OS Problem and Options

Come here to ask questions or give advice about the theory that forms the basis of Dramatica.
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Geoff1975
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OS Problem and Options

Postby Geoff1975 » Apr 26, 2013 9:23 am

Hi,
I'd love to get answers from Chris on this, but this is open to anyone.

1. OS Problem - I used to assume the OS problem was expressed from a single source, probably the antagonist, and automatically expressed in the Act Turns. Now, I see it as expressed by the three or four [archetypal] characters.

That leaves the Story Driver, which I assumed to link with the signpost types. You mentioned in this forum that this isn't necessarily the standard.

2. Options - I am still vague on options structurally. Could many of the options come at once in the last Act, if need be? Is there something structurally that would tie an option to an Act that's not close to the climax? Now, I've figured out that the protagonist or antagonist doesn't have exclusivity on the optionlock. One example is The Secret of My Success, where several characters (boss, Michael J. Fox's character, and boss' wife) are trying to do their own concerns with their own options.

Contagionist
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Re: OS Problem and Options

Postby Contagionist » Apr 29, 2013 8:34 am

2. Ghostbusters? They give Gozer a "cease and desist" order, they shoot at her, they try to deny the Destructor a form, they shoot at the Marshmallow Man, all in the last act, but the only option that will work is the one thing they should never do under any circumstances. I get the idea that if you make the final option undesirable enough you can have your characters try all manner of things late in the story before they realize there is only one cure. The caveat to this is no matter how undesirable you make the final solution, the consequence must still be even worse. If Gozer were not out to destroy the world, the Ghostbusters would never resort to crossing the streams to stop her.

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Chris Huntley
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Re: OS Problem and Options

Postby Chris Huntley » May 04, 2013 11:41 am

1. The OS problem may be expressed by any character or event in the OS throughline. There is no particular ownership of that to certain archetypes or complex characters. There are storytelling CONVENTIONS of how it is shown, but they are just the common forms of representation and not the exclusive forms of representing the OS Problem.

2. Options in an Optionlock story should be spread out over the course of the story. If they are clumped, they won't seem to fit the dynamic requirements of the Story Limit. You may speed up their usage as time progresses through the story to give growing tension, but it is not necessary to fulfill their function.
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