Story composition Pt. 2 Game Design

Objective Differentiate between a linear and a nonlinear structure for interactive story delivery. Explain how level design mimics the story design and describe the differences between level designs for linear and nonlinear games. Define the essential elements of a level.

Hub-and-Spoke Level Design Sandbox Level Design GUI Design HUD Design Words to know Interactive Story Linear Storyline Nonlinear Storyline Branching Foldback Rooms Linear Level Design Parallel-branching Level Design Hub-and-Spoke Level Design Sandbox Level Design GUI Design HUD Design Atomic Challenge Sub Missions

Interactive Story Delivery Interactive Story – A Game with a story. The structure of the story will determine the path the player will follow and where each branch of the story will lead.

Interactive Story Delivery Linear Structure– Follows a single path from beginning to end. Player must perform each mission in a specific order. Each completed mission makes another mission available. The player cannot go back to a previous mission or jump ahead to any other mission.

Interactive Story Delivery NonLinear Structure– Has more than one path from beginning to end. More than one possible ending. Player is allowed to make decisions that will affect the way the game is played. May lead to a single ending or any number of possible endings.

Interactive Story Delivery NonLinear Structure Branching – Several paths that branch from decision points and lead to different endings. All nonlinear stories are categorized as branching stories. A new experience can be achieved each time the game is played. The player is in control and leads to greater immersion. Drawback - More code, more bugs

Interactive Story Delivery NonLinear Structure Foldback – Player makes decision but always arrives back to the same end point. Foldback event is a resolution point within a game that the player must go through to move the story forward.

Interactive Story Delivery NonLinear Structure Foldback

Design for the Story Once you have determined your story, you can design the layout for your game. Level Design will mimic the story design and rooms will be organized in a layout. Rooms – A scene in a level. Player travels from one scene/room to another in a pattern.

Design for the Story Linear level design – Single starting point and follows a single path to the end point.

Design for the Story Parallel-branching level design – Allows the player to start and make choices as to which room to enter to get to the end point.

Design for the Story Hub-and-spoke level design – Allows the player to start in the center, complete a mission, and return to the center to choose another mission.

Design for the Story Sandbox level design – Network design allows the player to move freely without restriction from any room to an other room in the game.

Design for the Story Documentation of Story and Level Progression Storyboard – A series of panels that contain sketches of the game action and a description of the actions in that room.

Design for the Story Documentation of Story and Level Progression Game layout chart (flow chart)– Displays an overhead view of the game.

Documentation of Story and Level Progression Design for the Story Documentation of Story and Level Progression World-Design Document – Lists the items needed to create the game. Environmental Illustrations Character Design Model Sheets

Design for the Story Documentation of Story and Level Progression Environmental Illustrations– Show the detail of the virtual world in the game. Character Design Model Sheets – The information needed to fully define the characters.

Design for the Story Level Design Missions - Putting “rooms” together to create each level. Atomic Challenge – The smallest component of the action. Having the player open a chest to gain a map, search jars to gain a key. Sub Missions – Series of activities that make up a mission and are themselves made up of atomic challenges.

Design for the Story Level Design GUI Design (Graphical User Interface)- How the user will send and receive information with the computer. HUD Design (Heads-Up Display)– Displaying information to the player during gameplay.

Essential Elements of a level The Five essential elements of a level are: Setting Character motivation and emotional development Purpose and goal Dramatic action Conflict and dramatic tension

Essential Elements of a level Setting – Time and place of the action of the story. Thematic Element – Each object that contributes to or conveys a theme. Mood – The emotional feeling of the setting.

Essential Elements of a level Character Motivation and Emotional Development– Each level must have elements to motivate the main character and story and emotionally develop the character.

Essential Elements of a level Purpose and Goal– Each level should have a primary goal as well as smaller goals. Nontrivial tasks – A task that has purpose. All tasks should be nontrivial. Trivial tasks – No point or purpose and does not move the game. A player should never do trivial tasks.

Essential Elements of a level Dramatic Action– How the character reacts when faced with immediate conflicts or obstacles. Each level should have its own dramatic action. All contribute to resolve the main conflict.

Essential Elements of a level Conflict and Dramatic Tension– Keeping your player on edge with the idea of something is going to happen, but the player does not know what.

Summary The structure of an interactive story within a game, which determine the path the player will follow and where each branch of the story will lead, can be either linear or nonlinear. There is one basic level design for a linear game, which is linear level design, and the three basic level designs for nonlinear games are parallel-branching level design, hub-and spoke- level design, and sandbox level design. The five essential elements of a level are: setting; character motivation and emotional development; purpose and goal; dramatic action; and conflict and dramatic tension.