The Dream ... (Part 0.5)

The last post was short because it was not exactly planned. I found a project that gave me some inspiration for the dream sequence. For those who don't know what that is, it is my initial idea to replace everything what happening before waking up in prison (the first 0:04 hours of this video).

If we think about the first game, we have an introduction text about the planet, races, and FunFroc. Then the video scene of the dinofly flying over the snowy mountain, and the end of the world. Finally, we start the game in the prison, lost in what just happened. I always thought this was one of the weakest parts of the game. Even saving Zoe, who was removed from the game just after meeting her, felt more natural. 

Compared to LBA 2, where in some way the same purpose has everything that happens until the Zeelich spaceship lands (the first 1:25 hours of this video). We then discover a planet, meet characters who we know from LBA 1, and can see how the island has changed. This part really does not add a lot to the plot of Zeelich invading the planet. But thanks to that, we feel some connection to it even if we did not finish the first game. 

Imagine how this would feel if we started the game with the Zeelich landing at the Twinsun? And the rest was just explained by text and video. I think that it would feel awful. Sadly, this is more or less how the first game starts. 

Twinsen's Quest tries to solve it by adding a whole new sequence before the prison. It does that in multiple ways. An intro by Luna (Twinsen Sister) where she describes the world. We learn that she exists, we learn about Boingball, and the rest covers the original text intro.

Then the gameplay starts in the house, which is helpful because from now on, we know which house is ours and where it is on the map. Twinsen meets Luna, Twinsen meets Zoe, and we quickly establish that Twinsen likes Zoe. We go play Boingball, which is not present in the majority of the game. We can explore the island right after leaving the house, but because Luna ran away after the Fun Froc men ended the Boingball game early, we are forced to do this to find her.

When we finally find here. We have even more established that Fun Froc is a bad person, drop her to the school (which shows us that they aligned world with LBA 2). A short talk between Zoe and Twinsen proves to us that Twinsen is naive, thinking that FunFroc is good, then Zoe disappears for the majority of the game. Just like Boingball.

Finally, we switch to 1 year later, and Luna is chased by FunFroc soldiers. Twinsen saves here just to be captured. He is taken to prison, but they forgot about Luna, whom they so passionately tried to capture just a moment ago. Which makes sense because otherwise the rest of the escape sequence from prison, which follows the original game, would not make sense. Still, in the end, she is captured because of the plushy, which makes her trouble maker and not the fact that she was literally chased by the soldiers. 

Some may question the existence of Luna if she was not in the original game. 

I believe this was a creative decision that the team made. They had the full right to do that, but I personally still approach it in a slightly different way. This will be an example of how I try to interpret source material.

First, I do believe that we do not necessarily need this whole cut book at the beginning. It would be a lot better to start the game with Luna running to the Twinsen in the house to ask him if he will be joining her at Boingball training. She could tease him that Zoe will be there. Then she would run to her room and draw something in the book we saw in the intro. We could always look at it after her kidnapping. 

The whole city is already showing signs of FunFroc taking over the island, which is nice. The only thing I would do is that the Fun Froc men who cut the Boingball game short could show up with the escort of the two armed clones. This would indicate that things are getting worse. Add to that announcement that FunFrock takes over this space, and then soldiers push people who are on the court using weapons, and we already have fully established that Fun Froc is evil.

Now, when Luna runs away, Zoe and Twinsen should explain to her that they understand that this was not nice, but she cannot just run away. They could also mention that it is time for school. After that discussion, Zoe and Twinsen could continue discussing that this whole situation is not the first one, and probably not the last one. Still, what can they do about it? This way, none of them would feel naive.

That day Zoe disappeared, and we have a fast cut to one year later. And just like in the source material, Luna is chased by soldiers. Most sequences should be the same except that after he eliminates the clone and hears teleport. I would make him push Luna in between some boxes to save and hide her. She could see how Twinsen was taken away, and we hear: find that kid.

This would prepare for the events after the prison escape, when Twinsen got home, Luna could ask him about the escape and mention that she also found a letter from Zoe (explaining why she left) and that she left it in his room. Knocking on the door by clones, questioning about Twinsen, and then they recognised her. She is the troublemaker and is taken away without this whole plushy thing. 

I believe that such a simple change in the storytelling would give that game a lot better flow at the beginning. It would also remove some silliness from it. In the end, this is not how the game is, and the team of Twinsen's Quest made their own decisions, which resulted in the game we got. 

Will Tribute be like that? No, not really, I'm honoring the original game, and not Twinsen's Quest. That is why in the world of the Tribute, Luna will not exist. Still, just like the makers of Twinsen's Quest, I plan to change the start of the game because, as I mentioned at the beginning, "I always thought this was one of the weakest parts of the game." 

Because this post already got pretty long, more about this tomorrow :]