Clarissa | making Enigma Heart

I think the reason chapter 1 of Enigma Heart works so well narratively is because it is on rails. You're guided through a linear story.

Wanting to take the rails off and let the player do things in any order from chapter 2 on is really at odds with me wanting to tell a story, especially since all of Zalia's friends are in Lydaea, and Zalia is on the move halfway across the continent.

(cont'd)

#GameDev #EnigmaHeart

Mar 25 at 4:17pmWeb
Show threadClarissa | making Enigma Heart5d ago

I really don't think, once people enter the valley, that they're gonna go back to Lydaea for updates now that they can just explore at will.

Zalia being solo really makes telling a story about relationships hard. Like, in a party-based RPG, your "hometown" (as it were) travels with you, so you have a built-in narrative device.

And I think Zalia and Esme writing letters back and forth is going to get old fast.

I really do think I've designed myself into a corner.

#GameDev #EnigmaHeart

Show threadLezLiz 🏳️‍🌈5d ago
@ClarusPlusPlus If the romance interest is independent and adventurous enough, you could just make the protag stumble upon her at various places. Otherwise, I guess either going back needs to be easy, like the Diablo town portal thing, or you need to come up with story reasons to meet the romance interest in more convenient locations.
Show threadRejax5d ago
@ClarusPlusPlus I've been trying to think about this while I had lunch. My first thought was possibly having location 3 require passing through Lydaea for some reason to guarantee interactions.
A letter could prompt the suggestion to go back but I'm not sure how you would make it mandatory without cutscene warping or making it more linear
Show threadClarissa | making Enigma Heart5d ago

@Rejax Funny you mention that; temple #3 actually does require going back to Lydaea, since it's only accessible by ship, which you have to acquire in Lydaea. So there's opportunity for romance-building there.

But then I start thinking things like... suppose the player skips 2 and goes to 3 first, will there have been enough time and distance for the reunion with Esme to feel weighty and important?

Or is it not even my problem at that point? I start thinking myself into spirals.

Show threadMeg5d ago

@ClarusPlusPlus imo I think you should avoid overthinking this and just make it how you think it should work and then, if you can, playtest various ways to push the player into triggering story beats.

It'd be kinda unrealistic to figure out the perfect way to do this in your head and get it right the first time, so don't aim for that.

Show threadClarissa | making Enigma Heart5d ago
@megmac Yeah I think you're right. I haven't gotten any meaningful progress done on the game in two days because I've been so obsessed with this little problem.
Show thread0x10f/kalle/qalle5d ago
@ClarusPlusPlus Maybe there could be a mail-carrying bird who magically finds Zalia wherever she is?