CO1301 Games Concepts Week 14 Story

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CO1301 - Games ConceptsWeek 14Story
Storytelling

• Gareth Bellaby

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References

• Rollings and Morris, Game Design and
  Architecture.
• Chapter 6
• Rabin, Introduction to Game Development
• 2.1 "Understanding Fun"

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Topics

• Definition of story
• Telling a story in a game

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• Definition of story

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A definition

• Story connected sequence of events, tale,
• Narrative an account, something told.

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Story

• Most games have a narrative.
• But narrative is not the same as story.
• The structure may conflict with the story (and
  vice versa).
• Story can be
• player driven
• designer driven

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Do gameplayers want story?

• Is story important?
• Does storytelling conflict with gameplay?

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• Telling a story in a game

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What methods?

• How do games tell a story?
• What methods are used to advance or tell the
  story in a game?

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Critical terms - analysing story

• Plot.
• Character - very important in the novel, what
  about in games?
• Mood the atmosphere created for the player by
  the game.

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Sense of Wonder

• Sense of Wonder term often used in the context
  of SF, awe, conceptual breakthrough, paradigm
  shift
• "The Sense Of Wonder comes not from brilliant
  writing, nor even from brilliant conceptualising
  it comes from a sudden opening of a closed door
  in the reader's mind." John Clute, Encyclopedia
  of SF

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Scene setting

• Introductory video, e.g. NeverWinter Nights 2
• In-game introduction, e.g. Half-Life
• Others....

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Techniques

• Telling a story explicit and implicit methods.
• explicit the topic is clearly stated, readily
  observable.
• implicit the topic is implied
• What are the consequences of the different
  approaches?
• passive
• active
• moving the story quickly along to the action...

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Some Techniques

• Resonance
• Themes
• Imagery
• "Show don't tell"
• Explicit storytelling

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Resonance

• Homage "expression of high respect".
• Common frame of reference.
• Lazy storytelling?
• Culturally based
• Used to reinforce the story of the game without
  having to explicitly state something.

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Themes

• Repetition
• Example of Planescape Torment
• consensus reality, e.g. "Adahn"
• mortality
• story
• guilt and redemption

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Imagery

• Scenery, e.g. Thief
• Death based scenery in Planescape Torment
• Doom 3 and darkness

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"Show, don't tell"

• Explicit and implicit narrative techniques.
• Hints.
• Foreshadow hinting at something that will occur
  later on in the story.

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Thief 1

• Guard 1 I'm going to the bear pits tomorrow. You
  wanna come with?
• Guard 2 Tuh. You couldn't pay me enough.
• G1 What! You soft-bellied. The bears have got
  these new muzzles with under slung cheek spikes.
  Last time I was there, hrrr, there was a real eye
  gouging, hrrr.
• G2 Nah. Nah. It makes me sick. When I was a kid...

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Thief 1

• G1 Huh, surprised you've even in this job. Puts
  on a high pitched voice "Oh the blood it just
  turns my poor tummy."
• G2 Shut up you taffer. You want blood, you should
  have been there years ago. The bears then, they
  were something to see. Those bears, they didn't
  need no cheek spikes and razor collars and paw
  hooks and all that knifery you strap to them now.
• G1 No paw hooks? What did they do? Just bump into
  each other?

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Thief 1

• G2 Hey. Nah... The bears back then they had claws
  as long as your finger and wicked teeth!
• G1 Bears...? You're taffing me. They look pretty
  mangy, harmless, as long as they're not wearing
  harness.
• G2 That's why I can't stand the pits now. You
  don't what you've missed. They just don't make
  bears like they used to.
• G1 Wow! Killer bears. Would have liked to seen
  that.

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More Techniques

• Plot twists and plot reversal, e.g. Deus Ex
• Flashback.
• Pace (timing)
• Music.
• Sound effects.

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Characterisation

• Visual cues stereotypical (almost by
  definition), baddies wear black hats, a simple
  cue.
• Language.
• Actions.