Common Tales will establish an unsolvable conflict in the game design. The narrative idea is not to solve the conflict (and go back to sleep in a tomb or marry the princess like in the two MediEvil titles) but to keep the conflict itself alive.
It uses methods established in a wide variety of successful TV-series and cinema in order to connect the player the show as a narrative on the whole. The player is not one of the heroes, but part of their story. Instead of identifying with one hero, the player should identify with the quarrels between the heroes and Common Tales will strengthen this by allowing control over both heroes.
Basically we try to create a triangle between Thomas-Fiz-player that sets them all in relation to each other. The desired effect is comparable to the impact of long running TV series and soap operas.
What is the unsolvable conflict?
Fictional beings among the real humans in the present world. This conflict cannot be overcome or defeated. t is always represented by the two heroes: one is very fictional (Fiz) the other very real (Thomas).
What are typical identification methods?
Roughly: a mixture of story telling, camera and editing. The story forces the user into situations that demand decisions to be taken in respect to the two heroes. One might have to sacrifice him or herself, rescue the other one, or both have to cooperate as a team. Fufilling these actions is left to the player - forcing him to chose between the main heroes.
If you do not have one final task? How does it end?
Common Tales is not designed to end. It is a serial structure on the Playstation. The idea is to deliver episode after episode and extend and deepen the conflict instead of resolve it.
If it is a series - what happens if I miss a show?
Each show is a single standing piece of action adventure. In addition to this obvious story line, each show also includes further development of the relationship between the heroes and revelations of each hero's background. The more shows the player has played, the more elaborate this hero-background becomes. While the action stays accessible to everyone independent from the number of shows played, the characters grow more in dependency to the amount of played shows