Digital Complex: Plot/Story Thread

[CaptBrenden]

Intro:

This thread is for the disscusion and development of the OS Tan Collections in house comic. In this thread is the place to discuss storyline ideas, plots,  character profiles, and anything else writing related.  

We currently dont have a Writing Department Head or any official writers, just conceptual writers and creative input.  If your interested in becoming an official writer or the writing departments head, please apply in the OS Tan Comic Admin thread, or PM me, CaptBrenden, the project chairman.



Main Characters
These will be the main characters of the story.  the first list is the "good" characters, as they are the ones that live with the user and will be seen the most often.  The second list is the "evil" or "opposing" character as they wont nessicerily be bad, but they will conflict with the good characters.  (i think darklord would throw me off the site if I mad Linux a villan...)

The User/Master- Protagonist
3.1-tan
Dos, the cat
95tan
98-tan
Me-tan or Emuii-chan
2k-tan or Nisen-san
XP-tan or Ekusupii-san

Hacker (working name) - Antagonist
Mac (i dont know the versions..)
Linux
other possible "opposing" oses
Norton


Supporting Characters
These characters most likely will show up later in the story and get less "air time"

98se
MSN Messanger
Mcafee
NT
CE
XP home
Sever 2003, or Saba
Vista
Fire Fox


Genera/Type
Exotic girlfriend/harem/comedy/mild ecchi

We are aiming at a negima/love hina type of story. Something funny with loveable character, centered around a bunch of girls that all like (in their own way) the user/master.  To stay true to most of the material currently on the web for the OS tans, a slight ecchi tint will be added.  Fan service!  I can only hope that we can master the mass gratuidus pantie shot as well as Mr Akamatsu

Setting
Still up in the air, but it will take place in either modern day Japan, or modern day USA (mostlikely washington state, as I have lived there for 6 years, and its the home of Microsoft)  If we pick Japan, a lot of research will have to be done to be accurate as we have no true japanese team members (yet, Id like to find at least a translator.. the brought the OS tans to life, im sure they would appriciate being able to read our humble comic)

In either case, the master lives (untill the girls arrive) alone.  This location will have to be something big as it will have to fit all the girls eventually.  Say... he lives in a large house that was owned by his parents or something.  OR maybe a studio in a cheaper part of town. Either way it has to be remote to keep public knowlage of such extrodinary girls on the down low.  Last thing we need is 98 running around in her box on the evening news.

Another possibility, most likely as a later location, cyber space.  The girls will start in reality, but the story will end up taking the user to cyber space at which point we can start including all the supporting chracters.

General Plot

This is all still up in the air, but this is what we are working with so far.  The user is a programer, working most likely for Microsoft spicificly on the operating systems.  As a pet project he creates Visual Interactive Personalitys for each OS, calling them the OS Tans (he is quite the otaku).

He has a rival at work, that works in another department with hardware.  Experimental stuff, high speed low drag. The two dont get along and but heads when ever possible.  The users current assigned project is to create an operating system for the rivals "experimental" device. Kinda like the manhatten project, the differnt departments dont even know what their components are for.

However, the pet pjoject discs and the actuall operating systems discs get mixed up, and the OS tans get installed into the solid holigram devices the experimental department is working on.

The user then returns home, and awakes to the clamor of some strange girls that have shown up at his house... Meanwhile the experimental department is in an uproar looking for their stolen solid holigram projectors....

From here, the user learns to live with his roommates as the compeat for his attention, discover the real world, and cause mischif and mayhem while theyre at it.  On top of that, after finding out what brought them to life, he has to decider what to do.. return the devices and never see the girls hes come to care for again, or try to keep them hidden from the coperation, his rival, and the world (which is no easy task given the girls hes trying to hide..)

[Agelu]

  :ph34r:  Im in. Yup, really interested on it. As one of the Main writers...   :thumbup:  

[CaptBrenden]

Allright Ive been idly thinking about doing a short tester comic just for practice.  Here it goes:

Digital Complex: A Day Without Dos

Length:  8-16 pages (standard comics co by 8 page increments)
Medium:  Computer inked and colored using Photoshop 7.0.  Cell shaded.
Style:  full comic/manga page rather then strip from.
Purpose: to hash out to process for producing an issue of DigiCon

Basic Story:
It will start with an establishing shot of  the sun comming up over the city buildings, or the trees/mountains of the country side.  A further establishing shot will introduce out main character for this one.. 3.1 tan, asleep in her bed, dos curled up next to her.  From here, we can show the alarm clock next to the bed.. probobly an old style one (since it belongs to 3.1) showing that its already late in the morning.  Either the alarm can go off, or I may have 95 show up to wake her from her sleep.  I hear that wake up sceans are common in manga.

Then there will be a series of shots of her mornin routine... I want to show some of the things she does in her daily life.. every time with dos. Helping 2k file folders, going to the store for 95, etc..  Mostly to stress that the two are inseperable, and I want to give the reader a feel for whoe 3.1 is, quiet and emotionless almost.. with a soft side that only dos seems to bring out.  (writing dialog for her will be a blast!  3.1: "...." Dos: "meow.")  

Conflict to the story comes when somehow on the way back from the store, dos gets lost and a dirty crying ( i think if done right this could be one powerfull shot.. the normaly expressionless 3.1 tears streaming down her face holding out a distictive collar..) having searched for Dos for hours.  Imagin her crying into 95's arms (establishing her as the mother even more from the morning wake up and laundry parts) The girls then all head out and search (cammios for everyone!) and then dos is found un harmed but thoughouly miserable crying out for 3.1 (he is as dependant on her as she is on him) Start tearfull reunion, acouple of good shots the others girls onlooking teary smiles at the scean.  

and finaly the final part will be 95 closing the door to 3.1s bedroom wishing her goodnight. After the door closes, in the bluish tint of moonlight she snugs her beloved companion, and maybe, just maybe her only line in whole comic will come at this point, something along the lines of "I love you dos, never leave me alone again" or something else. I shall endevor to make it less wordy for the normaly silent maiden but you get the point.  

Still needs so work, but story writers feel free to tear it to peices, and put it back togeather better.  remember to keep it simple, but it should still be long enough to fill the 8-16 pages.

I figuer, since we havent hashed him out yet, we should leave the Master out of it.  Maybe when 3.1 shows up without dos, someone could comment (2k comes to mind since its kinda a mature note "this couldnt have happened at a worse time.. with the master out on a buisness trip.." or something along that line. Or also, a comment in the begining when 3.1 is helping with varios chores about "we have to work hard while master is away... "

Let me know what you think, and if the story writters are on the ball, Ill shoot for the middle of next week to have a sketched version for editing.

[Mechazawa]

Awe...so cute.

I had a sort of diferent idea for Neko DOS though.  Sort of imagined her as a crone of sorts.  Kindly grandmother personality but with feline trates as well.  I know this is wierd as hell, but it seems like a manga kind of thing to me. I think that is a good mirror for the real world relationship between 3.1 (and even through to XP) and DOS.

Its not even totaly incompatable with your outline...

Let me know yhat you think.

I am thinking over the general concept too. I like WA for the setting, but I don't think the girls have to be isolated.  You get even more odd ball situations if they get to mix it up with normal people.  I was even thinking about enrolling the tans is school.  Have to think on that a bit.

About how any frames will the teaser have?

Also, can't leave out Firefox Tan, the ears are so cute!

[rew]

hullo minna
ore wa rew desu "YOROSHIKU!!"
currently i and my friend are making a short flash movie with our theme the OS Tans.
but our problem is we dont know and dont have a suitable music for the bgm.
so, i'm thinking if anybody here got a song that they would like to share (only cute songs,the one like in OSpittan .swf movie or the troubled windows one)

the songs that we have in store is just:
ayumi Hamasaki
nami tamaki
L'Arc~En~Ciel- Awake, Heart,True,Ray,ark,heavenly,and some anime ost's.

Tanoze MINNA!!!!! ;hi http://ostan-forums.blackdiam.net/images/smiles/1/sm9.gif

[CaptBrenden]

humm well I idly thought about dos having 2 forms somehow.. like being able to shift between the cat, and the girl form (the one thats always hiding in the background with the keyboard)

95 has most often been potrayed as the motherly sort, so thats why Ive gone the way that I have so far.  Dos is normaly shown as a shy girl in the back ground (cus dos usualy runs back there) with a keyboard (cus you can only use dos with a keyboard)  or the cat that is always with 3.1tan.  I relize that dos is technicly the oldest, how ever if you look at the girls, age of the OS dosent nessicarily show through the character. take the 98 twins for example, or 3.1. Both are fairly old but potrayed as young girls (maybe because the the oses are less "mature" then say 2k or Xp.  

The way i see it, dos is a perfect choice for our "sidekick" character, which in most mangas is a small cute animal, tho they can sometimes speak, change shape or the like.  Imagine it.. 3.1 is the only one that can seem to understand dos perfectly, cus she works directly with dos. The other systems can use dos but its not a main stay of it so they get a shaky understanding at best  Dos:"meow meow!"  XP:"what timmys fallen down the well??"  3.1: ".......no....   she said you ate her fish......"

The boxes (reminds me.. i have to look up thier actuall name..) are another possibility, but they have less personality potential then dos.  I see them as being more like... say the two knights that look like logs in Tenchi, vs dos being riaoki. Interesting supporting characters, protectors of 98 and se, but not the main mascot.

Number of frames really depends on how much material is given to me for comic. the more indepth the more i can include, or the more i have to streach it out to fit the page length.  Just keep in mind that we are doing full pages rather then just the normal online comic strip (so much more you can do with them.) However 6-8 frames is a good estimate.  If you really want to go indepth in the writting, you can discribe the individual frames rather then just writting a story and having me adaptit to frames.

This gives you the writter more of a hand in the final product. think of it as like.. a screen play writer.  Format would look something like this:

Digital Complex: A day Without Dos
Writer: Mechazawa
Artist: CaptBrenden

page 1 of 8

frame 1
3.1 sits up in bed streaching, dos streaching besider her, window in background, sun rising above the trees.
Dialoge: None
Sound Effects: Chirping of birds, yawning, streaching

frame 2
ground level shot of 3.1s foot lowering into a old looking lacy pair of slippers.  
Dialoge: None
SFX: none

You get the Idea.  This like I said gives you more of a direct hand in things, gives us a better idea how much material is on how many pages so we can work on pacing better, saves time on the artists end (even more the more discriptive each frame is) If your like me and see what you write in your head its almost like planing out a movie or animation... thinking abotu where to place the camera, and what you want in the shot and how your going to convey the feeling you want to invoke.

Well Im gonna go work on some more model sheets.. tell me what you think and what you want to do.  This will be a good test to see how much work it is for you and will let us plan for how long each issue should take us to produce.  We may also have to discuss if we are going to release a page at a time.. or wait for all 8 pages of an issue to be compleated before release.

Signing off...

Edit:
egads I did forget firefox!  Yes ears are cute, and I do like her alot, but for the main characters we at the moment plan on sticking to the more standard characters untill later on in the story, thus I have now dropped her in the supporting character section.  

humm that brings to mind tho.. is there a google tan?  cus it would be interesting to throw her in there to help "search" for dos XD

CaptBrenden added the following  6 minutes after last message :

hullo minna
ore wa rew desu "YOROSHIKU!!"
currently i and my friend are making a short flash movie with our theme the OS Tans.
but our problem is we dont know and dont have a suitable music for the bgm.
so, i'm thinking if anybody here got a song that they would like to share (only cute songs,the one like in OSpittan .swf movie or the troubled windows one)

A noble endevor to be sure, cus there is always a need for new flashes of the tans.. however this isnt the right thread to ask for help on it.  maybe you should start a new thread in the os tan discussions/os tan fanfics, comics, and fan stuff?

[Mechazawa]

Hehe Google Tan, good one to design yourself!

I am still bummbling about thinking about story and character.

Since we are writing this it may as well be an american setting and character.

"Gort Turing" might be a good name for the "master"  Alan Turing was a digital computing pioner and famous for the "Turing Test,"  which seems relavant to what we are doing.  Gort is the robot from "The Day The Earth Stood Still", maybe make his name Gordon, but Gort for short?

[CaptBrenden]

humm possible second contest XD Picking a name is always hard.  I like the last name.. but gort.. i donno.. *ponders* we will have to see what we come up with. What about Matt Turning? Sounts a little more american or normal and rolls of the toung a bit better.  No real meaning to it tho.. or maybe William turning. Kinda a normal name, but its the full version of microsofts head honcho Billy G.  Deeply rooted to the girls and sounds a bit more normal.  Any other saggestions anyone?

Im not so worried about the user/master at the moment.. we still got alot of characters to work out before we get to him.  The proposed short teaser comic also dosnt require him in it, which gives us pleanty of time to figure out what it is we want to do with him.  

If your interested in working with the test/teaser comic let me know and we will get cracking on it.. if not, Ill see what I can do in my free time, but I got 3 weeks or so off comming up here and I want to try and get it done in that time.

[Mechazawa]

When I was thinking about what to do with dos, I got this idea that it is the most complete OS MS has produced so far, since windows is still developing, but dos is complete and perfect for its intended purpose.  That would make it the most mature...

DOS is perfectly fine on its own while 3.1 is useless without DOS.

You have a point about the standard cute animal personality though.  I don't know what to do about the little girl/box form.  I don't like any of the designs of the little girl I have seen so far.

Quick Ideas.

ME Buys a tuna sandwitch to try and draw out DOS with the smell.  XP
eats it.


Imagine a typical urban street.  vehicles zip by in the center, sidewalks are crowded with pedestrians shopping at food stores whose wares spill out onto the wide sidewalks.  XP weaves through trafic on her scooter trying to look every place, "DOS DOS here kitty kitty".  ME riding "bitch" is hanging on for dear life, eyes spinning, face green.


95 Tan steps into a seedy bar walks sraight up to the bar tender and askes for Sake.  Gruf looking barkeep laughs "we have whiskey and whiskey."

95 "I am looking for a small black cat, name of DOS."

three ugly patrons with lustful eyes aproach.

Patron 1 "well now little lady we might be able to find that pussy for you..."

patron 2 reaches for obi.  95 draws kaitana, flash of light, 3 patrons stand in just shoes and underpaints.

95 "now about my cat..."


DOS is found playing an RPG in wallmart.

More first names from my list.  Winston (contains Win), Frank, Barney, Alphonse (patlabor), Sam, Robby (robot in forbidden planet).

[CaptBrenden]

Humm interesting thought there.  Brings a question to mind.. can or will dos talk? that is a question worth thinking about.  In many mangas and animes the cute animal sidekick can still speak, and as you said, may be fairly refined or intellegent.  example: sailor moon, and or Bleach (technicly the cat in that one turned out to be an extreamly old death god, but for a long time it just seemed like a smart old black cat that talked gruffly) or Kuro, konakos cat from Love Hina, was smart and insitefull, often pointing out the characters feelings before even they are aware

on the other hand, dos could be like tama chan in love hina, smart but makes simple sounds. As i said before, that could be cool, especialy if only 3.1 can really talk to her (or understand) her best.

Its a cool concept tho, that dos will be wise beyond her years, and not dependant on 3.1 but 3.1 is dependant on her.

i like the tuna thing, thats funny XD we will have to use that.  However.. if there were food stalls there.. Im sure XP would be checking each one throughly for dos...

Ive been reading some of the fan sub comics and the male oses arnt so bad.  Well cept xp.. *shutter* But what brought that to mind is that scean with 95.  Somehow I could just see the gruff samurai looking 95kun in the background sipping sake watching in amusement

CaptBrenden added the following  10 hours 28 minutes after last message :

how odd.. my post somehow got deleated... in two differnt threads...

and then it re appears after i attempt a repost
and then it dissapeared again!  the forum is freaking out!!

CaptBrenden added the following  11 hours 39 minutes after last message :

Is anyone else having problems with the forum? its twigin the freak out on me...

[Q4(V)]

no its all in ur head .... wait how come it show when u have edit ur post it doesn't no mine ....

[Mechazawa]

Forum has been OK for me.

I was thinking about having 2K take 3.1 around while the others have separate little adventures.  

We realy have to decide who will be the primary leading lady in this, but I am leaning towards 2K.

Going to do some more serious writing ths weekend.

[CaptBrenden]

Yeah, its is me i think.. i dont know how, I dont know why, but my computer is loading old data for sites.. stuff that it loaded days ago.. so it wasnt showing any new posts, and anything I posted didnt show up. it was rather odd.. tho I think my flushing the temporary files cleared up the problem.


anyhow.. humm lead lady, that is hard one.  I wonder if it would be possible to share the role equaly?  <.< >.>

I look forwart to seeing what you have written up, Im going to work pretty hard on drawing this weekend as well,

[Mechazawa]

Here is a start for the teaser.

Setting, inside a neat, well furnished three story town house.  

NOTE: might want to start with a picture of the house.

View from outside a top story window.

3.1 lies asleep in bed, her head visible from under the covers.  DOS is curled up next to her on top of the covers.

DOSââ,¬â,,¢s nose twitches. She rises slowly to her paws.  Thought: ââ,¬Å"I smell something tastyââ,¬Â.

DOS noses through the door which is ajar, then pads downstairs.

Kitchen:  95 (kimono tied back) is cooking fish for breakfast.  98 (sans box) is helping.
DOS jumps up on counter, audible ââ,¬Å"Beepââ,¬Â
95 ââ,¬Å"their not quite ready yet.ââ,¬Â
DOS looks disappointed ââ,¬Å"beepââ,¬Â¦beepââ,¬Â jumps to floor.

Sound of doorbell

Staircase: ME in comfortable looking PJs hurries.  Ã¢â,¬Å"Iââ,¬â,,¢ll get it.ââ,¬Â  Falls down stairs, lands in funny looking position ââ,¬Å"ouch.ââ,¬Â

Hallway: XP (slightly sexy PJs) rushing towards ME.  Ã¢â,¬Å"Not again ME Tanââ,¬â€you have to be more careful with the stairs.

Doorway: 2K (fully attired) opens door for postman, DOS pads out the door.
2K ââ,¬Å"good morning Cliffââ,¬Â
Postman ââ,¬Å"and a fine morning to you Nisen san, did you know that today is the anniversary of the completion of the worlds first digital computer in Alexandria in 1500 B.C.ââ,¬Â
2K now holding mail ââ,¬Å"thatââ,¬â,,¢s good to know...ââ,¬Â
DOS rubbing head on postmanââ,¬â,,¢s leg, ââ,¬Å"beep.ââ,¬Â
Postman ââ,¬Å"ahââ,¬Â¦whatââ,¬â,,¢s wrong with your cat.ââ,¬Â
2K ââ,¬Å"sheââ,¬Â¦has a cold.ââ,¬Â
Postman (sweatdrops) ââ,¬Å"later then.ââ,¬Â

2K and DOS back inside.

2K wipes brow ââ,¬Å"phewââ,¬Â sets mail down on side table.

DOS paws through mail grabs a flyer in her mouth, and goes upstairs.

3.1ââ,¬â,,¢s room:
3.1 Sitting up in bed holding flyer ââ,¬Å"wow 5.25ââ,¬Â Floppies lets go get some right away.ââ,¬Â
DOS ââ,¬Å"beep beep beepââ,¬Â
3.1 ââ,¬Å"tummy grumble noiseââ,¬Â¦OK, after breakfast.ââ,¬Â


Brenden: I don't know what you will think of having DOS beep instead of speeking or making cat sounds.  Its just something I thought would be funny, with my old DOS system that was about the only sound it could make.

Does this basicaly jibe with what you had been thinking so far?

[CaptBrenden]

humm i tried looking up sone photos for houses in washington for reference and its alot harder then i would have thought -.- Ill keep looking.

Humm dos beeping. That could be kinda funny/cute XD and 3.1 (since she was the "user friendly" operating system it would explain why she would need to speak/translate for dos. However i think we could alow a few mews in there, just exnay on the speach since you had a point.. dos doesnt make much in the way of sound and is kinda hard to communicate with.  But i definitly think she will bleep when she doesnt like something (like you press a wroung key in dos..-.-)

sounds pretty good so far.  i shall have to research the house and come up with some costuming for the non standar costumes (ae pjs)

they way you have it right now you pretty much leave all frame layout and such to me, i donno if thats how you panned it or what.


back to sketching i go for a bit... maybe ill sketch up some comics