My proposal for my final project is a video game. I plan on making it in Unity, and it will be a top-down isometric action game about a woman with magical powers and her adventure to escape captivity.
The woman in question is name Subject XII. Before the events of the game, she had been held at the lab since the age of seven, along with her mother, referred to as Subject XI, where she had been the subject of numerous experiments. In this universe, magic and technology exist side by side, and the few that use magic can only use it through an intermediary agent, such as a rune or enchanted object to channel the energy; Subject XII and her mother, however, can use magic with the need of an intermediary, which made their abilities the subject of intense interest from researchers. Before the events of the game Subject XII had been subjected to grueling experimentation of her powers, and had attempted to escape on two previous occasions.
At the beginning of the game she is awakened by tremors and chaos outside her holding cell, followed by a steel girder smashing her cell door, freeing her. After fleeing from debris, lab security, and the lab’s automated defense systems, she encounters a soldier who calls himself the Watchman, who is in charge of the lab’s CCTV feeds. Much to her surprise, he offers to help her, an offer she accepts, even though she doesn’t fully trust him. From there, without giving too much away, their plan to escape has 3 steps: deactivate the Primary Defense Program, the AI in charge of the automated turrets and robots; find and stop Dr. Leinhart, one of the scientists in charge of experimenting on Subject XII who has little to no regard for ethics; and finally, find Subject XI.
I want this story to be about human emotions: trust, compassion in the face of apathy, and responsibility. There are several other directions I could take this in, such as a love story or a commentary about the potential dangers of science without ethics, but I feel that this is the direction that will let me get the most of the premise.
Interesting premise. I think this should be a story about science with ethics–that Dr Leinhart believes he’s doing good–all scientists think so. And the story can show the limitations of his ethical system–as compared to the Watchman, for example.
All character’s ethical systems should emerge via their actions, and that can weave the dilemma of the story.
I also think that if it’s a love story, it might be about parent/child love–there is SOOO much heterosexual romance, that we forget even that is based on the initial and lifelong parent/child bond. You could have affection running in both ways, of course, but your story would be more original if it deviated from the pattern–think Shrek and Frozen.
I’m glad you have simplified the story to 3 main goals. That will focus & limit the work you will have to do.
Unity seems like a good platform as your story is task oriented with magic as helper. How you do the magic could be part of the ethical plot, of course…