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Heidi is a n00b

Writing the Romance-able NPC: ICING on the Content Cake Heidi McDonald Game Designer, Schell Games LLC. =. Heidi is a n00b. 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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Heidi is a n00b

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  1. Writing the Romance-able NPC:ICING on the Content CakeHeidi McDonaldGame Designer, Schell Games LLC

  2. = Heidi is a n00b

  3. What this talk is NOT about

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

  5. 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

  6. 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!

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

  8. VIOLENT EVIL ROGUE ROGUE EMO EMO EXTREMIST CHASTE

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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!

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

  14. 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!

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

  16. 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

  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. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

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

  26. VIOLENT EVIL ROGUE ROGUE EMO EMO EXTREMIST CHASTE

  27. AVATAR BOTH PEOPLE

  28. AVATAR BOTH PEOPLE Use these!

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

  30. Use these!

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

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

  33. Use these!

  34. Jason VandenBerghe's "5 Domains of Play" Lecture at GDC 2012using Big 5 Theory to address player motivation.

  35. 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

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

  37. The ICING Recipe

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

  39. 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)

  40. Now that we know… People like experimenting Romance is important We can make tastier ICING on the content cake Let them eat cake!

  41. Special Thanks: • Jesse Schell / Schell Games / ETC • Sheri Graner Ray / Schell Games • Schell Games Co-Workers • Jennifer BrandesHepler / BioWare • BioWare Social Network • Brenda Garno / LootDrop • Jason VandenBerghe / UbiSoft • The CA’s from GDC 2012 • Phyrra.com • Feminists in Games • Dr. Katie Cruger / Chatham University • Dr. PrajnaParamitaParasher / Chatham University • Alex McPhearson / Catalina Games • My kids, who taught me to keep asking “why”

  42. WORKS CITED: Alexander, Phill. "He's The Kind of Girl Who Wants Matching Daggers." World of Warcraft and Philosophy. By Luke Cuddy and John Nordlinger. Chicago: Open Court, 2009. 153-64. Print. Benedetti, Winda. "Is 'World of Warcraft' the Future of Online Dating?" Ingame. Msnbc Digital Network, 2011. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. <http://www.ingame.msnbc.msn.com/technology/ingame/world-warcraft-future-online-dating-123662>. Kaufman, Dr. Carolyn. Archetype: The Fiction Writer's Guide to Psychology. Archetype Writing, 2012. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. <http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/articles_ck/archetypes3_anima-animus_partI.htm>. "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs." Motivation Theory. Project Management Course, 2005. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. <http://www.abraham-maslow.com/m_motivation/Hierarchy_of_Needs.asp>. McGonigal, Jane. "Gaming Can Make a Better World." TED2010, Long Beach, CA. 18 Feb. 2012. Lecture. Nakamura, Lisa. Cybertypes: Race, Ethnicity, and Identity on the Internet. New York: Routledge, 2002. Print. Rosenbloom, Stephanie. "It's Love at First Kill." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 22 Apr. 2011. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. "The Attitude-Behaviour Gap: Why We Say One Thing But Do The Opposite." PsyBlog. PsyBlog, 24 Mar. 2008. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. <http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/03/attitude-behaviour-gap-why-we-say-one.php>. VandenBerghe, Jason. "The Five Domains of Play." Game Developers' Conference. Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, CA. 7 March 2012. Lecture. Heidi McDonald @Death_Bow ~ hmcdonald@schellgames.com www.deathbow.com

  43. Thank You! Heidi McDonald @Death_Bow www.deathbow.com hmcdonald@schellgames.com

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