Reminder Game Design Analysis Deadline written document November
Reminder: Game Design Analysis • Deadline written document: November 18 th in class, PRINTED! (next Monday) • Deadline Power. Point presentation: November 18 th until 6 AM (EST time) has to be e-mailed to instructor (next Monday)
Create Your Game Project • Due date: Monday December 2 nd • Will be open: invite friends! • The project is to be presented at at 4: 00 PM on December 2 nd; invite your friends!
Games as Narrative Play (Ch. 26) Prof. Hector Munoz-Avila
Introduction • Typical examples of narratives in games – Interesting story (no pun intended) From Complex. com • Excellent games with different approaches to storylines: – Linear: half life – Branching while linear, multiple endings: Blade runner – Nonlinear, one ending: Elder Scrolls – Nonlinear, multiple endings: ? • Games Culture: Games’ stories made into movies – Silent Hill – Doom – Resident Evil
Linear Storyline • Story arc is a sequence of pre-defined events • Example in Half life: 1. 2. 3. 4. Gordon travels deep in the Mesa facility Gordon gets acquainted with surroundings Gordon performs an experiment that goes wrong …
Branching-while Linear Storyline • Branching because player makes choices that change storyline • Linear because player is basically following the same story arc (with slight changes depending on choices made) • Example in Blade Runner: 1. Ray Mc. Coy is a new member in the Blade Runner office … 10. Ray Mc. Coy choose between helping or pursuing Dektora … 25. Ray. Mc. Coy escapes with Dektora • There are 13 possible endings and the game can be longer or shorter depending on the player’s choices • Different cutscenes are shown depending on path: one and two
Nonlinear, one ending • Story arc is formed by events following a variety of game choices • Nonlinear because story arc changes based on player’s choices. – As a result subplots are interleaved • e. g. , going back and forth between completing the mage’s and thieve’s guilds storylines • But in the end, player converges to the same point
Key Questions Viewing games as a narrative space • Where do narratives in a game reside? • How to design games as narrative experiences? • What kinds of narratives experiences does digital games allow? – think of restrictive medium: cell phone game vs. latest PC • Role (if any) of narrative in designing meaningful play
Controversy about Narratives as Games Two camps: • Narratives is just a backstory to the game mechanics – Story is told in an opening cinematic that players’ basically forget – Don’t really add utility to game design – Example (Titan Quest) • Games are narrative mediums (“interactive narratives”) – It is just that some stories are bad – As demonstrated by epic storylines – Example (Mass Effect series) • Your opinion?
Common Trends (by Jesper Juul) • We use narratives for everything – So of course, games and narratives are related – (Certainly holds when I am preparing lectures) • Most games feature narrative introductions and backstories • Games do share some traits with narratives – We will expand on this
Elements to Understand Narratives (J. Hills Miller) • Situation: – Initial state – Changing state (the linking of which form the “plot”) • Character(s): – The usual person elements • But can be personification: Earth (the 2007 movie) • Form: – Patterns of events – Repetition (e. g. , conceptual theme)
Earth (The 2007 Movie) • Situation: – Newly born animals – Fight for survival story • Characters: – The 3 families – Earth • Form: – Conservation
Chess • Situation: – Opening moves – Middle of the game – The End Game • Characters: – Pieces and what they represent • Form: – Stylized representation of war as defined by the operational rules: • Chessboard • Turn based
Starcraft (Campaing) • Situation: – Human’s colonies under attack by aliens – Final defeat of the “The Overmind” • Characters: – Raynor, Tychus, Mengsk, Kerrigan • Form: – Real-time strategy – Difference between the factions in strategies and gameplay – Video scenes telling the story
Structures of Narrative Play • Embedded: Experience narrative as a defined story told interactively • Emergent: narrative arises while playing
Embedded Narrative • Predefined: already crafted before player plays the game • Classical examples: – Storyline in Half-life – Storyline in Starcraft – Storyline in Blade Runner • Frequently cutscenes are used to tell the story arc • Frequently linear storyline or branching-while-linear
Emergent Narrative • Emerges from a set of rules • But it is not “pre-scripted” • Unlike branching–while-linear, player’s choices may lead to unexpected (or at least non-tried-before) storylines • Player interactions are context-dependent • Story arcs change dynamically • In most games emergent narratives occur at the micro-level – E. g. , how I choose to complete a mission(*) in an RTS game, might be very different of how someone else’s completes it • Easy to see that this is the case: imagine the same observer narrating what is happening. – The two accounts will be different
Combining Embedded and Emergent Narratives • Most games combine embedded and emergent narratives • Embedded narratives are used at the macro-level • In most games emergent narratives occur at the micro-level – E. g. , how I choose to complete a mission(*) in an RTS game, might be very different of how someone else’s completes it • Easy to see that this is the case: imagine the same observer narrating what is happening. – The two accounts will be different
Narrative Goals • The goal of the game serves two purposes: Ø Judge progress (meaningful play) Ø Understanding the narrative context • Examples of final goals in games? – In linear storylines, the point to achieve the goal is predetermined (e. g. , after completed the storyarc in a linear narrative) – In other games that point is subject to the player’s choices • Earth 2140
Narrative Subgoals • The story arc is frequently stated as a sequence of goals for the player to achieve • Creates a narrative coherence • The book mentions The Sims example: 1. Getting ready for a date 2. Getting a date 3. Sharing activities 4. … • Well combined story and gameplay enhances meaningful play
Elements We Studied can Enhance Narratives • Complexity and Emergence in Games • Information theory in Games • Games as Information Systems • Games as Cybernetic Systems • Games as Game Theory Systems • Games as Systems of Conflict
Research Topic: Automated Generation of Narratives • Recall guest lecture about AI and specifically about planning: – Planning: generate a sequence of steps to achieve some goal • The basic premise is to define a narrative goal and thus the sequence of steps become the narrative arc • Planning techniques guarantees that a consistent story is generated – Including work by our invited speaker, R. Michael Young, early this semester
Generating Diverse Stories (Alexandra Coman) NPC: Minotaur Goal: Exit Labyrinth ND Actions (I): ND Actions (II): pull thread pre: thread found eff: thread broken OR fallen fly pre: not fallen walk cautiously eff: free OR fallen pre: not fallen AND not thread broken rise eff: free OR fallen OR none OR pre: fallen thread found eff: not fallen follow thread walk without fear pre: thread found and not thread pre: not fallen AND thread broken eff: free OR none eff: free OR fallen
- Slides: 24