Archive: 10 posts

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Hey guys! A while back I started a project to try to build an epic 12 level series in lbp based on a story I wrote...we've made very little progress and I've given up on completing the series. If you're lucky the few levels that have been built may still make it online in some form or another, but progress has ceased, and instead, I have decided to provide the story in its entirety in text form here. This will take up multiple posts in order to keep each one as compact as possible.

2009-12-21 06:09:00 Author: Theap Pleman Posts: 670

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The Long and Winding Road Act 1 - Bad Company Level 1 - Changes "Welcome to the carnival." That's what the sign said, every summer afternoon, as my friends and I came together for a night of relaxation, a night of endless joy. We dreamed of so much. Pillaging on the high seas, saving the world, nothing was beyond our reach as long as we had each other. Those days were some of the best of my life, and I never wanted them to end. But one night they did, and my life changed forever. This is the story of that night, and my life thereafter. My friends couldn't make it that night, so I went to the carnival alone. It was deserted, but for whatever reason, I couldn't help but feel happy there...even by myself. I stepped up to the first booth, the shooting gallery. "Knock down as many ducks as you can in 30 seconds." I was a natural. Hit every one of them. I thought about all the times I played with my friends, and got excited. I couldn't wait for the rest of the carnival...but, whether I liked it or not, that would never come...at least, not how I expected it. Next up was the Ferris wheel. I remember watching the fireworks shoot up into the sky as the day settled into night. It was becoming night time now, but there would be no fireworks. As my cart reached the top of the ride, the ride shut off. Creatures began climbing up the wheel, and I was trapped. My seat adjusted and from underneath came a gun...and a strange circular object, which I only know filled me with the motivation to live. It seemed that the carnival I so often frequented had an expensive security system for just such an occasion, and I couldn't be more relieved. I got on top of the cart to get a better perspective on the situation, and found myself surrounded. That is when everything changed. I shot them. All of them...those...aliens...killed them all. I never knew what killing would be like, and I was scared. But I knew I couldn't just wait for more to come...I had to get out of the park. I looked behind me towards the entrance, but it was blocked. I had to make it through the park to escape, so I took the gun and continued on. Next however, was the worst ride to get stuck on in this situation-the tunnel of love. There it's completely dark, except for the few dim lights hanging from the ceiling of the cave. The water was poisonous (never understood that, not very loving for a tunnel of love) so I couldn't just get out and swim. While making my way through, something attacked me from under the water. I stood up to see what it was, but by that time it was gone. I made it across without any further trouble. There was a small forest up ahead. Everything there was fake, it was just a place for families to take pictures, but that didn't matter to me now. It was just as dangerous as any other place at this point. UFOs were coming down at me, raining strange green globes upon my head. I manage to dodge the bizarre projectiles, and take them down. 3 UFOs. Who knows how many lives. But I couldn't stop to think about the sins I had just committed now. I had to move on. My only motivation was self-preservation...staying alive, that I might be able to do something more with my life. A few steps later and I came upon one of the most horrifying things of my life. There was a giant of an alien...who seemed to fuse his (or her...I don't know) body with a clown car, using it as infinite storage space for its alien subordinates. Between firing those odd projectiles at me and releasing his henchmen all over to attack me, I found it hard to do much of anything. I took shelter behind a food stand, since it was all there was left. I had no way out, so I shot. I shot everything, without hesitation, without thought. I was running on a constant stream of adrenaline, unable to control myself. After what seemed like forever, I realized that the giant was gone, and I was all alone. I had made it. This was the end of the park. The tragedy was over. But really, it had just begun. As I reached the exit, I was approached by a squad of black soldiers. "That's some impressive work you did there, sackboy." I didn't know why he was there, what purpose he had with me. "We have an army of soldiers that do exactly what you just did here...we defend against attacks too bizarre for other people to believe. We want you to join us." "You know who I am?" I didn't quite understand where they got my name, or how, and suddenly I was filled with fear once again. "Don't worry, we want you to work with us, we are not here to harm you." I didn't want to...but something inside me really enjoyed what happened that night. The adrenaline rush gave me the most excitement I had ever felt, but it also gave me the most fear. Could I kill again? I realized that as much as I hated killing, I enjoyed the thought of being a hero so much more. I asked them the name of their organization. "We are the Armed Disaster Destroyers (ADD). We fight and destroy any disaster we are assigned to handle." I made up my mind. I wanted more out of my life than just visiting the carnival or pretending to be a hero, when I could actually become one. The sun was rising. I thought at the time that perhaps it was a sign that I was making the right decision. Now I know better. The heavens were trying light my path, show me I was going in the wrong direction, but I ignored them. "Okay. Sign me up." "Great, come with us and we'll take you back to base. We just need to clean up here a bit, okay?" I nodded in agreement. "You understand that there will be a lot of changes in your life now, right?" Nodded again. This was the first step of my long and painful journey. May you never have a life so cursed as mine.

2009-12-21 06:10:00 Author: Theap Pleman Posts: 670

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Act 1 - Bad Company Level 2 - Come Sail Away I was starting to wonder whether I made the right decision when disaster struck yet again. While the ADD soldiers were distracted, pirates came, and forced me into their little rowboat. I was about to laugh, but then it rose out of the water, and started climbing towards the heavens. On the earpiece the soldiers gave me (did I forget to mention that?) I was instructed that my first mission would be to take down this band of flying pirates. I was shocked. My first mission came about as a result of me being kidnapped! But nevertheless, I felt compelled to follow my orders and find a way to turn the situation around. Then we made dock. The tiny little tugboat landed upon a flying pirate ship, as large as I had ever seen (not that I had ever seen a pirate ship before)! There was a gun underneath the main mast on the deck, as well as another one of those mysterious circles. I've seen them more often than I've said, but as this was so long ago to me now, it becomes difficult to remember where they were. The captain was steering the ship on the top deck, and I headed straight for him. That's when I got another message from the soldiers. Apparently some other ADD members were locked up in the brig on the ship. I had to turn around and make my way down to the lower levels of the ship to free them before I could get to the captain. The first level was the pirates' sleeping quarters and mess hall. I didn't need to waste much time on them, they were armed with chicken wings, or a sword at best. After quickly disposing of them, I went further down. The next level gave me some trouble. This was where the cannons and ammo were stored, so the pirates here were well equipped to fight me. The key to the jail cell was on the ground behind everything. After a rough fight and nearly getting blown to bits by a cannonball, I managed to retrieve the key and went down to the final level. A guard stood by. He looked big and strong, but he was far too slow to keep up with me. I freed the soldiers then...nothing. They just stood there, unwilling to help. "Well, let's get going!" "We'll take care of the ship. Go kill the captain then jump off the front of the ship. There's an island down below, where the pirates headquarters are located." I was a bit confused. There were a few of the soldiers there, why did I have to go in alone? But I accepted this anyway, and went back up to the top floor of the ship. The captain was on the deck waiting. He looked large, and rather frightening. When he was on the deck, he seemed so much smaller, more peaceful. I thought to myself, could this really be the same person? But it was, and he was on the attack, looking for blood. But I wouldn't let him have any, not unless it was his own. "You look like a tough sailor? How about ditching your friends and becoming a pirate? Come with me, Cap?n Yarbone. ?Captain My-Bone?? ?No?not yarr bone, Yarbone. Never mind. Boy, I want you to come sail away. Away from your troubles, away from your worry. All you have to do is pillage, drink, and have a merry time. What do you say?" I thought about his proposal, but only for a second. True, I had grown up pretending to be a pirate with my friends, but now I was already something more. It was already hard on my conscience to allow me to kill, but pirates do so without good reason. I could not let myself turn into that. If I was to fight, I would fight for justice. At least, that's what I believed at the time. "No." That's all I needed to say. "If you choose not to join me, you choose to DIE!!!" I stood my ground, and through his barrage of attacks, I managed to survive. Hurt, but not dead yet, I passed by the life ring (got to give that thing some kind of name) and felt revitalized. I stepped onto the front rail of the ship, and jumped. It seemed like an eternity. I thought I would faint before I hit the ground. I found another of those life rings near the spot I landed. That could not come sooner. My legs were sore, and I needed to feel the healing power of the ring soon, or I would not be able to continue on. The pirate headquarters were on the other side of a rather large volcano. Climbing it took less time than I thought. Perhaps it was the motivation not to get burned by lava that made the trip so quick, but I'll never know for sure. When I got there, I found myself staring at a gate. There were holes in it, which looked as if lava had melted through, but the gate was strong, and I could not get by. A gatekeeper saw me standing there. "Are you one of the new recruits?" "Yes." I didn't lie. He just didn't ask who recruited me. "Well why didn't you get the key on your way in? You know where it is right? I can't let you in, you have to have the key tough guy." So I went back. Great. I had to look for some tiny key somewhere on a volcano. I started knocking rocks away, when I found that one of the rocks was stuck in the volcano. I pulled it out, and took it to the doorkeeper. "Umm...here it is. This is it, right?" "Oh yeah...that's it." I waited, but the door didn't open. "So?" "You want to be let in, you liar? You brought the trap key, which means the only door I can open for you is the trap door." I fell in, and like a scene from Star Wars, found myself facing a great beast, in a pit with only one way out-right behind the monster. The elevator gate was locked, and all I had was a jetpack I found lying on the ground. I attempted to go back up through the trap door, but of course, it closed itself behind me. I shouldn't have expected anything else. So all I could do was find a way to destroy the creature obstructing my path to freedom. In the process I saw an odd, glowing object, located on the tip of his nose. There were more of them, scattered about his body, and I found that upon hitting said objects, they would disappear, and the beast would be weakened. I reckoned that they must be his life-force, somehow manifested in a physical form, and upon destroying each of them, the creature died, and the gates were opened. I stepped through them, and saw a bright light. The sun shone down the staircase. I climbed it, and as I climbed, the wall next to me read, "Sorry we thought you were a liar, but you grabbed the wrong key! Good thing you didn't die back there!" That was supposed to make me feel better? It didn't matter, I really wasn't one of them. In fact, I was there to do to them what I did to their monster...and I was tired of having so many obstacles in the path. It was time to get things done, so I entered the first building-a repair shop. There were broken swords, wrecked ships, and inoperable cannons strewn about the room. Many pirate handymen were at work there. I shot one, and he disappeared into thin air. A wrench came flying at me. More of them. I was being bombarded by hammers and screwdrivers. I wouldn't put up with it any longer. Within a minute, the room was empty, except for the broken bits of weapons and boats, and of course, me. I moved on. The next building was tougher. It was their armory, and it was packed with angry pirates wanting to kill me for what I'd just done to their shipmates. Bombs were flying everywhere, turrets pointed right at me, but I found cover. They couldn't last forever. I waited out the attacks, and when they stopped for a moment, it was my time to strike. They were relentless, and the battle was long, but in the end, I succeeded in defeating them. I was instructed that I would be picked up on the roof of this building. There was only one problem. The pirates left a little toy for me to play with, a giant robot penguin, coded-named J-Jab. Not sure what was with the choice of animal, or the name, but I had my theories. Their base was on an island on the equator, they probably wanted to build something that would make them think of a colder climate...hence the penguin. However the codename always perplexed me. But enough useless rambling. I was on the rooftop, facing my most intimidating enemy yet, when...well...the thing kinda fell apart. Yeah. Oh, and peanuts mysteriously fell out. That was kind of strange. Don't know what else to say. I mean, maybe you were expecting some epic battle, but you know, I think I already had a lot of those that day, were any more really necessary? The ADD picked me up, and I was finally on my way to the base, with my first successful mission under my belt.

2009-12-21 06:13:00 Author: Theap Pleman Posts: 670

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Act 1 - Bad Company Level 3 - Sympathy for the Devil I had finally arrived. I was standing in the ADD's mission briefing room, with a giant screen dominating the space. A face appeared on screen, the leader of the ADD. "Sackboy, we are impressed by all the work you've done so far, so we have decided to give you our most important mission." It was only my second mission, and I was already a vital member of their team. At that moment, I felt proud of myself, and what I accomplished. That feeling would not last... "You'll be checking out the base of the Mean Police, a rebel faction within the Universal Police Force (UPS), they are wanted for hundreds of crimes against the innocent. Good luck." The Universal Police Force. Everyone knew who they were. They have been around for decades, protecting the rights of literally everyone, everywhere. It was hard to believe that a rebel faction would rise up from within their own forces, as they were looked up to by everyone. But certainly, a group so cruel as to go against the UPS must be destroyed. I would not let such people get away with their evil intent. The door opened, and I stepped inside. I was standing in the vehicle warehouse of the ADD...at least, that's what I called it. There was a boat, a submarine, a car, a rocket, a helicopter...well, you get the picture. Over time, I ended up only using very few of these vehicles, but I definitely started with the coolest one. "So...which of these are mine for today?" There was a soldier in the room who directed me to my vehicle. I got the rocket. Yeah, that's right. My second mission and they let me pilot the most expensive vehicle they had. I felt good...ready to fight. The flight was calm and short, but when I arrived there, everything became hectic. I had just landed the ship, and I was instantly bogged down by enemy turrets, and there was no way through. I saw a sign behind me, pointing to the left. The electric generator for the complex was that way, and it gave me an idea. I looked back at the turrets, which gave me hope. The turrets were self-operated, so they ran on electricity. If I could destroy the generators, they would shut down, along with all the lights on the base, and I could sneak in. Of course, there would be backup generators somewhere, but I didn't have time to worry about those. I made my move. There were some bombs net to the generators-I wondered to myself why they would put those there, when I was contacted by the ADD. "Sackboy-those bombs were left there on a recon mission by another agent; since this is a UPS base we're taking down, we had to be sure they were really rebelling before we could strike-those were left there on the last mission for you to use." Well that made sense. So I took the bombs and destroyed the generators, and everything went dark. I turned on the night-vision goggles. I ran past the turrets, remembering that I only had so much time before the backup generators came on. The turrets were placed relatively close to the fence, so I hopped up on a turret, and over the fence. I was in the facility, but the main building was locked, and needed electricity to open. I searched for an open window, or something to dig with, and that?s when I saw the pipe. It was a large sewage pipe, the only way in. I climbed in and began my descent. There were holes in the pipe, and genetically altered electrified moles resided under the building, ready to attack me. I was scared at first, but then I noticed they had a small pattern of movement, and I simply waited until the path was clear before continuing on. I climbed up the pipe, and found myself in an indoor rain simulation room?apparently for training, because I was surrounded by soldiers and targets. The lights were back on, so I had to turn the night goggles off. Luckily, there was a gun directly above the pipe, so I was equipped right away. I just had to run for cover. I got through the room (even shot the targets for fun?) and moved on. As it turned out?I was on the training floor of the building?yes, an entire floor dedicated to training troops. And if I didn?t shoot those targets, I would not have been locked inside to finish the course. But I was, and now I had to go through the whole course in order to switch floors and continue the mission. Traps, turrets, puzzle locks, and so many more obstacles came between me and the upper levels, but these were not too challenging for me. I eventually got through, and moved onto the second floor, where I faced?other stuff that the either creator of the level or everyone working on this project must decide upon. *From here, rest of level structure is up to creator (or a collaborative effort from everyone), except for boss fight (I have something specific in mind I want to build, but if it does not work, creator can build boss, but I still need to establish story for him) described below* I entered the next room, which was large, but mostly empty. There was a man wearing a jetpack, floating in the center of the room. I approached him. "Sackboy. We know about your recent adventures. Not everything is as it seems, you know." "I don't care what you have to say! As long as you are the enemy of the UPS, you are the enemy of the entire universe, and that includes me!" I knew so little at the time. But now I know better. "Fine. If that's how you want it, let's fight." He seemed so calm, at the time, I couldn't understand why. He was about to risk his life fighting me, and he felt no fear...no hatred...nothing. He just floated there, cold and emotionless, a devil among men...or so I thought. But the mission was most important, so I pushed my thoughts aside and attacked. There was a bounty of weapons available-bombs, turrets, a gun, etc. I went for the bombs first. I threw the first one, and he shot it out of the sky. I threw another, and he couldn't move his weapon in time. I was sure I had got him, but then he dodged it. He seemed to be more skilled than any other opponent I had ever faced. I went for the turret. Dozens of bullets flew towards him. A few hit, but he managed to escape the worst of the attack. I was shocked. This fight was one I could not win. But then I realized something-I was the only attacker. In all the time he had to kill me, not once did he make a move. He only fired his weapon when fired upon, and only to stop whatever attack was coming towards him. Then he spoke. "Sackboy, I see that you have a fierce determination to carry out this mission of yours, and a strong sense of justice. I surrender. One day you will learn the truth, and at that time, I trust you to make the right decision. Goodbye, my friend." The turret started firing on its own. I no longer had control. "Wait! What are you saying? DON'T GOOOOO!!!" It was too late. He was gone, and the door opened. I was left with so many questions unanswered, and I had no choice but to accept it. I felt a stinging pain in my heart, one I had never felt before. I may not have been the one who killed him, but I felt responsible. It was worse than my very first experience killing...the aliens at the carnival. I felt sympathy for that unnamed man...sympathy for the devil. (forgot to incorporate song title in verbal speech, instead he?s thinking to himself?have to rework that a little?) Why did he call me his friend? What did he mean by "you will learn the truth?" These questions and so much more spun around in my mind, and I felt so confused. Some ADD soldiers had come by to pick me up...I did not feel up to flying after that.

2009-12-21 06:15:00 Author: Theap Pleman Posts: 670

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Act 1 - Bad Company Level 4 - Won't Get Fooled Again I was back in the briefing room. I felt lost. I had just succeeded in my mission, yet I felt guilty. I did not know why I felt that way at the time, but I do now. What I am about to tell you is the final chapter of my past, and the beginning of what's to come. The screen lit up, a familiar face smiling down at me. For whatever reason, I found that face particularly unsettling today... "Good job, sackboy. That was vital to the safety of the universe. We have a much bigger mission for you now..." Great. On my first "big" mission, I felt terrible afterwards. Now what was in store for me? "We were shocked by this news, but trustworthy intelligence has revealed that the UPS itself has been taken over by corrupt officials, and is currently trying to take control over the universe with its vast army. We need you to take down their main base, which should stop them from sending their troops out to attack." One small faction was hard enough for me to believe, but the entire UPS? The thought of one organization ruling over everyone in the universe seemed impossible, but if it was true, I had to stop it. ?As this is their central location, I?m sure you know that it is open to the public, and guided tours are available through a small section of the building. You will be infiltrating the complex as a part of the tour, and break off when you feel you have a way into the secure areas of the building.? ?Yes sir.? *method of transportation and location of base up to creator* ?Welcome to UPS Headquarters everyone! I?ll be your guide for today, and let me just say thank you for visiting us! We have many wonderful sights for you to see?? That girl just kept on talking?I've been on the tour before, so this was really dragging on for me? That?s when I saw it. An open vent in the corner of the room. I went inside, and started the mission. *The UPS base, location, fights, etc. are up to the creator, but certain guidelines must be followed: all enemies in this level are mechanical, so no interaction with other people until next part coming up, except for the guided tour section of the level; should be friendly looking, and open to public; people are allowed in to discuss problems they have, to seek employment, to compliment their work, etc* I found the founder of the UPS. The man who made it the legendary security agency it was today, and the man who would destroy everything it stood for in order to gain power. "Why?" The only word that I could form, the only word that really mattered. "Sackboy...this was all for you." At this point I was confused. "Let me explain. But first...WOULD YOU COME IN NOW PLEASE?" I was curious to see who he was talking to, when HE came through the door. It was the "devil." The man who I watched die. "Wh...what...what's he doing h...ali...uhh..." I was at a loss for words. "Sackboy, it is time you learned the truth. You wonder why we are standing here peacefully talking to you, we wonder why you would follow the command of people you do not know. Sackboy, what you know as the ADD is really a secret organization trying to take control of all the UPS's resources, in order to take command of everything they possibly can. My subordinate, Officer Johnny Brown, was sent to observe your behavior, and determine whether or not your heart truly resided with them, and their evil tactics. He determined that you were recruited using deceit to make you believe you were just in your actions, and decided we should get you to help us defeat the ADD. Sackboy, are you ready to do this for us?" I thought about all he had said. It was a lot to take in, and was shocking at first. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The carnival incident was random, and that was how the ADD determined they should recruit me. I was kidnapped by the pirates, but that too, was not influenced by the ADD, and though they did have soldiers locked up inside, there were others too, the pirates kidnapped whoever they found. From there, my last 2 missions have been directed towards attacking the UPS. Considering that the UPS was the oldest and most trusted security company in existence across the universe, I decided that I would help. "Okay. I'll join you. But just so you know, I won't get fooled again, so if you're lying to me, I'm coming after you." "We are only here to help, sackboy. Now, we want you to take lead on this mission, and Brown will be accompanying you. Now tell me, what can Brown do for you?" "I'm sorry, but I cannot accept that offer. After all the trouble I caused you and the UPS, it should be on my shoulders to fix everything I have destroyed. Thank you for telling me the truth." And so, I walked out. Now, I am on my way back to the ADD. There will be no mercy for them. They tricked me into committing terrible crimes, and I cannot take that lightly. To be continued in the next act titled I?m Your Captain That's the entire first act (there are 3, and I did start writing 1 bonus level after that takes place after the 3rd act) If anyone wants me to continue posting the rest of the story, let me know, and I will!

2009-12-21 06:17:00 Author: Theap Pleman Posts: 670

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I once had a story where I named the chapters after Classic Rock songs, so this definitely has my interest. Will post full review after I read this all. P.S. This goes in the Creative Writing sub-forum of Artwork and Creativity, so mods, move this if you may

2009-12-21 06:20:00 Author: Astrosimi Posts: 2046

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Oh, sorry, yeah, definitely move it!

2009-12-21 06:22:00 Author: Theap Pleman Posts: 670

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I'm really sorry that this didn't make it off. we tried really hard to make it but progress just slowed down and eventually stopped. I have had great pride in being able to read this story multiple times. (I even proof read it) Sorry the appleman

2009-12-21 08:48:00 Author: robotiod Posts: 2662

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Theap- I always thought it was a good story. Which 'read' better as a story... then a blueprint for a 12 part epic series of levels.... Sorry it didn't sprout wings though! Keep dreaming just set simpler goals.

2009-12-21 14:32:00 Author: Gravel Posts: 1308

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Moved to Creative Writing. Sad to see the level series die.

2009-12-21 16:38:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

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