In addition to following
The Game Maker's Apprentice (I'm into my fourth game in
Apprentice) and its
sequel, I'm also taking notes on screenwriting and story structure within games.
The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design has been very helpful so far, and as I play games, I can't help but study them and break down their core narrative bits - what works, what doesn't, and why.
What makes interactive storytelling effective or ineffective?
These are just the basics, but the basics are important.
Game audience expectations are..
To be engaged.
To be in control.
To be playing.
Players should be
challenged with clear and achievable goals,
rewarded for achieving goals, and
made to feel in control through choices given to them within the game. Avoid punishing players for things out of their control and confusing players with too much control.
Feedback is important as it helps the player know what they are doing is correct or incorrect.
Share feedback and cues in creative ways.
As for writing and narrative?
William Zinsser, author of
On Writing Well, says the four indispensable qualities of good writing are
clarity,
personality,
simplicity, and
warmth.
According to
The Ultimate Guide - in game writing,
changes are a part of the process. Build your stories to break. The process of game writing is always in
motion and
revision. Change means you are moving forward - embrace it.
Story and gameplay should blend seamlessly. A large problem with game writing is often the needs of the game conflict with the needs of the story. In this scenario, something needs to change.
Plot = dramatic tension. Also,
plot = gameplay.
Something I learned from
a recent Idle Thumbs podcast, in which Sean Vanaman and Jake Rodkin talked about their experience with Telltale Games, is this - never rely on just one emotion or event to motivate a character's actions. If a character only has one reason to, for instance, be angry with the PC, it's a flawed scenario. Add layers of unspoken, subtle depth to character feelings and actions.
And one of the most important points of all..
Don't say it, show it. Or rather,
don't show it, play it.
