The Magellan Interactive Experience (WfEM Winter 2019)
The Magellan Interactive Experience was created for an end-of-semester project for Writing for Electronic media, using Twine. The Prompt was to create a Galaxy’s Edge/Evermore Park-style amusement park attraction that takes place in the hypothetical Magellan setting, a science fiction scenario where Earth has sent a ship (called the Magellan) into space 31 years ago. The theme park attraction is set during a time where the Magellan is docked for repairs at an undisclosed space-station somewhere. Guests directly participate in the scenario by assuming the role of repair-staff sent by the Magellan’s governing authority, the United Earth Federation for Galactic Understanding (Known as the Federation, for short).
If the Guest chooses to participate, they can either assume the role of an inspector or a technician, each with their own role. The Technician is seen as a lowly grease-monkey, derided by some of the Magellan’s crew but respected by others. Inspectors have more bureaucratic authority, and as such can command the “respect” of the attraction’s actors/characters. The Guests’ primary method of interfacing with the attraction is through a gadget called the SS-DART, (Ship System Diagnostic And Repair Tool, also called a DART for short), a PDA-style gadget that can be used to interact with the components of the ship, receive communications from characters, and even play simple games like Snake. The DART is powered by a battery, the player can turn the device into specialized androids who can swap the exhausted DART out for a new one, transferring the Guests’ current progress in the scenario over to the new DART. This system also gives an in-universe way of replacing otherwise defective or damaged DARTs.
Though the entire “Storyline” of the Attraction can be changed as the park operators see fit, the storyline presented here manifests itself as a whodunit-style mystery wherein an unnamed saboteur (or team of saboteurs) has been tampering with the Ships’ systems, causing them to malfunction. The player is not initially aware of this and is only told so by a secretive contact embedded into the Federation that sends them an encrypted transmission. Inspectors can identify the specific methods of sabotage using their enhanced DARTs, while Technicians are the only ones capable of repairing the damage, therefore forcing two Guests to work together in order to solve the problem. Here, three of the ship’s systems are presented as malfunctioning (Life Support, Food-Delivery, and Main Power Generator), with each having some effect on the attraction’s environment (broken generator causes intermittent blackouts, Food-Delivery causes certain Actors to be cranky due to hunger, Life Support causes complications in an “Ambassador” scenario). The Attraction is designed to offer more systems, with Park Operators able to change out which systems are malfunctioning on any given day of business. The identity of the Federation Agent and the Saboteurs can also be cycled, to add value to repeat-visits.
The Saboteur storyline is a way of adding conflict and intrigue to the attraction, though without incorporating anything beyond Scooby-Doo levels of violence/action. The players can assist the Agent in apprehending the Saboteur, or simply just diagnose and repair the ship’s issues.