[Boson-devel] Re: Fwd: Re: Boson Story

[Andreas B. <b_...@gm...>]

> Hello,

Hi
First of all: Sorry for my late response. I am currently working on some 
projects with a fixed deadline and therefore have very little time for boson.

> I've been following the Boson project for a couple of years now and am
> impressed with the planning and work that has gone into the game. I'm also
> a designer and developer, always working on various projects to different
> degrees and in different respects, and I've often wondered if there was
> anything that I could do as part of the Boson project.
>
> I'm offering my services to work on the Boson Story. I read the drafts and
>  the comments that other project members posted and feel that my talents
>  could be of some help.

That would indeed a lot of help. The story evolves a lot slower than I would 
like to. Some help would be appreciated

> Back during my undergrad, as an English Language and Literature major, I
> won prizes and scholarships in creative writing, but more notably (and more
> recently) I've been writing a number of scripts for computer games. I've
> got a gameplay in the early stages of submission/selection with BioWare
> (the company behind Baldur's Gate and many other great games, as I'm sure
> you're aware) 

That reminds me that I have to complete that NWN addon some day :-) I really 
need more time ;-)

> and three concepts/gameplays in the works for this upstart 
> game development firm called CI. CI will launch in 2006 with a variety of
> titles; I'm contributing the stories and/or concepts for an original
> puzzle/strategy game, platformer, and shooter. I have the time and energy
> to contribute more to this field and I want to continue to hone my skills
> with regards to this type of writing.
>
> I've already begun composing a rough draft, 

It would be great if you would use our draft as a start (see 
http://boson.eu.org/wiki/Main/StoryDraft2). We have already decided that we 
_will_ use this as basis of boson. This decision was made simply because we 
have learned that if we don't do that now, then nobody will ever.

I am also fine with several totally different storylines in boson, so that we 
have eventually two different games in our main distribution. However if you 
don't have something fixed already, starting with what we have already would 
be preferred.

> alongside continued testing of 
> Boson to get a better and better feel for the game. Lastly, I'd like to
> give you more info about how I would treat the Boson world; a few key
> points are listed below:
>
> 1. As I stated above, I've started on a rough draft. The elements of the
>  story that I've already laid down can work into Boson either as a series
> of "campaigns," as in Star Craft, or as cinemas/cut-scenes only.
>
> I agree with one of the earlier email-list posts that in games such as
> Boson many players want to play against their friends exclusively and don't
> require, in fact in many cases loathe, "story." 

Actually I do not agree. Or at least only if "many" players does not mean 
something like "most" players in this context.
Multiplayer games are indeed important these days, but I am rather used to 
singleplayer mode usually. I think of multiplayer as an extension to a game, 
but not as its primary use.
Of course that's just my opinion, but I justifies the need for a story a 
lot :-)

> Often times for certain 
> players cinemas and whatnot can feel intrusive; they "just wanna play the
> game." 

I agree. I would like to keep number of cutscenes to a minimum. But since we 
are an open source game without any kind of budget, we probably won't be able 
to provide cutscenes anyway. But I believe cutscenes can improve a story 
only, they do not create it.
It is the missions of the game (i.e. the game itself) and the background story 
of the game, that make up the actual story of the game.

> However, on the other hand, I see value in the opposite opinion (as 
> illustrated by another post) that a strong story engages the player(s). I
> don't know whether or not the Boson team has plans for "campaigns" as in
> Star Craft or if it will be exclusively multiplayer. Either way, I feel
> that a strong story can pad the multiplayer experience without being
> intrusive, whether in a series of optional single (or multiplayer?)
> campaigns and/or through an intro cinema, cut-scenes, etc.

As pointed out by Rivo, Boson will have campaigns. 

> 2. I feel that the real-world military style of play can lend itself to an
> equally realistic story without feeling like something we've read in
> history books or see on the evening news. While my rough draft incorporates
> "classic" military and world-power elements, I'm not gonna submit anything
> to the Boson team that's cliche or inappropriate. Also, I have taken
> military history courses in the past, read, and will continue to read
> related texts in order to strengthen Boson's overall impression upon the
> user.

Can we see what you have already?
If you want to you can put your draft to the wiki (http://boson.eu.org/wiki) 
and work on it there. This way we can comment on it

> 3. The Boson team has worked to a higher standard, which I not only wish to
>  be a contributing part of, but also wish to accomodate. The game engine,
>  model design, graphics, effects, and so on are superbly executed and it
>  seems to me that the final product may ultimately suffer some in these
>  respects if (for instance) a great level designer or 3D modeller takes
> time out to plot the story. I'm a capable level designer, but I don't know
> anything about 3D modelling; really stories/concepts are what I'm best at.
> I hope that you'll inquire about my talents as a wirter further. In the
> end, I hope my talents will be to the benefit of the Boson game.

You don't need any modeling abilities to create a story or levels in boson. 
After all my own modeling abilities are .. well, if you see a big red box 
instead of a unit in a level, then noone was willing to make the unit for me 
*g*

The map editor in boson is right now in a very state, I believe. There are a 
lot of features that I miss whenever I use it (usable height map editing 
being one of them). However it _is_ possible to create nice maps with it, as 
some maps prove :-)
Anyway please report bugs/wishes to bugs.kde.org when you encounter them.

This is valid for everyone: do NOT think that "everyone knows anyway", because 
this is only true if anyone uses it. I do NOT use the editor most of the 
time. I am NOT aware of most bugs. And if I don't receive bug reports or even 
wishes, then I assume that nobody uses that thing and I never put any work 
into it. Otherwise I will test/improve the editor only when I need it myself, 
but my TODO list is already very long, I doubt that I will ever create a map 
in the close future.

> I could find no other way of mailing the development team, so I hope this
> information has taken the appropriate channel. 

Yes, boson-devel is the main channel of development. You can meet about 50% of 
the team (that is Rivo and me) at freenode irc on #boson (e.g. irc.kde.org) 
often, but I prefer to work with mails usually.
On the other hand some development has been transferred to #boson due to the 
fact that boson-devel is used by Rivo and me nearly exclusively most of the 
time anyway :-(

> Also, I apologize if this 
>  email seems a bit formal for a request to contribute. I'm used to writing
>  this sort of proposal for BioWare and CI. I hope to hear from you soon,
>  perhaps to discuss a suitable "due date" for my rough draft. Thanks for
>  considering my offer. Great game, keep up the good work. I'll be playing.

Yeah, such a formal mail is indeed a bit unusual in open source projects, but 
it is nothing to apologize for :)

As Rivo has pointed out a "due date" in free software projects is usual "when 
you are done". Free software is usually always under development - there is 
no fixed deadline.
I am totally aware that this is often a bit difficult to work with, but I'm 
afraid I don't see a way around this. If I would propose a fixed date, then 
you would most probably expect the game to be usable at least in certain 
aspects, but that is something that I am unable to promise. Anyway I will try 
to implement features that you (or anyone else) need for something as soon as 
possible.

> Thanks,
> Shawn C Burke
> sb...@pe...

CU
Andi