quote: a.) If the player can get involved in these events, (and they are an important part of the game's gameplay), how do we stop the player from always being in the wrong place at the wrong time and so missing all the opportunities to get involved.

simply because there is no wrong place
the story does not drive the player but the player drive the story, the story IS what the player do where it do it, background action are just cause to everything which would happen in the entire universe, (make the universe evolve in interesting way, that can be discover by the player and follow a logic), but if the player is important to the universe, whatever i do something will happen to him related to these element driving is own story into the story of the universe (or it can done something which make him important for these universe story turn it into a kind of fate, example: the player kill the brother of a demon, it will create a story between the player and the demon according to their respective possibility, imagine that the demon couldn't kill people or you have a status which prevent him to do something then i will use any kind of influance to fullfill is revenge)

quote: b.) I don't usually like games with strict time limits, (I don't know how other people feel about them though). Games where you can waste all your effort because you haven't played it well enough (and a nuclear bomb will explode soon, and you have no chance of stopping it) would really annoy me.
So, a. maybe the difficulty levels should have different time limits, or you can choose the overall time limits when you start.
b.) that the nature of the time limit won't kill the the player controlled character.

i'm not thinking about time limits but time driven
in majora the moon is'nt really a time limit but is the time driven element
while designing majora there is two path as nintendo sez, use rupee or some game mech to send back the moon or time travel (which from the moon position point of view is the same)
they choose time travel because it was mre interesting from a story point of view (more density, multiple point of view, multiple variant of the same story, more FATE upon character and then more story driven)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
be good
be evil
but do it WELL
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[edited by - Neoshaman on September 28, 2003 12:39:31 PM]

Well, from what I think, all three forms can be displayed in a game. For the most part, the whole game could be dynamic with the choice to do missions if you want. Now each mission could be different, some are quite liner, while others make you make a choice. Sometimes, you could be playing both sides of the fence and end up having to choose your loyalties. And based on those outcomes, your outcomes in the game vary as well.

[edited by - smiley4 on September 29, 2003 2:13:21 PM]