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March 20 - June 8, 2019
? ! and . The ? of the level is always, what does the PC want? The ! is all the obstacles that stand in the way of that goal. The . is the resolution. Did the PC reach the goal? If not, what stopped him? How does he react?
The connection between one level and another should never be “and.” Use instead “therefore,” and “but.”
Because Level A, therefore Level B. Or, Level A, but (surprise!) Level B.
“Therefore” suggests that finishing the level will have unintended consequences. “But” suggests that the next level begins with new information...
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1. Go get the gnarled old walking stick, AND 2. Go get the dusty jewel, AND 3. Go find the rusty headpiece, AND 4. Take them all to the wizened wizard to reassemble into the Furious Staff of Rudeness, AND
Think of the levels as conceptual blocks that move the story forward.
The external story beats of each level make up the journey of emotion.
Levels Need to Move the Story Forward
Levels Should Have Clear Objectives
Levels Can Have Multiple or Mini Goals
Levels Should Have Bosses
Players should be able to get into the action of the gameplay as soon as possible.
Subsequent levels should end with the most exciting gameplay, and as soon as the goal is achieved, the level should end.
Levels Should Increase Agency
Levels Should Provide Character Insight
Levels Should Have Turning Points
Levels Should Foreshadow
Levels Should Be Fun
Not matter what tableau you are using to tell your tale, stories should ask questions.
Phones calls, newspapers, journals, photos, letters on the ground that a player picks up and examines are all interactives—sometimes clickables, or collectibles.
Cut-scenes should be setup and/or reaction scenes. They should set up the gameplay (battle) that is about to happen.
Thinking of these questions will help you write the backstory of the world of Your Game, or its “lore.” In your Game Journal, answer the following questions: 1. What is the HISTORY of my world? 2. What is the TECHNOLOGY or MAGIC (If any) of my world? 3. Who are the INHABITANTS of my world? 4. What is the CULTURE of my world? 5. Are there CLASS DISTINCTIONS? DIFFERENT RACES? What is the HIERARCHY? 6. What do the Inhabitants EAT? Do they HUNT? 7. What is their RELIGION? 8. What are the different COUNTRIES? CITIES? 9. What are the
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A well-written introduction can bond the player to the characters and the world of Your Game.
Emergent gameplay means basically that the player has discovered a means of using the game’s mechanics and systems to create gameplay that the developers may not have intended.
Emergent narrative, then, is motivating the fun of emergent gameplay with stories that you create yourself.
You, the player, are writing you own story.
Title. This should seem obvious. A good title is your first foot in the door. A bad or perfunctory title says to your reader that the concept is bad or perfunctory. • Cover Page with Artwork. Never mind that you’re not an artist. Borrow something that evokes the mood or setting you’re trying to convey. (Don’t make it a famous image, though, because then all your reader will be thinking about is the original work, not your work.) • Executive Summary. This is your GameFly Pitch. Tell me who I am, where I am, what I get to do, and why. • Genre and Core Game Mechanics. What
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GDDs end the conversation. GCDs start the conversation.
