Lecture 4 Flashcards
?
a flat, 2D images that told simple stories without words or sound, similar of that to a Cave paintings.
Storytelling Traditions
Creating a Narrative
Visual storytelling tradition
?
form a significant proportion of the highly visual medium of interactive entertainment; this medium incorporates the visual storytelling tradition, but it has also revolutionized the way stories are told.
Storytelling Traditions
Creating a Narrative
Games
?
in general description is a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action.
Generating Ideas
Creating a Narrative
Idea
Sometimes, writers often get ideas from thoughts that just come to them ?.
Generating Ideas
Creating a Narrative
throughout the day
These ? could be anything from observations of the people and the environment around them to portion of dreams.
Generating Ideas
Creating a Narrative
ideas
?
is another common idea generator
Generating Ideas
Creating a Narrative
Direct personal experience
is a type of character who represents a universal pattern, and therefore appeals to our human collective unconscious.
Creating a Narrative
Character archetype
Within this collective unconscious are universal themes and ?, which appear in our culture in the form of stories and character types in art, literature, music, and games.
Character Archetypes
Creating a Narrative
archetypes
?
archetype is the central character in a single-player game.
Character Archetypes
Creating a Narrative
Hero
?
character will always be the player’s avatar – and the player must identify and bond with this character.
Character Archetypes - Hero
Creating a Narrative
Hero
The hero is always presented with a ? toward the beginning of the story and embarks on a physical or emotional journey to eventually solve this problem.
Character Archetypes - Hero
Creating a Narrative
problem
?
is an extremely important character – representing the hero’s opposite, often the ultimate evil character in a story.
Character Archetypes
Creating a Narrative
Shadow
The shadow could be the ? who is responsible for the hero’s problem
Character Archetypes - Shadow
Creating a Narrative
adversary
Sometimes this character remains ? until the story’s climax, which can add to the story’s dramatic tension.
Character Archetypes - Shadow
Creating a Narrative
hidden
Sometimes, the shadow represents the ? of the hero.
Character Archetypes - Shadow
Creating a Narrative
dark side
?
is a character who often guides the hero toward some action.
Character Archetypes
Creating a Narrative
Mentor
?
provides the hero with the information needed to embark on the hero’s journey.
Character Archetypes - Mentor
Creating a Narrative
Mentor
The mentor is often an ? character – someone who might have been in the hero’s shoes at one time, who can provide the hero with wisdom from that experience of making a similar journey.
Character Archetypes - Mentor
Creating a Narrative
older advisor
?
is a character who helps the hero progress on the journey and may also assist the hero with tasks that might be difficult or impossible to accomplish alone
Character Archetypes
Creating a Narrative
Ally
?
blocks the progress of the hero by whatever means necessary – until the hero has proven his or her worth
Character Archetypes
Creating a Narrative
Guardian
Sometimes the guardian character is the shadow’s ?
Character Archetypes - Guardian
Creating a Narrative
henchman
The guardian could also be a ? that exists within the hero’s mind – such as self-doubt, fear, discomfort – that makes the character hesitate to continue on the journey
Character Archetypes - Guardian
Creating a Narrative
block
The ? is a neutral character who enjoys making mischief.
Character Archetypes
Creating a Narrative
trickster
Trickster characters can either cause sever damage through their ? – which can stop the hero from progressing along the journey – but they are more often simply jesters who provide comic relief for the story.
Character Archetypes - Trickster
Creating a Narrative
pranks
?
facilitates change in the story and provides thehero with direction.
Character Archetypes
Creating a Narrative
Herald
?
who is often equated with hero archetype.
Classic Character Types
Creating a Narrative
Protagonist
The ? is the main character, the game’s story is told from this character’s point of view – even if the game is not played in the first-person perspective.
Classic Character Types
Creating a Narrative
protagonist
?
must always drive the story forward – acting instead of waiting for them to happen.
Classic Character Types
Creating a Narrative
Protagonist
?
is the complete opposite of the protagonist.
Classic Character Types
Creating a Narrative
Antagonist
Antagonist does not mean that the character is ?.
Classic Character Types
Creating a Narrative
bad
The antagonist and protagonist could simply have ? – such as ethical, political, lifestyle, etc
Classic Character Types
Creating a Narrative
opposing view
When the protagonist and antagonist want the exact same thing, they become ? in the story.
Classic Character Types
Creating a Narrative
linked together
(4) Antagonist Types
Classic Character Types - Antagonist Types | Enumerate
Creating a Narrative
- Transformational antagonist
- Mistaken antagonist
- Exaggerated antagonists
- Realistic antagonists
?
is an anti-hero character who could have been a protagonist. The antagonist receives punishment at the end of the story to satisfy the audience’s need for justice
Classic Character Types - Antagonist Types
Creating a Narrative
Transformational antagonist
?
are characters who the audience initially thinks are villains – but they turn out to be innocent.
Classic Character Types - Antagonist Types
Creating a Narrative
Mistaken antagonists
?
are those who are larger-than-life, bizarre, and sometimes even comedic villains who might even dominate the story because they are often more interesting than the protagonist.
Classic Character Types - Antagonist Types
Creating a Narrative
Exaggerated antagonists
?
are the opposite of exaggerated and the toughest to create.
Classic Character Types - Antagonist Types
Creating a Narrative
Realistic antagonists
?
join forces with the protagonist in a story.
Classic Character Types
Creating a Narrative
Co-protagonist
These character often appear in games such as ? that require teams.
Classic Character Types - Co-protagonist
Creating a Narrative
MMOs
Sometimes these characters do not start out as co-protagonists, but as ?.
Classic Character Types - Co-protagonist
Creating a Narrative
antagonists
?
are also known as pivotal characters – exists primarily to prevent the protagonist from walking away from this problem.
Classic Character Types
Creating a Narrative
Supporting Characters
?
structure emphasizes the simple idea that a good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Traditional Story Structure
Creating a Narrative
Holywood three-act
Beginning (Act I) : The most interesting stories begin by placing the audience into the ? of the story.
Traditional Story Structure - Holywood three-act
Creating a Narrative
action or drama
The ? and any background events leading up to this moment can be introduced later.
Traditional Story Structure - Holywood three-act - Beginning (Act I)
Creating a Narrative
backstory
The goal is to capture the audience’s ?.
Traditional Story Structure - Holywood three-act - Beginning (Act I)
Creating a Narrative
attention
Act I focuses on the character’s ?. The story should introduce this ? immediately.
Traditional Story Structure - Holywood three-act - Beginning (Act I)
Creating a Narrative
problem
Middle (Act II): the middle of the story focuses on the ? that stand in the way of the character’s ability to solve the problem introduced in Act I. There are usually a series of ? in Act II that the character must overcome.
Traditional Story Structure - Holywood three-act
Creating a Narrative
obstacles
This act comprises the bulk of the ? in the story.
Traditional Story Structure - Holywood three-act - Middle (Act II)
Creating a Narrative
dramatic tension
End (Act III): The story ends when the problem introduced in Act I has been ?.
Traditional Story Structure - Holywood three-act
Creating a Narrative
solved
The character often has to systematically face and remove each obstacle in Act II to reach this ?
Traditional Story Structure - Holywood three-act - End (Act III)
Creating a Narrative
resolution
Story Element includes the following – ?, ??, ???, ????, and ?????.
Story Elements
Creating a Narrative
- Premise
- Backstory
- Synopsis
- Theme
- Setting
? or ?? is a summary of the game’s purpose and overall theme, and it often appears on packaging associated wit the game.
Story Elements
Creating a Narrative
- Premise
- high concept
It is intended to intrigue customers, enticing them to purchase the game.
Story Elements
Creating a Narrative
- Premise
- high concept
?
provides information that leads up to where the game begins. It usually consists of a short paragraph in the game instruction manual, or it appears as text at the beginning of the game.
Story Elements
Creating a Narrative
Backstory
?
This helps orient the player to the purpose and action involved in the game, and it allows the player to sometimes establish initial bonds for certain characters.
Story Elements
Creating a Narrative
Backstory
? or ?? can also exist throughout the game itself. The player might be involved in the setting and actions that take place in the game.
Story Elements
Creating a Narrative
- Synopsis
- Storyline
A ? can also help a player escape from reality and become immersed in the artificial game world, during which the player can become emotionally involved with the game’s characters.
Story Elements - Synopsis or Storyline
Creating a Narrative
running storyline
?
represents what the story is truly about – even if it’s not shared explicitly with the player.
Story Elements
Creating a Narrative
Theme
?
usually relate to a primary obstacle in the story faced by the main character(s). Is the obstacle an enemy, nature, society, fate – or the characters themselves?
Story Elements
Creating a Narrative
Themes
? or ?? represents the world that is being explored by the audience, characters, or player.
Story Elements
Creating a Narrative
- Setting
- backdrop
In creating a ?, think of the world in which the characters will live and interact.
Story Elements - Setting or Backdrop
Creating a Narrative
game story
?
is more about how the story unfolds rather than what the story is about.
Creating a Narrative
Plot
?
can be part of the game’s story structure – but it can also be dictated by how the game is played.
Plot
Creating a Narrative
Game plotting
The key to making challenges and obstacles interesting to a player is to relate them to the story with the use of various plot devices that optimize ?
Plot
Creating a Narrative
dramatic tension
(5) Plot Devices
Plot Devices | Enumerate
Creating a Narrative
- Balancing Conflict
- Shifting Focus
- Foreshadowing Events
- Suspension of Disbelief
- Realism
?
Dramatic tension in a story is maximized when the player often seems to be on the brink of disaster but is able to escape repeatedly from this situation by just the narrowest of margins.
Plot Devices
Creating a Narrative
Balancing Conflict
?
It captures the player’s interest – such as widening the scope of the game by providing more sub-quests or by introducing new characters or objects that lead the player into other unexplored areas.
Plot Devices
Creating a Narrative
Shifting Focus
?
a plot device that ominously alerts the audience about an important event or change that will happen in the future
Plot Devices
Creating a Narrative
Foreshadowing Events
?
the story must somehow cause the players to forget real life and accept the artificial reality that was created in the game.
Plot Devices
Creating a Narrative
Suspension of Disbelief
?
This is related to immersion, but it more specifically refers to the players’ acceptance of rules and experiences that might not make sense in the real world
Plot Devices
Creating a Narrative
Suspension of Disbelief
?
can be used in games to mimic the real world as closely as possible. Players want reality and authenticity
Plot Devices
Creating a Narrative
Realism
