Immortal
- Genre: Gothic horror JRPG
- Type: Quest
- Engine: Arcweave, Excel & Miro
- Role: Narrative designer
- Duration: 13 weeks
- Branching story, quest and dialogue design.
- Script design: storyboarding & voice over scripting.
- Barks & character design: weapons & attacks
- World building & map design.
- Location & building design.
Warning! Current prototype is best played on a computer!
Overview
Goal
Immortal was designed as a narrative-driven gothic horror and JRPG fusion, used to provide a narrative roadmap from high-level vision to playable implementation. This included:
- Preparatory research and world building.
- Developing comprehensive frameworks for interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Creating linear and branching dialogues integrated seamlessly with gameplay.
- Designing character, location and script materials to support other teams, particularly: art, design and audio.
Linear & Branching Dialogue
Designed Quest Branching Dialogue
Designed branching dialogues that weaved thematic choices and variable triggers to deepen player immersion.
Objectives:
- Question HUB to allow player expression and freedom to shape their experience to suit their personal tastes.
- Fairy Blood quest designed to introduce players to the first taste of gameplay and set them on the main story arc.
- Dialogue flow to communicate immediate stakes and forward momentum.
Linear Dialogue
Designed linear dialogue to:
- Demonstrate cohesive singular plot threads.
- Encourage exploration of towns by establishing where/how the party can upgrade their equipment.
- Establish core gameplay mechanics by introducing players to Lizzy’s first party member and the game’s first major boss, showcasing standard JRPG gameplay.
Character Design & Barks
Player Character: Lizzy Masters
I designed the player character, Lizzy Masters, a zombie stripper with a soul. The game follows her journey from a dancer shackled with self-doubt to an empowered warrior who fights for what she believes.
- Personality/backstory. Lizzy Masters is a dancer at Club Nocturne, owned by her necromancer. Unlike other zombies, she doesn’t rot or has lost cognition. She longs for independence, and becomes key in the fight against the Immortals.
- Visual design. Indicated Lizzy’s physical appearance, keeping it tasteful while remining true to the game’s world.
- Combat design. Indicated Lizzy’s weapons of choice, attacks and combat style.
First party member: Ethan Goodman
Ethan Goodman is a vampire Lizzy comes across in Mareau’s mansion, locked in a filthy dungeon beaten within an inch of his life. After Lizzy frees him, he joins her party.
- Story. Introduced as a common vampire, Ethan is actually an Immortal fighting against his own kind. Leads a vigilante team of monsters.
- Combat. Ethan was designed to be a classic tank, possessing great strength and defense at the cost of speed. He equips the heaviest equipment in the game.
- Personality. Although well-intentioned, his Immortal nature creeps through at times as he can be haughty and snobbish.
Enemy NPC: Bram Mareau
I designed Lizzy’s first major threat, Bram Mareau, an Immortal, the oldest and most feared vampires in the land. Sired by the vampire goddess herself, Lilith, Immortals are the closest to gods most people can approach, however they find themselves deterioriting. Only drinking from Lilith can stop it. To reach her they need a soul, and only one being in Basmonde has one: Lizzy.
- Story role. Mareau introduces the player to the game’s antagonists, the Immortals.
- Personality. Mareau was designed to be chaotic, arrogant and vain.
- Visual design. Mareau has a flair for drama, so he was designed to be grand and powerful, and a bit camp.
Storyboarding & Trailer Script Writing
- Scripted the game’s opening sequence and designed its storyboard to demostrate communication between teams, displaying:
- Clear location and lighting information.
- Action and movement, complete with camera views and shots for the art team.
- An action-packed narrative with immediate drama and high stakes.
Worldbuilding
Location design
Designed the interiors and exteriors of the game’s locations using clear references to support the art/design teams.
- Purpose. Indicated the narrative and gameplay function for each location.
- Lore. Zombies are exploited for cheap labor. This is reflected in the gameplay for the shops are all manned by zombies.
- Tone. Made sure that each location was consistent with the game’s genre, setting and mood.
Cartography
Map Design.
- Distributed quest locations to encourage player exploration with new abilities, weapons, rare items and special armors/accessories to be found. Again, each location was tailored to the game’s genre, tone and themes.
- Each location unpeels more of the mystery of Basmonde, furthering the narrative and/or character development and progression.
Genre and Content Research
Conducted extensive preliminary research across TV, film and video games to draw inspiration.
- Genre. Researched media with gothic horror stories to help me nail my game’s tone.
- Gameplay. I was able to draw gameplay mechanics from my research while still working within the JRPG framework.
- Compiled notes to guide every facet of the creative process, helping me maintain tonal consistency.
Voice Over Scripts
Developed Voice Over documentation for key characters and NPCs that indicated clear instructions for the actors and art team, allowing for seamless and faster voice over sessions.