07IML346 Midterm - Matthew Lee
a) Title : "The Tempest: Shadows of Society" or "The Tempest: Rivenscyr (reading the divide/understanding separation)"
b) Abstract: short description that includes: genre, subject, format/presentation.
What is reality? How do we move through it, and how do games in themselves affect us in real life? For that matter, how do our expectations in these settings lead us to how our actions will affect us? I will be exploring this through a video game set in an interactive three-dimensional world, showing the very real consequences of choice. Why a video game? Because the video game of today is almost a throwback to the interactive media of the Renaissance...the theatre. Thus, I have selected the play called "The Tempest", by William Shakespeare, as the world in which I set this production, for it is perhaps the best for adaptation into a game, considering its adherence to the three unities. My audience is the layperson, ages 11-early 20s, who are RPG/FPS fans.
Some notes that I have considered in the production of this: “The Tempest” in its original form is very much overtly concerned with its own nature as a play, drawing links between Prospero’s use of magic and illusion as akin to the theatre. Even the shipwreck was a spectacle, eyelids being like curtains of a proscenium, and the airy spirit disguises herself as many figures from myth. Theatre in that sense is set up as both occupation and possible transformation, much like games have become in the modern day.
Granted, "The Tempest" Is a very complex play, and In attempting to adapt it and make more workable as a thesis project, there will necessarily be some (or many) modifications. Hence, I am focusing on only a few of the I am going to be cutting out a good many characters, centering on a few characters (major: Prospero, Ariel, Miranda, minor: Caliban, Sycorax), which I detail in the attached document.
Relativity, both moral and otherwise. Life as a great act, a theatrical tradition…all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. I am going to be exploring these questions by synthesizing and better presenting pre-existing ideas and viewpoints from multiple perspectives. Again, the Tempest is valuable here, as it deals with the issues of colonization, "justice", and other such from many different points of view, allowing one to better understand how issues do not tend to be single-ended.
This thesis will include a game mechanic involving levels and worlds of reality, as well as cutscenes to show the greater effectiveness in experiential exploration of a topic, not simply hearing about it. As such, some of the various “worlds” a character will find themselves in will be those completely of illusion, requiring puzzles to get out or to realize that there is something abnormal going on. The line between reality and fantasy is very thin sometimes, and in this sense, text alone is inadequate to describe it, just as it is in theatre.
c) Methodology
Without a doubt, much of the problems that I will be facing here lie in presentation, and how I am going to be able to address the questions of “what is reality” through what is, to some, dated material. Since I have somewhat of an amalgamated audience, knowing a great deal about the standard dynamics of a RPG, I will likely have to begin with something to draw them into the world I am creating. Of necessity will be the use of images and references to Alchemy and Old Magic, where many more arcane symbols can be found, as well as many of the concepts that we find in life today (and many motifs in movies).
I will begin with the usual “training” area, and a short introduction to what has transpired already, so that those unfamiliar with the context of “The Tempest”, or indeed, even those who know the play, will be quickly caught up to my version of the events.
Since, balance, unity, and almost breaching the fourth wall are so central to the project, woven into the foundation of the game itself (music derived from the music of the spheres, resonances, etc), there will have to be some areas where their presence is obvious (the Forest of Illusion comes to mind).
As one continues deeper into the world structure that has been created, one will be able to revisit the worlds of the past, and also to unlock information there that is built into each item. Each bit of “magic” acquired, each area cleared, unlocks certain elements in the accompanying database of information, which would not be too hard to access.
With this, the viewer would have to work at revealing information, but since in games, players are accustomed to sometimes doing repetitive or difficult tasks that they would not do in real life simply to get to the next level, why not take advantage of that? The user would already be immersed in the world of the game (which is based on the play), and much could be done to build upon that.
d) Media Presentation & Justification
Why: Video games target the same audiences that Theatre did many years ago during the Renaissance, and currently are dealing with many of the same issues (e.g. Video Game Violence, etc), as well as being a powerful medium that can be extremely thought provoking.
Chosen Medium: Video Game, RPG ® based on the FFXIII graphic engine (the Square Enix “White Engine” or some simulacrum thereof…well, I can dream. More realistically, Adobe Flash [ala a Dragonfable-esque game])
Working Title: “Rivenscryr” (reading the divide/understanding separation)
Overall Feel: Much darker than Shakespeare’s original work, this game significantly modifies elements of the play to make it more workable for purposes of game play. For instance, the ending is not a happy one for Prospero (who in this adaptation is more like a Sith Lord than anything else), and focuses more on the story of Miranda (whose character has been somewhat altered to give her more playability, and to make the story more interesting). Prospero is an unbalanced character to start with, as all powerful characters are not good in RPGs.
Language: Updated to a more crisp and fresh feel, though certain verse passages have been kept, such as Caliban’s description of the island.
A Note about weapons/armor/magic: As the characters are on an island, most weapons will either be created of what can be found there or are. Thus Miranda and Prospero will be spear/staff users, while any people new to the island (shipwrecked), will probably be using swords. In many cases, an “armor upgrade” will merely be an additional magical shell or enchantment on existing equipment.
A Note about limit breaks: There is a overdrive meter that increases when one takes damage, and when it is fully activated, one can perform a unique ability. There are four levels of overdrives, each of which is obtained a different way (begin with one, clearing forest of illusion grants another, unlocking a certain amount of memories a third, and defeating Caliban the fourth)
Major Characters:
Miranda (Mirian): The heorine of the game, Miranda is the daughter of Prospero, brought to the island at an early age. Thus, she is quite innocent about the outside world, and has never seen any men other than her father and Caliban, but she is not exactly sheltered either. She begins as naïve and non-judgmental, though this changes through the course of the game, when Prospero gets out of hand. Normally compassionate, and gentle, she can be surprisingly firm at times, especially when it is necessary for the greater good. She wields a long spear engraved with runes and is a spellcaster of element water, having grown up on the island.
Prospero: Twelve years before the events of the game, Prospero was the duke of Milan. Overthrown by his brother, Antonio, in concert with Alonso, king of Naples, he as forced to flee in a boat with his daughter. He arrived on the island and co-existed for a time with the witch Sycorax before a falling out in which he destroyed her utterly. Since then, he has spent his time on the island refining the magic that gives him the power he needs to punish his enemies. A very arrogant and vindictive individual, who can stoop to extremes of pettiness to show off his power. . .rather like a Sith Lord. As an Archmagus, he controls all elements equally and wields a twisted staff.
Caliban: A twisted beast, Caliban is the son of Sycorax (and of Prospero in this adaptation), who was born human, but had his memory erased and form twisted by Prospero in a fit of pique after Sycorax betrayed him. At present, he is treated as Prospero’s slave and seen as a monster by many other characters. Defiant and often unyielding, he desires freedom and the power that Prospero has over the island, as well as Miranda. In combat, he is extremely powerful physically, but has a weakness to magic, especially wind magic (and to a lesser degree water), as he is of the Earth Element.
Ariel: The “airy spirit” who serves Prospero, Ariel was “rescued” from a long imprisonment at the hands of the witch Sycorax by the magus. In return for this, he promised to be Prospero’s servant until Prospero decides to release him, but as Prospero has grown increasingly autocratic and defensive over the past 12 years, Ariel has become increasingly resentful and filled with a barely suppressed rage. While he cannot confront Prospero directly, he seeks a way that he might be able to overthrow his authority and obtain his freedom. Quite powerful, he is one of the main helpers you will have in the game, able to warp you to different places on the map at certain times, and to heal you or raise a stat, if you have the experience or mana to spare. Other than that, he is mischievous and ubiquitous, able to traverse the length of the island in an instant and to change shapes at will. His Element is Wind.
Sycorax: A witch and mother of Caliban, she is long dead by the time the game begins, though like the others, she holds a grudge against Prospero. Of course, she doesn’t much care for Ariel either, having been the one to imprison him in a pine tree for disobedience. She ruled the island alone before Prospero, and for a time, alongside him when he arrived, but after having a child by him, they had a falling out, resulting in her death. She is still quite powerful, even in death, though she has been sealed into the area that her old hut used to be in. A former sorceress who held sway over Fire.
Boatswain: Once vigorously good-natured, he died in the shipwreck scene, going down with the ship and drowning. As a ghost he now haunts the shipwreck along with his fellow vengeful shades, trying to find out why all of this happened. In combat, uses a sword, and casts status effects.
Ship’s Captain: Unnamed and bitter over the loss of his ship, he is now a powerful spirit who swears his allegiance only to the sea. Like the boatswain, he wishes to find out why his ship was sunk, and he is now bitter and angry, waiting for someone from the island to step aboard so he can question them. Proficient with the sword, as well as water magic (gained after death)
Ferdinand: The Son and heir of the King of Naples, this is the comic relief character, a prime example of a fool in love, who alternates between being hypermasculine and emasculated, trying to impress her and failing. Miranda, not having seen any other men but her father and Caliban, completely misunderstands his intent and manages to show him up, thinking he needs her help.
Other Characters: These include the King of Naples, his brother, Prospero’s Brother, and the butler and fool, all of which are slain in Prospero’s lust for revenge.
Setting:
All the action takes place on or around the island physically, though some will occur on the spirit plane. So here are some of the various locations:
- Miranda’s Hut: A place where the main character can rest to restore HP and Mana, as well as obtain flowers that can be used to restore both, as well as items that may be able to temporarily raise a stat. A map of the island is located here, as well as a place where save data can be recorded, and an in game journal
- Shipwreck (water elemental area): Accessible by Ariel’s “warping” function or Miranda’s magic-based “waterwalking”
- Half-sunken remains of vessel run aground on a reef, hull is rotting
- Presence of ghosts and vengeful sea sprites (powerful magical attackers, physically resistant)
- “Boss” = Ghost of Captain, whose restless spirit is tied to his ship
- Contains items/knowledge from mainland in the armory and captain’s quarters, as well as the shades of those who knew Prospero as he once was.
- Sounds: BGM possibly a mournful cello piece, with the sound of waves
- Forest of Illusion (created by Ariel to hide himself away when he finally grows too tired of Prospero’s constant orders. Miranda must pass through here to the pine tree at its center to find out why he is being so discourteous and non-responsive):
- A forest of mists and shadows, where nothing is quite as it seems
- Magic abilities are cut to half-effectiveness, mana points regenerate more slowly
- Creatures drawn from legendary beasts, from humanity’s fears
- Slaying creatures will regenerate HP/SP
- Items may be found there that exist nowhere else on the island
- While passing through the forest, one will hear sound slips from “The Tempest”
- Guardians of the Wood: “mini-bosses” = magical/physical juggernauts, can be defeated only with difficulty. . .items and powerups will be important here. Slow and ponderous though, so this is a good time to use combos.
- “Boss” = Ariel: cannot be harmed by physical means, and is resistant to most magic. Not a true boss in that he does not need to be truly defeated. . .you simply have to survive for a few minutes before he relents and tells you his story.
- Sycorax’s hut (to where the spirit of the witch is now bound):
- Shadowy area where dark impressions of the past remain
- Contains several powerful fire-magic items
- Touching items will reveal traces of past memories
- Eventually, after fighting a “Keeper of Memory”, the ghost of the witch will appear in a burst of shadow and flame, and though you may try to attack her physical attacks are useless. She will disarm you, and then present to you a series of puzzles for you to solve before vanishing. Each one you solve will unlock more of her memories, and make more of her sealed power available to you.
- Caliban’s Cave (Earth Elemental area, where Caliban has gone to ground after one of Prospero’s fits of anger)
- Golems may rise from the ground to do his bidding (physically resistant and physically powerful in melee attacks, weak to magic).
- While waking along, clips of “The Tempest” can be heard, specifically those relating to Caliban and his relationship with Prospero
- A place of bad memories for Miranda, as it was there he tried to rape her long ago
- “Boss” = Caliban: With High HP and speed, and resistant to Physical attacks, the only real way to do damage to him is through magic, as he is weaker to it. One will need to be careful to heal though, as his attack power is quite impressive. Once defeated, he will no longer be an adversary, and will return towards the end of the game after handing over an orb of earth.
- Beach and Woods
- The general areas where one can go to train/level up, gaining experience by fighting rogue sprites.
- Also, beach is where you will encounter the shipwrecked people for the first time after leaving the Forest of Illusion. Ferdinand essentially falls head over heels for Miranda upon seeing her, and the other men proves themselves lechers who are instantly beaten away by her.
- Scene of Prospero’s final act of retribution of slaying all the shipwrecked people except Ferdinand
- * A Possible "World of Dreams"
o Symbols of the past, recollections of the memorable moments from the game
o Calling back old memories, and getting a sense of the "World" of The Tempest
o Fragments of productions, almost a world within the air, from where the interface will be in the very beginning and end after beating the game.
- Prospero’s Cell (Place of the Final Battle):
- Magically neutral, a place where Ariel cannot enter.
- Austere, adorned only by the books of sorcery that he studies and by a curious magical symbol traversing the room
Significant Points in Plot:
- Opening: A cut scene with Miranda and Prospero looking out at the recent shipwreck
- Present: Miranda comments on the tragedy of the shipwreck and wonders about the storm
- Flashback I: Static and grainy view of men at sea in the mist of the storm (cinematic)
- Return to Present: Prospero talks of his true past and his thirst for revenge
- Flashback II: Simple, clear, vivid, with multiple stills flashing on the screen instead of cinematic, showing how Prospero, former Duke of Milan, was usurped by brother and forced to flee to island
- Return to Present: Prospero reveals that the shipwreck was his doing and casts a sleeping charm on Miranda, so all goes black.
- Beginning of Gameplay: Wake in Miranda’s Hut, begin your process of exploring (from here, it diverges with Shakespearian canon).
- Final Battle Ending: Rescue by a surprising savior
- Miranda and Prospero are fighting one another with all their skill and power, and when Miranda lowers Prospero to a fraction of his HP, a cut scene begins
- Now possessed by his magic and caring only about his own survival, he launches a powerful desperation attack towards Miranda, intending to end the threat to his person, once and for all
- Caliban rushes into the room and takes the hit instead, remorseful for what he has done in the past
- Prospero is drained and shocked, letting Miranda knock the staff from his hands and knock him to the ground and point her spear at his throat.
- He surrenders, and as his mind clears, he recognizes full well that he nearly killed his daughter in his thirst for rage, and that Caliban was not entirely inhuman.
- Miranda’s last and most powerful limit break activates, causing a ray of light to shine down from the heavens upon her, and a flare of light to erupt and fill the screen. All goes white.
- Game Ending: Specter of the Past, Revelations, and Broken Man
- The words “Several Days later” appear on screen as the scene fades in
- Day again, on the beach, Miranda and Prospero gathered together with Caliban, Ariel, and Ferdinand
- Prospero, old and defeated now, reveals the truth about Caliban, that he is really the son of Sycorax and himself, and that after his falling out with his former lover, he erased Caliban’s memory and warped his form so that he would not have any reminders of her nearby. Using the what magic he has left, he reverses the curse on Caliban, revealing him to be a handsome young man who can now remember everything. . .and who will become the Duke of Milan
- Ferdinand proposes marriage to Miranda, who turns him down again.
- Prospero makes one last request of Ariel, to make the seas calm for the journey back to the mainland, and then releases him from service.
- Miranda then takes Prospero’s staff, and shatters it into a thousand little pieces, and watches as the others go their separate ways.
- As for her tale. . .her adventures are only beginning. . .
Unlockables Extras:
- Caliban’s Side Story: What his life was like before Prospero’s fit of pique, and what his daily routine was like, as well as his take on the battle, and why he decided to take the blast meant for Miranda. Closes with him in Milan, assuming his place as the new duke.
- Sycorax’s Tale: Her life in Algiers and the events that led to her subsequent exile, with a mini-game involving the first taming of Ariel. Ends with a cutscene of Prospero coming to the island with a young Miranda.
- Ariel’s commentaries: Only one being saw the whole affair unfold from beginning to end, from Sycorax’s first coming to the island to all eventually leaving him in freedom once again, and that is Ariel, the spirit. With this, you have the option of hearing Ariel’s commentary on everything that happened, including the side stories.
Easter Eggs:
- I am a Sith Lord: After beating the game once, if one enters the special code, Prospero’s lines will be peppered with quotes form Star Wars (“At last, we shall reveal ourselves to the Jedi, at least. . .we shall have our revenge”, “Fear is my ally”, “I am the master now”)
- The Bard-Tree: Within the Forest of Illusion, there is only one weeping willow, that if struck, will mournfully recite Jacques’ Speech, one of Hamlet’s Soliloquies, or one of Oberon’s speeches. If attacked with magic, will drop the “Shaking Spear”, which can do extra damage against ghosts and Prospero
