Game of Thrones is love. Game of Thrones is life.

I recently finished watching a little show needing no introduction called Game of Thrones (GoT). Prior to scripting my story, I admittedly had never seen the show. I decided to discover what all the fascination was about, and like everyone else, the show left a huge impression on me. I imagine it also left an impression on the author for the NWN mod, Demonheart, by Lamb, as she shares the avatar for Melisandre in the board game version of GoT. I love the show's tension, ironies, and plot twists, evoked in the most mundane or inopportune moments. I enjoy how indiscriminately GoT kills its cast, keeping viewers on edge and reminding them no one is safe. It's a world governed by deception and death, exposing the dark side of human nature.

I've learned my universe shares certain similarities, so marrying some of GoT's concepts seems only natural. GoT has caused me to give my script an extra pass, and I've realized some of my mod's conversations lacked tension. I don't consider this a set-back, as most of my scenes already were pretty tense, but some needed a bit more spice. GoT is unique in that it respects the time of its audience -- I want to do the same with my mod. Seemingly boring scenes should invoke emotions, and most characters should have accentuated personalities to make them memorable. Even if you think one of my characters is an asshole, pussy, sadist, or straight-up idiot, at least it invokes an emotion. Maybe you'll be hoping that person dies. Maybe with your choices, he or she actually can!

There are a few things GoT does I will refrain from, as I feel it doesn't fit the context of a mystery adventure. First, having too many major characters muddles a good mystery. I am striving for lots of characters, but most are minor, and are there to make the protagonist's city feel alive. Second, switching narrative perspectives is rarely used in mysteries. For example, how often does the narrative switch away from Sherlock Holmes, or Phoenix Wright? The fun of a good mystery is stepping into someone else's shoes and experiencing things exclusively from a fixed perspective. Thankfully, most NWN mods use a fixed narrative anyways, so this will feel natural to the player.

If you haven't watched the show, just watch it. Don't let the amount of episodes scare you away from it, like it initially did for me.