Wk 6: Scenario Design

Scenario Design or

How I learned to juggle content, gameplay, and narrative while riding a unicycle and singing “Yankee Doodle.” (Also, turn in your D1 or present your lame excuses now.)

Scenario D1 - A handful of volunteers ------------------------------------------------------- Narrative  Content  Gameplay 

***10 Minute Break*** 

D2 - Assignment Explained

D1 – Game Analysis (2-4 minutes)    

“Loved it!” / “Hated it!” / “Meh.” Why do you feel this way? If I could change one thing it would be… If I had to do another Game Analysis I’d probably pick game X because…

Scenario Etymology: Italian, from Latin scaenarium place for erecting stages, from scaena stage Date: 1875 Possible Definitions: An outline or synopsis of a play (or, by extension, of a literary work) A setting for a work of art or literature "the scenario is France during the Reign of Terror" A postulated sequence of possible events "planners developed several scenarios in case of an attack"

Computer Game Scenario …is ALL of these.

OUTLINE, SETTING, and OPTIONS An outline or synopsis of a play (or, by extension, of a literary work) A setting for a work of art or literature "the scenario is France during the Reign of Terror" A postulated sequence of possible events "planners developed several scenarios in case of an attack"

Computer Game Scenario …is ALL of these.

OUTLINE, SETTING, and OPTIONS (or if you prefer)

NARRATIVE, CONTENT , and GAMEPLAY

I. Narrative  

Q: Does a Video Game require a story? A: NO

Lack of Narrative is ok! (Really!)

Narrative  

Q: Does MY video game require a story? A: If so… then what KIND of story? A “railroad”/“platformer” or “something else”?

Designer’s Story vs. Player’s Story

Narrative “The danger for designers is that they get hooked into their story, and they forget that storytelling is a linear narrative-type thing. And the more you flesh out the story, the more you remove the interactivity and the more you remove the player from the game. It’s kinda like “Oh the outcome has already been determined, so what’s the point?’” –Eugine Jarvis [Rouse p. 202]

Narrative 

If it’s not truly interactive… …make a movie or write a book!

Interactive Storytelling 

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Where the designer’s story and the player’s story meet. Tabletop RPGs Alternate Reality Games (google it!) Where “anticipation” meets “complex systems” (see week 5 ppt)

II. Content   

In-Game Out of Game External (Secondary/Other)

In-Game Content Game elements which allow the player to move the action forward – the action itself

In-Game Content       

Interactive Storytelling Actual Play Setting of the Game-world NPC behavior Dynamic Conversations Interaction Pre-Mission Planning

Out of Game Content Misnomer, as it technically still a part of the game but which sometimes “breaks the fourth wall” but more often simply pauses gameplay

Out of Game Content 

Cut Scenes

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Text

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Images

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Audio

External Anything related to but not a part of the game such as the manual, maps, in many cases the game guide, etc.

III. Gameplay can include       

Narrative Goals – motivation to play Conflict – difficulties & challenges Uncertainty – choice & the ability to fail Core Mechanics – often called genre Narrative Space – the plot of the thing Digital Game Space – the setting & scope Spaces of Adventure – theme & tone

***10 Minute Break***

DELIVERABLE 2: GAME CONCEPT DOCUMENT “Wouldn’t it be cool if they made a

game where…”

(25% of your grade for the class)

***There are 2 parts to this deliverable!*** 1) The Proposal – This part is due on Oct 5 (NEXT WEEK). This part is one page. It is so that I can get a general idea of what you are proposing. I will turn it back to you the following week. A one-page or less overview of your game idea, just enough to let me know what you’re doing. Include a working title, a paragraph of focus, and a brief outline of your plans.

***There are 2 parts to this deliverable!*** 2) The Assignment (Concept Doc.) – This is due on Oct. 26. It is an 8-10 page “pitch” document for an original computer game of your design, following the rules laid out on the back of the assignment sheet. That said, be creative! Normal limitations of budget, time, skill, and creative control do NOT apply here – I’m less interested in the game you can actually produce today than in the game you “could create” if given the opportunity and limitless resources.

The Concept Document is… The point of the concept document is NOT to detail every working aspect of your game (that’s for Deliverable 3 later), but IS to get people excited about it so that they’ll fund the project! Think of this as a “green light” meeting following a successful elevator pitch! The boss has said “Write that up and put it on my desk.” – and now you will!

Briefly include the following elements in your proposal write up:                

Title Game Overview (Focus) Target Platform Appeal/Target Audience Art Style (concept art a plus!) Technology (don’t feel limited by this, but you must describe what you will need) Gameplay (NOT game mechanics) Characters World Story Controls/Interface (screenshots a plus!) Sound Reference Games (screenshots a plus!) Development Team Schedule/Benchmarks Budget

Format 

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Proposal: one page. You can use this in your Final D2 Document, but probably it will be in bits and pieces throughout the larger paper. Document: about 8-10 pages NOT including any of the optional art or pictures. Both: Typed, 12 pt font, single or double spaced. No email submissions. Proper MLA format with internal parenthetical citations and a references page (if applicable). NOTE: You must turn in two copies of your document, as it will also be read and critiqued by one of your classmates!

HW:  

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D2 Proposal due next week. Check the blog for possible additional reading/resources. Those who have missed 2+ nights – see me for make-up assignment. (Don’t put this off or you will be very sad and lonely in a few weeks as we start to crank out D3.)