Week 9 Lecture

Page 1

• Title: Emotional Engagement and Player Connection

  • Course: GBDA302: Digital Project 2

  • Instructors: Dr. Karen Cochrane and David Han

  • Copyright: © 2025 Dr. Karen Cochrane and David Han

Page 2

• Territory Acknowledgment:

  • Stratford is on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Neutral (Attawandaron) peoples.

  • Acknowledgment of Indigenous history and current presence of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

  • Recognition of living and working on shared land.

Page 3

• Question for Reflection:

  • What game story impacted you most?

  • Focus on a moment that left an emotional impact.

Page 4

• Personal Reflection:

  • Game: Final Fantasy VII

  • Impact: The unexpected death of a major character affected players emotionally through loss, narrative context, and character attachment.

  • Release: 1997 by Square (Tokyo, Japan).

  • Reference: Aerith's death screenshot retrieved from Final Fantasy fandom.

Page 5

• Ludology vs Narrative:

  • Ludology: Focus on games as systems of rules and mechanics rather than narratives.

  • Narrative: Games seen as storytelling mediums.

  • Games create emergent experiences, not fixed stories.

  • Frasca's Argument: Player interaction leads to emergent experiences distinct from static narratives.

  • Emphasis on how mechanics enable player exploration and unique outcomes.

Page 6

• Story Structure and Plot for Complex Narratives:

  1. Epic Plot:

     • Solitary hero's struggle against a hostile world; found in action and RPGs.

     • Emphasizes physical challenges and achievements.

  2. Dramatic Plot:

     • Centers on evolving human relationships; rare due to AI challenges.

     • Found in interactive dramas and branching RPGs.

  3. Epistemic Plot:

     • Motivated by mystery; frequent in detective and puzzle games.

  4. Immersion Types:

     • Narrative immersion (spatial, temporal, emotional) vs ludic immersion (task-focused).

Page 7

• Sources for Story Structure and Plot:

  1. Ryan, M.-L. 2009. Interactive Narrative, Plot Types, and Interpersonal Relations.

  2. Walsh, R. 2011. Emergent Narrative in Interactive Media.

  3. Frasca, G. 2003. Simulation versus Narrative: Introduction to Ludology.

  4. Jenkins, H. 2004. Game Design as Narrative Architecture.

  5. Murray, J. H. 1997. Hamlet on the Holodeck.

• Complex Narratives Types:

  • Minimalist Narratives

  • Emergent Narratives

  • Mechanical-Driven Engagement

  • Environmental Storytelling

  • Player Expression & Agency

Page 8

• Story Structure and Plot for Complex Narratives (Summary):

  • Types: Epic Plot, Dramatic Plot, Epistemic Plot.

Page 9

• Epic Plot:

  • Solitary hero's struggle against a hostile world common in action/RPGs.

  • Gameplay emphasizes challenges and achievements.

  • Example: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, where Link faces various enemies on a quest.

Page 10

• Dramatic Plot:

  • Focuses on evolving human relationships.

  • Found in interactive dramas and branching RPGs.

  • Example: The Last of Us explores the relationship between Joel and Ellie.

Page 11

• Epistemic Plot:

  • Driven by mystery and puzzle-solving.

  • Common in detective games.

  • Example: Return of the Obra Dinn, investigating the fate of a ship's crew.

Page 12

• Story Structure and Plot for Minimalist Narratives:

  1. Emergent Narrative

  2. Mechanics-Driven Engagement

  3. Environmental Storytelling

  4. Player Expression & Agency

Page 13

• Emergent Narrative:

  • Story unfolds through gameplay rather than a scripted plot.

  • Player-driven storytelling: Narrative emerges from player actions.

  • System-based interactions: Game rules create unscripted outcomes.

  • Replayability: Each playthrough may yield different stories.

Page 14

• Emergent Narrative Continued:

  • Distinction between emergent behavior (not narrative) and storytelling.

  • Requires semiotic interactivity; players and systems jointly create meaning.

  • Example: The Sims 4 allows players to craft narratives through mechanics.

Page 15

• Mechanics-Driven Engagement:

  • Focus on rewarding gameplay, requiring integration with story.

  • Emergent Narratives: Stories evolve based on player choices.

  • Player Agency: High player freedom for personalized experiences.

  • Systemic Storytelling: Game systems create dynamic narrative elements.

Page 16

• Conflicts in Narrative vs Gameplay Mechanics:

  • Understanding ludonarrative dissonance is crucial for effective design.

  • Example: The Stanley Parable allows players to navigate a branching narrative where player choices influence the outcome.

Page 17

• Environmental Storytelling:

  • The world conveys stories without direct narrative exposition.

  • Evocative Spaces: Reference existing narratives; e.g., Bioshock’s Rapture.

  • Enacted Stories: Players observe or engage in real-time events; e.g., Red Dead Redemption 2.

  • Embedded Narratives: scattered story elements across the environment; e.g., Dishonored.

  • Emergent Narratives: Players create stories based on interactions; e.g., Skyrim.

Page 18

• Henry Jenkins' Argument:

  • Game designers as narrative architects.

  • Players construct meaning through exploration rather than following linear narratives.

  • Example: The Last of Us uses environmental details to enrich emotional depth.

Page 19

• Player Expression & Agency:

  • Players influence narrative through interactions rather than following a pre-set arc.

  • Evocative Spaces: Reference existing narratives or player expectations.

  • Enacted Stories: Witnessing or participating in real-time events.

  • Embedded Narratives: Story elements are placed throughout environments.

  • Emergent Narratives: Player-driven story creation through world interaction.

Page 20

• Unique Narrative Forms:

  • Players as audiences and co-authors of their stories.

  • Agency should balance player freedom and structured consequences.

  • Example: Undertale’s choices meaningfully alter the game's narrative outcomes.

Page 21

• Integration with Gameplay:

  • Harmonizing narrative and gameplay mechanics for smooth player experience.

  • Avoiding ludonarrative dissonance where gameplay contradicts story.

  • Embedded Narrative: Story within environment mechanics; e.g., Portal 2.

  • Mechanic-Driven Storytelling: Game mechanics influencing narrative; e.g., Shadow of the Colossus.

  • Diegetic Storytelling: Natural story development within the game world.

Page 22

• Concept of Half-Real:

  • Games operate as both rule-based systems and fictional worlds.

  • Successful integration maintains narrative meaningfulness through player actions.

Page 23

• Examples of Integration:

  1. Portal 2: Puzzle mechanics advance the narrative.

  2. Celeste: Platforming challenges reflect inner struggles.

Page 24

• Tips for Effective Game Design:

  1. Keep the scope manageable.

  2. Let gameplay drive the story.

  3. Choose story types that leverage team strengths.

  4. Make player choices impactful yet straightforward.

  5. Prioritize making a playable prototype first.

Page 25

• Keeping Scope Manageable:

  • Avoid overly complex stories; focus on impactful storytelling.

  • Effective methods for small teams:

    • Environmental Storytelling: (e.g., Journey, Inside)

    • Minimalist or Emergent Narrative: (e.g., Hollow Knight)

    • Short-Form Dramatic Narratives: (e.g., Firewatch)

Page 26

• Avoiding Complexity in Storylines:

  • Massive branching paths (e.g., The Witcher 3) can overwhelm resources.

  • Fully voice-acted dialogues are time-consuming to implement.

  • Cinematic storytelling can be resource-intensive.

Page 27

• Let Gameplay Drive Your Story:

  • Integrate gameplay mechanics with narrative to minimize additional work.

  • Examples:

    • Celeste: Platforming reflects inner struggles.

    • Papers, Please: Passport stamping signifies moral dilemmas.

    • Untitled Goose Game: Simple objectives yield emergent comedy.

Page 28

• Avoid Over-Reliance on Text:

  • Engaging stories can be discovered via gameplay rather than explicit text.

Page 29

• Choose Story Type Based on Team Strengths:

  • Identify focuses:

    • Art & Design: Use environmental storytelling (e.g., Inside).

    • Coding: Focus on emergent narratives (e.g., The Sims).

    • Writing: Short, contained stories (e.g., Firewatch).

Page 30

• Avoid Trying to Master Every Aspect:

  • Leverage what your team excels at to optimize development.

Page 31

• Meaningful Player Choices:

  • Few impactful choices are better than complex ones.

  • Strong emotional resonance from simple choices (e.g., Undertale).

  • Examples: Zero dialogue in Inside to convey powerful narratives.

Page 32

• Avoid Complexity in Branching Paths:

  • Stick to 1-2 major story variations for clarity.

Page 33

• Planning for a Playable Prototype:

  • Prioritize feature ideas using a traffic light system (green, yellow, red).

  • Focus on green (must-have) features first, ensuring core mechanics function.

  • Integrate narrative elements to support gameplay while avoiding overloading.

  • Early playtesting to secure cohesion before refining additional features.

Page 34

• Avoid High Fidelity Production at the End:

  • Start early on quality aspects to prevent last-minute issues.

  • Prevent team overload by distributing tasks evenly.

  • Manage complexity; unfinished mechanics cannot be fixed by adding features.

Page 35

• Break:

  • Included as a pause for the session.

Page 36

• Coding Activity:

  • Focus on hands-on coding practice related to game development.

Page 37

• Coding Examples Section:

  1. Example 1A: Game State Management.

  2. Example 1B: Enhancing State Transitions.

  3. Example 2A: Object Pooling for Optimization.

  4. Example 2B: Utilizing Object-Oriented Programming.

Page 38

• Example 1A: Game State Management:

  • Demonstrates switching between game states (menu, gameplay, game-over).

  • Ensures structured transitions and flow of the game.

Page 39

• Example 1B: Enhancing State Transitions:

  • Implement fade effects for smoother transitions.

  • Improves player experience with visual continuity.

Page 40

• Example 2A: Object Pooling for Performance:

  • Techniques to efficiently manage in-game objects to reduce lag.

  • Reuses inactive objects to prevent memory allocation issues.

Page 41

• Example 2B: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP):

  • Structures game objects for modular organization.

  • Enables better code maintenance and reuse for various elements.