In the bus stop and on the bus, we mostly do not talk to other people. However, we engage with them. Be it events that happened at that point in time or even holding on to handles attached on the same pole.
This concept is to bring about the “experience” of realisation of things that could possibly happen on everyday life’s transport.
Thinking of using Interlude, the site allows us to have a narrative going on and have enables users/players to select choices during the narrative itself, changing and leading the players to creating their own experience of bus ride(s) from the start to the end.
Through different times, different photos and texts will be displayed to show the experience of the bus ride at different points.
The inspiration is from the game Lifeline, a text game whereby conversing with the protagonist and advising him about his decision will lead him to certain experiences that could either kill him or help him survive on an alien planet.
The other game that inspired this is the game Mister X. Similar to my concept, the game brings you around an area with the use of taxi, bus or train, to capture Mister X.
I like the concept/themes. However, how will you encourage the player to move forward? In Mister X, for example, narrative framing (the pursuit/evasion scenario) and withheld information (the criminal’s location) give players something to work towards. It’s true that real life doesn’t throw us incentives to travel, but what’s interesting about a game that simulates travel on public transport when we experience the same thing almost daily? It could become aimless without a goal. There’s a place for quiet/meditative games, of course, but even those typically present some sort of underlying puzzle or riddle that the player has to solve.
Will there be problems that the player faces during the course of his journey? Does the player have a destination? In Interlude the interface would probably be video based so one can choose which destination to head to via the bus stops in the videos i guess. Or do you plan to do this in photos and text?
It is an interesting concept. A bus trip is something many of us can relate to as it is largely a part of our everyday lives. Perhaps would video work better on Interlude? And would there be missions and rewards given at fixed points for the players to get to? Going further with the ‘engagement’ on buses, would there be side characters?