My first idea to this GDD was based in the Fallout franchise instead of the Far Cry franchise. My idea was to create an open world in which the players could explore how they want, full of different missions and stories. With not only one main story, with several of them and then a lot of secondary, free and secret missions that would create a live and huge world.

The reason why I discard this and chose gameplay based on the Far Cry franchise was because I wanted to create a faster game, focused on the main story that made the players think and feel with more intensity. Also, I wanted to give more importance to the characters and make the players feel more empathy to them.

My first idea was to adapt the novel to the gameplay. My novel has several characters that I personally love and that is “completed” (with their personalities, their aesthetic and background stories) like Naomi Ave “Salamandra” or Jacob Sas. Also, the novel has flashbacks that are really interesting to be translated into a videogame. And, finally, the total idea to make a novel from my web story Gas Mask War Saga (that was the original name) was to have a base story on which I could build the game. Despite these reasons, I found it really difficult to adapt the novel to the gameplay that I chose. For my first gameplay idea (use as a base the Fallout franchise), adapting the novel was easier, but at the moment that I decided to change the gameplay to another faster, the novel becomes a problem. Too many characters, too many stories, and temporal lines. I found some parts of the novel too boring to adapt, so I was forced to change entire parts of the novel, some of the temporal lines and even the characters’ lives, feelings or deaths. With my lack of experience doing GDDs and designing so complex games, (I remain that I was designing a Far Cry-based game that is an AAA game. Too much for my first GDD? I do not think so. I want to impress :D) was stuck. So I decided to change the story.

My second idea was to create a prequel (instead of a sequel that I finally chose). Gas Mask War is a complex and long story (the complete story goes since the year 1930 to 2018), full of characters, wars, conflicts, and interesting stories. My problem here was chosen what age was the best and also which character will be the best to tell the story. My first choice was to use a secondary character of my novel called Jacob Sas, a 70-year-old man who has lived long enough to tell any story. My second option was Tatiana Mira. I wanted to tell her story with the Rites, the Radicals and how the world was changing until become in what is today. However, after thinking about it, I decided to create a sequel. The main reason was the freedom what that choice gave me. I was able to build a new world, with new characters, stories, and conflicts. I had the freedom to adapt the story to the gameplay without losing any of the details that my world and story have.

I based this in The Stanley Parable game.

This was one of my favorite ideas and, in some way, I keep it in the gameplay. The secret mission of the fourth wall is related to Morrigan, “the goddess of the game”. In this idea (one of the first I have when I was designing Morrigan and the new story) Morrigan is the narrator of the game (like in the Strange Brigade or Alan Wake), talking with the players about the mechanics, the controls and the story. She was going to be the one to introduce the characters and the factions, talking directly with the players. Morrigan is aware that the players are in a game that is created by her to put them on a test and decide if they are useful for her or not. The mission consists of that during the tutorial, Morrigan is explaining to the players how the game works. She says that one of the options that the players have on the menu is mute her, the thing that she does not recommend at all. So, if the players ignore the option and continue to listen her, she will give to them the thanks, being really kind to them. After this, the player will able to mute her without consequences. However, if the players do it before, Morrigan will not be muted and will be angry and aggressive with the players. She will insult them and then close the game. My idea is that she even could keep talking after the game is closed, attacking the players for “mute a goddess” and threating them with “hack” their computers/consoles. (I base this part in Psycho Mantis tricks from Metal Gear Solid I) So, she will speak about the games that the players have, how much they play and threat them to erase it. Maybe, she could appear in the wallpaper or make the screen blue or black (being dramatic, like the goddess that she is). After this tantrum, Morrigan will be aggressive with the players all the game, reminding to them time to time the offense.