[Squinky]

Originally Posted by After a brisk nap

In a story about a servant of "the evil side", and unless it's one of those "create maximum mayhem" games, the default assumption is that it will be about how he decides to become good (cf. Kian in Dreamfall, for example). Therefore, the choice between stabbing and sweet-talking is a loaded one.

I'd say a lot more about what I have planned for the outcome (or choice of outcomes, rather), but since it essentially gives away a lot of what I have planned for the story, I'll just let you wait and see what happens (or can happen) once the game is finished.

Originally Posted by After a brisk nap

Dave Gilbert tried to present moral dilemmas without a right or wrong solution in The Shivah. As he recognizes on the commentary track, this is one part of the game that doesn't really come off. This is partly because players instinctively know what the "right" answer is (should the disillusioned rabbi throw the mobster in front of a subway train or let him live?) and partly because in presenting two different outcomes, one will almost inevitably seem preferable to the other, and thereby be perceived as the correct answer.

See, the problem I had with that particular choice was that due to ambiguous wording, I thought it was between turning the mobster in to the authorities or letting him run free, so, feeling authoritarian at the time, I picked the former, and got to be slightly surprised in seeing him smushed by the subway. And then, in the finale, when I discovered that there was a difference between letting him live and letting him die, I found it a tad artificial. When I talked to Dave at GDC, he told me that this moral choice was originally going to be more of a dilemma, and that killing a person would save the life of another. I would have found this to be a lot more interesting to explore, personally.

In the end, though, it was obvious that Dave had a specific theme of redemption he wanted to push forward in his story, and I believe he succeeded in this regard. My goal, which is to portray that there is no such thing as absolute good and absolute evil in people, is radically different, and the game, I hope, will meaningfully reflect such a theme.

Originally Posted by After a brisk nap

(And even if the player is looking out for the character's best interest, they will often assume that the game rewards self-sacrifice now later on.)

Oh man, imagine the fun I'm going to have once people discover that there are many cases in the game in which self-sacrifice isn't rewarded. *cackles*

Originally Posted by After a brisk nap

The only path left that I can see is to set up conflicts between different moral imperatives. Like "do I torture this suspected terrorist, or let a nuclear device go off in downtown Philadelphia?" Or "do I help the stranger in distress, or keep the promise to my wife?" "Do I get my client off the hook even though I know he's a serial killer, or do I betray my oath as a defense attorney?" This gets pretty heavy, though, and you can't have too many such decisions in one story. If you think you can make it fun to play, good luck to you.

Moral decisions don't have to be heavily serious, you know. Particularly in the way that I present them, with hastily-sketched cartoon graphics and tons of silliness and sarcasm. Now, it may seem like I'm trivializing morality here, but the thing is, that's another theme I wish to portray: the fact that one shouldn't always take things so seriously, and that life is meant to be enjoyed. You can be cruel to others in very funny ways, and you'll laugh (I hope), but maybe, just maybe, you'll think in the back of your mind about why it made you laugh. And maybe your prejudices will be challenged, and you'll think about the world in a different way than you did before.

Yeah, I'll definitely be needing some good testers.

Originally Posted by After a brisk nap

Crucially, these alternative Macbeth stories actually change the meaning of the original Macbeth. Awareness of them influence how we interpret the first story. Even more importantly, if all the versions are equally ranked, they start to cancel each other out. Is it a tragedy or a comedy, a heroic epic or a cautionary tale? If Macbeth can be a tyrant or a benevolent sovereign, then he isn't really either. If he can do anything, then he has done nothing.

See, I'm reading what you've written, and am thinking all the while "Wow! I would SO enjoy playing such a game!" Yes, linear stories have strengths of their own, but I believe that interactive stories have potential as well, much of it as of yet untapped. And the existence of the latter will by no means eradicate the existence of the former, as it seems that many fear. Saying, for example, that I shouldn't waste time creating interactive stories when I could be writing a much better, traditional linear adventure game instead, well, that's almost like saying that [insert favourite screenwriter/director here] shouldn't be making movies because s/he could be writing a deeper, richer novel instead.

Originally Posted by After a brisk nap

This isn't to discourage you from trying, but just so we can all see clearly the challenge you have set for yourself

You think I thought this was easy? Of course it's a challenge, and that's exactly why I'm doing it! And I know I won't get it perfect the first times around, but I'll keep on trying, and maybe, just maybe, be of help in changing the face of interactive entertainment.