Oni2:Slaves of War/Story: Difference between revisions

Make sure to provide '''twists and turns''' in the story. Perhaps use one of the alternate paths in the [[../Polylectiloquy|polylectiloquy]] or [[Oni2:A_Storyline|Oni 2 Storyline thread]] as a red herring before revealing the truth. At some point I can order the alternatives from least to most interesting and consider how that would work in the story. For example, the Daodan could be something to resist at first, seeming as dangerous as Mukade makes it out to be in Oni. Then it might turn out that, depending on how/why a host gives in to it, the outcome varies. The Daomen could seem benevolent and in need of help at first, then turn sinister and cunning, or desperate and selfish.<br />

Leave '''dangling threads'''. This can be a way of leaving room for multiple future story paths, or simply adding a bit of mystery for thoughtful players to chew on. One opportunity is the strange case of [[Bertram Navarre]] (see [[wp:Unit_731|Unit 731]] for inspiration). One can also create a sense of foreboding by dropping a phrase that has an ill portent but not explaining it for a while, as the characters ponder what it means.<br />

She eventually is violently separated from that identity when her closest friend Shinatama is detonated in an attempt to kill her. I wrote [[CHAPTER_12_._SINS_OF_THE_FATHER#Added_Value |HERE]] that the game’s story can be broken into three acts, and Act 1, which has “Konoko” as the main character, ends with that event.

[[Oni/Early_Story|This early window]] into Konoko’s character, from before Hardy’s rewrite, is somewhat embarrassing, as it paints her as a generic “kick-ass chick”. These days the stereotype of a “strong independent woman” who is really just fan service has become [http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=311 something of a joke]. Thankfully Bungie had staff preventing them from going too far in that direction.

<div align=center>{{Pullquote|1=Instead [Choice of Romance] gives us elements of what I’ve sometimes seen called the Heroine’s Journey. The Heroine begins from a position of minimal privilege, but has some powerful goal or passion. She may then take on a mentor or helper to assist her in her attempt to escape her traditional role and do what she wants in life. Along the way, she rejects or loses a “typical” romance with a man who wants to protect her but who would stifle her. She undergoes further trials in the attempt to establish herself; if she does marry/become romantically attached, it’s much later in the story, after she’s distinguished herself as an individual and met someone who is willing to regard her as an equal. Alternatively, sometimes she ends up alone but self-realized to some degree. (Examples: Eowyn. Harriet Vane. The Julia Stiles character from Ten Things I Hate About You [which is not really The Taming of the Shrew at its thematic heart]. Arya in “Game of Thrones,” at least so far.)|2=[https://emshort.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/choice-of-romance/ Emily Short]|width=850px}}</div>

We can’t ignore that there should be a lot more obviously advanced tech by the time of Oni than we see in the first game. We can show more of Oni's technological world in Oni 2. Perhaps the WCG dives into cutting-edge tech as a way to fight the Daodan, or deal with the BioCrisis without the Daodan and the ACCs. When this tech goes up against the Daodan, it will seem like an even match-up at first, but eventually the Daodan will win because it is more sophisticated and evolves faster.

*[[wp:List_of_emerging_technologies|List of emerging technologies]] (technology is always further along than we think it is)

*[[wp:Utility_fog|Utility fog]] (this ties into Paradox's nanotech ideas)

Muro’s transformation cutscene in Oni really dropped the ball. We can do much better than that. For one thing, if transformations are irreversible, we need to make a big deal of them. A dedicated cutscene with selected music. Mai’s transformation could take place when she is finally hit by something too strong to survive as-is, and her Chrysalis takes over. Inspired by [https://youtu.be/s3OmgeYRV4I?t=707 this moment] from the ED of the unrelated animé “Touma Kishinden Oni”, let’s say that she’s hit by a napalm bomb, and in the middle of the firestorm, she transforms while in agony, wreathed by flames like a phoenix. That’s how you do a badass transformation.

Remember that not all environments should be new and clean, or recently dirtied. Sometimes the most powerful environments are ones that have a lot of history. Perhaps an area is declining that once was beautiful or powerful; perhaps its eventual demise is fated (this fate can also be established in Oni 2 and then depicted in a later sequel), like the supposed example of the [[wp:Sideroxylon_grandiflorum|dodo tree]]. The sense of something irreplaceable being lost can be very poignant.

Might Daodan symbiotes’ powers involve or be based on the genes of Wilderness life? This would mean that the Chrysalis is “downloading” data from the Wilderness to meet each new need (see Neo-Biology's [[Oni2:Slaves_of_War/Neo-Biology#Strange_life_forms|Strange life forms]] section for inspiration). Perhaps some scientist is puzzling over the energy that is being sent through a phase portal from the Wilderness to a symbiote, wondering why there are complex patterns to it, when he recognizes the similarity to DNA information.

The main obstacle to a theoretical pre-human civilization is not the absence of archaeological evidence (Pangea was in existence at the P-Tr period discussed below, and later continental upheaval would probably deeply bury everything) but rather the fact that, if you go back far enough that archaeological evidence would be unlikely, we see only fossils of simpler life forms that showed no evidence of large brains. However, ocean life is often boneless, leaving fewer fossils, so there's more potential for surprises. Also, we know almost nothing about what’s buried on the ocean floor. Finally, it seems that no ocean floor is older than 170 [[wikt:Ma|Ma]] anyway due to plate tectonics.

See the [[wp:Permian%E2%80%93Triassic_extinction_event|Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) extinction event]], AKA the Great Dying, for a possibility. The P-Tr event happened about 252 [[wikt:Mya#English|Mya]], before the dinosaurs. Life was simpler, but there were large organisms on land and in the sea; insects, “sea scorpions”, and herbivores were all giant at the time (mammals and giant reptiles came in the following Mesozoic era). Further interesting points about the P-Tr event: the mysterious absence of coal in that layer, the staggering increase in atmospheric CO₂ (and methane?), a great increase in acidity both on land (acid rain) and in sea that would dissolve fossils, the “reset” in body size, the beginning of the breakup of Pangea, the eruption of the Siberian Traps, and the unexplained marine extinction pattern that favored some life forms.

It may turn out that the Daomen are aquatic, which would go along with the character of the P-Tr extinction event (see consumption of coal and massive spike in methanogens… for energy?). Perhaps when a portal is opened between our worlds at the game’s end, the area first fills with water. This would raise a gameplay question of how the player is supposed to fight them, but perhaps the fight is not directly with the Daomen but with whatever is powering or guarding the portal.

The Daomen (or Dao''man'', if there's a sole survivor) may have to use an assistant in our world, someone “possessed” by the Chrysalis or something similar, in order to accomplish his will. Perhaps a child, because they are easier to control and to alter with the Daodan. I’m picturing a dark-haired girl, impetuous and foul-tempered. She should be young enough that she can be revealed as [[Oni2:Slaves_of_War/Impressions#Muro.27s_downfall|Muro’s daughter]] by some Fury.

One purpose of the Daodan could be to free its creators from evolutionary forces, allowing them to ascend to a higher consciousness than the animals. Or it could just be a cure-all. It could be an accidental mutation. During the P-Tr event mentioned above, “there is evidence of increased ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth causing the mutation of plant spores” according to Wikipedia. Also, a [[wp:Gamma-ray_burst#Hypothetical_effects_on_Earth_in_the_past|gamma ray burst]] would cause accelerated mutations. Of course there is no need to propose a special reason for mutations since they happen constantly. Also, what if the radiation came from technology developed by the Daomen?

Logically some of Mai’s enemies should be Daodan-powered. This is an opportunity to send Mai to different locales to fight super-powered baddies. Perhaps reference local legends, i.e. [[wp:Gajasurasamhara|Gajasurasamhara]], [[wp:Kankalamurti|Kankalamurti]], [http://www.old-picture.com/indians/Nayenezgani.htm Nayenezgani] (who fought the ''anaye'', alien gods — perhaps the symbiotes are modern ''anaye''!) and [[wp:C%C3%BAchulainn|Cuchullainn]] as inspiration for these foes.

[[wp:Axis_mundi|Axis Mundi]] — for an enemy base?

See [[wp:List_of_female_adventurers|List of female adventurers]], [[wp:History_of_women_in_the_military|History of women in the military]], [[wp:Women_warriors|Women warriors]], [[wp:List_of_women_warriors_in_folklore|List of women warriors in folklore]].

Here's a closing thought, not in my own words. Gamasutra ran this article reporting on a DICE presentation by veteran developer David Jaffe: [https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/40222/DICE_2012_Putting_story_before_gameplay_a_waste_of_time_says_Jaffe.php DICE 2012: Putting story before gameplay 'a waste of time' says Jaffe]. The article set off a firestorm of comments, but this one represents my own view: