In Response To: The ODST Narrative Structure and what went wrong (Cody Miller)
: ODST has major issues with the story. I’m not talking about the content, but
: the structure and presentation. The most recent podcast by Narcogen does a
: fairly good job of pointing out specific stupidities, so I’ll be talking
: about large scale issues. It’s actually pretty abysmal when you think
: about it, and in the following analysis I’m going to pinpoint what went
: wrong and where.
If I'm not mistaken, you've had issues with the entirety of ODST since it was released, so don't mind me if I view this entire thing as a little biased.
: The three act structure is the standard for a reason: it works, and it works
: well. You can never go wrong doing it. As an artist, you can stray from it
: if you want to tell your narrative differently, but in doing so if you’re
: not a good storyteller you run the risk of ruining important aspects of
: the story. This is what happened with ODST.
Just because the three act story is POPULAR doesn't mean its the ONLY WAY TO DO IT RIGHT, as you make it seem. Oh, I don't want to go the way of everyone so I'm suddenly a BAD storyteller? Please.
: For an example of a story that is told nearly perfectly, look no further than
: the original Halo. The game begins with an inciting incident which sets
: the story in motion: The pillar of Autumn is attacked and you’re forced to
: land on Halo. The rest of act 1 establishes the new situation and the
: conflict is established. Act 2 introduces complications and puts the
: characters through trials and tribulations: the introduction of the flood,
: the monitor turning against you, etc. Act 3 has the characters solving the
: problem, and ends with a climax: You blow up the ring and escape in a
: dramatic fashion.
If PERFECT means generic and done like everyone else, yeah.
: Plot points come into play as well, and there are typically two in any given
: story. The first plot point is the point at which the main character makes
: a decision that sets the story in motion. Neo takes the red pill. Luke
: decides to go to Alderan with Obi Wan. The second plot point is a decision
: the character makes which ultimately brings about the climax. Neo decides
: to re-enter the matrix to save Morpheus. Luke decides to leaved to face
: Vader before his training is complete.
Yeah, good examples of a 3 act story. Not everything HAS to follow those rules
: Now, the three act structure with Acts properly spaced and plot points
: correctly positioned ensure a flow, progression, and the constant rise in
: tension of the narrative.
: Halo’s plot points are properly placed and work well. The first plot point is
: slightly weak, as it’s cortana that makes the choice to find the
: cartographer and stop the covenant from using Halo. The second is much
: better, as the chief decides not to give the index to the monitor and
: chooses to blow up Halo. Halo 1 worked pretty well.
: ODST follows the three act structure, but the acts and plot points are so
: poorly paced and placed(or in some cases absent), that instead of a
: narrative with a sense of tension and progression, we end up with a mess.
: The inciting incident is okay; there’s nothing wrong with it and it gets
: us into the story. Get set for a combat drop, BOOM, you’re in the shit.
To me, ODST has a very REALISTIC story placement.
: The problem then is that nothing happens after the inciting incident. The
: first act lingers for most of the game. Most of the game is about
: regrouping with you squad of ODSTs. In Halo you spend one level out of ten
: regrouping. In ODST you spend 80% of the game doing this. So the issue is
: that nothing meaningful happens for most of the game. Most of the
: flashbacks don’t advance the story, and we’re left twiddling our thumbs
: until Dare and Buck get together later on. There’s no sense of tension or
: immediacy; we’re left merely watching a series of events. Act 1 seems to
: comprise most of the game!
Most of the game follows what would happen in REALITY. Soldiers, when lost, try to regroup. Rookie is a soldier, he has to find his squad. That is the story. It never said it was going to be like the other games, it was always stated to be a more human and shorter story
: The second act is very short: find Dare and Virgil. The rookie runs down a
: few hallways and meets a few brutes on the way. Big deal. Compare this to
: the second act in Halo when we need to reach the control room before the
: covenant, the flood attack, we have to get the index before the flood
: spread. There’s lots of tension there, and the journey is enhanced by
: overcoming these struggles. It’s important though that the struggles are
: struggles in working toward the goal of the characters. Self contained
: flashbacks do not equal this struggle.
Why do you keep comparing it to Halo 1? It never tried to be Halo 1, it ISNT Halo 1, so quit acting like it SHOULD be Halo 1.
: So the second act begins so close to the end of the game, and the third act
: then follows. Get the Engineer out of there. The rest of the game is
: essentially the climax, as we escort Virgil safely out of the city. But
: again, the third act is essentially all climax. This is boring because we
: again need to see our characters struggle more to get to the climax. Neo
: has to storm a building before he faces agent smith. Buck and Dare have to
: get Virgil out of the city before they get him out of the city… oh wait.
: Likewise, there aren't really any plot points if we look at decisions the
: rookie has to make, which leads us to the next problem.
: The second major problem is that Buck is really the main character, and we
: don’t play as him. Not playing as the main character is a great way to
: destroy tension and introduce unnecessary elements in a video game. The
: master chief is the main character in Halo. Gordon Freeman is the main
: character in Half Life. Marcus Fenix is the main character in Gears of
: War.
Basch is the Main Character of FFXII, no, wait it was Ashe.. No, it was actually Balthier... No, maybe it was Vaan... No...
Great Gatsby.
Ever heard of it? A lot of good stories can be told without the focus being on the actual main character.
Not a problem.
: So what makes Buck ODST’s main character? First, his decisions are what move
: the story forward, he’s the character with goals and emotions, and he’s
: the one with the arc. The rookie does nothing. The other characters barely
: acknowledge his existence. If nobody knows your main character is there,
: there’s a good chance he’s not the main character.
Yes, Buck was the main character.
Again, not a problem.
: If ODST had put you in the role of Buck, the narrative would have been much
: stronger. Buck had goals and desires stronger than any of the other
: characters, and he changes through the story and makes the dramatic
: choices. Buck rescues Dare from her pod. Buck helps her get Virgil out. He
: quite frankly does much more than the rookie. Bungie was obviously going
: for the silent protagonist thing, but this only works if he’s the actual
: protagonist!
Protagonists aren't always the Main Character.
Protagonists are just the focus. In FFXII a game known for a very unique story telling style, VAAN was the protagonist, even though he was never a MAIN CHARACTER
: See, the secret to making a good story is to have a strong main character,
: one whose wants and desires lead to actions which make the narrative
: progress. Under every action, every plot point, are the inner workings of
: the character. Every action is born from the character’s desire. This
: makes the journey personal. If you’re playing the journey, you need to
: play the protagonist!
See above
: The film noir influence is likewise questionable, and it’s obvious Bungie
: just wanted the style without the substance. Noir has nothing to do with
: any of the story or thematic elements in ODST. Noir is pessimistic about
: humanity. Noir is pessimistic about authority and government. Noir is
: pessimistic about women. Noir celebrates vice. The Halo story is about
: absolutely none of these things. Noir is also historically rooted in the
: prohibition and World War 2, and it’s essentially impossible to make a
: true noir film now due to the change in the historical climate. Films like
: Chinatown are not considered noir, but neo-noir, recognizing the true noir
: is a product of a specific point in history.
Can't really say anything about this.
You're right, ODST wasn't really NOIR.
: The stylistic elements in Noir are tied to psychological states of the
: characters. None of the characters in the Halo series are ever wrestling
: with or contemplating the types of problem that occur in noir. Noir type
: expression is therefore quite inappropriate on simply a thematic basis
: alone.
: What would have fixed ODST? The detective aspect of the game should have been
: eliminated. This drove the lulls in the first act and insured nothing
: happened for long periods of time. Buck should have been the character we
: plays as always. This would insure we are living and driving the journey.
: Lastly, an appropriate stylistic presentation should have been chosen.
So lose the realism? Okay, cool. Lets just make a game with EXPLOSIONS AND SUPER DUPER SCI FI STUFF
: This of course assumes that Bungie's goal was to tell a 'cinematic' story,
: which was obviously the case.
I think their goal was to tell a HUMAN story, something REAL
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