d esign in the g ame c offee d g c 2011 swery point 01: make gamers think about your game when they...
TRANSCRIPT
Design in the
Game
Coffee
D
G
C 2011 SWERY
Point 01: Make gamers think about your game when they aren't playing it
Point 02: Make gamers actively "want" to play through your meticulously scripted story
Point 03: Creating a storyline for a free roaming open world game
Point 04: Prevent players from quitting the game at the result screen
Point 05: Make appealing characters
Point 06: Direct voice recording sessions
Point 07: Use what‘s most important? Your…..
Today’s 7 Points
How to make gamers think about your game when they aren't
playing it.
Deadly Point 01:Games you don’t remember when you aren’t playing them
are already dead.
How to make gamers think about your game when they aren't playing it.
York smokes in the game, players smoke in front of TV
Causes
How to make gamers think about your game when they aren't playing it.
Eating, sleeping, and shaving in the game, reminds player outside of the game
Causes
How to make gamers think about your game when they aren't playing it.
Memorable and Relatable: “Fortune Telling Coffee” and “Conversations About Old Movies”
CausesRemembers
How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a
meticulously scripted story
Deadly Point 02:Being forced to play through a tightly bound storyline is a
chore.
How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a meticulously scripted story
Two Pre-Existing Methods for Creating a Sense of Freedom in a Story
01 Multiple Endings Player’s intent expressed with “story branches”
02 Side Quests Player’s intent expressed with “side trips”
Deadly Premonition Used a 3rd Method
03 Freedom of Timing
Allow for a “change of heart”
How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a meticulously scripted story
Standard Quest Flow DP’s Quest Flow
Start
Challenge
Judged
Success Fail
HintEnd
Start
Challenge
Judged
Success Change of Heart
Free PlayEnd
Fail
Hint
How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a meticulously scripted story
Spy Fiction Deadly Premonition
By supporting and allowing for the player’s “Change of Heart” we strengthen the sense of “freedom” and mitigate the sense of “being forced to do something against our will”
Oh, no... Damn,
the mission's been
compromised!
Zach, that's exactly what I was thinking. It's times like these which remind me of why we get along so
well."
How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a meticulously scripted story
And…
Story follows up and confirms, player’s desire gets fulfilled.
Timing is what is important.
Timing.
Speed is not important.
How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a meticulously scripted story
Not being forced feels like you have freedom
Allow and approve player’s actions
Player feels empowered due to decisionbeing allowed
Allow for a “Retry” at anytime
Support the player’sActions 100%
Modify story to allow for it too
Relaxes the player’s mind to be immersed deeper into the story and generates stronger
will to cooperate and suspend disbelief
Earn the Player’s “Cooperation with the Story” and “Suspension of Disbelief”
STEP 01
STEP 02
STEP 03
Architecting a storyline for a free roaming open world game
Deadly Point 03:Vague and obscure characters, universe and environments
won't find a home in anyone's heart
Single Path Storyline DP’s Storyline
Synopsis
Plot
Map CharacterDetails
Architecting a storyline for a free roaming open world game
Character List
Script
Synopsis
Plot
Map CharacterDetails
Script
Character 24 HourAction TableDetailed Map
Why did we need to create our storyline this way?
Architecting a storyline for a free roaming open world game
The universe, the environment, and the characters are just as important as the storyline for a free roaming open world game.
Preventing players from quitting the game at the result screen
Deadly Point 04:Any game that prioritizes
“Getting the player to finish the game" over “Getting the player to want to learn more of the story“
is already dead.
Preventing players from quitting the game at the result screen
Normally Game Storylines Do This…
Challenge Hint Clear Reward Result
Each sequence in the progression path causes a desire to quit
DesireTo
quit
Preventing players from quitting the game at the result screen
For Deadly Premonition we did this…
Challenge Hint Clear
Reward
Result
Intentionally divulge bits of the next challenge before the result screen and generate the desire to find out what happens next
Desire to
conti-nue
NextChallenge
3 Tips for making appealing characters
Deadly Point 05: If you can't remember any of the names of the characters,
then you have a crappy game.
3 Tips for making appealing charactersAgent York’s Profile (Mind Map)
His first love, his favorite picture book as a child…Memo everything imaginable about him and generate a résumé
MainCharacter
FBI Special Agent
Age 32
Blood TypeAB+
MethodicalHas Two
Sides
Grew Up Near
Washington D.C.
Graduated George
Washington University
Double Major in
Forensics & Psychology
Clear Headed Bold Watches
Movies and Cartoons
Loves his 80’s
movies
Inconsiderate
Smoker
① Résumé
And…
And…And…
And…
3 Tips for making appealing characters
Mimicable & Memorable = Fan Friendly
② Habits and Signature Phrases
Causes
A slick lookin’ agent, but…
Intentionally create a negative side to make the character much more relatable
3 Tips for making appealing characters③ We take the good. We take the bad. And...
A beautiful heroine, but… A nice guy, good with kids, but…
How I direct voice recording sessions
Deadly Point 06: Can't remember how the characters talked? That's ludicrous.
How I direct voice recording sessions
Agent York's manner of speech is inspired by "Liverpool Sound"
and "British Invasion"
How I direct voice recording sessions
Emily Wyatt: Nostalgic and yet fresh sounding, oldies pop
George Woodman: Violent, destructive, hard rock
Other Characters
Your “ideas”
Point 07:What‘s most important? Your…..
Unnoticed Ideas Explode When They Do Get Noticed!
Use all of your ideas while you can use them!
Point 01: Make what happens in the game resonate with the player outside of the game!
Point 02: "Freedom" in gameplay is the freedom of timing!
Point 03: The story is important, but the universe and characters are just as important!
Point 04: Incorrect: Intro, Development, Turn and Conclusion, then Result Screen Correct: Development, Turn, Conclusion, Intro then Result Screen
Point 05: ① Résumé ② Habits and Signature Phrases ③ We take the good. We take the bad. And...
Point 06: Agent York's manner of speech is inspired by "Liverpool Sound" and "British Invasion"
Point 07: Use all of your ideas while you can use them!
Review Today’s 7 Points