>

[@spitefulginger]

You’ve taken a huge step. You’ve written something. I think you know it’s not something you are fully satisfied with. But I want you to know you did a phenomenal thing here. You need to make mediocre to find your masterpiece. And I’m proud of you. I hope someday I’ll be able to join you. But until then let’s keep creating. You did good.

[@zejugames5045]

This video showcased amazing storytelling! Can't wait to see what your game's actual story was like. I'm a new sub, and very excited to following your journey!! ps I showed your video to my kids and they found it very inspiring as well!!

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

Really?? Well, let your children know that they have a really cool parent 😎

[@zejugames5045]

@BlackSpeciesGames they love to make video games and love to write... we could very much relate to how hard it is to make a good story for a game! You really made me think re: writing a story that means something to you. That's what hyperlight drifter and Celeste both did, and I think that's a big reason they had the impact they had! Food for thought, and I thank you!!

[@tjreed7797]

For almost past 3 or 4 years, I've been working on a story as a commitment project. Most of the time I've spent on it has been writing and rewriting and figuring out what it's going to be since this one I started with characters I couldn't fit into my other story ideas at the time. However, I don't know if I should try to make a game out of it one day or with some other medium.

[@durpepsi]

Was wondering the whole time if you were greek until i saw that calendar xD Τέλειο βιντεο, προσπαθώ να μπω και εγω στο game dev εδω και καιρό, best of luck with your project 🫡🫡

[@kellygallagher7148]

Thanks for making this video. I love seeing how creators go through their creative process. It's always inspiring!

[@wateron1058]

Hey, like for the Outer Wilds wallpaper)

[@AndyGun11]

hey wait a second i feel like i saw this channel like 3 years ago cool!

[@cyaneous227]

so glad this got recommended to me! I'm excited to play your game when it's released and also this video is a good story in itself but your own personal one with writing. i hope your channel takes off and you get the recognition you deserve :D

[@timetonic]

yeah this is familiar and relatable. hope you write more stories with very robust characters

[@pakreht1487]

One of the best Devlog i've seen, and i've watched a lot of them haha I think you are on a good way and i am sure your decision to redo everything will definitly be worth it :) It's always hard to share personnal stuff in art but i trully think this is one way to really connect with an audience Imagine how you will feel when people connect with YOUR personnal story, i'm sure it feel amazing :) Good luck !

[@saikiranreddynomula7295]

I know exactly how you feel. Just finish it. You gotta finish it.

[@BlackSpeciesGames]

I don't care if hell breaks loose, it's getting finished 😤 I'm too deep to surface brother.

[@twotamatos]

Thaaaaank u for making this man, I am developing a story I had nothing to do but write for the first 2 years these last 2 years I’ve been working on learning 3D but that’s where those first 2 of the 4 or so years I’ve been working on this was spent writing & I’ll tell u I’ve grown so much as a writer in those 4 n a half years. That’s where u are always changing, the best writers might have to say u know what that was a funny or a cool idea but if it doesn’t stick to the confines of the series then it may be worth it to scrap it or shelve it for another time, or maybe I wanna make a more cinematic experience from start to finish and re work certain elements of characters or story & congrats so many folk will get to the point where they publish a game or they get to pitch their series & either have directors tell them change the script or it’s not coming out & or critiques and people who played it will rip it apart for not having those elements n the creators can be devastated it takes so much strength to be creating all that u are learning to code or use scripts, make pixel art & write so many people almost see writing as a after thought or that’s one element they slack on because they have to juggle everything else when story characters and writing is what makes any game memorable that’s atleast 2/3rds of it in game design & movie/tv shows is having those elements of writing in whatever genre ur making n it takes a great author to go u know what imma skim this fat off & re work the story so it’ll be as good as it can be. That alone shows u have a amazing moral compass & u deserve to go far as a art director & developer I will buy ur game when it comes out based on that alone!

[@twotamatos]

That is something I can’t stress enough watch summer camp island it’s a very charming fun cute show but u can tell for the main story 2/3 times they where just winging it making it up as they went along and didn’t have a plan for the ending that’s where the ending fell flat in some ways because they didn’t have the structor of the story planned out before the finale season was requested

[@twotamatos]

I’m so sorry for all the messages but I realized this when watching jacobs ladder everything that character went through was personal to me his struggles n plights where yes all relatable & that’s what makes the best psychological horror not demons manifesting themselves on others sins n past horrors it’s sometimes how scary the real world can actually be, I scrapped 25-30 + episodes for my series maybe they will be utilized in a dvd box set as bonus episodes to make 100 episodes in all but I am going back to the drawing board now that I have developed my concept & grown as a writer and trying to create real psychological horror that has a message and amazing allegories it’ll take time and be double the work but I am gonna make it happen! To be a Jack of all trades is almost impossible to be perfect n on point in every department you’ll stretch yourself too thin but finding the right support at game dev or art school & staying passionate about what u care the most about ur love for creating stories & art is important never give up on those dreams no matter if anyone even believes in u at all know there’s hundreds of thousands hell millions of people who have that same passion but not many have the brains n dedication as u

[@amydurham5606]

oh my gosh! this is so well made! you certainly aced the video regardless~ hope you get due recognition for everything you've made here!