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Story and Narrative

Story and Narrative. Part 1! (Up to Granularity) Brendan Sim. Why Put Stories in Games?. Stories can add significantly to the entertainment that a game offers. League of Legends: The Journal of Justice Zelda franchise LORE - Legend of Zelda ( youtube ). Why Put Stories in Games?.

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Story and Narrative

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  1. Story and Narrative Part 1! (Up to Granularity) Brendan Sim

  2. Why Put Stories in Games? • Stories can add significantly to the entertainment that a game offers. • League of Legends: The Journal of Justice • Zelda franchise • LORE - Legend of Zelda (youtube)

  3. Why Put Stories in Games? • Stories attract a wider audience • World of Warcraft • Most MMORPGs………. if not all…

  4. Why Put Stories in Games? • Stories help keep players interested in long games

  5. Why Put Stories in Games? • Stories help to sell the game

  6. Factors that Affect Amount of Story • Length • Characters • Degree of realism • Emotional richness • The Walking Dead • Separate game from similar games with the same mechanics • Half-Life 2

  7. Key Concepts • Story: an account of series of events, either historical or fictitious

  8. Requirements of Good Stories • Minimally Acceptable Story • Credible • Coherent • Dramatically meaningful

  9. Interactive Stories(Ludonarrative) • Takes place NOW • Includes three kinds of events: • Player events • Dramatic actions • In-game events • Dishonored • Narrative events

  10. Key Concepts • Narrative: noninteractive, presentational part of the story • Cutscenes • Super Mario Galaxy (youtube) (6:19)

  11. Narrative • Narrative blocks (cutscenes): • Opening/Ending sequence • Title/Closing credits sequence • Post-credits scene • Interlevel sequence • Design Rule • Interruptible

  12. Narrative • Forms: • Prerendered movie • Cut-scene • Scrolling text • V.O. • Character monologue • Misconception: one-liners

  13. Balancing Narrative and Gameplay • MGS4…… over 9 hours of cutscenes… that ending… • Multiple endings • http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_video_games_with_most_endings • Design rule • Don’t take control of the avatar

  14. Key Concept • Dramatic Tension and Gameplay Tension

  15. Dramatic Tension • Desire to know what happens next • Cliffhangers (lol spoilers) • The Walking Dead (youtube) (20:06)

  16. Gameplay Tension • Desire to overcome a challenge • Multiplayer • League of Legends (youtube)

  17. Differences between Tensions • Tolerance for randomness and repetition

  18. The Storytelling Engine

  19. Linear Stories • Require less content than nonlinear ones • Simpler storytelling engine • Reduce continuity errors • Deny the player agency • Capable of greater emotional power • To the Moon (youtube)

  20. Nonlinear Stories • Structures: • Branching Stories • Foldback Stories

  21. Branching Stories • Game events • Player events • Challenges • Decisions • In-game events • AI-driven

  22. Influence • Immediate • Deferred • Runescape: Shield of Arrav and Heroes’ Quest • Cumulative

  23. Branching Story Structure

  24. Disadvantages to Branching Stories • $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ • Critical event branches create disjointed sections • Replay for all endings

  25. Foldback Story • Focuses on disadvantages of branching stories • Commonly used in industry

  26. Foldback Story Structure • OH GOD WHITE SPACE

  27. Emergent Narrative • No set story • Created from playing (based on core mechanics)

  28. Endings • Based on dramatic actions in the game • Challenges  1 ending (or 2) • Critical decisions  multiple endings

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