Annotating a video game script dragon shard
- 1. Lucy Pratt 13u 14/11/18 Annotating a Video Game Script- Dragon Shard 1 | P a g e https://en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons:_Dragonshard "Dungeons & Dragons: Dragon shard is a real-time strategy role-playing vi deo game, devel oped for Microsoft Windows by Li qui d Entertainment, and published by Atari i n 2005. It takes place i n Eberron, one of the offi cial Dungeons & Dragons campaign setti ngs. The game combi nes elements of tr aditional real-time strategy gameplay wi th role-playing el ements such as hero units, and questing. Dragon shard i ncludes two single-player campaigns, single-player skirmish maps, and multiplayer support. The si ngle-player campaign follows the struggles of three competing factions to gain control of a magi cal artifact known as the Heart of Siberys. Style: This is a Video Game script. The use of ‘Plate One’ is different from the other scripts I have analyzed as Also the use of detailed descriptions for the scenes is due to the fact the cinematic aspect of the game would have no dialogue so the writer needs to be clear on what he wants on the screen. The use of ‘MONTAGE OF 2D ART’ is not expanded on due to the fact that the script is focusing on the opening cut scene of the game and not so much, what looks like, the title screen. The playable sections of the script describe briefly what the play will do, due to the fact that they can’t say exactly what the player will do. The use of a montage in an audio visual or audio product, to open, would not work as it would just confuse the audience as it give little information to the audience. Whereas opening montages for games helps attract and get the player exited to play the game as it will show little on setting, characters, villains etc., to intrigue. Content: This script is for the opening cinematic scene for the video game Dragon Shard. It describes the setting as well as the important aspects of the scene. The script also sets up the action for the full game. The game is part of a series of game which is obvious by the lack of character introductions. Target Audience: My Target audience analysis is on Canva.
- 2. Lucy Pratt 13u 14/11/18 Annotating a Video Game Script- Dragon Shard 2 | P a g e Narrative Theory: Due to this being an opening scene for a video game the theory suggested by Branigan (1992) would not fit this script. Propp’s (1928) character theory works with this script as the player would be the hero, Lady Marryn would be the helper, the donor and the dispatcher with Bastion being the false hero. Todorov’s (1969) theory could relate to this script as this script would show the equilibrium and the disruption (trapped in cave), however the rest of the game will show the rest of the cycle. 2 examples of Barthes’ (1960s) theories are, Action code- the description of the ‘fighting low-level enemies’ as well as the arguments between the characters, Referential code- explanations for the player on how to play are put in the stage directions of the script. Lady Marryn and Bastion would be the binary opposites proposed by Levi-Strauss (1972) due to the fact they have different agendas, morals and attitudes towards the mission (one strict and in charge while the other only thinking about benefits to himself etc. I feel this script is the beginning of a Forking-Path. This is due to the fact Cameron’s (2008) theory on Modular Narratives mentions this as having alternative versions of the story which would be the case when the play starts getting more and more control on the stories path. Genre Theory: The genre of this game would probably be both fantasy and adventure, which supports both Buckingham’s (1993) and Altman’s (1999) theories. Ryall (1978) came up with the following codes and conventions, Iconography- This script describes fantasy creatures, vibrant colours, and unrealistic scenarios which all link to the fantasy genre, Narrative- The ending is left open as it continues the story throughout the rest of the game, Representation- the perfect, female leader stereotype in this game is described as ‘beautiful’ with ‘gleaming armor’ and ‘wields a Warhammer’, lastly Ideologies- the player instantly believes the characters helping them are the heroes and that monsters and magic exists in the world of the game.