04 game asnarrative

Oct 2008 - C.Berg D&R : AD Principles : GD : Game asNarrative

Design & ResearchAction Design Principles

Game Design

Game as Narrative


The Protagonist• Main Character: which the player controls.• His engagement creates the conflict that

drives the story.


Characters• Allies: acting along

side the maincharacter.

• Antagonist: characteror force acting againstthe main character.

• Minor characters:having small impacton the story’soutcome.


Foil character

• Contrasts with the protagonist, and so highlightsvarious facets of the main character'spersonality.

• Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Watson• Moonlighting: Maddie Hayes & David Addison


Game’s Character Design

Constraints & Gameplay Driven!


Narrative in Games

• Embedded: players can experience agame narrative as a crafted storyinteractively told.

• Emergent: players can engage withnarrative as an emergent experience thathappens while the game is played.

• Every game is a mix of both approaches!


Embedded narrative

• Narrative structures directly authored by thegame designer that serve as a frame forinteraction.

• Linear progression: traditional sequentialnarrative, inserting story chapters between levels

• Adventure Game: embedded content-basednarrative.

• Branching story structure (“Choose Your OwnAdventure” series of gamebooks)


Premise• Setting: exposition of a story• Introducing the main characters, universe,

time, relationships, prevailing status-quo.


Dramatic Arc• Meaningful, Escalating Conflict: creating a sense

of Tension, Time Pressure & space of Uncertainty!• The Protagonist faces an Obstacle that keeps him

from accomplishing his Goal.


Emergent Narrative

• Players interact with a game system toproduce a narrative experience unique toeach player.

• The Sims: more system-based designapproach, in which the game rulesrepresent a space of emergent narrativepossibility that plays itself out differentlyevery time.


Storytelling in games

• In most games, story is limited to back-story: sort of elaborate version of premise.

• Back-story: gives a setting and the contextfor the game conflict and it may alsocreate motivation for the characters.


Assignment

• Create a Character (from scratch)– Write a short description (illustrated when

possible)• Imagine its very first adventure!

– Write the Synopsis (the story in short, 1 pagemax)

– Write the Premise (1page max, illustratedwhen possible)

• Work in pair

04 game asnarrative

Entertainment & Humor

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