Storytelling Tools to Boost Your Indie Game's Narrative and Gameplay
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- In this 2017 GDC talk, NHTV University professor Mata Haggis shares his practical tips for creating compelling drama in your indie game and how those tips can bring new life to your overall game design.
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The part at 24:48 where he explains that "the player can still progress while the character fails" is pure gold !
See, I'm not entirely sure I agree with this as he explains it. Unforeseen consequences can be a fantastic tool, but I think caution should be exercised when action results in no change. Something being totally pointless can be a tool and can - exactly as he describes - be a great closing tool if used well. However a characters actions having no bearing on the story is a non-story and is disappointing. The worst offenders for this are sequences where the player has to survive a number of events only to be rewarded with a scripted death of the character they are controlling.
@@kjaamor2057 Can't it still be used to tell something ? To add to the portrayal of the character. Share its emotions. I think even if useless to the story per se, it adds value to the context.
@@MrKraignos In simple terms, that it can does not mean that it does.
Assuming a story-focused game, there are two narratives going on. The narratives of the characters in their journey through the story, and the narrative of the player controlling them through the game. The non-story where the characters go and do something that their involvement has no bearing whatsoever on can still include character development - although I think it would be uncontroversial to say that character development is generally better achieved through an event-outcome. However when the player's input has no bearing it raises the question of what they are trying to achieve by playing - or even why they are playing. The scripted death is particularly bad for this because the established fail state is the same as the success state.
This doesn't mean never - even for scripted deaths - but it does mean that caution is advised. I see a lot of games where writers justify the prioritization of the story narrative in the above sense over the player narrative. Non-stories are a very specific tool and I think writers using them need to sit down and really, really consider whether they are the best option. Even in "games for people who love to read" people play games to be involved on some level.
@@kjaamor2057 Hi, Mata here, yes, I agree that ideas like this need to be used with caution :) nonetheless, when use wisely this can be a powerful tool.
you must be a dev. because nobody who has played a game in the past 10 years would agree with that.
Can't believe how much this guy crams into one half hour talk
I took notes on this and it took up five pages!
@@CrazyRiverOtter pll p pp0lpppll lp0pl b nj
m m I'll l pill op kl o hmm ol uk up inuk, sirb kl mil l seeks
I want to make a game by myself with absolutely zero experience, and although it's easy to find learning resources for code and art, I had no idea where to start with storytelling. This talk is amazing! Explains a lot of things I should have already known. Now I can analyse my favourite stories from movies and games, figure out why I like them, and understand how to make my own basic timeline into an actual story enhanced by gameplay mechanics that will feel necessary and rewarding. Thank you Mata!
And how did that go? I'm curious, because although HE might get how to write stories to some degree, I'm not sure the presentation was implicit enough in major turning points in modern story structure to use it to break down modern stories in movies and fiction.
The hero's journey, three act structure, character archetypes, motivation, maslow's hierarchy, Erickson's eight conflicts, player taxonomy, TV tropes - these are good starting points.
There are a lot of books and videos out there on that matter. Study multiple of these until it clicks and you start to see the big picture. Then, as you said, a great way is to practice by analyzing some of your favourite movies / games / books .
hey man, are you still following through with this game stuff? I'm on the same journey and would love to chat!
use “construct” if cant code. changed me life
More people should do the end wrap-up filled with insights section, they were really cool!
WhyteSeal I just subscribed to you change entirely based on the thumbnails and titles of your videos and your profile picture. Good job!
One of the best talks I've seen in awhile. Very confident, easy to follow, he's a great speaker.
I learned more about writing here than a year in a creative writing course
did you actually take a creative writing course? I smell BS
wait a min... how did you take 1 course over the span of a whole year? Colleges offer courses per SEMESTER or QUARTER, not a whole year.
breaking news: prodigy sleuth youtube commenter cracks 2-year old case wide open
i can't wait to see what happens next
The suspense is killing me
Woow, this talk is a gem for education... Sure there's a lot of practice needed to master all of those skills and knowledge, but amount of important information in this talk is insane! Thank you very much GDC and professor Mata Haggis!
I imagine that Bongo Cat is behind the screen switching the slides for him. And Bongo Cat does a bangup job syncing to Matt’s talk.
Only he could make Tetris sound like an emotional game...wow what a talk!
In high school I participated in a "Video Games as Literature" club and we legitimately had a serious discussion about whether Tetris represents industrialized America, from the gameplay to even the different shapes of the blocks. In the end I think we decided it could better represent the fall of the Soviet Union... I find it fascinating how we can find meaning in places it was never intended to be.
@@scrubs9285 oh holy cow! that's some deep analysis!
I needed this talk right about NOW. This some serendipitous synchronicity. wat.
TheMemoman Same!
Same hahah
Thanks, I was immediately able to write the beginning of my game while watching the video, definitely learned a lot from this!
Amazing. I've learned so much from this. Genuinely great speaker, knows exactly what you need and want to know.
This is basically the eight sequence narrative. with a bit of the Hero's journey.
I am not even sure, this structure could apply to most games. There was quite a noticeable lack of examples.
@@kabeltelevizio This structure applies to most stories on SOME level. It's just human nature - Person comes across a problem, ignores it, it ramps up, they try to fix it but fail, things heat up more, they put more on the line, and they learn something and move on.
Things I know about good story telling:
Ambiguity and hinting at a story continuation. You don't shove it in people's faces but show that it's there and let the players search for it them selves. Push the player through the story but don't tell what it is or what's going on unless they want to know. Give it in bits like something attacking and asking afterwards what it was. If you want to know they continue.
Let the characters tell the damn story. Let the characters be them selves and talk naturally and act as they would. It wouldn't make sense to have a lone wolf girl who keeps to herself to spout all this massive amount of plot and her entire life to some random person and join them. Just let them be them selves and their actions tell that there is something but not clear what but you know what it leads to.
Personal things matter. Undertale shows so much of how to make a great story. You see what the king did but also why and it wasn't just for the people but his own personal grudges and that's relatable. It's not like other villains who see one bad thing and instantly thinks everything is bad. He is good and means well but he was pushed to these extreme lengths because of his own struggle with the humans. They need a purpose for what they are doing but they also are still individuals and that's a thing to put in to thought.
They act how they want. There are a lot of things that can be weird.
A guy likes candle lights and always has one lit in each room but his brother died in an incurable disease. So he commands his army to conquer the land and unity all the people by force. Why and what does the candle have to do with this. Maybe he sees the candle as a light to see the world and each individual together becomes a bigger flame that's harder to blow out and if more people are united then trouble is spotted faster and can be dealt with faster since they can now see it clearly.
Or a guy just really like the color green, maybe he doesn't like being told where there is something that they can use.
Random things like that adds more to a character as everyone likes something to pursue, even loneliness. They might not like being alone but instead see it as a small past time hobby. Doesn't make as much sense but why not? Just do it and make up whatever comes along
Dattebayo
Holy crap. Never thought Johnny Rotten cared about story so much
Hey!! This professor is from my university!! I'll be starting in September, can't wait!
This is great, works both as a check-list of what to keep in mind (even if you subvert or play with it) and highlights a few points I haven't thought about much (despite learning them ^^;;) - thinking about internal vs
external motivation and playing with consequences of player’s success.
I see Hagrid thumbnail, I watch video.
learned a lot, thank you for this informative talk
Great talk, I can simply say from experience that this all correct
This is a lot to cover, so I'm gonna be talking fast
*Plays at 2x speed*
I did the same thing at 1.5 =3
I just tried that and I lost it XD
This is really gonna come in handy writing the Senioritis plot. Thanks for your speech!
This is the Hero's Journey.
Are today's games made from this idea
?
Fantastic, thank you very much Professor Mata Haggis! :)
11:11 that's a nice score you got there
Speaker: Says something.
Table: "thump"
I'm in love with this man
I generated video summary based on the transcript:
The speaker seems to be giving a lecture or presentation about how to effectively structure and design video games. They discuss a variety of strategies and methods to make game experiences more compelling and rewarding for players.
* Player-Character Journey: The speaker discusses a model for player journeys, indicating that players start from a point of external motivation (to play the game) and internal motivation (the character's goals). They must overcome challenges, find new ways of dealing with problems, build skills, and eventually reach a satisfying conclusion.
* Horror and Thriller Games: The speaker mentions additional elements for these types of games. One is the "grabber" at the beginning, a burst of action or fear that promises excitement before the main game begins. They also mention a final moment of fear or twist at the end, when evil lurks or the antagonist isn't quite defeated.
* Game Objectives and Conflict: The speaker highlights the importance of clear player objectives and escalating conflict, either through narrative or game mechanics, in order to keep the game interesting and challenging. They discuss how a successful player action can still lead to character failure or more difficulty, which can make the story more engaging.
* Debugging Questions: Towards the end, the speaker offers four debugging questions to assess whether a game level or event is satisfying. These questions revolve around the clarity of the player's objective, the presence of escalating conflict, the meaningfulness of the outcome, and the change experienced by the player or character from start to finish.
* Conclusion: The speaker concludes by encouraging designers to think like storytellers and use story structures consciously to shape player experiences. They also emphasize the importance of change, for both players and characters, in making game experiences feel good.
This appears to be an insightful presentation for game designers, offering valuable techniques for creating engaging game narratives and mechanics.
----
here are what I believe are the five most important takeaways from the lecture:
* Understanding the Player-Character Journey (@20:14): The speaker emphasizes the importance of getting better and finding new ways of dealing with game challenges, portraying the player-character journey as an essential aspect of game design.
* Inclusion of Training Montage (@20:26): This suggests implementing a training sequence in games to inspire hope and persistence in players, which would contribute to higher engagement and game retention.
* The Use of a "Grabber" in Story Structure (@21:22): The speaker advises on the use of an exciting or frightening opening sequence in the game's narrative to immediately grab the player's attention, especially in genres like thrillers and horrors.
* Scene Structure in Game Design (@24:09): The lecture introduces the concept of scene structure that includes objectives, conflicts, and outcomes for effective game design, which can be used to enhance the player experience.
* Player's Experience as a Story (@26:18): The speaker suggests considering the player's experience as a story for debugging purposes. He provides a set of questions to evaluate the game's experience and suggests how change and progress contribute to a satisfactory player experience.
Is this all AI? It’s kinda garbage summary
Amazing presentation. Thank you.
Br né?
@@Shiketaum YEP! Gamedesigner?
This is well explained. Im glad I came across it.
Genius. Loved every second of it.
Ow wow, didn't realize our old teacher did a talk XD
thank you so much for the talk Mata!!
Awesome lecture Mata, thank you!
That was very instructive, thanks a lot. I fucking love GDC, such awesome content.
There was some interesting snippets in this video, but I couldn't help thinking that the story structure - in the modern sense - was poorly conceived in this video. I know gaming is a little different from movies and fiction, but story certainly has a place in gaming.
Modern story structure is considered to have 8 main parts - actually 10 major turning points - 8 to 10 being one part: (1)opening, (2)hook, (3)action pivot#1, (4)act-2 twist, (5)mid-point break, (6)plot turn, (7)action pivot #2, (8)act-3 twist, (9)the finale, (10)resolution.
In a modern movie, timing is everything, you can witness this as each major turning point will be hit every 15mins. Go try it.
Story structure is a fascinating subject for me and I have studied it for years (and still studying) and I also love gaming. Which is one of my current projects: to develop a story-driven game.
I would have liked to expand on what I'm trying to say, but YT isn't exactly the place for lengthy discussions! Heh.
Any suggestions on what to search or where to start? I have simple ideas on my head but cant expand them on anyway... I love stories which make you question everything around...
it is amazing that some game could be boosted, with just proper start, stardewvalley, bioshock, the last of us, farcry 3, assassins creed.
Joseph Campbell storytelling framework well explained here
Awesome talk - worth every minute!
Awsome talk. Thank you. Eva
For some reason I cautiously assumed Rubeus Hagrid is giving the talk when I clicked on the thumbnail.
Is there a website where I can see the slide @ 23:53 clearer, I can't make out the words and I'm interested in refering to it from time to time.
I love this videos, really helpful!
FANTASTIC greatly appreciated
A little disappointed because there wasn't much here I didn't know, but as an intro it was a fantastic one with a great amount of content in a short amount of time.
11:10 I see what you did there with that score and the next block XD
Noice
The score was on purpose of course (and a slight reference to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure) but any deliberation between that and shape of the blocks is entirely in your mind :D
This video was very informative I’m glad I watched it 🔥
Amazing talk!
Great talk! Thanks for sharing
Awesome talk!!
lesson learned, dont add sounds to your presentation on every click
This guy gives so much info that you could play at 2x the speed and you can still take a lot way :)
Amazing talk
This is a great talk
I thought he said "hi I matter" lol
That was fenomenal
Hi im Mata! and im everything around you.
Great talk, but that chord stroke is driving me nuts!
Amazing learned sooo much in 29 minutes 15 secs lol
this dude looks like a younger version of rick from rick and morty
Great stuff
22:00 Not sure if Deus Ex is a good example in that regard... more like Wonder Boy 3. Like, you don't have all the abilities in Deus Ex at the beginning.
The grabber (the tutorial) is there, though.
So this is what the villain from How to train your dragon 3 does in his spare time
LMAO You're right, the hair is similar !
So why Hagrid in the thumbnail?
great talk =D
Amazing!
"Huh, that looks very Blake Snyder-esque."
*inspired by... Blake Snyder*
"Nice."
It's two oh two two. We're currently in the wrap up room.
Sound engineers at GDC: get a job !
that was sooooooooo useful to me
I love the talk but the little noise every time the slide changes is actually driving me insane
Does anyone have the link to the diagrams he used in this presentation?
Basically 'The Heros Journey" the oldest story structure.
Zieke video, respect
Very often games are too passive at the beginning, and the story that the screenwriter or the narrator lays down will be skipped, or maybe not only the story, but the whole game.
Here you can recall Skyrim with its terrible beginning, before the dragon appears, we are waiting for 10 minutes of boring dialogue in a gray location with a lot of unfamiliar names and terms. At the time when the game came out, it could have been forgiven for these mistakes, now it would have failed.
Only the loyalty of the players familiar with the world of Elder Scrolls and the anticipation of the epicness of the game allowed them to get boredand don't skip the beginning. Now it has turned into a meme and the olds may even shed a tear because of nostalgia, but even as a child I felt that there was something wrong with this story, it starts very slowly and I want to go into battle, and not sit in a wagon and listen to nonsense.
And there are a lot of players who have never been interested in the ent of Skyrim, they just wanted to hack dragons and monsters.
Movies teach that the beginning and the end should be the most interesting. If nothing happens in the first 20 minutes and we are simply pictured with unnecessary information, the person will simply leave the hall. With games also, imho.
The video shows an example of Harry Potter, but this universe already has a huge loyal audience. Before the game came out, and even the movie, there were many books that formed a lot of fans who would forgive both the movie and the game
a huge introductory narrative part in which nothing happens, and we are just introduced to the characters.
In the case of indie projects, this won't work, you don't have a loyal mass of people, no one knows either your universe or ent. Therefore, if you do it the way it was in Skyrim, it will make your players get bored even before the most
interesting things in the game begin and return the money for the game.
The player needs to be immersed in the very inferno from the very beginning of the game, so "the grabber" is really good.
kind of like going from village life rounding up goat to strange things happening from twilight princess?
that was... professional.
Parece o Supla
de facto KEK
This video needs a * Spoiler Alert * :D
Amazing talk, by the way
That "ding" whenever he presses a button was pretty distracting.
ikr, It pissed me off
"doong"
damn this is good but difficult to execute!
25:27 Bard's Tale. The more you do, the more you fuck up.
That bubbling sound is really annoying. :P
Someone can explain the image of Hagrid
I think it might be representative of an inciting incident.
Dobby dies?!?!
8:21
Jenova Chen!? Sephiroths mom?
Why is there someone playing a bongo in the background?
Loved the talk, but you gotta admit this guy looking like Jack Frost!
Trains people in Narrative design....no wonder he worked for MTV2 and Channel 4.
"keep your ending neat nad short"
unless you are Undertale and put 4 endings in a row.
OMG IS THAT WHY VVVVVV IS CALLED THIS??
It's called that for multiple reasons; it's a great title.
@@TravisWasntAvailable What other reasons?
Elden Ring kind of break the rules here :)
They really do love those diagrams, aren't they? As a game dev, one might be able to deliver stuff in a more interesting and engaging way
IMO player succeeding in a way that causes the character to fail does not feel like succeeding by the player.
Guys don't bind your creativity with these rules. You can't make your game like some other successful game did. Explore your creativity
You just dont get it yet. There was not one rule announced in this talk, it is just battletested guidelines / abstract concepts for good storytelling to make an experience attractive to experience. I advise you to get more involved into these basics and get some hands on experience on your own. You seem to take it too literally and too rule-based. You can easily brake the rules when you know them and know why they are there and how they work.
John Carmack said that story in games is like story in pornos. It's expected to be there, but it's really not important.
So I got my story down. Sure, there are a lot of content to add, but I'm just missing a few millions of dollars to develop my game. No video explaining what to do from this point on... Anybody feeling generous ?
I dont think this idea applies well to multiplayer PvP games.