book

Interactive Storytelling for Video Games

by Josiah Lebowitz, Chris Klug

September 2012

Beginner

336 pages

10h 1m

English

Routledge

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Cover
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Copyright
Contents
Special Thanks
Chapter 1: Game Stories, Interactivity, and What Players Want
The Importance of StoriesStories in Video GamesInteractive Stories vs. Traditional Stories: The Great DebateSummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 2: A Brief History of Storytelling in Games
The Beginnings of Game StoriesText Adventures and Interactive FictionRPGs, Adventure Games, and the Growing Importance of StoriesThe Cinematic Evolution of Game StoriesGame Stories TodayThe Limits of Storytelling in GamesSummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 3: The Hero’s Journey and the Structure of Game Stories
Types of Stories Best Suited for GamesThe “Best” Story TypesUsing Nonideal StoriesThe Hero’s JourneyWhat Is the Hero’s Journey?Structure of the Hero’s JourneyModifying the StructureCommon Themes and Clichés in Game StorytellingCommon Clichés and ThemesWhy Clichés Are UsedWhen to Use and When to Avoid Story ClichésSummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 4: The Story and the Characters
Story Flow and ProgressionThe Importance of Proper Flow and PacingDon’t Neglect the Little ThingsKeeping the Player EngagedGeneral Pacing Do’s and Don’tsCharacter DevelopmentCommon Character ArchetypesAdvantages of Using ArchetypesDisadvantages of Using ArchetypesMaking Characters BelievableCharacter Actions and DecisionsHow Much to Tell and Not Tell PlayersThe Importance of BackstoryHow to Tell the BackstoryDeciding What to TellSometimes a Mystery Is BestSummaryThings to Consider

Chapter 5: Making Stories Emotional
Connecting with the CharactersThe Fine Line Between Drama and MelodramaMaking the Player CrySummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 6: Defining Interactive and Player-Driven Storytelling
What Makes a Story Interactive?What Makes a Story Player-Driven?Interactive Storytelling as a SpectrumFully Traditional StoriesInteractive Traditional StoriesMultiple-Ending StoriesBranching Path StoriesOpen-Ended StoriesFully Player-Driven StoriesHow Stories Are ClassifiedGames Without StoriesSummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 7: Fully Traditional and Interactive Traditional Stories
Fully Traditional StoriesFully Traditional Stories, Video Games, and Why They Don’t MixInteractive Traditional StoriesCreating Interactive Traditional StoriesThe Strengths of Interactive Traditional StoriesThe Weaknesses of Interactive Traditional StoriesSummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 8: Multiple-Ending Stories
Creating Multiple-Ending StoriesWhat Types of Endings Should a Game Have?Choosing Where to End the GameHow Many Endings Does a Game Need?Determining Which Ending the Player SeesMultiple-Ending Stories and SequelsThe Strengths of Multiple-Ending StoriesThe Weaknesses of Multiple-Ending StoriesSummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 9: Branching Path Stories
Creating Branching Path StoriesTypes of BranchesDeciding Where to Place BranchesHow Many Branches Should a Story Have?Japanese Visual Novel GamesThe Strengths of Branching Path StoriesThe Weaknesses of Branching Path StoriesSummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 10: Open-Ended Stories
Creating Open-Ended StoriesThe Main PlotThe BranchesThe DistractionsThe Strengths of Open-Ended StoriesThe Weaknesses of Open-Ended StoriesSummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 11: Fully Player-Driven Stories
Creating Fully Player-Driven StoriesCreating a SettingCreating Rules of InteractionThe Problem with Fully Player-Driven Stories in Video GamesMassively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs)The Strengths of Fully Player-Driven StoriesThe Weaknesses of Fully Player-Driven StoriesSummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 12: The Argument for the Supremacy of Player-Driven Storytelling
The Evolution of the Art FormGiving the Writer Greater FreedomStrengthening the Player–Character BondGiving the Players What They WantSummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 13: The Argument Against the Supremacy of Player-Driven Storytelling
The Fine Art of StorytellingTime, Money, and Player InterestThe Added Time and Expense of Creating Player-Driven StoriesAdding Interaction at the Expense of Other ElementsWho Is Going to See It All?Keeping the Story InterestingStory Structure and the “Ideal” Chain of EventsThe Problem with How We ThinkTrying to Correct a MistakeLoss of ImpactThe Illusion of ControlGiving the Players What They WantSummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 14: What Players Really Want: The Most Important Issue
Do Players Know What They Really Want?The SurveyHow Important Are Game Stories to Players?What Players Say They WantStory Preferences by the NumbersWhat Players Really WantFurther AnalysisDo Stories Sell Games?SummaryThings to Consider
Chapter 15: The Future of Storytelling in Games
Stories Then and NowThe Key ArgumentsWhat Players WantLooking Toward the FutureThe Most Popular Types of StorytellingA Future for EveryoneThings to Consider
Glossary
Appendix A: Game Writing Groups and Other Useful Resources
Appendix B: Survey Data
Bibliography and References
Index

Content preview from Interactive Storytelling for Video Games

CHAPTER

Fourteen

What Players Really Want: The Most Important Issue

As you’ve seen in the last two chapters, good arguments can be made for the supremacy of both player-driven and traditional storytelling methods in games. It’s quite likely that you have your own thoughts on which side makes the better case. When I first began researching this subject, I found myself more in line with the pro–traditional storytelling group, but I also saw that both sides based many of their key arguments on assumptions of what players wanted and enjoyed most in stories (freedom and control vs. a structured and well-told story). The problem was that although everyone was saying “players want this” or “players want that,” as far as I could tell, no one had done ...

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