1. Edugaming Teacher Workshop Lehigh Carbon Community College Summer 2011 GAME DEVELOPMENT Story Elements

2. End Act III Provide Closure Resolve Problem End Act III Provide Closure Resolve Problem Middle Act II Provide Tension Present Obstacles Middle Act II Provide Tension Present Obstacles Beginning Act I Capture Attention Introduce Problem Beginning Act I Capture Attention Introduce Problem Traditional Story Structure Three-Act Story

3. Interactivity Interactivity Non-linearity Non-linearity story layers story layers pathing pathing Player control Player control customization customization choice choice world-building world-building in-game communication in-game communication replayability replayability Collaboration Collaboration Immersion Immersion Game Story Elements Summary

4. Non-Interactive Sequences Cinematics & Cut-Scenes Cinematics such as this end game sequence from Portal can be immersive even though they do not involve player control.

5. Premise (High Concept) Premise (High Concept) Backstory Backstory Synopsis Synopsis Theme Theme Setting Setting Character Character Traditional Story Elements Applied to Games Summary

6. Shadow Complex takes place in a dark, modern industrial setting -- while Assassin’s Creed II takes place in a more open, Medieval setting. Story Elements Setting

7. Player character Mario (Super Mario Galaxy) Non-player character (NPC) Goomba (Super Mario) Game Characters Player Character/Non-Player Character

8. Wario (antagonist)Mario (protagonist) Game Characters Protagonist/Antagonist

9. Character Triangle

10. Name Name Type (player character / NPC) Type (player character / NPC) Gender Gender Age Age Ethnicity Ethnicity Physical traits Physical traits Personality traits Personality traits Background & history Background & history Relevance to story Relevance to story Character Description Summary

11. ■ Gender ■ Age ■ Eye & hair color ■ Height & weight ■ Body type ■ Physical attractiveness ■ Distinguishing marks ■ Facial expressions ■ Nervous ticks ■ Gestures ■ Health ■ Genetics Character Description Physical

12. ■ Beliefs ■ Values ■ Attitudes ■ Lifestyles ■ Behaviors ■ Temper ■ Social qualities (shy or outgoing) ■ General intelligence ■ Emotional intelligence Character Description Psychological

13. Ratchet and Clank – Up your Arsenal Blast away through huge galactic battlefields as you discover new worlds to blow up! Jump into armored vehicles with a teammate or go it alone with all new power-packed weapons. Prince of Persia – The Sands of Time Deceived by the traitorous Vizier, you are led to unleash the Sands of Time curse upon the Sultan’s Kingdom. With little but an ancient dagger and a devious princess to aid you, you must undo your fatal error. Premise / High Concept

14. Devastation As the leader of a group of Resistance fighters in a future devastated Earth, you must assemble your army and travel the globe, restoring peace and sanity in a very dangerous world. Wolverine’s Revenge You have just 48 hours to find the antidote for the virus that was implanted in Wolverine. Along the way, you’ll face some of the greatest X-Men villains, including Sabretooth, Juggernaut, and Magneto. Metal Gear Solid 2 – Sons of Liberty Assume the role of Solid Snake, a one-man army determined to stop a deadly high-tech weapon from falling into the hands of the wrong people. Snake must utilize his skills in stealth, weaponry, and counter- terrorism to fight off the competing powers and destroy the gigantic killing machine, Metal Gear Ray. Half-Life Take on the role of Gordon Freeman, an ordinary technician who is forced to battle trans-dimensional monsters after an accident at a secret research facility. Premise / High Concept