The Plot Thickens...

Warning: Long, boring post (and possible spoilers if you haven't read the game description) ahead.

My project for today was to work out the kinks in the plot. Before, what I had planned out was all the main activities that Zuleika is focused on: traveling to different areas, fighting bad guys, saving villages, etc. But that's not all there is to a story, especially not one as complicated as this!

So I started thinking about all the different layers to the story. On one hand, you've got Zuleika trying to save the day, but on the other, you've got Nefferon leading her along. This second layer - the bigger picture that Zuleika can't see from her perspective - is what I call the "meta plot." It's the plot behind the plot, the overarching story behind the main story. Since I've already scrapped the idea of trying to make the whole game like a journal, it's okay to include shots of Nefferon's perspective even though the game is mostly shown in Zuleika's first-person point of view. More importantly, the story doesn't make sense without Nefferon's perspective; without his overarching scheme, the events you play through just seem random and thrown together without reason. Well, now there is reason.

But between Zuleika's story and Nefferon's story, there's also Osirus' story. I can't imagine Zuleika saying, "Yes, I was framed for his murder, but I don't care who actually killed him. All that's important is that he's dead." No, she would be compelled, even obliged, to find the true killer. Thus, a third layer comes into play: the murder investigation. Clues are hidden throughout the empire, some of which tend to imply that the killer wants to be found, but he (or she) certainly won't make it easy.

And what about Zuleika's past? She didn't just get where she is now by chance. She is the way she is because that's how Osirus taught her to be. So another layer, then, is flashbacks showing their relationship, which help to give some insight into Zuleika's history and background. More importantly, they add additional insight to related events that she's going through now, and why she reacts to them the way she does.

Finally, no GxB visual novel can be complete without the romance layer. The thoughts, beliefs, and actions of the boys are influenced by Zuleika's thoughts, beliefs and actions, and Zuleika's actions will also be influenced by her feelings towards them. These are her trusted companions and the only friends she has ever known; they travel together for months on end, sometimes without ever seeing another soul as they cross the unpopulated areas of the empire. Therefore, it is obvious that they would become close, close enough to ask great things of each other out of trust and friendship (i.e. companion quests). Along with these companion quests, their conversations and heart events also fall into the romance layer, which spans across everything else.

In summary, the complexity of the story is now better fleshed out, and more of it should be able to make its way into the actual game rather than just being stuck in my head.

For those that are curious, the way I keep all this organized is with color-coded index cards which are then sectioned off into major sections with paper clips. After my work today, the stack of cards is now very big. C: