Story and Character Development PDF

IT2012 Story and Character Development theme, and it often appears on packaging associated wi...

IT2012 Story and Character Development theme, and it often appears on packaging associated with the game. It is intended to intrigue customers, enticing them to purchase the game. Traditional Story Structure: Story structure has been the topic for This summary should focus on what is unique about your game. In screenwriting classes for decades. It is seen as a formula that, when addressing the player directly, you also might want to indicate the applied correctly, can ensure an audience’s/player’s emotional game’s genre. involvement in a film/game. The most common structure is known as Backstory: A backstory provides information that leads up to where the the three-act plot structure. game begins. It usually consists of a short paragraph in the game Three (3) acts: instruction manual, or it appears as text (usually accompanied by a o Beginning (Act I): The most interesting stories begin by placing the voice-over) at the beginning of the game. This helps orient the player to audience into the action or drama of the story. The backstory and the purpose and action involved in the game, and it allows the player to any background events leading up to this moment can be sometimes establish initial bonds for certain characters. introduced later. The goal is to capture the audience’s attention. Act Synopsis: A synopsis or storyline can also exist throughout the game I focuses on the character’s problem. The story should introduce itself. In this case, the player might be involved in the setting and actions this problem immediately. that take place in the game. A running storyline can also help a player o Middle (Act II): The middle of the story focuses on the obstacles escape from reality and become immersed in the “artificial” game world, that stand in the way of the character’s ability to solve the problem during which the player can become emotionally involved with the introduced in Act I. There are usually a series of obstacles in Act II game’s characters. that the character must overcome. This act comprises the bulk of Theme: The theme represents what the story is truly about—even if it’s the dramatic tension in the story. not shared explicitly with the player. Themes usually relate to a primary o End (Act III): The story ends when the problem introduced in Act I obstacle in the story faced by the main character(s). The obstacle can has been solved. The character often has to systematically face and be the enemy(villain), nature, society, face—or the character remove each obstacle in Act II to reach this resolution. themselves. The theme could be a defining question—such as "Is murder justified?" or "Can love triumph?" Setting: The setting or backdrop represents the world that is being explored by the audience, characters, or player. In creating a game story, think of the world in which your characters will live and interact. Think beyond the stereotypes. Will it be a real-world location (e.g., Sahara Desert, Alaskan tundra), or a specific time period (e.g., Victorian Figure 1. Three-act story structure era, Roaring ‘20s)? Will it take place in the world of organized crime, behind the scenes of network news, or amid the uncomplicated lifestyle Story Elements: Storylines exist in many games, but they are not of the Amish? Also, Provide the history and geography of the world and necessary for a satisfying game-playing experience such as puzzle the settings associated with traditional media genres such as science games (i.e., Tetris). However, some role-playing games (RPGs) rely fiction (space), horror (haunted house), or mystery (crime scene), etc. heavily on the story. An RPG is mostly like a movie for some players— Plot: The plot is more about how the story unfolds rather than what the where the game can become merely a delivery vehicle for the story. story is about. Game plotting can be part of the game’s story structure— The following story elements—premise, backstory, synopsis, theme, but it can also be dictated by how the game is played. It is a sequence and setting will help you begin to take your rough ideas and structure of events in a story that forces a character to make increasingly difficult them into a preliminary form. decisions, driving the story toward a climactic event and resolution. Premise: The premise or high concept is a summary (consisting of 1-2 Balancing conflict: Dramatic tension in a story is maximized when the sentences or a short paragraph) of the game’s purpose and overall player often seems to be on the brink of disaster but is able to escape repeatedly from this situation by just the narrowest of margins. 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 1 of 3  IT2012 Shifting Focus: Even though players make choices and have apparent Guardian: The guardian blocks the progress of the hero by whatever freedom while playing the game, players can be drawn back to the main means necessary—until the hero has proven his or her worth. The storyline. This effective storytelling technique can be accomplished by guardian character tests the hero. By answering the riddle correctly, the shifting focus while capturing the player’s interest—such as widening hero has proven worthy of continuing on the journey. Sometimes the the scope of the game by providing more subquests or by introducing guardian character is the shadow’s henchman. The guardian could also new characters or objects that lead the player into other unexplored be a “block” that exists within the hero’s mind—such as self-doubt, fear, areas. discomfort—that makes the character hesitate to continue on the Suspension of Disbelief: With suspension of disbelief, your story must journey. somehow cause the players to forget real life and accept the artificial Trickster: The trickster is a neutral character who enjoys making reality you’ve created. This is related to immersion, but it more mischief. Trickster characters can either cause severe damage through specifically refers to the players’ acceptance of rules and experiences their pranks, which can stop the hero from progressing along the that might not make sense in the real world. Examples are people in a journey, but they are more often simply jesters who provide comic relief game could fly without the aid of air transport, the game world included for the story. a rule indicating that all characters who resembled humans were evil, Herald: The herald facilitates change in the story and provides the hero while the horrific-looking demons were good. with direction. Realism: In contrast to the suspension of disbelief device, realism can Protagonist: The protagonist is the main character. A single-player be used in games to mimic the real world as closely as possible. In this game centers around this character and the game’s story is told from case, players want reality and authenticity. Such stories might include this character’s point of view, even if the game is not played in a first- the visual realism of a contemporary real-world setting. person perspective. The protagonist must always drive the story forward—acting instead of reacting, making things happen instead of Classic Character Archetypes waiting for them to happen. The protagonist is unusually strong Hero: The hero archetype is the central character in a single-player physically or morally—but not always “good.” In fact, the protagonist game. When you create a hero character, keep in mind that the hero often has a fatal (or tragic) flaw—which is universal and reflects will be the player’s avatar—and the player must identify and bond with vulnerability. This makes the character likable and human—allowing the this character. The hero archetype is the central character in a single- audience to identify and empathize with this. player game. When you create a hero character, keep in mind that the Antagonist: The antagonist is the opposite of the protagonist. This hero will be the player’s avatar—and the player must identify and bond does not mean that the antagonist is “bad.” The protagonist and with this character. antagonist could simply have opposing views—political (liberal vs. Shadow: The shadow is an extremely important character— conservative), ethical (privacy vs. security), or lifestyle preferences representing the hero’s opposite, often the ultimate evil character in a (business vs. family). story. The shadow could be the adversary who is responsible for the When the protagonist and antagonist want the exact same things (e.g., hero’s problem. Sometimes this character remains hidden until the love interest, precious stone, or leadership of a clan), they become story’s climax, which can add to the story’s dramatic tension. linked together in the story. This device is known as the unity of Sometimes the shadow represents the dark side of the hero. opposites, and it makes any conflict or competition more relevant. Mentor: The mentor is a character who often guides the hero toward Interestingly, players can sometimes become attracted to an evil force some action and often an older advisor character—someone who might in a game—which is why some player characters are antagonists. There have been in the hero’s shoes at one time, who can provide the hero are several types of evil antagonists that often appear in stories— with wisdom learned from that experience of making a similar journey. including transformational, mistaken, exaggerated, and realistic. Ally: An ally is a character who helps the hero progress on the journey Transformational: A transformational antagonist is an anti-hero and may also assist the hero with tasks that might be difficult or character who could have been a protagonist. This antagonist receives impossible to accomplish alone. punishment at the end of the story to satisfy the audience’s need for 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 2 of 3  IT2012 justice. Although the anger and humiliation faced by this character might can be many triangles in a story, and the character’s role can change stir up feelings of empathy in the audience, her power causes the based on each of these triangles. deaths of innocent people. In the process of destroying others, she is Character Arc: A protagonist rarely changes during the course of a killed— and the audience feels some sense of relief. story—but the character always grows. The process of character growth Mistaken: Mistaken antagonists are characters who the audience and development is called the character arc. This arc consists of several initially thinks are villains— but they turn out to be innocent. These levels and is illustrated through a character’s behavior rather than characters are popular in murder mysteries and crime dramas. monologue or dialogue. Understanding a character’s value system is Exaggerated: Exaggerated antagonists are those who are larger-than- the core of character development. The following character life, bizarre, and sometimes even comedic villains who might even development levels are based on sociologist Abraham Maslow’s dominate the story because they are often more interesting than the hierarchy of needs model. The levels begin with the smallest unit, the protagonist. self, and expand to the largest (and most abstract) unit, humanity. Supporting Characters: Supporting characters—also known as pivotal Level 1 Intrapersonal: In the intrapersonal level, the protagonist is characters—exist primarily to prevent the protagonist from walking concerned only with his or her own needs and thoughts. away. The supporting characters often jump-start the action in the Level 2 Interpersonal: In the interpersonal level, the protagonist bonds story—sometimes even through carrying out the bidding of the with another character in a one-on-one relationship. This other antagonist. These characters bring a variety of viewpoints to the story. character could be a lover, friend, colleague, or family member. The They can be your sidekicks or antagonist’s henchmen. protagonist is no longer just looking out for himself or herself, but Game Characters: Game characters are either player characters or another character as well. non-player characters (also known as NPCs). Sometimes one player Level 3 Team: At the team level, the protagonist bonds with a small can control several player characters (often in a group, such as sports group of characters who have common interests. These characters teams or military troops). could be members of the protagonist’s circle of friends, family, sports Player Characters & Avatars: Player characters are characters or team, or activity club. The need to belong is fulfilled at this level. An other entities in a game world that are controlled by the players. When example of this level occurs in many MMOGs that involve the formation a player controls only one character, that character is called an avatar. of guilds with other players. The direct connection between the player and the avatar can sometime Level 4 Community: At the community level, the smaller team result in a player assigning a personal identity to the avatar. This can becomes part of a larger organized network, which could include a be more pronounced if the avatar displays realistic features and actions. neighborhood, city, school, or company Non-Player Characters: Non-player characters (NPCs) are those Level 5 Humanity: In the humanity level, the protagonist often goes characters in a game world not controlled by players. Instead, these through what Maslow calls self-actualization—spiritual growth that can characters are created and controlled by the game’s artificial occur now that the protagonist has achieved comfort, love, and intelligence (AI) engine. acceptance among a larger community. Character Development Elements: Basic character development in a story involves the relationships among characters and the changes they might undergo throughout a story. The elements of the character triangle and character arc play a significant role in the development of character relationships and character change. References: Buttfield-Addison, P., Manning, J., & Nugent, T. (2019). Unity game development cookbook. Character Triangle: A character triangle forms a powerful three-way Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media, Inc. relationship among characters in a story. The most common example Novak, J. (2012). Game development essentials: An introduction (3rd ed.). New York: Delmar, of this is a love triangle in which the protagonist and antagonist both vie Cengage Learning. for the attention of the same love interest (supporting character). There 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 3 of 3