BTEC Extended Diploma in Games Design
Unit 74: Computer Game Story Development
Wayne Gallear
What type of genre would you eventually choose for the unstoppable game and why?
For Unstoppable: The Video Game, I would class it in the Action genre, because that is the genre of the movie, and the game would be heavily based around the movie. I would also class it as an Interactive movie, for the below reason.
The game could be played from the POV of most of the characters in the movie. For example, at the beginning, you could control Will Colson, as he looks for Frank Barnes in the rail yard. It can then jump to Frank, as he drives the train out of the shed, to pick up the cargo. The game could then cut to Dewey, on the other side of Pennsylvania, as the player has to get out of the cab to switch the point, and repeat-press a button (A or LMB) to chase after the train.
In the tail-end of the middle section, the game could give control of Will to the player, as he tries to connect to the end of the 777 train, and control Frank as he runs along the top of the carts to apply the brakes of each cart. In the movie, Will jumps into the back of Ted's truck. The player could drive the truck to catch up with the lead locomotive, where the player jumps into control of Will, so he can jump on to the train, and apply the brakes.
Maybe to add a bit more depth to the story, the player can choose what Frank and Will say to each other when they are in the cab of 1206, from a list of options, to create the background story for Will/Frank the player wishes. Everything the player chooses to say/not say changes how to story pans out later.
Example:
Frank: You married?
(In the movie, Will responds with "Sort of. Long Story")
In the game, Will (the player) could choose to say:
Option A: "Sort of. Long Story" Saving the conversation for a later point in the story.
Option B: Tell the story about the restraining order
Option C: "No, Never" or "Yes, to ..." Lie, to keep quiet about the restraining order
Option D: Choose to change the subject, whether it be politely, or rudely. This conversation would not appear again.
Is unstoppable just a film, or is it a book?
The film Unstoppable is not a book, and is inspired by true events, of runaway train
CSX 8888, which ran uncontrolled for 2 hours, covering 66 miles of Ohio, before a second locomotive caught and stopped the train from behind, like the 1206 locomotive did in the film.
Who are the main characters?
The main characters are:
Frank Barnes, played by Denzel Washington, is a train driver, who has been a rail-roader for 28 years. Frank Barnes has been forced into early retirement by AWVR, due to job cuts, and hiring younger drivers, who work for a lower price. He has 3 weeks left working at AWVR when the movie takes place. He doesn't like young/new workers at AWVR because he, and his friends believe they are stealing the work, forcing the older employees into early retirement.
Will Colson, played by Chris Pine, is a newly trained conductor, who has been paired with railroader Frank for the first time. Will has been out of training for just 4 weeks when this takes place, and the older workers believe he is only working for AWVR because his cousin works high up in the company, and persuaded others to hire him. In the film, it is neither confirmed nor denied that this is why he got his job as a conductor.
Connie, played by Rosario Dawson, an executive for Allegheny and West Virginia Railroad (AWVR) company.
Who are the sub-characters?
Sub-characters are important to the story, but the role of the character isn't as large as the main characters.
Dewey, played by Ethan Suplee, is a rail yard employee, and is the driver of 777 who jumped out of the cab to switch the track points. At the end of the movie, he was fired as part of his disciplinary action, and works in a fast-food chain.
Ned, played by Lew Temple, is a welder for AWVR, but is asked by Connie to switch the track points for the "coasting" 777 train. He is a welder at the train yard, and helps Connie when she asks him to switch the tracks, and helps Will climb into the cab of the lead 777 locomotive. He gives a speech to the news crew, but we don't hear about what happened to him in to epilogue.
Oscar Galvin, played by Kevin Dunn, is the owner of AWVR, and ignores early suggestions to derail the train, because of the impact it will have on the company's profits/stock worth. At the end of the movie, he is demoted/fired for his lack of interest in the safety of the public (his primary interest was what a derailment would cost to the company).
Inspector Werner, played by Kevin Corrigan, is a rail road safety inspector, who offers advice and important advice to the main characters. He tells Galvin and Connie what "Molton Phenol" is, and tells Frank how to stop the train from behind, using dynamic braking (a combination of letting the engine idle, full acceleration and braking).
What is their motivation?
The motivation of the characters is as follows:
Survival of themselves - In the early section of the middle of the story, the 1206 train is heading towards train 777, so Frank and Will are racing to get their train into a RIP track before the 777 train collides with them. All their actions in this part of the film is driven by their survival instinct.
Survival of others - Throughout the movie, the actions of Connie's and Ted's are in the interest of civilians. To prevent a disaster with 777, and 1206, to protect the population of Stanton and the outlying towns and cities. When Will and Frank successfully reach the RIP track, the motives behind their actions changes from self-preservation to survival of the civilians. They endanger their lives to help prevent a catastrophe by chasing after the train, and hooking up to the last cart, and slow the train to a crawl, allowing the train to navigate the Stanton Curve.
Stopping the train with minimal damage - Oscar Galvin, the owner of the rail company wants to stop the train without derailing the train, which would result in millions of dollars in damage, and without injuring the public, as this would cause him to lose money, as he would have to pay for the damages to the train, city(ies) and injured civilians.
What and when is the beginning, middle and end of the film?
Beginning:
When the track points need switching, Dewey, a stupid employee jumps out of the cab of train 777 to switch the points. He changes the engine position from “Throttle” to “Idle”, but when he jumps out, it falls back to “Throttle”. With the engine throttle position in “8, max power”, the train increases speed and he is unable to catch up to get back on.
The movie switches to a group of school children, as they board a train as part of a school trip, for a Railway Safety Awareness Program.
Once he notifies his superiors, he has to get in his hi-rail truck and drive after the train, which would have coasted to the side track, where another employee was waiting for the train. The truck of employees arrives at the side track, with no train in the side track, therefore confirming the train is under power, and the speed has increased.
 |
| A hi-rail truck. |
The car continues driving along the track to catch up with the train, whilst railway employees notify all oncoming trains to divert to the next side track, leaving the main line clear. When the car catches up to the train, the original stupid driver tries to jump onto the train, but obstacles between the tracks force them to give up.
Beginning ends and middle starts when the car with 2 employees in the hi-rail fail to catch and board the train. (First attempt to stop the train).
Middle:
In the middle of the story, the 1206 train, which has been diverted to a side track cannot use the side track, because the train is too long, and would not fit in the siding. With no other option, 1206 must continue to a rip track, heading towards the runaway 777 train.
Train 777 continues in speeds in excess of 70 mph towards "south" Pennsylvania, while 1206 train is heading towards "north" Pennsylvania to reach a safe stop point.
A train carrying school children, as part of a Railway Safety Program have a near head-on collision with the train, as the RSP train reaches a siding as the 777 train passes on the main-line.
777 continues to speed across level crossings in towns, while police attempt to keep civilians clear of the crossings. A collision between a horse box and a truck causes the horse box to sit on the track, as the train closes in. There is a race against the train to get the horses off the line before the train passes through the town. The horses are pulled from wreckage just as the train runs the signals.
As 1206 nears the RIP track, they hear Connie saying the 777 train is just 2 miles away from the RIP track they are going to. Moments later, 1206 pulls into the RIP track just as the train comes into view. 777 smashes into the final carriage of the train, but does not derail either trains.
At the next town, the police have set a mobile derailer, designed to derail the train as it passes over the rails. Frank is certain the derailer won't work, because the train is too long, and travelling too fast. Frank decides he can stop the train by lashing up from behind, and applying the brakes.
As Frank predicted, the derailer was destroyed on impact of 777, and the train barely wobbled, because of the size and speed. Will and Frank are chasing after the train in reverse, and hope to hook up and stop the train.
The next attempt to stop the train is by lowering a Marine from a helicopter onto the roof of 777, where he will climb in and apply the brakes. Due to a fluctuation in the speed of 777, he flies back, into the window of he cab, and in knocked unconscious. The marine is lifted back into the helicopter.
When Will and Frank catch up to the train, Will leaves the cab of the train, and tries to hook up to the last car of the 777 train. Will sustains a foot injury in the process, when Frank hits the last car, and the pin falls through Will's foot.
When will recovers from his fall, and hops back into the cab, Frank applies the brakes, which reduces 777's speed, enough to get them through the Stanton Curve without derailing.
(Sorry about the potato quality)
When they realise the independent brakes of 1206 locomotive won't be enough to stop the train, Frank risks his life to apply the brakes of each car. He runs across the top of the train, to apply brakes. Meanwhile, in the cab of 1206, the brakes brake, and fall off, leaving 1206 with no way to stop 777.
Ted arrives in his car, and Will jumps into the back of his truck. One Will is in the back of the tuck, Ted speeds up, and drives to the front of 777's lead cab, where Will jumps aboard, and applies the brakes inside the cabin.
Middle ends and end starts when the brakes of the 777 Cabin are applied, and the speed is reduced.
End:
When the train comes to a complete stop, Will and Frank get off the train, and join Ted and Connie for a news broadcast.
Connie kisses Frank, and Will meets with his wife.
In a small epilogue, it's revealed that Frank was promoted, but retired shortly after. Connie was also promoted, and took over Galvin's job as the manager of the company. Will is presumed to be living with his wife and son.
What is the relationship between the two main characters and does it change, and why?
When Frank and Will first meet, there is a young verses old rivalry. The experience vs the newly trained. In the beginning of the film, Frank seems to talk down to Will, saying "If you don't know how to do something, ask." When they get inside the train, there is a lot of tension between the two characters. When Will attaches too many carts to the train, Frank says "This ain't training, In training they give you an F. Out here you get killed."
As the story progresses, and their train is told to divert to a side-track, there is an argument between Frank and Will as to whether the train would fit into the side-track they were assigned. Will, still a little unsure trusts Frank, and they continue to the next available space; a RIP track further up the main line.
When train 777 passes, Frank notices he can hook up to the train from behind. When he tells Will about this, Will is uncertain as to whether he wants to chase after the train, and tells Frank "You want to go and kill yourself, you do it alone". Frank says the train is too long, and travelling too fast for the de-railer to work. Will trusts Frank's experience, and climbs back into the train to help him stop the train.
In the tail-end of the middle of the story, when Will leaves the cockpit to hook up, Frank and Will settle all indifferences, and work together to connect to the train using hand signals. When Will has connected the train, sustaining a foot injury in the process, Frank congratulates Will.
In the final scene of the movie, when all the characters are together, and the news crew are holding a broadcast, Frank tells Will he is a "Funny guy", indicating the rivalry and tension has been solved, and indifferences settled.
Their relationship changes as a result of getting to know each other better, and learning to respect and trust each other in order to stop train 777.
What is the plot of the film?
When an unmanned train threatens the lives of thousands as it barrels towards a major city, conductor Will and train driver Frank are the only hope of stopping this 39 car train before it causes havoc in a populated city.
What significant differences does a game version of Unstoppable have to the film, and why?
Unless the game plays out like an interactive movie or with cut scenes, real scenes from the movies would not be able to be used.
The story in the game would be less detailed than the story in the film, because scenes would have to be cut. A game with too many cut scenes to show all the detail could be boring or overwhelming.
If a scene is being played, it will not seem or look as realistic as if it was being watched in a film.
Judd Stewart's death from when 777 rams the back of the train he was driving in an attempt to bring the train to a stop would be removed from the game, as it would likely raise age rating, and might offend players, therefore lose potential buyers.
When the police shoot at the emergency stop button on the 777 locomotive, in the hope of cutting off the fuel supply to the engine, this scene would likely be removed from the game, as the use of guns in the game would raise the PEGI age rating, and could lose potential buyers.
