1. Get Your Game Out Of My Movie! Narrative Design in Mass Effect 2 Armando Troisi – Lead Cinematic Designer

2. Introduction Armando Troisi, Lead Cinematic Designer What is Cinematic Design? –Narrative designers first –Cinematic artists second –The ‘how’ of interactive narrative –Work with writers to create conversations

3. Agenda I.Story Perspective II.The Agreement III.Quick time events IV.Q&A

4. StoryExploration Progression Game Play BioWare Design Pillars

6. The Conversation A narrative tool –Primary method of narrative delivery A game system –Coordinates content from every discipline A design philosophy –Always evolving

9. A Change in Perspective…

10. What is perspective? Point of view from which the player interacts with the story BioWare’s stories fall into two categories: –Subjective –Objective

11. Subjective Story

12.  Traditional computer role playing model  You are the avatar  Dialog responses are verbatim  Uninterrupted agency  Quickly empathize with avatar  Side effects  Temporal distortion  Lots of dialog Subjective Story

13. Video: Subjective story

14. C

15. Objective story

16.  Counter to the traditional role-playing model  You are not the avatar  Avatar has own voice and motivations  Player is voyeuristic  Removes temporal distortion  Real-time narrative environment  This was our breakthrough in interactive storytelling Objective story

17. Video: Objective story

19. Did you notice something odd? Let’s roll that clip again…

21. Auto - Reply Hey, I didn’t want to say that! Interrupted agency Lack of choice? Anti-role playing design?

22. With so many traditional rules broken, how is Mass Effect a successful RPG?

23. The Agreement

24. What is it? Covenant the designer makes with the player Set of rules that govern choice and expectation Binds the player to the role playing experience Allows for the player to access the avatar

25. The Agreement Interface for choice is predictable Choice produces results the player expects Give the player the choices they want It’s the player’s story

26. The Agreement Interface for choice is predictable

29. Choice 1 Choice 2 Choice 3Choice 4 Choice 5 Choice 6 Dialog navigation interface Choices mapped to GUI positions Move the indicator to make a choice Conversation Wheel

30. Paragon Neutral Renegade Friendly Hostile Investigate What are these categories? First layer of predictability Mapped emotional reaction Choice acquires subtext Behavioral

31. I’ll look into this. Goodbye. No time.Doesn’t matter. Abusing suspects? Let me help. Provides a clue through a ‘paraphrase’ Second layer of predictability Combined with behavioral wheel position, predictability is achieved Cognitive InvestigateParagon

32. The Agreement Interface for choice is predictable Choice produces results the player expects

34. [ Tip ] Paragon

35. Video: Omega Dancer [ Tip ] Paragon position

37. [ Tip ] InvestigateParagon

38. Video: Omega Dancer [ Tip ] Investigate position

40. [ Tip ] InvestigateRenegade

41. The Agreement Interface for choice is predictable Choice produces results the player expects Give the player the choices they want

42. Video: Choices you want Interrogation clip

44. Video: Choices you want Citadel shopkeeper

46. Results you expect Choices you want Role-playing flow

47. The Agreement Interface for choice is predictable Choice produces results the player expects Give the player the choices they want It’s the player’s story

48. Save Game Import It’s your continuing Mass Effect story 700 plot hooks from ME1 to ME2 It’s the small things that matter…

51. Video: Council is Dead

53. Video: Council is Alive (female)

56. Video: Problem we’re solving…

58. Interrupts Quick Time Events in conversations Visceral action ‘Take Control’ moments

60. Interface for choice is predictable? The Agreement applied

62. Interface for choice is predictable Give the player the choices they want It’s the player’s story Choice produces results the player expects –A big problem –Cognitive players frustrated –Broken role playing –Players accidentally shooting people in the face! The Agreement applied

63. Telegraphing Visual paraphrasing Helps predict the specific action Lets the cognitive player make a meaningful choice

65. Video: Missing telegraph

68. Video: Telegraphed

69. [Example of correctly telegraphing an interrupt]

70. Interactivity is a potent narrative device Perspective is powerful - choose wisely Discover your agreement - and stick with it! Conclusion

71. Questions? Armando Troisi – armando@bioware.com