Embedded Files
relevant links
relevant links
Game Design as Narrative Architecture 1
http://web.mit.edu/~21fms/People/henry3/games&narrative.html
Introduction to Game Time 2
https://www.jesperjuul.net/text/timetoplay/
Towards a Game Theory of Game 3
https://canvas.ou.edu/courses/300564/files/85834220?wrap=1
responses
responses
3. Following the first article, I really enjoyed the discussion around the kinds of narrative(experimental, performative, and descriptive specifically). I first thought of ‘let’s play’ videos on YouTube; where I watched someone else play an old horror game. I took in all of the same lore and mechanics, but often found myself making connections or seeing details the player missed while navigating the scares.(P) I found that I can’t memorize the maps or remember the path back when I’m not the one moving the character. After only ever watching the game, I learned enough to play another game from those developers with little trouble. Timing and design were consistent across games(E), even when the lore and goals changed. I’m hardly the only person whose watched that game, and everyone else had their own perceptions and understanding as well. Discussing game mechanics and lore is always interesting, and in some cases, becomes a part of the game’s story as well!(D) SCP Containment Breach has it’s own wiki now, which has spawned its own games in different genre, which has inspired new SCP creations, which have made it into the original game…
This article is another interesting read, but I’m surprised that the move adaptation of Doom(2005) isn’t mentioned. I happen to like it, and at the time it was one of the few movies I had seen that tried to capture that ‘player’ experience. The story and design resembled the game, but it’s hard for the viewer to juxtapose themselves onto Karl Urban. That’s why RPG games focus more on character customization and development. MMORPGS have character building, but rely on social interaction and live time-events is great for community world-building. It’s certainly fun down-time with your friends, but it can be limiting for those that play infrequently or for specific stories. I prefer playing alone a lot, and I’m often annoyed with games that are perpetually online. A constantly refreshing world means no dungeon will ever be fully cleared- everything will respawn within a few moments, leaving me rushed and feeling less satisfaction of a job well done. I also have concerns about games being too immersive. The idea of a meta-game is interesting, but the idea of enjoying a video game so much I would log on to run a business as a form of play is haunting.
1. Reading these arguments about how separate narrative and game mechanics are really is interesting, because that interaction is the reason I started pursuing game design! I've been playing video games since before I could talk, so I've picked up those unspoken rules of design. Games have a narrative in every aspect! The art and placement in the environment, the indicators that lead to a collectible or quest, sound design to influence emotional response... Every choice in a game is made to support its story. The article says that not every game has a narrative, but every game does have a goal; somehow that goal must be communicated to the user. Green lights are good, sharp loud noises are bad, a conveniently placed health and resupply box means you should probably get ready to lose. Over the years I've noticed that a lot of aesthetic choices correlate to specific mechanics and remain consistent over genre. Intentionally or not, players are using known media to guide them through an unknown experience! Narratives do not need to be linear or even told in words. Stories are just collections of information- the emotional impact comes from how we share it. Thinking of games as an ‘information space’ rather than a story may help users move away from linear thinking.
Doom(2005)
2. Wouldn’t abstract games still have some form of time to track objects/processes? What about games with interactive or ‘live’ cut-scenes; would they be play time or event time? The talk about flashbacks really reminds me of Dragon Age: Origins. It’s a narrative-heavy game with several cut-scenes, flashbacks, and suspended dialogue. It’s also an older game, so every replay gets roasted. With so much dialogue it’s bound to happen, but the game has so many awkward pauses and tone mismatches. Something I did notice, though, was that in any flashback the play world was designed to limit interaction. It’s a simple solution to the butterfly effect problem that the article discusses, but it always frustrated me to be limit in my exploration. I have similar annoyances with the acceptable violations to the game time; the disconnect between play time and event time often leaves me feeling removed from the story, and the world continuing behind my inventory usually leaves me dead. Chris Crawford articulates my feelings on the save-die-reload cycle pretty well.
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