-= CAR230 || Computer Gaming =- VIDEO GAME NARRATIVES 1
NARRATIVE (definition) A SPOKEN OR WRITTEN ACCOUNT OF EVENTS; A STORY. 2
PREHISTORIC TIMES Caveman drawings depict their life experiences in hunting / surviving PRE-WRITING Humanity depends on stories to pass down information and beliefs ANCIENT HISTORY Folklore, myths, tales Stories to explain natural phenomenons CONTEXT (i.e. Houyi shot down nine suns [chinese], The world tree yggdrasil [norse]) WRITING AND PRINT Printing is invented in the Tang Dynasty of china; books begin getting produced MEDIUMS OF NARRATION Popularity of novels, animation, film, etc begin to rise. TODAY? 3
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other mediums of narrative COMPARISON SIMILARITIES ★ ○ All can tell a compelling story Requires somewhat the same structure of ○ narrative (explained later) DIFFERENCES ★ Player isn’t reading about or watching the main ○ character, they ARE the main character can sometimes even influence the game world, ○ story progression and ending 6
why are game narratives IMPORTANT? Immerses the player in the gameplay ★ ○ Especially when the player is playing to de-stress / to escape an unpleasant reality / as distraction Provides context to the game’s world, objectives, etc ★ The game usually sets a goal for the player; a ○ story can explain why and motivate the player Emotional investment ★ player becomes attached to the characters and ○ world; deaths can evoke sadness and victories pique satisfaction 7
TYPES of narratives 8
LINEAR NARRATIVE Start at beginning of story, and ends with the ending. ★ Events are depicted in chronological order (in the ★ order of which they occur). Mostly used in mediums like films, books ★ Not really possible in video games unless it’s a visual ★ novel with no choices 9
NON-LINEAR NARRATIVE Narrative cut up into several stories, flashbacks, or ★ perspectives. “Disjointed” or “disrupted” narrative. ★ Can make for some interesting films and books, esp ★ involving space/time travel etc STILL not quite for video games, as no interactivity ★ 10
INTERACTIVE NARRATION Narrative is DRIVEN by the user’s interaction. ★ Requires user to act to continue with the story ★ Many games, especially RPGs, follow this formula ★ AKA Embedded narratives ★ 11
INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE Narrative is INFLUENCED by the user’s interaction. ★ Like interactive narration, except the player’s choices ★ and actions can change the course of the story. Usually multi-ending, can change the game-world ★ AKA Emergent Narrative ★ 12
narrative : the basic STRUCTURE EXPOSITION ★ Introduction; Setting up characters, setting, history, ○ how gameplay / mechanics tie in RISING ACTION ★ Conflict introduced, tension starts to build, ○ protagonist encounters obstacles CLIMAX ★ ○ Turning point of the story, highest tension, crisis FALLING ACTION: ★ ○ Explanations revealed, conflict is solved, loose ends tied up, start working towards a intended ending RESOLUTION ★ Main conflict is resolved, story ends. ○ 13
excellent EXAMPLES of video game narratives 14
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★ Beautiful wordless environmental storytelling ★ Two players can meet and assist each other, progressing together without knowing who their partner is ★ Takes place in vast desert (Meant to evoke a sense of smallness / wonder) ★ Music dynamically responds to the player’s actions ★ Carvings on walls, environment, change in weather etc tell the story instead of words and dialogue ★ Ending is vague but meaningful, giving player a sense of continuation 17
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★ Very original take on interactive stories / walking simulators ★ The player guides “Stanley” through a surreal workplace environment while choosing whether or not to follow the narrator’s instructions ○ E.G. the narrator states that stanley should go through the left door and gets annoyed if the player chooses the right 20
★ Player can go “against” the game, forcing the narrator to create a new storyline ★ Narrator will try to get Stanley back onto the “correct” path by accounting for the player’s divergence ★ Humorous fourth-wall breaking ★ Made to challenge the fact that most games confine players to their rules and straightforward narratives ★ Considered thought-provoking about the nature of choice and decisions 21
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★ Unique take on RPGs: ○ You can choose to be “merciful” to the monsters that attack you while you wander around ○ Main Characters (that you have met many times) are also ncluded in lineup that you can “spare” or “kill” ○ Some monsters are hard to spare ○ Lv = Levels of Violence, EXP = Execution Points ★ MANY Endings: ○ True Pacifist - Don’t kill ANYONE, complete all the story, etc ○ Neutral - Spare some monsters, kill some ○ Genocide - Walk around deliberately killing all monsters until the game tells you that there is no one left to kill 24
Excellent character development and dialogue writing ★ Friendly introduction of a Chilling change in dialogue if laid-back character you’re on the “genocide” route Dynamic Plot-changes and countless endings / variations ★ on the story make the game a phenomenal narrative 25
using narrative as A TOOL in your ❏ games ❏ films ❏ animations ❏ stories 26
STEP 1 DECIDE ON YOUR GAME What kind of game do you want to make? Important ● questions to consider: Basic theme: Ancient/Fantasy? Modern? Futuristic? ○ ○ Gameplay: Action/Adventure? RPG? FPS? Puzzle? ● Choose a game genre that you ENJOY and have played before, so that you’re familiar with the features of said gameplay ● Some genres will need more narrative detail than others. Is writing a strength or weakness for you, personally? 27
STEP 2 OUTLINE YOUR MAIN STORYLINE Write down, as simply as possible, the core of your ● storyline, including main ending. Don’t have to consider sidequests, side ○ characters, etc yet! Take some time to delve more into your theme ● 28
● Take some time to delve more into your theme ○ Eg If you chose futuristic, which kind? 29
STEP 3 DEVELOP YOUR WORLD Arguably most important, even more than characters ● ● Your player will be looking at this world for the entirety of your intended gameplay time ● Research various environments and artstyles ● How much worldbuilding does your game need? ○ SIMPLE: Surface appearance, locations, biomes COMPLEX: cultures, populations, biodiversity, ○ history, lore, etc 30
STEP 4 CREATE YOUR MAIN CHARACTERS Design main characters, write down some notable ● personality / physical traits How detailed you flesh out your characters ○ depends on the game an rpg character might need a tragic backstory ○ while a dungeon-crawler character might not need so much detail ● What are the relationships between your characters? How would they each react to the same situation? ● Introduce goals and allow the player to fulfill them throughout the gameplay 31
STEP 5 FLOWCHART OF MAJOR STORYLINES Deviations in the story, potential side-quests, ● multiple endings, any “Game-Over”s 32
STEP 6 START ACTUALLY WRITING Focus on main / one storyline ● ● Write down the scenes, dialogue and details of each section of your narrative ● Cutscenes with minimal interactivity are a good way to integrate storyline (and force your player to get familiar with it) Consider youtube videos that pick out just the ● cutscenes of a game & it plays as a standalone movie 33
STEP 7 FILLING IN THE BLANKS ● Side-Quests ○ Can be related to the world, culture, lore, or explore backstories of non-main characters ● NPCs Can just have fun little “blurbs” that add to ○ humor or set the scene. May offer side quests, sell wares, etc ○ ● ITEMS ○ Besides armor and weapons, items can include notes, letters, amulets whose lore helps to set the scene. The sky’s the limit! 34
THANK YOU! 35
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