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A short survey for a short story…

Oct 28, 2020 | 4 comments

Time has come to start deciding what would be the right story for this game. As a solo developer, I have to be aware of my limitations and avoid being trapped in a complex plot or setting, so I can deliver on time. Therefore, in order to choose a story for the game, I should consider a theme that can be constrained to no more than 4 or 5 rooms (or scenes) -this will keep it handleable. Also, I would go for just 1 or 2 characters, perhaps some more if they are static.

In addition to that -and this is more personal than technical- I want to choose a story that motivates me and that I feel comfortable with. I need to visualize what I’m going to build and feel excited about it.

I’already have some ideas that I’ve been collecting during this year. Nevertheless, I’d love to get some inputs from you before moving forward, so here’s a really short survey I’ve prepared.

Bear in mind that I don’t expect this to be a poll to choose a winner option from your votes. Actually, I’m not sure about the exact purpose of the survey either 😅 but I thought it would be an interesting experiment to do so I’m sure it will be useful in one way or another.

📌 Note: Feel free to revote (change your vote) as much as you want. You can choose one or two answers per question.

The story takes place in a...
  • Lighthouse 50%, 4 votes
    4 votes 50%
    4 votes - 50% of all votes
  • Train 25%, 2 votes
    2 votes 25%
    2 votes - 25% of all votes
  • Campsite 13%, 1 vote
    1 vote 13%
    1 vote - 13% of all votes
  • Desert 13%, 1 vote
    1 vote 13%
    1 vote - 13% of all votes
Total Votes: 8
Voters: 5
28th October 2020
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I would like the genre to be...
  • Adventure 33%, 3 votes
    3 votes 33%
    3 votes - 33% of all votes
  • Fantasy 22%, 2 votes
    2 votes 22%
    2 votes - 22% of all votes
  • Thriller 22%, 2 votes
    2 votes 22%
    2 votes - 22% of all votes
  • Comedy 11%, 1 vote
    1 vote 11%
    1 vote - 11% of all votes
  • Horror 11%, 1 vote
    1 vote 11%
    1 vote - 11% of all votes
  • Sci-fi 0%, 0 votes
    0 votes
    0 votes - 0% of all votes
Total Votes: 9
Voters: 5
28th October 2020
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In the meantime, I will keep playing with those ideas and try to articulate something that I can share with you.

Thank you! 😊

💾  Play the prototype and follow the development of The Campsite on itch.io!

4 Comments

  1. David

    All proposed genres and scenarios look exciting enough and surely have their target audience, but I’d instantly discard 2 of them, considering that we are talking about a “first experiment”.

    Both “Comedy” and “Horror” are hard things to attemp, let alone achieve. In my own experience as a narrator I’ve noticed the difficulty of making people laugh or feel fright (I’m not sure about which is harder, I’d say the latter), so I would consider those 2 categories only as a possible underlying “tone” rather than a theme articulating the actual story or plot.

    Initially, all the other genres (“Fantasy”, “Adventure”, “Sci-fi”, “Thriller”) look more accessible, since none of them specifically try to tap into people’s emotions. They rely on a series of conventions and topics easily recognizable and accepted (even desired) by their fans, rather than setting their primary goal on hitting the jackpot of an emotional response.

    • Guillem

      Hello David, welcome aboard! Having you here it’s a great asset, especially on this stage. I agree with you and I think it’s a very good point. However the odds are that a really bad horror story turns into a great comedy accidentally 😅 but better not trying, I know…

  2. Alex

    I’m afraid with my votes I’ve ignored the difficulties that might imply setting your game on a train in terms of dealing with different characters. I’ve read that the number of them has to be limited in terms to keep your project realistic in technical terms. I let myself go playing with the idea of a thriller taking place on a train. To much Agatha Christie… I’m sorry! However, what about waking up alone on train running fast to nowhere?

    • Guillem

      Glad to see you here Alex and thank you for your comments and votes! Yep, being alone in a train would make things definitely easier. On the other hand, one of the things that fascinates me about trains is that people always want to talk -I don’t know why, but trains have something special that incites communication between strangers. I think that would be a great topic to explore, despite it would make the story more complex.

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