Invent a story for a game without one

[Whitenail]

As the title suggests have you ever found yourself playing a game with little to no:

*Backstory

*Characterization

*Narrative structure

and filling in the blanks? If you were in charge of coming up with such elements for any of the hundreds of games that don't have them (not saying all games need a story, in fact I've always felt gameplay comes first) what would the game be and what would you change? What sort of characterization would you give to the nameless, faceless frog that made it's way across a road, what sort of events led up to the Minecraft guy being stuck alone in a land of blocks with no other people?

 

[Toriver]

It is the not-too-distant future. Mankind has made contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. It seems that for millenia, most of our own galaxy has been the home of a flourishing civilization of various races from the numerous planets that harbored them. Now that civilization has expanded to our solar system. At first, we welcomed membership in this civilization, seeing unprecedented opportunity for the human race. World peace, under the rule of this galactic brotherhood, had finally been achieved. Our weapons were dismantled. What purpose would they serve when there was no longer a reason to kill? We did indeed gain a lot from their vast knowledge.

But we were a horribly primitive species compared to the alien worlds. We had little to offer in return, and soon, our planet, along with a few others, was deemed too much of an economic burden to maintain, despite the pleas of the human representative to the brotherhood's council. Invasion of Earth, extermination of all life on it, and destruction of the planet itself were ordered.

One brave fool looked to change the brotherhood's mind. Armed with the only antique fighter aircraft that still flew in his collection, he takes to the sky to fight off wave after wave of the alien horde as they descend upon our world. You control this foolhardy hero, maddened by the sun of the Arizona desert he calls home, surrounded by only the aircraft he loved so well when he was a child. Without friends or family to protect, he fights only as a last struggle for the survival of humanity. How long will he last? Only YOU can determine that!

SPACE INVADERS: in a store near you!

 

[Bonus Punctuation]

It is a world of superheroes and villains. One particular battle has sent a pulse of energy across the entire world, causing everyone across the world to genetically mutate, giving everyone super powers. The Heroes are officially sanctioned by the UN, while the Villains are funded by terrorists. There is a third group, however, that tries to avoid affiliation with either group: the Rouges. The Villains have been growing in power, the Heroes have started to fall, and more Rouges are deciding to join the Villains.

The protagonist, who prefers to use the name Soundwave, is one of the last undecided Rouges and a former Hero who is running from his former employers, his past and his ex-girlfriend. He soon learns, however, that he the only one who can stop the steady flow of villains.

At the same time, Soundwave recieves an offer from the Villains: join them, and they will reveal the truth about his mysterious past.

What will he choose?

 

[Whitenail]

It is a world of superheroes and villains. One particular battle has sent a pulse of energy across the entire world, causing everyone across the world to genetically mutate, giving everyone super powers. The Heroes are officially sanctioned by the UN, while the Villains are funded by terrorists. There is a third group, however, that tries to avoid affiliation with either group: the Rouges. The Villains have been growing in power, the Heroes have started to fall, and more Rouges are deciding to join the Villains.

The protagonist, who prefers to use the name Soundwave, is one of the last undecided Rouges and a former Hero who is running from his former employers, his past and his ex-girlfriend. He soon learns, however, that he the only one who can stop the steady flow of villains.

At the same time, Soundwave recieves an offer from the Villains: join them, and they will reveal the truth about his mysterious past.

What will he choose?

I've been sitting here trying to decode this yet I have nothing, you've won, what game is it?

 

[ultrachicken]

It is a world of superheroes and villains. One particular battle has sent a pulse of energy across the entire world, causing everyone across the world to genetically mutate, giving everyone super powers. The Heroes are officially sanctioned by the UN, while the Villains are funded by terrorists. There is a third group, however, that tries to avoid affiliation with either group: the Rouges. The Villains have been growing in power, the Heroes have started to fall, and more Rouges are deciding to join the Villains.

The protagonist, who prefers to use the name Soundwave, is one of the last undecided Rouges and a former Hero who is running from his former employers, his past and his ex-girlfriend. He soon learns, however, that he the only one who can stop the steady flow of villains.

At the same time, Soundwave recieves an offer from the Villains: join them, and they will reveal the truth about his mysterious past.

What will he choose?

I've been sitting here trying to decode this yet I have nothing, you've won, what game is it?

I'm going to guess city of heroes.

OT: I don't really do that.

 

[captainwalrus]

Tetris.

You play a wide-eyed entrepreneur in a post-totalitarian society, hoping to build your personal fortune. At its core, Tetris is a moral tale, depicting the protagonist's ruthless ambition to earn more money (read: points) and how his dictatorial management style and greed eventually lead to the destruction of both his business empire and himself. His empire grows quickly at first, as he is a wizard of resource allocation (read: placing Tetris blocks). However, he treats his employees non-empathetically (read: completing and destroying lines) and refuses to delegate responsibilities to anyone else. This proves to be his downfall, as his business empire grows to be entirely unwieldy, and impossible even for a person of his caliber to control just by himself (read: the game gets faster and faster).

When he finally realizes his impending demise, he looks for someone to help him out, but his previous refusal to cultivate the trust and empathy of any of his employees leaves him so utterly alone. Realizing that his corporation is on the brink of collapsing, the protagonist commits suicide, leaving his precious work in ruins. In an alternative ending, the protagonist somehow pulls through, buys NASA with all of his money, and rides a rocket to outer space for some reason.

The themes of Tetris: moral bankruptcy of capitalism, futility of totalitarianism, space ships are awesome.

 

[Zakarath]

You are managing a landfill. Your job is to efficiently fit in the most amount of trash into the smallest/neatest area possible in order to keep from being overwhelmed. However, as the human race continues to grow, they produce more and more trash, until you cannot possibly keep up and you are swamped with trash, in a referendum on the future of our race.
I give you: Tetris.

Edit: aw, someone else beat me to Tetris. Oh well.

 

[Cogwheel]

I did this once. LP for Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, which has little plot beyond "go into dungeon, retrieve Orb of Zot, get out". Spun quite a story in the end, plus a decent amount of characterisation. Risky, considering this is a game that erases your save file if you die. And dying is all too easy.

 

[ThePoodonkis]

Spoiler: A tale of Asteroids.

Day 1:
I don't know how we did it. We actually got away from those pirates. Captain Jackson was right about them being afraid of the asteroid field. Don't know why, really. It doesn't look all that dangerous.

Day 5:
We've crash landed on some rock in the middle of this field. I know why the space pirates didn't follow us in here. But the Captain set up a distress beacon, so we should be home soon, which I'm more than happy to do. It's Kenneth's 4th birthday today. I wish I could have been there for it. I hope Anne understands. She's usually upset about things like this, but I'll be happy just to see her again.

Day 15:
No sign of rescue yet. Some of the crew are getting kind of anxious. There's talk to trying to fix the ship to get out of here. The only way we can do that, though, is to try to rewire the escape pods to navigate around the field so we don't collide with the other rocks.

Day 28:
Someone took my suggestion to heart, it seems. We've been working with the wreckage of the ship and the escape pods to fashion our own little space crafts. They're building theirs to manoeuvre around the asteroids. But there are just too many. Nobody wants to use the guns, so I guess I'll put them on mine. It'll take some sacrificing of speed and movement, but I'd rather make my own path.

Day 39:
It's all done. The beacon didn't work, so we're launching our escape pods tomorrow to get off this rock and get back home. We should have enough rations per man for all of us to get home. I can't wait to see my darling Anne and my son Kenneth. I hope the Space Corps hasn't told them I'm dead or anything. I don't want them to think anything has happened to me.

Day 41:
I'm all alone. They're gone. Everyone. They tried to get around the asteroids. They weren't fast enough. I tried to tell them. God, I tried to tell them. Now it's just me. I'm lost in this asteroid field. I don't care, though. I have to get home. Anne and Kenneth need me. I can't just give up and die. I'm going to blow this whole damn asteroid belt to dust if I have to. I will see my family again.

 

[UBERfionn]

In a distant country, in a land far away, the desert beckons. As one of the few remaining chosen ones, you possess a unique and special skill:

Driving a bus.

Go forth, now, to the endless waste that is the desert, go forth, brave champion, and face your purgatory.

Drive the bus.

I thought desert bus already had a story?
Or did the LRR guys make it up themselves?

 

[Sixcess]

The last man on Earth lives in a fortress... that he built himself.
The last man on Earth always carries a bow and arrows.
The last man on Earth is hunting... pigs and cows.
Because the last man on Earth is not alone...

Ssssssssssssssss...

Charlton Heston stars in

MINECRAFT

 

[teh_Canape]

legends tell of a mystical creature, a yellow skinned creature who possesed the power of walking both human and ethereal worlds, he was the last line of defense between humans and the spectres

thousands of years ago, humanity forgot about their protector, and grew big and strong, becoming the master race of the world

but now, the spectres have come back, full of anger and rage, hell bent on annihiliation of humanity

but humanity still has their last defense, the creature must go into the Labyrinth of the Souls to stop the spectres and seal them inside Pandora's Vault

he is the creature

he is the soul eater

he is

Pac Man

Spoiler

terribly written stories ftw

 

[Valkyrie101]

I wonder if this is how TF2 got its "story".

 

[ReservoirAngel]

The planet of Pacoria, home of a once grand and noble people. Until they came, from the stars. Their origin is unkown, even their name is a mystery to the Pacorians. They conquered the planet before a defense was even able to be established. The Pacorian were all-but wiped out.

Those that survived were used as entertainment, combined with the conquring force's "right of passage" for its younger members. 4 younglings are entered into the arena, with one Pacorian. For the younglings, the battle is for the right to join their clan in adulthood. For the Pacorian, it is simply about survival...

...over the decades, all the Pacorians entered into the arena eventually fell. All...except one. He now holds it as his mission to wipe out every play youngling placed in front of him. He is...

...PAC-MAN!!!

 

[Toriver]

It is the year 1415. Just after the famous Battle of Agincourt in the Hundred Years' War, as an English knight was polishing and repairing his armor for the next conflict, strange lights appeared in the sky. "It is the Lord, calling me to Heaven at last," he thought. He soon found himself encased in a beam of this light, traveling upward. "Yes, yes!" he continued to say. Little did he know what lay in store for him.

He was brought to a strange place made of metal, with peculiar creatures that looked like men with large eyes surrounding him.
"What manner of place is this? Is this Heaven?" he asked.
A voice inside his head responded.
"Nay, what is this 'Heaven' you humans continuously speak of?"
One creature blinked at him, indicating that the message was coming from it.
"My Lord, what is going on here?" the knight began to panic. "I must be in Hell. What have I done to deserve such a cruel fate?"
The creature continued.
"Do not be alarmed, we mean you no harm. You are not in this 'Hell' either. You are on our transport, being taken to our home. We have been observing you for some time, and have enjoyed some of your customs to the point of adopting them for ourselves, especially one you call 'sport'. We have noticed that you are quite adept in this particular custom."
The knight replied, "Why, yes, I have been the proud victor of many a tournament in my time, I suppose."
The creature continued on. "You have been given an opportunity for more glory than you would ever receive on your own world. We are transporting you to our own world, where you will participate in 'sport' for our amusement. Should you continue to be adept, we will shower you with untold wealth and praise. The price for losing, however, is what you know to be 'death'."
The knight did not seem too fazed. "Such is often the price of many a competitor in the tournament in England. It is quite dangerous, but victory is well worth the risk."

"We are glad to hear you say that," the creature said as it helped the knight up from his seat, leading him to another room, which seemed to look quite a bit like an ostrich stable. "These shall be your mounts. Please choose one for yourself. We hand-selected the finest from Africa and bred the ability to fly into them."
"These can FLY?" the knight was shocked.
"Yes. We have modified the rules of 'sport' from what you are originally used to. You must fly higher than your opponent on this ostrich in order to defeat him."
"But I have never ridden an ostrich before, much less flown! That's just impossible!" the knight stammered.
"That is just something you will have to learn quickly if you wish to survive," the creature said. "We have arrived at our destination. Please quickly choose your ostrich and proceed to follow me to the arena."

The knight chose a hardy, dependable bird and walked out of the spaceship to a large stone room with platforms. This was not so surprising as the large crowd cheering him on, all looking very similar to the creature before him. Another creature quickly opened the visor on the knight's helmet and inserted a small contraption onto the inside-top of the helmet.
"A translator," the creature said.
Soon he heard the announcement from somewhere he did not recognize.
"Hear ye, hear ye, all who gather. For it is time for the next grand tournament to begin!"
The crowd went wild, almost deafening the knight through the translator's speaker. He began to pray vigorously in his mind, for he knew yet did not know what he was about to face. Luckily, the first event seemed to be his best.

It was time to ride.

It was time to fly.

It was time... to [HEADING=1]JOUST![/HEADING]

 

[FortheLegion]

This is an amazing thread

 

[Corpse XxX]

An angry man, content on killing terrorists!

Starring an anonymous protagonist...

Call of Duty!

Boooyyyaahh.. Everyone must buy, BLOCKBUSTER!!

Ohh wait...

 

[FortheLegion]

Spoiler: A tale of Asteroids.

Day 1:
I don't know how we did it. We actually got away from those pirates. Captain Jackson was right about them being afraid of the asteroid field. Don't know why, really. It doesn't look all that dangerous.

Day 5:
We've crash landed on some rock in the middle of this field. I know why the space pirates didn't follow us in here. But the Captain set up a distress beacon, so we should be home soon, which I'm more than happy to do. It's Kenneth's 4th birthday today. I wish I could have been there for it. I hope Anne understands. She's usually upset about things like this, but I'll be happy just to see her again.

Day 15:
No sign of rescue yet. Some of the crew are getting kind of anxious. There's talk to trying to fix the ship to get out of here. The only way we can do that, though, is to try to rewire the escape pods to navigate around the field so we don't collide with the other rocks.

Day 28:
Someone took my suggestion to heart, it seems. We've been working with the wreckage of the ship and the escape pods to fashion our own little space crafts. They're building theirs to manoeuvre around the asteroids. But there are just too many. Nobody wants to use the guns, so I guess I'll put them on mine. It'll take some sacrificing of speed and movement, but I'd rather make my own path.

Day 39:
It's all done. The beacon didn't work, so we're launching our escape pods tomorrow to get off this rock and get back home. We should have enough rations per man for all of us to get home. I can't wait to see my darling Anne and my son Kenneth. I hope the Space Corps hasn't told them I'm dead or anything. I don't want them to think anything has happened to me.

Day 41:
I'm all alone. They're gone. Everyone. They tried to get around the asteroids. They weren't fast enough. I tried to tell them. God, I tried to tell them. Now it's just me. I'm lost in this asteroid field. I don't care, though. I have to get home. Anne and Kenneth need me. I can't just give up and die. I'm going to blow this whole damn asteroid belt to dust if I have to. I will see my family again.

That's awesome.

 

[Bonus Punctuation]

Err... I made it up myself.