NarrativePlanforDungeonSouls

ByEdwinMcRae
BasedonstrategicplanningwithAprilPolandandCarlosVila

Backstory

TheGuildofHeroism(workingtitle)isacollectiveofadventurerswho,overtheyears,have
managedtoupseteveryoneoftheDarkGodSelenesplansforworlddomination.However,in
atragicturnofevents,theyweresoldouttoSelenebytheirNecromancer.Selenewasableto
lurethemintoatrap,killthemall,andconsigntheirsoulstoheraetherealdungeonwhereshe
nowamusesherselfbywatchingthemtry(mostlyinvain)toescape.

Naturally,Selenedoesntliketraitorsanybetterthanshelikesadventurersandsoshekilledthe
Necromancerandconsignedhimtothedungeonalongsidehisformercomrades.That
Necromancernowhassome

seriousmakinguptodo.

AimoftheGame

TheheroeshaveaslimchanceofbattlingtheirwayoutofSelenesdungeon.Iftheydo,they
canresurrectthemselvesbackintotheoverworldandaccessreviveoneoftheirfellow
adventurerswhocanthenmaketheescapeattemptforthemselves.

Thegameiscompletedwhen

alloftheheroeshavebeenresurrectedintotheoverworld.

Howarewegoingtotellthisstory?

GeneralApproach

JigsawStorytellingThenarrativeofthegameisbuiltupusingavarietyofnarrativeelements
suchastriggereddialoguesandflavourtext.Throughthistechnique,thestoryisnotdirectly
toldtotheplayer.Insteaditsuptotheplayertoputthevariouspiecestogetheranddiscover
thenarrativeforthemselves.

SatiricalToneInDungeonSoulswecanopenlypointoutRPGtropes(suchastheresalways
aSkeletonKing)andmakefunofthem.Dialogueandflavourtextwillhaveaconsistentlyself
awaretonethatcommentsonclassicRPGitems,charactersandsituations.Theaimistomake
theplayerfeelliketheyarepartofabig,multilayeredinjokethatplaysontheirknowledgeof
fantasyRPGs.Theyshouldfeelbothcleverforpickinguponthesejokesandamusedbyhow
ridiculousRPGconventionshavebecome.

NarrativeElements

TheFairyAguideandconstantcompaniontotheheroes.Shestheretohelptheplayer
understandboththemechanicsandtheworldofDungeonSouls.
IntraDungeonComments(TextBubbles)suchas...Levellingup,whentheRedeemeris
released,Bossfightintros,Bossdefeats,Herodeaths,andthefirstcoupleoftimesan
environmentalelement(suchasatrap)istriggered.
ExtraDungeonComments(TextBubbles)suchas...Explanationsofhowtousethe
ArcaneForge,ImprovingHerostats,remarksonHeroesbothunlockedandlocked.

Samples:
TriggeringtheRedeemerforthefirsttime.Eek,theRavagingRedeemercometh!Its
big,redandangry,likeagiantpimple!Runaway,runaway!
LevellingUp.Feelthatsuddenrushofawesomeness?Youvejustlevelledup!
Triggeratrapforthefirsttime.Letsnotdothatagain...ever.
Afterappearinginanewdungeonlevelforthefirsttime.Youknow,Ijustdonttrust
portals.Yougetoneincantationwrongandpoof,anyonewhogoesingetsturned
insideout.Notaprettysight.
AboutrecipesintheArcaneForge.Magicisjustlikecooking.Recipesaregood.Making
stuffup,thatusuallyendswithlotsoftripstothetoilet.

BossDialogue(VoiceOverandText)Wecaneasilyexpresshumourousbosspersonalities
throughtheiropeningdialogueandtheirfightdialogue.Some,suchastheSkeletonKing,can
begrotesquelyquirkywhileothers,suchastheGigantumSlime,canberatherpitiableand
misunderstood.Aniceguystuckinabadsituation.

Samples:
SkeletonKingintro:Urgh!Youlookhideous!Thatdisgustinglayerofsticky,stinking
flesh.Ithastogo!
GigantumSlimeintro:Imgoingtohavetokillyounow.Really,Idratherweshareacup
ofgooandchataboutpoliticsbutSelenesaidshedservemeupatachildrensparty
unlessIdidyouin.Ahwell,cantbehelped.

ShopkeeperDialogue(GibberishandText)Thispoorshopkeeperwaslongagoconsignedto
thedungeonbySeleneforrefusingtoredeemherexpireddiscountcoupons.Heistryingtobuy
hiswayoutofthedungeonbysellinghiswarestothehaplessadventurerstrappedinherwith
him.
Salesslogansforspecialitems
SnippetsofloreaboutSeleneandtheDungeonBosses

Samples:
ShopkeeperSalesPitch:Buymystuffordiehorribly.
ShopkeeperLore:ThedungeonisSelenesplaygroundandweareallhertoys.


ItemFlavourTextWecanbuildagreatdealoflorearoundSelene,heraetherealdungeon,
andtheheroesthemselvesthroughItemFlavourText.Manyoftheseitemscouldhave
originallybelongedtotheadventurersandtheshopkeeperisnowsellingthembacktothem.
PerhapshecleanedouttheadventurersguildhallpriortohiscapturebySelene?Throughthe
itemswecantellthebackstoryofourvariousheroes.

Samples:
RustySword:Ifthebladedoesntkillthem,thetetanussurelywill.Cormackthe
ConquerorWarrior
Dragonbreath:Badbreathhasneverbeensogood.AldridtheAbstruseWizard

SoundEffectsandSimpleAnimationsMuchcanbedonetoenhancetheatmosphereof
DungeonSoulsthroughsoundeffectsandkeyanimationstriggeredincertaintilesets.For
these,Ibelievethebestapproachistowritetheothernarrativeelementsfirstandthentolook
atoursoundandvisualeffectsoptionstoseeifwecanreplaceanyofourothernarrative
elementswithaneffectinstead.Thisisamuchmoreshowdonttellapproach,betteroverallas
wecanreducetheamountoftexttheplayerwillbereading.Butitstoodifficulttolockdownthe
detailsofthesebeforeweknowexactlywhatwewanttotell.