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Delinquent Backstory Video (Patreon)
Published:
2018-05-07 14:00:58
Edited:
2018-07-23 20:49:55
Imported:
Content
For a long time, I avoided posting "lore" or "backstory" videos to this Patreon page, because I figured that most patrons would only be interested in seeing game development progress, rather than story videos. However, some patrons let me know that they don't mind these types of posts at all, so here's an update to let you know that I've completed a video that explains why a group of delinquents are tolerated at Akademi High!
To make up for the fact that this isn't a gameplay update, I'll share a bit of behind-the-scenes game development insight with you!
There's a very well-known screenwriting principle called "Show, don't tell." The idea is that, instead of telling an audience about something with narration or dialogue, it's better to convey that information by showing the audience an event. For example, in Star Wars, the first time we see Darth Vader, he grabs a man by his neck and lifts him off the ground. The audience doesn't merely hear two characters talking about how strong he is; instead, the audience gets to see it firsthand. This is a much more entertaining way of communicating Darth Vader's strength to the viewer.
Instead of showing the player the delinquents' backstory within the game as a cut-scene, I decided to communicate this information with a YouTube video. Normally, this would be regarded as a violation of the "Show, don't tell" principle. However, I can explain why I made this decision!
As an indie developer, I don't have the same kind of resources as a big AAA studio. I have to decide when to take shortcuts. It would be awesome to fill the game with dozens of elaborate cut-scenes, but it would be more prudent to focus my time+resources on gameplay, rather than story. In order to convey important information while using as few resources as possible, I decided to "Tell" the delinquent backstory in the form of a YouTube video, rather than "Show" it.
I decided to use 1 voice actress and 1 artist to communicate information about the delinquents, instead of using multiple 3D modellers, 3D animators, 2D artists, voice actors, composers, etc. Now, all of the time/budget that would have been spent on an elaborate delinquent backstory cut-scene can go into gameplay, instead. I hope you understand why I made this decision, and I hope you don't fault me for it!
To make up for the fact that this isn't a gameplay update, I'll share a bit of behind-the-scenes game development insight with you!
There's a very well-known screenwriting principle called "Show, don't tell." The idea is that, instead of telling an audience about something with narration or dialogue, it's better to convey that information by showing the audience an event. For example, in Star Wars, the first time we see Darth Vader, he grabs a man by his neck and lifts him off the ground. The audience doesn't merely hear two characters talking about how strong he is; instead, the audience gets to see it firsthand. This is a much more entertaining way of communicating Darth Vader's strength to the viewer.
Instead of showing the player the delinquents' backstory within the game as a cut-scene, I decided to communicate this information with a YouTube video. Normally, this would be regarded as a violation of the "Show, don't tell" principle. However, I can explain why I made this decision!
As an indie developer, I don't have the same kind of resources as a big AAA studio. I have to decide when to take shortcuts. It would be awesome to fill the game with dozens of elaborate cut-scenes, but it would be more prudent to focus my time+resources on gameplay, rather than story. In order to convey important information while using as few resources as possible, I decided to "Tell" the delinquent backstory in the form of a YouTube video, rather than "Show" it.
I decided to use 1 voice actress and 1 artist to communicate information about the delinquents, instead of using multiple 3D modellers, 3D animators, 2D artists, voice actors, composers, etc. Now, all of the time/budget that would have been spent on an elaborate delinquent backstory cut-scene can go into gameplay, instead. I hope you understand why I made this decision, and I hope you don't fault me for it!
