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The ICING Model: Writing More Satisfying and Inclusive NPC Romances

The ICING Model: Writing More Satisfying and Inclusive NPC Romances Heidi McDonald Game Designer, Schell Games LLC. What this talk is NOT about. COM106 Assignment: “Examine an area of media that interests you and report on your results.”. ZOMG!!! I can studiez GAMEZ for GRADEZ!.

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The ICING Model: Writing More Satisfying and Inclusive NPC Romances

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  1. The ICING Model: Writing More Satisfying and Inclusive NPC Romances Heidi McDonaldGame Designer, Schell Games LLC

  2. What this talk is NOT about

  3. COM106 Assignment: “Examine an area of media that interests you and report on your results.” ZOMG!!! I can studiez GAMEZ for GRADEZ!

  4. Why study this? Learn about player motivation and behaviorLearn how important NPC romance actually is Identify patterns and models that can help improve NPC romance Learn about player motivation and behaviorLearn how important NPC romance actually is Identify patterns and models that can help improve NPC romance

  5. OK, so… “Relationships in Games…” Analyzed my own gaming behavior. Asked a few other people about their gaming behavior. Realized…hey, this could be a legit study!

  6. Who here has ever had a crush on an NPC in a video game?

  7. VIOLENT EVIL ROGUE ROGUE EMO EMO EXTREMIST CHASTE

  8. Yes! You might be on to something! Study it some more! Cool! You go for it, girlfriend! Need help with your survey questions? Jesse Schell No, BioWare doesn’t collect data like this. But if you happen to collect some…let us know! Sheri Graner Ray Jennifer BrandesHepler

  9. Using SurveyMonkey PRO’s + Easy design + Easy participation + Anonymous + Data makes sense • CON’s • Honesty-dependent • Not scientific • People can skip questions • People can re-take survey

  10. The Respondents • 525 Respondents • All gamers and/or game developers • 62% female, 33% male • 71% straight • 57% romantically attached • 85% 18-40 with a 40% majority of 18-24

  11. What gender character do you prefer to play when you are playing a single-player RPG? FEMALE MALE Again: Respondents are 62% female, 33% male in real life. But 69% prefer to play a female!

  12. (This finding supports Nick Yee’s work.)

  13. Do you, or would you ever role play a character with a gender different to your real-life gender? Sometimes Often Always Never Again: Respondents are 62% female, 33% male in real life. Only 18% said NEVER, meaning that 82% of players are changing it up at least some of the time!

  14. Do you, or would you ever romance a different gender character than you would in real life? Often Always Sometimes Never

  15. Which romance combinations have you, do you, or would you play? Male Player, Female NPC Female Player, Male NPC Female Player, Female NPC Male Player, Male NPC

  16. EXAMINING DATA BY GENDER: • 25% of the women surveyed identified as bisexual. • Several women surveyed said that the reason they romance female to female is that they are bisexual in real life, monogamous with a male partner, and gaming is their only outlet to express the other side of their sexuality.

  17. Identity Tourism “The process of appropriating another identity on the web, and more specifically, an identity involving another gender and/or race other than one's own, particularly on the internet and in video games.” ~Lisa Nakamura

  18. Identity Tourism Let’s flip it on its head: Can Identity Tourism be a GOOD thing?

  19. Safe Spaces?

  20. TAKEAWAY #1 Identity Tourism CAN BE a good thing that helps people’s self-awareness and tolerance.

  21. How important is romance to your overall experience in a single-player RPG? Take or Leave Somewhat Not much Not at all Very

  22. Romance is IMPORTANT • 89% romance to see where the narrative goes. • 80% say romances add depth to their gameplay. • 76% romance for entertainment and to experience as much content as possible. • 60% HAVE had felt connection to a romance-able NPC. • 53% find NPC romance emotionally stimulating.

  23. What is most appealing about NPC romance? • 86% NPC’s personality • 77% Dialogue • 71% Integration of romance into game narrative • 65% Voice/accent • 55% NPC’s back story • 49% Facial features • 32% Body type

  24. EXAMINING DATA BY GENDER: SIMILARITIES • Both genders experience emotional connections to game characters, though it happens less frequently with men. • Both genders are turned off by “religious” characters. • Both genders find romance to be an important component in single-player RPGs, though, for different reasons. • Both genders experiment with gender and sexuality in single-player RPGs, but in different ways and at different frequencies.

  25. EXAMINING DATA BY GENDER: DIFFERENCES Women Men Connect with book characters and game characters Connect with movie characters and game characters Romance for story and in-game benefits Romance for story and emotional fulfillment Don’t experiment a lot with romance but experiment a lot with the characters they roleplay Experiment a lot with romance but play characters close to who they really are More likely to hide their NPC Romance from their real-life partner, or be jealous of their partner’s NPC Romance Much less likely to hide their NPC Romance from their real-life partner, or be jealous of their partner’s NPC Romance Ultimately want romance decisions that are high risk, high reward Ultimately want more romance choices

  26. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

  27. TAKEAWAY #2 Romance is important in single-player RPGs.

  28. VIOLENT EVIL ROGUE ROGUE EMO EMO EXTREMIST CHASTE

  29. AVATAR BOTH PEOPLE

  30. AVATAR BOTH PEOPLE Use these!

  31. Dr. Jane McGonigal’s TED Talk, based on her book.

  32. Use these!

  33. Dr. Carolyn Kaufman’s workin using Jungian Archetype and the concept of the Shadow Personality in romance writing.

  34. A Note on Universally Disliked Descriptors • Chaste • Childish • Helpless • Needy • Religious

  35. Use these!

  36. Jason VandenBerghe's "5 Domains of Play" Lecture using Big 5 Theory to address player motivation.

  37. Applying VandenBerghe To Romance Big 5 Category Player Motivation Type of Romance Openness Novelty Unconventional characteristics with strange or funny backstories Low Openness Predictability More predictable, archetypal Conscientiousness Challenge "Hard to get" character that must be actively wooed and won Low C-Score Ease of play       Damsel in distress to be saved Extravterted Stimulation Lots of fun banter Low Extraverted Low Social Engagement Aggressive NPC Agreeableness Harmony Uncomplicated romance that ends well every time Low Agreeableness Discord Tumultuous romance such as Neuroticism Threat Dark stories or bad endings

  38. TAKEAWAY #3 Heidi’s Research Gaming Scholarship Writing Scholarship ICING …on the content cake

  39. The ICING Recipe

  40. The Writing Process as I’ve experienced it in games • Character development • Interactive component • Player perspective • Story construction • Ending

  41. I C I N G nclusiveness (Lisa Nakamura) haracter perspective (Dr. Jane McGonigal) nterference (Dr. Carolyn Kaufman) ot using universally-hated descriptors (Heidi’s research) ratifying endings (Jason VandenBerghe)

  42. SIDEBAR: MAKE NPC ROMANCE MORE SATISFYING FOR BOTH GENDERS! • For the benefit of both men and women: • --Improve the female characters • --Make them less disposable • For the benefit of men: • --Include access to exclusive equipment or weaponry • --Make the choices high risk, high reward • For the benefit of women (and EVERYONE!): • --More romance choices outside the binary

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