Game Plot Idea

[S42 Man]

I've got an idea for a game.  It's been floating around in my head all week.  It's a prequel to the gabriel knight series.  Here's the basic idea:

High school senior Gabriel Knight has everything: the girls, the looks, and the popularity.  Life can't get any better.  So when he is assigned to write a report on people's belief in the paranormal, he figures it'll be a cakewalk.  But what starts out as a simple report on the supposed "Theatre ghost" turns into something much more sinister.  It's up to Gabriel and his friend, School quarterback Mosely, to figure out the truth behind the school, and the secrets that lie in its past.

Suggestiond for improvement would be greatly appreciated.

[MrColossal]

I suggest making your own characters and your own art style. It would be easier on you. You wouldn't have to deal with fans of GK saying you're ruining it and you wouldn't have to adhere to any of the various art styles of the game which there were many. Also you could do more with your own characters.

Any danger you put Gabriel Knight into won't be scary because it's a prequel and I know he survives and nothing bad happens to him at all.

[S42 Man]

ok, so if I take GK out, is it a good plot?

[Kweepa]

I like the idea of The Young Gabriel Knight Chronicles.

[Ali]

As long as he meets historical figures in every episode, I'd be happy.

Actually, I don't think it's a great idea to use the character of Gabriel Knight. If GK had a background in the paranormal, his cavelier attitude towards voodoo in the first game wouldn't make sense. I think the plot has potential though.

Instead of being assigned to write about the paranormal, which sounds unlikely and a bit convenient, if you see what I mean.

Perhaps he could be a history student investigating the college chapel or some other campus building with a murky past. If the character remains a budding writer, he could be investigaiting the school for an article in the college paper, or studying a document written by its founder which describes arcane rituals.

[S42 Man]

Thanks for all the input up to this point.  I guess the reason I thought of GK was because I'm just finishing up reading the first novel, than I'm gonna reread Beast Within.  Good books.  I'll repost here when I've edited the story.

[Wellington]

As much as I like the idea of Mosely as high school quarterback, I agree with the other posts above - you'll probably be able to tell your own story better if you don't have to make GK's character consistent.

Regarding the plot in general, there's really too little to judge here; it would be nice if we could see a more engaging detail or two. It's possible to do stories about theater ghosts well, but the ground's well-worn, so there's got to be more to it than "dark secrets and a supposed ghost in a high school theater."

Likewise, while the classic "I'm doing a newspaper report on this" hook is decent enough - it beats amnesia -  why's the paper running a piece on the paranormal? In some parts of the US, there's no way they'd run that story - too controversial. And why is GK writing it?

Ben Jordan aside, most people don't go out of their way to look for paranormal stuff - this could be what sets GK apart, but it might be more believable if he were doing a school play review, or an article on the history of the theater, and then he saw something that piqued his curiosity.

(Even if you don't write for GK, there's something compelling about an ordinary man with ordinary motivations being thrown into extraordinary circumstances. Hitchcock knew this.)

Good luck!