The story aspect of
Dark Garden is objective-based and modular, a vast set of linear, context-sensitive storylines that are unlocked and occur due to different state changes between NPC characters. While not fully proceduraly generated, they are proceduraly unlocked and advanced, yielding a different sequence, synergy, and rhythm in every playthrough. There will be no playthrough guide for
Dark Garden, ever, only storyline-specific guides. All stories, each with their own 3-act structure, exist inside an overarching 3-act structure envelope with a main goal. Each story has two full resolutions and multiple types of partial resolutions, the most definitive of all endings to each being the death of one of the two involved NPCs.
The Envelope
The player's goal is to guide as many souls as possible into choosing to become Spiritkind, in a doomed town in WW2 Nazi-occupied Belgium. The overarching story is simple in theory, but complicated in execution. God deploys a Guardian Angel to execute his will, a celestial being who works in the invisible Supernatural Plane of Existence (SUPOX). The Guardian is a constant presence, engaging with the thoughts of humans to try to sway them and defend them from attacks of the mind from Fallen. Once per cycle, the player becomes the presence of God, interacting with the characters in powerful ways to try to turn the tide of their personal existence. These two types of efforts from two different perspectives tell the broader story of the ongoing battle. The changes to each NPCs personal existence create the building blocks for the individual story lines.
As part of the envelope, the player will be given (Anne in the first playthrough) or choose, (from a range of options with increasing difficulty in subsequent playthroughs) a primary NPC to nurture/save.
Modules
Each character's linear storyline, or module, will comprise 3 to 10 component stages, each with rising action and higher stakes.
There will be one module for each NPC in relation to each other NPC.
There will be 10 NPCs minimum, and 100 maximum, for a total amount of story modules between 100 and 10,000, and a total amount of story component stages of 300 to 1,000,000 possible (with a functional limit not in excess of 300,000), with each element producing one of two outcomes: a positive or negative state change for both characters.
Overt vs Covert Modules
In each turn, the player will be confronted by the three stories that are the closest to a tipping point between positive and negative, be given a brief of the current state of each, and must decide which of the three to engage in directly.
The one the player chooses to engage with becomes the overt story for that cycle. The player fights a battle to defend/strengthen them against the Fallen's attack, and the result is fed directly to the player in detail.
The two paths not chosen will progress regardless, and the outcome for their respective changed states recorded. These progressions will be covert story available later to be examined as the presence of God, as well as become lore/back story for future story briefs if they pop up as one of the three closest to a tipping point.
(Optional feature: The player may be able to interact with other stories than the three, by manually selecting them. This makes the three original choices all covert story, and the new choice the overt story for that cycle.)
Covert Progression
The modules which are not presented to the character do not progress every cycle, rather at a rate that ensures over the course of the entire game they will reach their conclusion. Later in the game, the player will be engaging stories that have developed to their own unique states in that game, differing from the baseline due to any contact they have had with player-nurtured NPCs.
Stage Examples (10 NPCs)
OVERT
"Anne is losing hope. Suicide beckons stronger each day."
"Preacher is overwhelmed by evil. His faith may soon fail him."
"Inkeeper's Wife faces an important decision. Will she risk her life for a child?"
COVERT
"Amos grows angry. He is considering joining the resistance."
"Burgomeister is reviewing an order to round up Jews. Will he comply?"
"Resistance leader is driven by vengeance. He plans a desperate raid."
"Nazi Commandant is consumed by evil. He toys with the idea of executing civilians."
"Baker is out of flour. Theft appears to be his only option."
"German soldier is plagued by lust. Dark visions of rape entice him."
"Christian German soldier's faith is tested. Will he disobey orders to save a villager?"
Player Chooses> Anne.
Overt Results:
Anne's hope is renewed. She does not commit suicide. (Side effect, her improved gentleness of spirit proves impossible for others to harden their hearts to, moving both Innkeeper's Wife and Christian soldier further along their modules in a positive direction.)
Covert Results:
Preacher's faith fails him, and he obeys man rather than god. His faith and obedience scores take a massive hit, and his salvation strand is severed, pushing him into the darkness.
Inkeeper's Wife resolves to help Anne.
Amos' anger continues to grow, but he does not act on it... yet.
Burgomeister's fear compels him to comply. He begins to assist in locating Jews.
Resistance leader's vengeance simmers, but bides his time... for now.
Nazi Commandant's evil knows no bounds. He eagerly orders a public execution for a minor offense.
Baker can't bring himself to steal, and closes his shop until flour can be found.
German soldier revels in his dark plans, but does not act on them... yet.
Christian German soldier's faith holds strong, and he pretends to have not located Anne.
Full Module Example (all stages of an NPC pair)
-
Christian German Soldier (Brandt), in relation to
Anne
Each stage occurs the same, regardless of previous stages, but the personal outcomes of the characters involved are different. ***This may need to branch at the midpoint***
Stage 1
Brandt is ordered to find Anne and bring her to Nazi Commandant. He sees Anne and knows she is the one NC wants.
Positive Resolution: He pretends not to find her, protecting her without her knowledge. His courage and kindness improve.
Negative Resolution: He tries to apprehend her. She escapes, but now sees him as a nemesis. His courage and kindness decrease.
Stage 2
Brandt is ordered to find Anne and bring her to Nazi Commandant or face a punishment. He already knows where Anne is.
Positive Resolution: He continues to protect her, foiling the efforts of another soldier to capture her, and gets the punishment. His courage and kindness improve.
Negative Resolution: He works with another soldier to try to corner her, and nearly succeeds. His courage and kindness decrease. He still receives the punishment, and his hatred and religiousness grow.
Stage 3
Brandt is ordered to find Anne and bring her to Nazi Commandant or face a heavy punishment. He thinks he knows where she is, but when he goes there realizes the Innkeeper's wife is lying to him to hide her.
Positive Resolution: He conceals the fact he knows she is hiding Anne, and convinces the squad with him that he believes she is hiding elsewhere. When he fails, he is ridiculed by his fellow soldiers and punished by NC. His courage and kindness improve. His hope suffers.
Negative Resolution: He pushes the Innkeeper's wife around and threatens her with execution if she harbors the fugitive. She does not capitulate. His courage and kindness decrease. His methods are praised by fellow soldiers, sparing him the wrath of the NC. His arrogance grows.
Stage 4
Brandt is ordered by NC to get Innkeeper's wife to divulge Anne's location by any means necessary.
Positive Resolution: He forces his way into the Inn ahead of the squad, and tells Innkeeper's wife to run. She does, and the men search the inn but find nothing. His status with squad decreases. His courage and kindness improve.
Negative Resolution: He leads the squad in a brutal interrogation of Innkeeper's wife. She divulges Anne's location, views him as a nemesis, and her hope decreases. His courage and kindness hit rock bottom. He is a brute and a bully. He reports back to NC and gains status with both him and squad. He is placed in charge of his own Gestapo squad.
MIDPOINT
At this point, Brandt's choices coalesce and he either becomes an obedient soldier for God, possibly even willing to die if necessary, or a servant of Satan, gleefully abusing his authority to oppress others.
Stage 5
Nazi Commandant is obsessed with Anne. Brandt is ordered to turn the town inside out and find her with his Gestapo squad, and not return until he has her on pain of death. Brandt has a major decision to make here, after which he will be on one side or the other.
Positive Resolution: Brandt misguides the squad, then deserts them in a tough spot, finds Anne, and absconds with her to keep her safe.
Negative Resolution: Brandt finally catches Anne, and brings her to NC. Doing this enables a demon to gain a permanent foothold on him, and he becomes nearly unreachable by Guardians and an active servant of the devil.
Stage 6 (Positive Path)
Brandt and Anne hide out from Gestapo in an abandoned building. Faced with extreme hardship, and with searching fire from the squad piercing their hiding spot he has the opportunity to try to turn her in when the squad draws near.
Positive Resolution: He keeps her safe, shielding her with his body in case a bullet should strike. They are captured anyway. His hope plummets but his courage is made perfect. Her hope improves drastically.
Negative Resolution: He turns her, and himself in. He is under suspicion and loses status but allowed to remain free in camp. His courage plummets and her hope plummets.
Stage 7 (Positive Path) Stage 6 (Negative Path)
Brandt and Anne are both at the Nazi camp. NC orders Anne brought before him, and it is clear he intends to abuse her. Brandt is ordered to guard the door.
Positive Resolution: If Brandt has completely followed the positive path, he breaks in and attacks the Nazi Commandant when Anne screams. She runs free and Brandt is killed. Brandt's story ends and his soul goes to heaven.
Negative Resolution: If Brandt has completely followed the evil path, he relishes Anne's screams and the demon's foothold becomes a permanent residence. Brandt ceases to be part of the story, and becomes a permanent servant of evil until he is killed and goes to hell.
Calculated outcome range. If Brandt has made some good and some bad choices, he may or may not break in, with the associated ending.
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