WC#1 A morning mountain stroll - NickCuthbert

edited in General
This is based upon gameplay footage of a "Morning Mountain Stroll", found here

Note: This does not yet comprise a complete entry, as I'm struggling to find distict voices for the characters in the sample script.

1. Story premise

Andrew and Richard used to be close friends. They met during the annual fresher's hike hosted by the university's mountain club. From the beginning, it was clear that they shared, amongst other commonalities, a highly competitive nature and an obsession with the extreme. Taking inspiration from historic expeditions and the more modern sport of adventure racing, the two pushed both body and mind in increasingly ambitious endeavors, until few could keep pace. Equally driven in life, the pair were both successful, in their own way...

But with financial security, what started out as a friendly competitiveness, metamorphosed into a soured game of one upmanship. The stakes grew, the danger grew and egos ballooned. Still virtuously polite in company, the still bachelor Richard sharing meals with Andrew's family, their dangerous game resulted in a final bet, winner takes all -the money, the dog, the wife and the kids. A race around the world ending at the top of Miner's Peak, the mountain where they first met.

In this game you can play as either Richard or Andrew, still neck and neck with one another, at the culmination of their race. This is no longer the time for gentility. With the psychological and physical cost of loss being so steep, rugby tackles, fisty cuffs, deception and a good kick to the crotch are all in the cards, and if that fails, well there is always the Glock secreted away in your backpack (to defend against the bears).

The game however questions whether such tactics were all worth it, with a playable part II which depicts the aftermath of your choices and offers the slighly more mundane but emotionally satisfying tactic of reconciliation as an alternative.


3. Characters

Both characters are in their early thirties and are physically fit, but slightly gaunt from the physical exertion of travelling around the world.

While Andrew loves his family, and is for the most part a rational, caring and responsible individual, he has a peculiar blind spot when it comes to Richard, a thirteen year history/force of habit and an unfounded jealousy combining to persuade the man that it is a good idea to neglect his family for a better part of a year and more pertinently to gamble their financial security on a single race. This does not come without a guilt package, but makes Andrew even more determined to beat Richard.

Richard is outwardly charming, tall and with blond hair and steely blue eyes, he looks like he should be in a suit drinking bourbon, surrounded by a bevy of babes. Despite this, the man has not bought a trophy wife, which seems like the sort of box an egotistical man like Richard would want to tick, largely because he cannot foster enough emotional attachment even for that, due to deep seated issues stemming from an unimpressed upbringing. His huge ambition likely also steams from childhood; deep down Richard has always aimed to please, but somewhere along the line got this confused with always aim to impress.

Comments

  • Hi

    Pretty interesting.

    If I may, did you base the content on personal experience or is it something made up entirely, based on the game footage?
    [The reason I ask, is that I want to figure out if personal experience limits the creative mind in any way and if so, break that limit.
    Personal experience for me is a very solid base of interpretation whereas the creative mind is ever expanding :)]

    You say you are struggling with the sample script...
    How about basing some of what is said on a "fatigue" system. The more tired the character gets, the more prone they are to making certain sounds and saying specific things that may link, psychologically to their identities and their rivalry etc.

    Kind regards

    Jurgen
  • Hi Jurgen,
    The story of the rivalry is completely made up. I do hike, trail run and cycle, and am fairly competitive when I do them, but it is my belief that using personal experiences as a point of departure can make for good story telling. Look at Stephen King. He was in a major car accident and suffered from alcoholism, and indeed references them both in some of his novels. A certain amount of introspection can add power to a narrative.
    Thanked by 1Jurgen
  • Hi NickCuthbert

    It seems that when using the self as a basis for creating narratives, the power of the story lies in the ability to honestly relate one's own experiences. That breaks a barrier I had. Thankyou.

    Have a great day.

    Jurgen
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