Writing and Interactive Storytelling (lecture 6 Game Development)
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The document provides an overview of game writing and interactive storytelling, emphasizing the importance of audience understanding and appropriate storytelling techniques for different game genres. It discusses various storytelling methods such as linear and branching plots, the role of player agency in narrative experience, and the significance of character development in engaging narratives. Additionally, it touches on narrative devices, algorithmic storytelling, and common weaknesses in game dialogue.
Writing and Interactive Storytelling (lecture 6 Game Development)
- 1. Game Writing and Interactive Storytelling
- 2. Overview ïź 3 ways a story can be experienced â Tell â Show â Do â Games can use all 3, but 3rd is best 2
- 3. Know Your Audience ïź Dev team needs to share vision ïź Appropriate storytelling for genre ïź Even shooters seem to benefit from a real back-story...for some 3
- 4. Budget Storytelling? ïź Famous games with ground-breaking stories ...can flop ïź Easy to write plot points that can't be (or exceed budget) conveyed in game...or even in a cutscene 4
- 5. Basic Storytelling ïź Inciting(encourage) Incident â Usually, before game âstartsâ â Maybe an immediate conflict ïź Rising Action â Discover identity and capabilities ïź Climax(Exciting) ïź Resolution 5
- 6. Plot Types ïź Linear â player is along for the ride ïź Branching â player sees 1/2k ïź Modified branching, parallel paths ïź Modular storytelling-âsitcomâ model ïź Nonlinear Plots-âsandboxâ model ïź Quasilinear Plots â Linear within a sandbox ïź Forest â many little stories 6
- 7. Interactive Fiction ïź Player's decisions write the story â Used in a niche(suitabale) of print books â By default, implies Branching ïź Agency â The more the player's decisions affect subsequent gameplay, the more real and immersive it feels 7
- 8. Narrative Devices ïź The Spine â Those elements that are required in order to complete/finish/win ïź The Golden Path â Optimum path to experience the game as intended â Maximum rewards â Motivation to return to the spine 8
- 9. Algorithmic Storytelling ïź Generate new stories/questlines as a result/consequence of player actions ïź ânarrative intelligenceâ ïź Easy to generate âvalidâ, hard to generate âinterestingâ or âfunâ 9
- 10. Story Mechanisms 10 ïź Cut Scene ïź Scripted Event ïź Artifact ïź NPC (Non âplayer Character) ïź Internal Monologue(Self talk or inner Speech) ïź Triggered Event
- 11. Character Development ïź Three-dimensional characters ïź Backstory, motivation, goals ïź Flaws ïź NPCs that have âa lifeâ other than their quest dialogue ïź Attributes of player will project onto main character â Less development needed for them â Player actions should affect character personality/capabilities ïź Hero often ends up more memorable than story line! 11
- 12. Dialogue ïź Usually, a weakness in games ïź Spoken vs. Written ïź Brief and conversational ïź Avoid empty thread syndrome ïź Menus vs. chats ïź Dialogue Trees vs. AIML scripts 12