New Design Challenge: Story10

Storytelling has been a part of our world since the very beginning. The expression of feelings, events, and history through the written and spoken word has been a tradition that has been naturally passed on to us through the centuries. Stories are meant to invoke emotions in people, whether they be good (Happiness, joy, excitement) or bad (sadness, depression, gloom). Atmosphir’s latest Design Challenge addresses one of our oldest traditions in a storytelling competition.

Story10, announced last week, is the latest Design Challenge facing Atmosphirians. As the name implies, the object here is to create a story-driven level. There are an infinite number of stories that can be written of course. Dave (OkaySamurai) provided us with numerous examples, including a mystery, trivia game, interactive story, recreation of another story, and many more. If you need some quality examples, be sure to check out the official topic.

For many, the question comes down to “How do I tell a good story?” Unfortunately for the community, NPCs and dialogue are not available yet. However, info stickers are at our disposal. These circular Interactives display a text box whenever the play walks on them, allowing designers to convey a message. In a recent update, a new feature was added to them, allowing them to become invisible. In this challenge, Info Stickers will be the primary weapon.

Of course, a good story alone will not satisfy a majority of the community, who determine whether you win or lose. Excellent gameplay is expected to accompany the level, as always. There are two ways to approach this; build a level around a story, or write a story about a level. Having a basis is very important when it comes to creating both a level and a story.

If you’re having difficulties writing a story, try searching for writing tips on Google. There are many tips out there to help even the poorest writer create an excellent story. Music is also an excellent source of inspiration. Listen to the lyrics or feel the emotion in a song, and let the words flow naturally.

When using info stickers, be careful with your placement and visibility. Plastering your level with visible info stickers can take away from the scenery, but it means your audience will not miss them. On the other hand, invisible info stickers don’t damage the view at all, but they can be very easy to miss. Take the time to create a balance between these two extremes, as it could mean the difference between first place and not ranking at all.

The deadline for Story10 is July 1, 2010. Be sure to include “Story10” in your title! Good luck!