The game narrative toolbox /
Tobias Heussner, Toiya Kristen Finley, Jennifer Brandes Hepler, Ann Lemay.
- 248 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Includes bibliographical references (page 235) and index.
What is narrative design? : Jennifer Brandes Hepler: in-house lead writer ; Ann Lemay: in-house writer, narrative designer ; Toiya Kristen Finley: mobile, social, and indie narrative designer, game writer, and game designer ; Tobias Heussner: game content/narrative designer, producer ; What role does a narrative designer play on a game development team? ; A game narrative designer is the champion of an interactive story ; Combines the roles of a writer with that of a game designer ; And organizes and integrates the story ; How can you help your team?: On being a nexus of information ; A note on clarity and being succinct ; Narrative design in social, mobile, and indie games ; Stepping into the role of the narrative designer -- The concept : Play, don't tell ; The high concept, aka the one-liner ; Presenting your pitch ; Writing the pitch -- Worldbuilding : Macro- vs. micro-level worldbuilding: where to begin? ; Worldbuilding, research, and inspiration ; Building realistic and fantastical worlds for RPGs ; The worldbuilding "iceberg" ; How players can experience your world ; Working on a licensed IP ; Chris Avellone's (Obsidian Entertainment) interview -- Characters : Types of player-characters ; Writing interesting NPCs ; Bringing player-characters and NPCs to life ; Supporting the player's ego ; Writing your game characters ; Characterization and character development ; Creating diverse characters ; Tropes: when to use them, stereotypes: how to avoid them ; Interview with Rhianna Pratchett, freelance writer -- Story : Player agency ; So, what exactly is a game story? ; Linear narratives ; Branching narratives ; Open narratives ; Plot design: epic or relatable? ; Game story documentation ; Tom Jubert's (games writer and narrative designer) interview -- Implementation and production : Implementation ; Creation of a narrative space: on player attention span ; A narrative tool: graphical perspective ; Narrative types ; Environmental narrative ; Execution: from production to narrative ; Narrative design and team dependencies -- Dialogue : Types of dialogue ; Writing ambient dialogue ; Dialogue in action games ; Writing interactive dialogue ; Dialogues in MMOs ; Dialogue in social and mobile games ; General dialogue quality tips ; Dialogue and other departments ; Dialogue sample -- Cutscenes and cinematics : Is a cutscene necessary? ; Cutscenes vs. cinematics ; What makes a cutscene fun? ; Cutscenes in RPGs, and in higher-budget games in general ; Cutscenes in lower-budget games, social, and mobile games ; Cutscenes in MMOs ; Interview with Brian Kindregan (Blizzard Entertainment) -- Troubleshooting : Feedback ; Making revisions ; Working with QA ; Focus tests ; For freelancers ; Working on your own projects ; Conclusion ; Working with the imperfect ; Interview with Cori May (BioWare) -- Conclusion -- Glossary.
9781138787087 (pbk.) 1138787086 (pbk.)
Taylor & Francis, C/O Kentucky Dist Center 7625 Empire Dr, Florence, KY, USA, 41042 SAN 213-196X
2014045001
Computer games--Design. Computer games--Programming. Video games--Authorship. Computer games--Design. Computer games--Programming. Video games--Authorship.