2. CS 382.001 J ANUARY 26, 2016 P ART 2.2 G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING G AME S TRUCTURE G AME S TRUCTURE G AME B ALANCE G AME B ALANCE G AME G ENRES G AME G ENRES

3. G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING P AGE 58 S TORYTELLING T HE MOST COMMON APPROACH TO RELATING A NARRATIVE IS THE THREE - ACT CIRCULAR STRUCTURE. O RDINARY W ORLD C ALL T O A DVENTURE M EETING W ITH M ENTOR C ROSSING F IRST T HRESHOLD T ESTS, A LLIES, & E NEMIES A PPROACH T O M AJOR O RDEAL M AJOR O RDEAL R EWARD J OURNEY H OME R EFLECT O N L ESSONS L EARNED R ETURN W ITH R EWARD

4. G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING P AGE 59 G AME S TORYTELLING G AMES COMMONLY USE A VARIATION OF THE 3- ACT STRUCTURE. O RDINARY W ORLD C ALL T O A DVENTURE M EETING W ITH M ENTOR C ROSSING F IRST T HRESHOLD T ESTS, A LLIES, & E NEMIES A PPROACH T O M AJOR O RDEAL M AJOR O RDEAL R EWARD J OURNEY H OME T HRILLING C LIMAX R ETURN W ITH R EWARD T HE FIRST ACT IS SHORTENED IN ORDER TO ENGAGE THE USER IN THE MORE INTERACTIVE SECOND ACT, IN WHICH MULTIPLE MINI - CRISES TRANSPIRE. T HE THIRD ACT IS USUALLY EXPANDED TO INCLUDE A MAJOR CLIMACTIC EVENT, ESSENTIALLY TO REWARD THE PLAYER FOR SURVIVING TO THAT POINT.

5. G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING P AGE 60 T HE U SER E XPERIENCE T HE HCI OF COMPUTER GAMES IS SURPRISINGLY LIMITED … E SCAPE F ROM M ONKEY I SLAND (L UCAS A RTS, 2001) USES A POINT - AND - CLICK TEXT - DRIVEN INTERFACE. M ANIAC M ANSION : D AY O F T HE T ENTACLE (L UCAS A RTS, 1993) USES A SPLIT - SCREEN, ICON - BASED INTERFACE.

6. P ART 2.2: G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING P AGE 61 M YST V: E ND O F A GES (U BISOFT, 2005) USES THE WHOLE SCREEN AS THE INTERFACE ; THE PLAYER MOVES THE CURSOR AROUND THE SCREEN AND CLICKS ON OBJECTS OR CHARACTERS OF INTEREST. R OLE - PLAYING GAME INTERFACES TEND TO HAVE THE SAME THREE SCREENS ( ILLUSTRATED WITH B LACK I SLE ’ S 1999 P LANESCAPE : T ORMENT AT RIGHT ): T HE C HARACTER G ENERATION S CREEN T HE I N - G AME S CREEN T HE I NVENTORY S CREEN

7. G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING P AGE 62 S TRATEGY AND WAR GAMES REQUIRE INTERFACES THAT ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ABSTRACT DECISION - MAKING ( ILLUSTRATED WITH C IVILIZATION IV, FROM F IRAXIS IN 2005): G RAND S TRATEGY S CREENS G ROUP & U NIT N AVIGATION S CREENS U NIT M ICROMANAGEMENT S CREENS

8. G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING P AGE 63 A BALANCED GAME IS ONE IN WHICH THE MAIN DETERMINING FACTOR FOR THE SUCCESS OF A PLAYER IS THE PLAYER ’ S SKILL LEVEL. F IST C HAINSAW P ISTOL S HOTGUN C HAINGUN R OCKET L AUNCHER P LASMA R IFLE BFG 9000 O NE WAY TO MAINTAIN BALANCE IS TO PROVIDE SUCCESSIVELY GREATER CAPABILITIES AS THE GAME ’ S LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY INCREASES ( E. G., THE INCREASED FIREPOWER OF WEAPONS AVAILABLE IN D OOM ). G AME B ALANCE

9. G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING P AGE 64 G AME G ENRE : A CTION K NOWN AS THE “ TWITCH GAMES ” BECAUSE THE SKILLS THAT ARE TESTED ARE REACTION TIME AND HAND - EYE COORDINATION UNDER PRESSURE. S HOOTERS A CCENT ON VIOLENCE AND WEAPONSA CCENT ON VIOLENCE AND WEAPONS L IMITED DEGREE OF CONTROLL IMITED DEGREE OF CONTROL 3D MAKES DISPLAY FLASHIER, BUT SELDOM USED IN GAME PLAY ( UNTIL RECENTLY )3D MAKES DISPLAY FLASHIER, BUT SELDOM USED IN GAME PLAY ( UNTIL RECENTLY ) N ON -S HOOTERS T ENDED TO APPEAL TO FEMALE DEMOGRAPHICT ENDED TO APPEAL TO FEMALE DEMOGRAPHIC M ORE CHARACTER - DRIVENM ORE CHARACTER - DRIVEN E XAMPLES : M ARIO, S ONIC, P AC -M AN, F ROGGER, Q*B ERTE XAMPLES : M ARIO, S ONIC, P AC -M AN, F ROGGER, Q*B ERT

10. G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING P AGE 65 G AME G ENRE : S TRATEGY O FFSHOOTS OF TRADITIONAL BOARD GAMES, STRATEGY GAMES TEND TO BE TURN - BASED AND TO HAVE A SET OF STRAIGHTFORWARD RULES. C OMMON E LEMENTS OF S TRATEGY G AMES A SWEEPING THEME ( E. G., CONQUEST, EXPLORATION, TRADE )A SWEEPING THEME ( E. G., CONQUEST, EXPLORATION, TRADE ) A PRESENTATION LAYER TO ORGANIZE AND CLARIFY THE GAME ’ S COMPLEXITYA PRESENTATION LAYER TO ORGANIZE AND CLARIFY THE GAME ’ S COMPLEXITY A PLAYER PERSPECTIVE ( E. G., GRAND - SCALE MANIPULATION, REAL - TIME MICROMANAGING )A PLAYER PERSPECTIVE ( E. G., GRAND - SCALE MANIPULATION, REAL - TIME MICROMANAGING ) G AME G ENRE : R OLE -P LAYING U SING CONFIGURABLE PLAYER - CHARACTERS THAT IMPROVE WITH EXPERIENCE, RPG S RELY ON STRONG STORYLINES.

11. G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING P AGE 66 G AME G ENRE : S PORTS D UE TO THE FAMILIARITY THAT PLAYERS HAVE WITH WATCHING REAL - WORLD SPORTING EVENTS, DESIGNING A SPORTS GAME THAT EFFECTIVELY EMULATES ITS REAL - LIFE COUNTERPART IS PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING. C OMMON E LEMENTS OF S PORTS G AMES C OMPETITION M ODES : S INGLE -P LAYER, C OMPETITIVE, C OOPERATIVE, T EAM.C OMPETITION M ODES : S INGLE -P LAYER, C OMPETITIVE, C OOPERATIVE, T EAM. V ICTORY /L OSS C ONDITIONS : S EASON, E XHIBITION, S UDDEN D EATH, R OUND R OBIN, S INGLE - E LIMINATION T OURNAMENT, F RANCHISEV ICTORY /L OSS C ONDITIONS : S EASON, E XHIBITION, S UDDEN D EATH, R OUND R OBIN, S INGLE - E LIMINATION T OURNAMENT, F RANCHISE S ETTING : W EATHER, T IME OF D AY, V ENUE, C ROWD N OISESS ETTING : W EATHER, T IME OF D AY, V ENUE, C ROWD N OISES P ERSPECTIVE : F IRST -P ERSON, E ND V IEW, S IDE V IEW, O VERHEAD V IEWP ERSPECTIVE : F IRST -P ERSON, E ND V IEW, S IDE V IEW, O VERHEAD V IEW P LAYER C HARACTERISTICS : S PEED, A GILITY, W EIGHT, J UMPING, E NDURANCE, I NJURYP LAYER C HARACTERISTICS : S PEED, A GILITY, W EIGHT, J UMPING, E NDURANCE, I NJURY F EATURES : I NSTANT R EPLAY, P ICTURE - IN -P ICTURE, H OME -F IELD A DVANTAGEF EATURES : I NSTANT R EPLAY, P ICTURE - IN -P ICTURE, H OME -F IELD A DVANTAGE

12. G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING P AGE 67 G AME G ENRE : V EHICLE S IMULATION T HE MARKET FOR THESE GAMES IS SHARPLY DIVIDED BETWEEN THE PURISTS, WHO DEMAND HIGHLY ACCURATE SIMULATIONS OF REAL VEHICLES WITH ALL OF THEIR LIMITATIONS, AND CASUAL PLAYERS, WHO JUST WANT THE THRILL OF AN EXTREME EXPERIENCE. M ICROSOFT ’ S C RIMSON S KIES M ICROSOFT ’ S F LIGHT S IMULATOR X

13. G AME W RITING AND I NTERACTIVE S TORYTELLING P AGE 68 G AME G ENRE : A DVENTURE A N ADVENTURE GAME IS AN INTERACTIVE STORY ABOUT A CHARACTER WHO IS CONTROLLED BY THE PLAYER. C OMMON E LEMENTS OF A DVENTURE G AMES S ETTINGS THAT CREATE THE WORLD THAT THE PLAYER INHABITS AND EXPLORES.S ETTINGS THAT CREATE THE WORLD THAT THE PLAYER INHABITS AND EXPLORES. A DISTINCT EMOTIONAL TONE THAT IMMERSES THE PLAYER IN THE GAME WORLD.A DISTINCT EMOTIONAL TONE THAT IMMERSES THE PLAYER IN THE GAME WORLD. D RAMATIC TENSION DUE TO AN UNRESOLVED PROBLEM OR SITUATION.D RAMATIC TENSION DUE TO AN UNRESOLVED PROBLEM OR SITUATION. A HEROIC QUEST WITH SEQUENCES OF INCREASING PERIL BROKEN BY SAFE PERIODS.A HEROIC QUEST WITH SEQUENCES OF INCREASING PERIL BROKEN BY SAFE PERIODS. C ONCEPTUAL CHALLENGES OR PUZZLES THAT MUST BE RESOLVED IN ORDER TO PROCEED.C ONCEPTUAL CHALLENGES OR PUZZLES THAT MUST BE RESOLVED IN ORDER TO PROCEED. I NTERACTION ( SCRIPTED OR UNSCRIPTED ) WITH NON - PLAYER CHARACTERS.I NTERACTION ( SCRIPTED OR UNSCRIPTED ) WITH NON - PLAYER CHARACTERS.