Need writer(s) for potential video game idea! REWARD!

[Tobuoi]

Hello there! I'm an aspiring game designer and recently, I've really tried to buckle down and get some stuff down on paper. I've got some drawings done, more or less figured out the basic battle system, developed most of the characters, figured out basic plot points, etc. However, beyond research papers, I'm not much of a writer. That's where you come in.

To be honest, I have pretty clear ideas concerning the characters and plot which wouldn't give you a whole lot of room to come up with stuff of your own. HOWEVER, I am entirely open to all sorts of writing styles and my only real "requirement" is that you can write not only maturely but with a bit of flair. At the moment, I can't really think of a specific format for the writing, so relatively short, experimental blurbs is probably what we'd be working with. This being the case, I am happy to work with more than one writer, whether it be on one project or many. I mostly just want some sort of literary representation for my ideas.

So, what's the game like? Well, in my head I have it as a turn-based RPG with a complex battle system that utilizes a wide variety of the characters' abilities. It is largely inspired by His Dark Materials, Kingdom Hearts, and Final Fantasy, though that's hardly relevant.

It starts out with nine very differing characters waking up in a large castle or mansion, far away from their home worlds. As the story progresses, they find out that the world that they have waken up in is an artificial one, created by a man who died before their awakening. This man's intentions were to create a sort of hub world connecting the many where the sort of deities/embodiments of the individual worlds could meet and be...diplomatic. However, as I'm sure you can imagine, things went horribly, horribly wrong. Without their cores (the nine main characters), the worlds began to decompose, spawning all sorts of terrible shadow-y monster creatures. So it is the mission of the main characters to venture into each of these worlds and find a way to seal them from the outside (inside the castle). However, as they go from world to world, they discover that there are only eight worlds and nine of them. This means, of course, that one of them (the main character, artificially created by the same man who created the castle) has to stay inside the castle to seal everything off, living out the rest of his tragic, lonely life. Fun, huh?

If you are interested, let me know and I'll post more. I'm looking for anything from descriptive narration to romance scene. Really, whatever you're into writing, I can find use for it.

LASTLY, depending on what you give me, I'll gladly reward you with either gold or avatar (or some other type of character) art. My artwork can be viewed here: www.tobuoi.deviantart.com.

Thanks!

[Lexus Storm]

Uhh-huh... I'm actually intrigued.

Now, I've been writing for about four and a half years (intensively), however I am familiar with C. Pullman's epic series and somewhat familiar with Final Fantasy, but I lack the knowledge of Kingdom Hearts...

Also, if you wish to see my writing style, please click the link in my signature.

One more thing - I am very comfortable with doing any kind of scene that may be necessary, and I would enjoy working with a team, however, working alone does not bother me.

Regards,
~Lexus.

[Tobuoi]

Cool beans. Your style seems very descriptive which would actually work quite well for what I'm going for. Like I said, it'd be really helpful to have some sort of written reference and grounding for my ideas because as of now, I have nothing but battle stats and a few character drawings.

Also, as far as subject matter goes, I'm looking for a wide variety of things. There are two or three romances going on, one of which is semi important to the plot. Then, there are battle scenes, of course and other things that would require visual descriptions. Or if you'd prefer, I'm in need of some character development and dialogue. Also, you could write about any given character's background before the "game" even takes place.

Whatever you're most interested is fine with me. Take your pick and I'll tell you what you need to know. For starters, here's a little information on all of the characters and their worlds.

Halen is the "main character", though as a character-driven game, everyone gets their fair share of the spotlight. Don't feel like he has to be central to whatever you'd like to write. As the main protagonist, he is the most moderate of them all. An all around "good guy", he's compassionate, fair, determined, brave, and all that good stuff - not to mention, pretty cute to boot. Halen's around 23 years of age (allegedly, seeing as how he was "created" ). In battle, again, he is the ultimate moderator - moderately high attack, a little on the quick side, a little bit of magical aptitude, moderate defense, etc. More importantly, however, he was the one created by the creator of the hub world/castle as the ultimate "back-up plan". With everything going awry, Halen must help the others in sealing off all of the worlds by remaining in the castle alone (after many battles, of course). All of the characters have a mirror that acts as a portal to their world (Halen's leads nowhere, obviously) and bear a title - Halen's is "He Who is Bound". Again, basically, the tragically good guy. Here's a drawing of him (his sword has been modified, but that's not really important): http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2009/357/0/b/He_Who_is_Bound_by_Tobuoi.jpg

Sayd is the "core" of the realm of Death. However, she is far from being the coldest or meanest of the group. Rather, she is calm and focused but a little awkward when it comes to interacting with people as in her home world, she has only ever spoken with the Dead. She wields a scythe and while it is an effective melee weapon, her primary function in battle is to cast buffer and debuffer spells - things like "regenerate" which slowly increases a teammate's health points or "poison" on an enemy, slowing dealing damage to them. Sayd becomes very much entangled with Halen and is quite devastated when Halen's true purpose is revealed. However, they take comfort in knowing that they will be reunited when Halen dies. Her mirror reads, "The Lone Scythe". If she were genuinely alive, she'd be around 18 years old and has the appearance of an Asian. http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2009/348/1/6/The_Lone_Sickle_by_Tobuoi.jpg

Alehur's title is "A Dream Reflected". She is roughly 20 years old and is the most determined of the group. Low on patience, Alehur indulges herself in her own surrealism. She comes from the dream world. She uses a powerful glaive in battle but her main ability is her summoning powers. After each world is visited and its villains conquered, Alehur gains a new summon that is a dreamed up representation of that world's core. These dreams are vivid and powerful creatures that serve different purposes depending on the world and core they represent. http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/020/8/f/A_Dream_Reflected_by_Tobuoi.jpg

Chail is the heavy-hitter of the group. She has immeasurable self-confidence and determination and is quite cocky. However, in battle, she uses a warhammer and deals the most damage and is essential to her party. Chail comes from a sort of regal military academy and firmly believes in fighting hard and playing hard. She's about 21 years old and her title will probably be "The Prelude to War".

Jayce ends up being Chail's love interest. He's 29 years old and acts as the party's tank character, meaning that in battle, he can take the most damage. He comes from a futuristic, combat-central sort of world and uses a heavy-duty gun and body armor in battle. He is compassionate, level-headed, honest, and loyal. Title undecided.

Vella is the healer of the group. She's 19 and a very elegant, very pretty black girl. Vella is sweet and compassionate but possesses a certain resolve that is not always typical of a healer character. She uses a beautifully decorated staff to heal her teammates. Title undecided.

Sundesh is a street rat. He is both the thief and the quick-hitter of the group, acting and speaking very quickly and erratically. He has dark skin and sun-bleached hair. Sundesh is 19 years old and attacks with small daggers. Title undecided.

Terciel is a mage. He casts traditional elemental spells - fire, ice, water, etc. Incredibly knowledgeable and introverted, Terciel uses a spell book to cast spells in battle, dealing a wide variety of damage to enemies. He is quiet but not the least bit hostile around the rest of the group and is around 27 years old. The vast majority of his time is usually spent in libraries, reading. Title undecided.

Calaeus is an intelligent, somewhat odd black man in his early thirties. He is very friendly and smart if not a little bit out of touch. He uses the items that Sundesh steals and can amplify their affect or mix together new ones. His world is very civilized but uses its natural environment for resources (chemicals from plants, animals, etc. in Calaeus' case).Title undecided.

As you've probably gathered, each world/universe/dimension has it's own theme or aspect of humanity.

-Halen's world, the castle, represents destiny and responsibility. It's large and beautiful, yet somehow acts as a prison.
-Sayd's world is Death, obviously. It's dark and lonely at times but embodies ultimate peace.
-Alehur's world is the dream world. Everything is lavish and beautiful and magnificent, but it's inhabitants are constantly asleep as if they're drugged.
-Chail's world represents will power and self-confidence. Its people take everything to the extreme and accomplish a great deal but have little capacity to appreciate the little things.
-Jayce comes from a world dominated by unimaginable technology that is unfortunately used for war and violence.
-Vella's home world is filled with beauty and elegance but lacks strength.
-Sundesh's world is driven by material desire and value which causes great admiration and suffering at the same time.
-Terciel's world's priority is knowledge where every thought and event is recorded but genuine bonds are rarely made.
-Calaeus comes from a world that is concerned with intelligence and discovery but its inhabitants can be cowardly and unmotivated at times.

As you can tell, some characters are more developed than others, but that's enough for now. Check out this link for more general personality types that I based the characters off of: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/descript.asp

Sayd - 1
Vella - 2
Calaeus - 3
Alehur - 4
Terciel - 5
Jayce - 6
Sundesh - 7
Chail - 8
Halen - 9

Lastly, this song captures the mood of the whole story pretty well, particularly the love affair with Halen and Sayd: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfBY96qxVRQ&feature=player_embedded

[Tobuoi]

Any other takers?

[backzick]

Well, I've done light reading on the posts above and I must say, I'm pretty interested in working with you and the others if there will be more takers in the near future.

I'm a fairly good writer with a little bit of experience inside the bag. I don't know if I pass your standards but I would love to test my luck/skills in this. Just let me know what you need from me to see if I do make the cut and I will provide them as soon as I can.

[Tobuoi]

My only real requirement is that you can write in proper English and you seem to have that under control.

What do you like to write? Action scenes, romance scenes, description, dialogue? It's entirely up to you.

[Lexus Storm]

Hmm.... Well, I've re-read the requirements a few times, and I have just one statement.

Much to my reluctance, I'm afraid I'm going to have to drop out of this one... I'm far too busy now with the stories on another board, so I'm swamped as it stands...

Many wishes, and the best of luck to you;
~Lex.

[Tobuoi]

No problem. Thanks for your consideration.

[backzick]

Action, Romance, Dialogue are what i would really like to practice on.

I've got a good background on playing RPG/Strategy games and I think I wouldn't have a problem with understanding some game elements of yours.

Action/Romance is not my strength but I can manage with the said genres decently. Being descriptive though isn't a problem. smile

[Tobuoi]

Well then, what would you like to know?

[backzick]

Well, I would like to know where your story will start. Will it be with the main character or there's some sort of prologue that needs to be done first before anything else?

[Tobuoi]

The "game" starts out with Halen waking up in a very magnificent but unfamiliar room. Big, comfortable bed with super luxurious bedding, tall windows with beautiful curtains, a fancy wardrobe--that sort of scene. I'll let you mess around with the details.

There, he finds some mysterious armor and a sword that seem to suit him perfectly. The other characters are in similar rooms around the castle having a similar experience. Finally, he leaves the room to explore the castle as the other characters emerge. The nine characters are on three separate floors, meaning that there are three on each. Halen is immediately sees two strangers coming out of their rooms--Terciel and Chail.

Before they can introduce themselves, however, they are met with a feral, shadowy creature (later known as a "specter" ) and begin to battle with it.

Now, as far as the castle goes, it is not only beautiful and awe-inspiring, but very large with many rooms on many floors. Outside of it, however, is an expansive garden but it is surrounded by a very large wall on each side, making it impossible to leave. From beyond the wall is the sound of waves crashing. Inside the castle, though, there is an opera house, a library, ballroom, kitchen, etc. However, it is also obvious that there has recently been something violent going on--claw marks in the wood floors, broken glass, perhaps even blood. Aside from that, make this place as beautiful and magnificent as you possibly can. Halen, Terciel, and Chail are on the fourth floor while the others are on the third and second.

Just play around with that first scene for now, I guess. Describe as much as you'd like.

As for the characters, Halen is the quintessential good guy--he's kind, heroic, and a little bit curious. None of the characters know where they're at or what's going on at the moment. Refer to the link I posted for his appearance.

Chail is very headstrong and cocky but thrives on raw emotion. She's far from anti-social or nasty, but she can be impatient and incredibly self-confident. She's very determined and gets things done. As far as her appearance goes, she's of average height and has short blonde hair. Coming from a military academy and being an excellent fighter, she's pretty fit and has a bit of muscle to her. Chail wears academy-esque clothes--a dark red blazer, a black pleated skirt, black tights, black lace-up boots, etc. She has hazel eyes. In battle, she uses a small-sized warhammer (will get bigger and better as we go).

Terciel, on the other hand, is our mage character. He deals elemental damage using a spell book. However, he can perform one basic spell without it and without using any sort of mana called "burst". It's very basic and doesn't do very much damage at all. Other than that, at this point, he should know spells like "fire", "lighting", and "ice". He is calm and quiet and doesn't display nearly as much emotion as Chail. He has short, dark hair (a little curly, maybe?) and wears dark clothes and boots under a long, gray coat.

I think that's everything you need to know for the first scene. Be sure to ask if there's something else you'd like to know. >_>

[backzick]

Ahh yes of course. I consider you as the project head so I will make sure to clarify some things first before I go do things on my own. So, you want the first scene in writing correct?

Then with the given info in hand, I will begin working on it and let you see the fruits of my labor when I'm done with it. By the way, is there a faster way we could communicate? And how will I let you see my work? Shall I post it here?

[backzick]

Time… How much time has passed since I’ve felt this comfort?

I don’t know… But this feeling is good…

So good I don’t want to get up.

Is this real? Am I dreaming? Ugh! Now I’ve ruined the mood with my curiosity…

With a little effort, Halen slowly opened his eyes towards a blurry, unfamiliar environment. It took a second or two for his vision to clear and as it did, Halen quickly realized that he was not where he was supposed to be. Looking left and right, Halen couldn’t believe his eyes. He was surrounded by lavish decor and other works of art that he could easily categorize as masterpieces. Before any other thought could register, Halen recognized the feeling of comfort that he felt while he was asleep. The source of it was the king-sized bed he was sitting on along with the feather-soft cushions that used to harbor his head. He gazed at the bed once more and fully understood its beauty. It was draped in elegant crimson sheets lined with satin on the edges, it was indeed a bed fit for a king –no, fit for a God.

Why am I in such a place?

He knew not of the answer and there was not a soul within the vast room to ease his mind of these questions. Halen took a deep breath and left the bed’s comfort only to be swallowed by the room’s beauty. He walked a few paces forward along the carpeted floor and made his way in front of a large arch shaped window. The outside world was sealed from view by the ruby colored curtains that had a captivating design skillfully embroidered on its entirety. It was surreal; all this beauty in front of him rendered Halen speechless. He parted the curtains gently with his right hand only to let the blinding rays of the sun hurt his newly awakened eyes. He gave up on the thought of looking outside but instead, turned his gaze towards the wardrobe.

After exerting a little effort into opening the huge doors of the wardrobe, Halen was graced by all sorts of clothes for a fine gentleman such as himself. There was a wide array of clothing from suits to casual wear neatly hung inside. Halen’s lips formed a faint smile as he pictured himself wearing one of the clothes there but then again, these clothes weren’t meant for him even if he looked good in them. Just as he was about to close the wardrobe, his eyes caught a glimpse of a different kind of clothing. It was a set which definitely suits his choice of wardrobe, an armor and a sword. Just then, he remembered that he was inside an unknown room.

These will come in handy…

Donning the armor and wielding the sword, much to his surprise, both fit him perfectly. It almost made Halen think that they were placed inside the wardrobe with him in thought. Perhaps he was over thinking things, but then again, it has always been wise to come prepared in unfamiliar grounds. He swung the sword a few times to check if it was smithed well. Surprisingly, the sword felt very comfortable to wield. Again, a pang of curiosity seeped into his mind. Now he was sure that these armaments were crafted just for him. But why? And by whom? These were the questions he would need to find an answer to.

Halen turned his gaze towards the large wooden doors with angelic carvings. To him, the angels looked like they were descending from heaven? Or falling from grace? Halen didn’t know how to interpret such an art without knowing the artist. He heaved a sigh followed by a quick deep breath. Halen’s grip on the sword became tighter as he pressed his left hand on the wooden door. What lies beyond was definitely unknown to him. All that is clear was that he should not come out unprepared. Steadying his balance, Halen was poised to strike. He had never heard another sound besides him scuffling around the room earlier which was never a good sign.

With a strong push, the large wooden doors emanated a wooden creak as they parted from each other to give way for Halen. A marble hallway, that was the first thing Halen saw outside the room but was easily distracted by the unreal vastness of the place.

No way! Am I inside a castle?

Halen’s false assumption that he was inside a mansion shattered like fragile glass inside his head. What was beyond the wooden doors baffled him but was quickly brought back to his senses by the same creaking sound his doors made. Only, they were not from his doors. A deep breath and a second was all it took for Halen to completely leave the confines of his room and set foot on the marble hallway. In there, towards the right, were two more opened doors. Halen steeled his arms and readied himself for an attack only to be stopped when he was certain that people came out of the rooms.

Halen dropped his battle stance when a lady walked out of the first door. She was wearing clothing that looked rather unique for Halen. She had short blond hair, a well built physique, along with that small but menacing hammer she carries. Her clothes, a blazer, skirt, tights and laced boots were perfectly matched with red and black tones, with black being the dominant one below and red serving as an accent above the set. This was the first time Halen saw somebody wearing such clothing articles. He wondered if the lady was from the same world as he is. If he were to describe her in one word, Intimidating perfectly fits the bill.

It wasn’t long before another figure made an appearance. This time it was another male. Older looking than both Halen and the lady, he donned a grey cloak over simple dark clothing. He had wavy hair and had this refined look. He gave off an aura of a calm and collected person along with ferociousness at the same time. Judging from the book he carried, he should be well versed in magic. Halen knew that this person is one of those he would not want to fight with now.
As their eyes met, no words have been said. It was as if all of them are taking time to acknowledge each others' presences in the scene. Just as Halen was about to greet the two, their eyes suddenly turned fierce. Halen immediately knew the reason why. Behind him was another presence, only this time, he was sure it was hostile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is about what I could do for the first scene. Let me know what you think of it. I intentionally skipped the battle scene though.