I call this art

Stories, to me, are like any other art medium.

I'm asking for some help.

You see, I'm writing this game. It will be a Adventure Game (much like Monkey Island); being an adventure game, the story is the essential element.

The setting is of 6 friends who are completely and utterly alone. We don't know how or why, but for some reason they are the last people on Earth.

Now, that's all well and good but here's the problem: I can't make an Adventure Game out of that. An Adventure Game must have a plot defining problem that the player must solve, in fact, this is true for any story medium. There is always a problem in every book and film you've ever seen or read, and the characters solve it.

What I'm looking for is ideas as to what could happen to 6 people who are stranded on This Island Earth completely on their own.

The rules are:
The characters can't come into contact with any other "groups" (the story's main twist relies on them not meeting anyone else)
No horror clichés or creatures
No aliens
No obvious rip offs

i shall think about this joe

And just while I have the chance to plug this game, there are positions available for production.

Artists and voice actors are especially what I'm looking for. So far it's just me and someone else working on this thing (he's asked not be mentioned on this forum, I'll let you draw your own conclusions).

So what sort of game is it? Like a computer game?
I've got no idea what Monkey Island is :/

It's a point 'n' click Adventure Game, so you control a character with the mouse and progress through the story by solving puzzles and problems, talking to people and collecting items and clues.

The basic example would be to have a locked door that you must go through. There is a key somewhere. You talk to someone who tells you where the key might be, you find it but it's in a box. You must find a crowbar to open the box, so you use the crowbar on the box, take the key and then unlock the door. But the person who told you of the key stops you and reveals that he wants what is behind the door and you shall never get it, so you must stop him from taking it. It then goes on from there until you get through the door again.

So basically, I need ideas for who "the man behind the door" should be.

sounds cool

it should be obama ;D

Steve Ince is offering me advice ON FACEBOOK. Nerdgasm time!

Sorry, who?
I don't want to seem rude, I just have no idea who that is :S

It's no surprise that absolutely no one here has heard of him

He wrote two of my favourite adventure games: Beneath a Steel Sky and Broken Sword. Beneath a Steel Sky is one of the original "Living Computer" stories; a machine called LINC has become a living organism and has killed the council of an Australian city to take over control by itself. Broken Sword is a historical mystery story with one of the most surprising plot twists ever.

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#/joedaviso?v=feed&story_fbid=307771769324&ref=mf Is where all the coolness is happening.

Steve Ince is actually reading my story write up now. I AM SHITTING BRICKS.

haha good luck

OH SHIT I HAVE A NEW MESSAGE FROM HIM

so him taking an interest means that he might help you or your just amazed?

He's helping out with some good writer to writer advice

awesome, best of luck!

Basically his advice is that I need to rethink this, which is true. I haven't left enough room.

I need an ending, but I need a middle before I have an end. And it's the middle I'm having huge trouble with writing. I have no clue what main problem the characters could face other than danger, but that doesn't make convincing plot.

Not necessarily. You may just need to work out how to turn it into an interesting story. It's often better to write what you know.

In my younger days I used to do a fair bit of hiking and walking and one time on the North York Moors we never saw anyone else for at least a couple of days. My heart soars just thinking of the peacefulness of that isolation. We all have different experiences even when the situation may be similar and you may have something very worthwhile to say.

But don't force it. It may be that you have to let the story emerge naturally. Let it brew in your subconscious for a few days.

Best,
Steve

I just read this and thought "WHY THE HELL CAN'T THERE BE CREATURES OR ALIENS?" :')

melissapwnz wrote:I just read this and thought "WHY THE HELL CAN'T THERE BE CREATURES OR ALIENS?" :')

Because it's too extreme and too cliché.

As a writer, I don't like to follow the status quo in terms of themes. We all use the same fundamentals in stories, but the messages we put out and situations we create are all totally unique.

Aliens and monsters are an easy way out of any situation, for both the characters and the writer. It's far too easy to just say that there's a mysterious statue IT MUST HAVE BEEN ALIENS.

How is it cliché? I never see any monsters and aliens
... and how is it easy to get out of a situation where an alien is biting your leg and then you die?
LMFAO. RANDOM SITUATION.

I'm just saying.

Because, as I said, I can easily say "OH SHIT ALIENS RUN" and then point out an obvious flaw in a Martian's body or something. In HG Wells's case, the Tripods didn't have antibodies that could fight off the common cold.

That was fine, because it was Wells. But I'm a kid in his bedroom. I can say that the aliens are plugged into the mains or something and the characters just need to unplug them. It's just way too easy.

Yeah, yeah, but what if aliens aren't robots and aren't plugged into anything! :O DANGEROUSSSS.
Real life situation here. Hahaahahaha.
Dude, I'm not being very helpful :')

What have you got the real story so far?