Week 3 Storytelling in Games

Lesson Objective: To understand the role of storytelling in games, how it is communicated and what types of stories are told in games.

"...there are undeniably lots of games where the story is the entire point, and they can be done well. I do still hold that the most important games have been all about the play, not the story."

John Carmack

What are the way in which the story is communicated in games?

Make a list of all the elements in a game that are used to tell the player the story

Then once you have made the list click the arrow and compare the list revealed

Cut Scenes, Dialogue, Collectables, Pick-Ups, Item Descriptions, Environment, NPC Chatter, Quests/Missions, Character Design
Did you get any additional ways?

Task: Game Analysis

Pick a Game
Make a list of the all the story elements and how they are communicated to the player
Discuss the story elements with the student sat next to you comparing what you have written
Write a paragraph on your blog explaining the different story elements from the game using screenshots of the game

The following games are good examples of games known for having good stories

The Last of Us
Half Life 2
Portal 2
Red Dead Redemption 2
Bioshock
Fallout

EXAMPLES

Introduction to the Monomyth

The monomyth is a conceptual framework concieved by Joesph Campbell after he studied myths and stories from cultures all over the globe.
The monomyth is generally known as the heroes journey and gives us too frameworks
- - - Plot Structure
    - Stock characters

Task: Structuring your story

Using the following structures complete a rough outline of the story of the full game so you understand better where your level fits in with the story
- - - Game Story Structure

What is the ordinary world?
How does the hero get their call to adventure?
What help does the hero get and from who?
What threshold does the hero cross from the ordinary world to the special world?
What tests does the hero have to endure?
What does the final battle look like?
How does the hero have to flee to get back to the ordinary world?
How has the hero transformed when they get back to the ordinary world?

Who are the archetype characters in your story?
- - - Hero?
    - Mentor?
    - Ally?
    - Shadow?
    - Feel free to use any of the other archetypes if needed

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