Themes and Narratives

staffan.bjork@chalmers.se

Practical stuff

Supervision today 13.00-15.00

Remember oral presentations next week! Tuesday 10.00-12.00

Game Design Evening Tuesday 17.00-21.00 Seminar room at Center of Visualization

Next to my office

And something slightly off topic

For XNA users in the project course Nils Stadling @ Microsoft wants you to

participate 2 competitions SGA (deadline February 25th) Imaginecup.com (deadline March 1st)

Contact him to get tips: +46708266024 Nils.stadling@microsoft.com

We are also planning a XNA Game Developer Evening

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Structure of the lecture

What is narratives? A closer look at plots How can narratives and gameplay co-exist Design Documents

Assignment 4

But first a game or two…

Two volunteers?Not usual suspects!

First to 15

Two players taking turn Each turn a choice from the following:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Goal to reach exactly 15 points

You win iff three of your numbers add up to 15

Cannot take a number already taken By either player

Tic-Tac-Toe

Now both! At the same time!

2 7 6

9 5 1

4 3 8

Magic SquareNot magic circle…

4 9 2

3 5 7

8 1 6

37 78 29 70 21 62 13 54 5

6 38 79 30 71 22 63 14 16

47 7 39 80 31 72 23 55 15

16 48 8 40 81 32 64 24 56

57 17 49 9 41 73 33 65 25

26 58 18 50 1 42 74 34 66

67 27 59 10 51 2 43 75 35

36 68 19 60 11 52 3 44 76

77 28 69 20 61 12 53 4 45

Would this make a good game?

Difference between theme and narrative Theme

Mood Context

How to “read” affordances Explain relations in system

Which “frame” to use

Narrative Temporal development Causal effects Dramatic effects

Can you have theme without narrative? Can you have narrative without theme?

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What connection does narratives & gameplay have?

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Structures of Narratives

First analysis Tragedy Poetics, Aristotle, 300

BC Components

Plot Character Reasoning Dictation Lyric poetry Spectacle

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Frazer

The Golden Bough Different version from

1890-1922 Study of the origins of

magic and religion Similar stories all over

the world Sacrificial killing of

god-kings to ensure bountiful harvests Adonis Osiris Balder

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Propp, 1928

Morphology of Russian folk stories Studied stories Identified

similarities Identified

common structure

Grammar Linear structure

1. A member of a family leaves home (the hero is introduced);

2. An interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'go to this place');

3. The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale);

4. The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim questions the villain);

5. The villain gains information about the victim; 6. The villain attempts to deceive the victim to

take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim);

7. Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy;

8. Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc, commits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc);

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Propp, cont.

Examples Hans and Gretel? Snow White?

Other cases Odysseus? Moses?

9. Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc/ alternative is that victimized hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment);

10. Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action;

11. Hero leaves home; 12. Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc,

preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);

13. Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against them);

14. Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters);

15. Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;

16. Hero and villain join in direct combat; 17. Hero is branded (wounded/marked,

receives ring or scarf); 18. Villain is defeated (killed in combat,

defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);

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Propp, cont.

Grammar constructed by analysis

Can be used to create stories Fairytale generator

http://www.brown.edu/Courses/FR0133/Fairytale_Generator/gen.html

But create games?

19. Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revived, captive freed);

20. Hero returns; 21. Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat,

undermine the hero); 22. Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles

delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognizably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);

23. Hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country;

24. False hero presents unfounded claims; 25. Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks);

26. Task is resolved; 27. Hero is recognized (by mark, brand, or

thing given to him/her); 28. False hero or villain is exposed; 29. Hero is given a new appearance (is made

whole, handsome, new garments etc); 30. Villain is punished; 31. Hero marries and ascends the throne (is

rewarded/promoted).

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Campbell

The hero with a thousand faces, 1968

Monomyth All myths have the

same basic structure

Classical examples Osiris Odysseus

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Campbell, cont.

Grammar constructed by analysis

Can be used to create stories For example, Star Wars

Why can one find these structures in so many stories?

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Narratives - Recap

Components Plot Character Reasoning

Grammar Sequence of actions Prerequisites for

actions Options of actions

A closer focus on plots

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Types of Plots

Possible worlds, Artificial Intelligence, and Narrative Theory, Ryan 2001 Sequential narrativity

“The king died. The queen died.” Causal narrativity

“The king died, then the queen died.” Dramatic narrativity

“The king died, then the queen died of sorrow.”

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Plots

Linear stories One situation One event leads to

new situation Does not have to be

chronological order

Examples Most books Most movies

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Plots - a classical plot example Scene 1

Introduction of problem

Scene 2 False solution

Scene 3 True solution

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Plots

Nested stories Stories being told in

stories Easy change

characters and setting

Examples “One Thousand and

One Nights” Scheherazade

Canterbury tales

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Plots

Parallel stories Several situation Event leads to

development in one situation

Does not have to be chronological order

Examples Soap operas …

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Plots

Branching stories One situation Several options of

event that lead to different situations

Narrative explosion Dead ends

Examples Lonewolf

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Plots

Hypertexts Events can lead back

to previous situations Break temporal

structure

Examples Talmud Absalom, Absalom!,

Faulkner? Memento?

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Plots - Other variants

Possibilities Not predetermined

Let players choose situations and events

Only plan certain situations and events prerequisites need

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Motivations for telling stories

Tell Me a Story – Narrative and Intelligence, Shank 1990 AI perspective Me goals

Attention Explain actions Get advice

You goals Give people an experience Make a point Transfer information

Conversation goals Raise topic Change subject Spend time Give response

Narratives and gameplay

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What is the relation between games and narratives?

Do all games have narratives?

gameplay

story

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What is the relation between games and narratives?, cont.

Do all stories have gameplay in them? Interaction?

gameplay

story

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Sliding story-gameplay model

Story-focused Gameplay-focused

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Story-focused games

Player choices Complete task to

progress in story Puzzle Level

Choose options from grammar

Related design areas Interactive Narratives

Façade by Michael Mateas & Andrew Stern

Interactive Movies Stories? Movies?

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Gameplay-focused games

Story use Give theme

Provide information Provide immersion

Allow players to be creative

Related designs Improvisational Theatre? Theatre Sports? Tarot Cards? Story-telling?

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Scaling author model

Game designer as author

Players as authors

Roleplaying games?Game engine as author?

Put another way: who creates the story, the designer or the player?

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Reductionistic Approach

What aspects of narrativity can be used without limiting gameplay?

Theme | Premise Characters Challenge Play Cutscenes?

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Reductionistic Approach

Theme Aristotle’s spectacle Used to create

metaphor that gives actions meaning

Backstory

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Reductionistic Approach

Characters Self-expression Who one wants to be

Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet, Sherry Turkle

External presentation Internal composition Possibility of

Development Emotional Anchor

But maybe not the characters under player’s control

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Reductionistic Approach

Challenge Aristotle’s reasoning Czikszentmihalyi’s flow

Activity requiring skill Merging of action and

awareness Clear goals and feedback Concentration on task Paradox of control Loss of self-consciousness Transformation of time Activity becomes its own

purpose - autotelic

Skill

Flow

Difficulty

Frustration

Boredom

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Reductionistic Approach

Play Competitor Explorer Collector Achiever Joker Artist Director Storyteller Performer Craftsman

Design Documents

Design Documents - Motivation Communicate overall vision of game

and gameplay Ergo the game designer the primary

author Necessary for collaboration and

coordination in larger groups Can serves purposes in small (1 person)

design teams also Not substitute for other forms of

communication Support for more detailed descriptions Support for when people are not present

Historical

Design documents were not used in early days of game design Need not perceived

Compare to the history of craft and design in general Complexity Need for collaboration

Format of Design Documents

Text document Word (or rtf) for ease of transport Version control – central source Possibly sub-documents for extra details

Website For example Wikis Allows easy update for many Allows difficulty in controlling who updates

what May be difficult to print, transport, etc.

A model for Design Documents

That is, a model for the assignment 3…

Design Document – Design History Description

Version number – overall idea of document state Description of changes since last update

Motivation Allow people to see differences

quickly Allow people to see how work

has progressed over time Both what type and

scope of work

Design Document – Vision Statement Description

1-2 pages that captures the essence of the game in a compelling and accurate way Theme Core gameplay (what you do 90% of the time)

Motivation Executive summary Main selling point Keep design vision clear

Design Document – Marketing Information Description

Describe the context for the game design in aspects of target audience, platform, system requirements, top performers, feature comparison and sales expectations

Motivation Let distributors understand how well you have planned

target audience and understood the market Explicitly state intended game play and target audience

to the design team Can be seen as limiting the design space, identifying

already existing games within that design space and their popularity

Design Document – Legal Analysis Description

Agreements regarding copyrights, trademarks, contracts, and licensing

Motivation Make clear to all parties what obligations exist Make clear how potential issues can be avoided or

mitigated

Design Document - Gameplay

Description Core gameplay (preferably through prototype),

detailed gameplay, interfaces, rules, scoring/win conditions, modes of play, levels, editors and tools

Motivation Describe gameplay to external parties Have complete description of what rules have to be

implemented, what levels should be created, what interfaces should be designed

Design Document - Characters Description

General characteristics and functionality, PCs, NPCs, gameplay role, narrative role, AI

Motivation Provide common location of description

of characters to maintain character integrity during the design process

Design Document - Story

Description Synopsis and general structure,

complete story, backstory, narrative devices, subplots

Motivation Provide holistic view of what narrative

experience the player will have by playing the game Making sure that contingency is

maintained during gameplay

Design Document – The Game World Description

More details on the theme Overview, key locations, travel, mapping,

scale, physical objects, weather conditions, day and night, time, physics, society/culture

Motivation Common location to describe functionality

and appearance of the world and objects in it

Design Document – Media List Description

Interface assets, environments, characters, animations, music and sound effects (, text?)

The appearance of what is described in the previous sections: Characters, Story, Game World

Motivation Identify what artists and UI engineers need to

create Create uniform naming convention

to allow early implementations to use mock-ups Avoid confusion

Design Document – Technical Specification Description Technical analysis, development environment,

delivery, game engine, interface tech spec, control tech spec, lightning models, rendering systems, network spec, system parameters, help menus, manuals, setup, installation

Motivation Give programmers explicit instructions on what

needs to be implemented Show publishers what potential technical

problems/risks can occur

Design Document - Appendices Description

More detailed descriptions of material that would be too detailed or too long to be part of main document

Motivation Ease the flow of the design document Allows interested parties to study content

separate from the rest of the design document

Another model – Chris Taylor

NAME OF GAME DESIGN HISTORY GAME OVERVIEW

PHILOSOPHY COMMON QUESTIONS

FEATURE SET THE GAME WORLD

OVERVIEW WORLD FEATURE #1 WORLD FEATURE #2 THE PHYSICAL WORLD RENDERING SYSTEM CAMERA GAME ENGINE LIGHTING MODELS

THE WORLD LAYOUT GAME CHARACTERS

USER INTERFACE WEAPONS MUSICAL SCORES AND SOUND

EFFECTS SINGLE PLAYER GAME MULTI-PLAYER GAME CHARACTER RENDERING WORLD EDITING EXTRA MISCELLANEOUS STUFF

“XYZ APPENDIX” “OBJECTS APPENDIX” “USER INTERFACE APPENDIX”

“NETWORKING APPENDIX” “CHARACTER RENDERING AND

ANIMATION APPENDIX” “STORY APPENDIX”

More models

Tim Ryan’s - Gamasutra.com Various - ihfSoft.com

Working with Design Documents

Method for Writing Design Documents Methods

Iterative process Can be seen as the

documentation of the design process

Living Document How to start? Flowcharts of

game and “Wireframes” of interfaces

Trade-offs When to start – book

recommends after making a prototype But how to sell idea before

that? How comprehensive -

length has detail but makes reading more difficult

Evaluate / Playtest

Test Ideas / Implement

Generate Ideas /

Identify Target Group

Formalize Ideas / Create Specification

Thank you!

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Assignment 4

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Assignment 4

Task Analyze one gameplay style

Define it Give examples of games which support it from at least 2 different genres Give guidelines for how to support when designing a new game Check with Staffan that the chosen gameplay style is a good choice

What is a gameplay style: A clearly describable way of playing a game or an important

activity done when playing the game Not an established game genre – but something that could become

one Maybe something specific or instantiated from one of the models describes in the

lecture on analyzing games? No examples are given since this makes 50%+ of the assignments

study these Requirements

Individual assignment 12 pages Deadline: 20090306