CIS 487/587 Bruce R. Maxim UM-Dearborn Story Telling CIS 487/587 Bruce R. Maxim UM-Dearborn

Story Line Most games have one: Arcade games keep the story simple Might be simple back ground to enhance the game Might be an entire script to create the interactive flow of the game Arcade games keep the story simple In role playing games their success depends on the story

Storyline Pick a game that does a good job of melding it story with the gameplay. Why does this game succeed? How does the plot unfold as the game progresses? 11/20/2018

Games and Interactive Stories In general stories develop before the game – (continuity) Game elements add to the enjoyment of the story Let user make some decisions Make sure skills are required Write in some puzzles and problem solving stuff

Pick a Game with a Story How is exposition handled? Who is the protagonist? What is the main conflict? When is it introduced? What does the protagonist do to resolve the conflict? What causes story tension to rise? 11/20/2018

Pick a Game with a Story How does gameplay cause tension to rise? What deciding factor brings the game to a climax? Do the dramatic and gameplay elements help or hinder progress toward resolution? How might they be better integrated to make the game work from an emotional perspective? 11/20/2018

Linear vs Non-linear Linear story Non-linear stories Story usually controlled by the author No user choices affect outcome of story Non-linear stories give the player more control over the plot at the least.

Books Many books have been adapted to become games Most books have linear plots To become a good game may require changing the ending or allowing multiple endings Players love playing “what if …”

Dramatic Unfolding Many games present the entire story all at once (in the manual or opening game screens) This spoils the ending for the user A well designed game should allow the user’s actions to change the ending Better to deliver the plot in incremental details/manner

Story Telling Techniques - 1 Obstacles Make players work to get story elements by meeting a challenge or solving a problem Foreshadowing Use in the story introduction to show players what is to come Personalization Getting the player to internalize the game goals by making the initial challenge a personal one 11/20/2018

Story Telling Techniques - 2 Resonance When story elements get close enough to get a spark that illuminates the story Player is sometimes left with a feeling of deja vu Resistance The unwilling protagonist sucks players into rooting for the story before the main character Helps enable “willing suspension of disbelief” 11/20/2018

Story Telling Techniques - 3 Plot Points Pivot the story line around new and surprising directions (even when players know the outcome) Aristotle’s plot point types The reversal The discovery The calamity 11/20/2018

Story Telling Techniques - 4 Suspense Allows you to create fear and expectation without forcing the player to rely on trial and error Hitchcock was a master at doing this Dialog Don’t use dialog to convey something done better with pictures Make sure characters reveal something interesting each time 11/20/2018

Story Telling Techniques - 5 Theme The inherent question posed by the story but left unanswered for the player to discover Resolution Hard won victory Non-obvious ending Satisfying to reader Consistent Achieve closure 11/20/2018

Character Creation Give character depth Give character attitude What is their life like? What are their likes and dislikes Personality quirks? Special talents? Communications skills? Give character attitude Use of multimedia to add depth Voice does this better than video

Characters Give them simple models of plans (sequence of actions) to follow Give them emotions (state in FSM) and allow them to color decisions Define usable knowledge models of game domain (lists of external objects and their attributes) that can be used in plans

Common Failing Do not make the player entirely responsible for progress of plot Progress halts when puzzle solving stops Allow user to make contributions to plot direction User should be immersed in his or her character, while system handles other details