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NECESSARY BASTARDS
QUEST DESIGNER AND WRITER

 

Made with Shadowrun

After many years an infiltration sergeant named Levi Miller, by the order of his superior must go to the graveyard where he grew up and kill his people because of a chemical bomb effect that might turn them into monsters. After meeting with his step-dad and the leader of the graveyard people, Chris, they decide to attack that factory that made those bombs and kill its decision-makers. But there is only one way getting into that factory, which is to use the enemy's weapon against them. To become the Necessary Bastards.

MY PROCESS IN WRITING AND DESIGNING QUESTS

Typically, I start to write stories based on an idea or an illusional image I saw in daydreaming. Some time ago, I watched a YouTube video based on"Necessary Evil" concept. I have liked to write a story based on this concept. So, I wrote many loglines to brainstorm and to know my story and characters better. In this time, I started to learn Shadowrun Editor to know what tools I have with it and the objects I have to tell my story. After choosing one of them, I expanded it to three lines and then to one page to brighten the story, and then I wrote plot points. Simultaneously, I brainstormed to develop main characters to feel more three-dimensional using MBTI, character temperaments and etc.

QUEST STORY STRUCTURE

Based on Dan Harmon's Story Circle

1. COMFORT ZONE

Establish the Protagonist(s)

 Levi Miller is our protagonist, an infiltration sergeant, waiting for a proper time to rise against the governmental forces.

2. WANT SOMETHING

Need: Something Isn't Right

He has an order to go to the graveyard and kill the people affected by the chemical bomb. He doesn’t want to rebel now since he wants to stay undercover to get powerful.

3. UNFAMILIAR SITUATION

Go!

After Chris asks him to go and kill the factory's staff and governmental top ranks, he enters an unfamiliar situation.

4. ADAPTATION

Search

Finally, after Levi accepts Chris's suggestion, by throwing the bomb toward the soldiers, they adapt to the new situation and get ready for a fight.

5. GET THE WANT

Find

They penetrate the factory by using the transformed monster soldiers, and they defeat the guards. But they just find a scientist who has invented the bombs.

6. HEAVY PRICE

Paying the Price

To gain a bit chance of saving others, he kills Chris to fulfill Chris's need, protecting his people.

7. FAMILIAR SITUATION

Return

By returning to the graveyard, they are back to a familiar situation.

8. HAVING CHANGED

Change

With the death of Chris, Levi fails to save everyone, but Chris's need is now his want, becoming a leader and a survivor.

 
 

My Blog on Structuring Quests and Questlines

QUEST FLOWCHART AND PACING GRAPH

 

Please click on the image to view it in full-screen Mode.

 
 
Quest Flowchart
 
 
Quest Chart (2).png

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND DIALOGUE

MY APPROACH TO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

  • Using four-character temperaments to brainstorm: Water, Earth, Air, and Fire

  • Using Archetypes and the MBTI test to brainstorm the relationships and synergies between characters to make a dramatized characters’ web.

  • Writing their intention & obstacle – their want, need, and weakness

  • Ultimately, I have a set of questions I ask my main characters and write their answers to make them feel three-dimensional.

 

CHARACTERS

Header Subtitle

LEVI MILLER

The Protagonist

  • Want: He wants to save his people by infiltrating the army to gain power.

  • Need: He needs to open his old wound by talking and finding his stepfather to forgive himself.

  • Weakness: The most challenging weakness for him is that he wants to run away from his past, and he doesn't like to talk about it.

  • ESTP

CHRIS PALMER

The Antagonist

  • Want: Attacking the factory and killing them all is what he wants at any price, even his people's lives.

  • Need: He needs to be supportive and the savior of his people as he was in these past years.

  • Weakness: After the chemical attack on the graveyard, he only sees red and only wants revenge no matter if others will survive or not.

  • INFP

  • Dominant Character Temperament: Earth

    • Modest

    • Distant

    • Stable

    • Two life-giving and life-restoring properties

    • Depression

    • Moderate and Cautious

    • Seeing Illusions

    • Pessimistic

"You're really good at irritating. Just like the old times. Just like I remember. Just like an ideologist. You're one of them. Maybe, you don't know. Knowing this is not that hard. You guys hate each other, but in the end, all of you are the same."

 

Levi Miller
The Protagonist

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