The Meta Story
This document is a spoiler!
Do not read on, unless you want to spoil the game and future story of the game for yourself
Plot
The simple series of events that occur.Whenever Faulhurst approaches, to ask for money / donation.
The plot is the documentation and discovery of the Dungeon Train.
The attempt to understand the Dungeon Train.
When you find out everything there is to know, than you have finished Dungeon Train.
Have interesting things for the character to do.
The things you (your character) does matter.
Timeline
0 - UBB - Creates Dungeon Train, as Art.
1 - LDB - Discovers Dungeon Train (oblivious to UBB)
Sends player drones into the train to explore it.
2 - Player - Finds Dungeon Train VR.
3 - Player - Finds truth (0) before LDB.
Things player can do on the train
Donation to Faulhurst
This is an expression of the theme of greed and gain. The fundamental need in a game to gain things. Progression.
The experience is more important than the progress. "I want to contribute because I can"
Finding the letters
A reward in itself.
Play to a collecting habit - store the letters for later. Emphasis on documentation.
Collecting coins.
Scanning Objects - Interacting with Brennan
Go into next room
Collection objects.
Looking at the view.
Combat
Conditions for passing a room (puzzles)
Characters
Universe B Brennan. “The Lazy Fisherman” Enlighten. Created something that will outlive him. Created Faulthurts
The Lead Dev “The Business Man”: Brennan Hatton. I represent reality Trying to find out more about the Dungeon Train.
Brennan - The AI. Museum software
Faulhurst. Poliet, Sivel. Oppositional force to lead dev. He represents VR / fantasy.
The Player / The Explorer To find out the unique and ultimate purpose of the dungeon train
World (The Setting)
The Dungeon Train.
A creation by Universe-B Brennan.
Why I made this train:
A genre I like, made beautiful
Progression curve
Reminds me of childhood.
Beautiful terrain
I love the adventure time universe
The feeling of sunlight
The hypothetical unseen world of, Lead Dev Brennan's reality.
Professional
Context for the stories
The Dungeon Train has been explored by other people.
Will be explored by other people
Has not been exclusively explored by the player drones with lead Brennan. Other people who found the train, not via Brennan.
Use generated stories?
The (outdated) Meta Story
This is where the real spoilers lie, if you skip this bit, you can still save some of the magic
The meta story centralizes around 3 key questions, which the user is to answer for themselves, but guided through stories of other characters the player finds on the train
What is the Train?
The Train itself, is an allegory for the journey the player is on.
It is an artwork created by Universe B Brennan
It is a game. It always has been and always will be. Similar to the adventure time episode that inspired it.
This is a conclusion the players must come to own their own.
Within this is where am I in the train?
Perhaps every carriage can have a cart id, randomized to show you are never in the same cart, even at the start.
Why am I on this train?
You, as everyone else is on the train for the same reason you are playing the game.
Curiosity? Entertainment? Distraction? Mindlessness? Fun?
Everyone is a player of the game, lost in the game, just as you are lost in VR.
While it is never said explicitly, the story of others you find on the game could have also been playing the game in VR.
'The game' and 'the train' should be synonyms when thinking about the design. Perhaps this does or does not happen in the story telling too.
Also, within this question is, How did I get on this train? Why am I starting here?
How did I get on this train?
This question is tied directly to what attracted the player to the VR game. Through exploring the game, the player is lead to the realization that it is nothing more than a game. A game they, and all other characters aboard, chose to play.
Why am I starting here?
The start is the end is forever. The reason you started here, is because you chose to restart. As explained further down, restart is key to the story.
What am I meant to do?
There are two answers to this question.
Whatever you want
The game should initially seem to be about whatever you want it to be about.
Mindless combat, Exploring, looting, leveling up
These mechanics should be really fun. REALLY FUN.
But, at some-point you realize, in order to progress, you must go against what is fun, and do what is right.
What is right
What does this mean? I am unsure. This is where our themes come in, particularly compassion, and Greed as it affect self.
It should require intention to discover this. If user never asks themselves "what am I meant to do on this train?" they will never explore this journey. The stories of the characters the user finds on this journey should inspire this question, along with the above questions.
