Contents
Chapter 1 Game Stories, Interactivity, and What Players Want
Interactive Stories vs. Traditional Stories: The Great Debate
Chapter 2 A Brief History of Storytelling in Games
The Beginnings of Game Stories
Text Adventures and Interactive Fiction
RPGs, Adventure Games, and the Growing Importance of Stories
The Cinematic Evolution of Game Stories
The Limits of Storytelling in Games
Chapter 3 The Hero’s Journey and the Structure of Game Stories
Types of Stories Best Suited for Games
Structure of the Hero’s Journey
Common Themes and Clichés in Game Storytelling
When to Use and When to Avoid Story Clichés
Chapter 4 The Story and the Characters
The Importance of Proper Flow and Pacing
Don’t Neglect the Little Things
General Pacing Do’s and Don’ts
Advantages of Using Archetypes
Disadvantages of Using Archetypes
Character Actions and Decisions
How Much to Tell and Not Tell Players
Chapter 5 Making Stories Emotional
Connecting with the Characters
The Fine Line Between Drama and Melodrama
Chapter 6 Defining Interactive and Player-Driven Storytelling
What Makes a Story Interactive?
What Makes a Story Player-Driven?
Interactive Storytelling as a Spectrum
Interactive Traditional Stories
Chapter 7 Fully Traditional and Interactive Traditional Stories
Fully Traditional Stories, Video Games, and Why They Don’t Mix
Interactive Traditional Stories
Creating Interactive Traditional Stories
The Strengths of Interactive Traditional Stories
The Weaknesses of Interactive Traditional Stories
Chapter 8 Multiple-Ending Stories
Creating Multiple-Ending Stories
What Types of Endings Should a Game Have?
Choosing Where to End the Game
How Many Endings Does a Game Need?
Determining Which Ending the Player Sees
Multiple-Ending Stories and Sequels
The Strengths of Multiple-Ending Stories
The Weaknesses of Multiple-Ending Stories
Chapter 9 Branching Path Stories
Creating Branching Path Stories
Deciding Where to Place Branches
How Many Branches Should a Story Have?
The Strengths of Branching Path Stories
The Weaknesses of Branching Path Stories
The Strengths of Open-Ended Stories
The Weaknesses of Open-Ended Stories
Chapter 11 Fully Player-Driven Stories
Creating Fully Player-Driven Stories
The Problem with Fully Player-Driven Stories in Video Games
Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs)
The Strengths of Fully Player-Driven Stories
The Weaknesses of Fully Player-Driven Stories
Chapter 12 The Argument for the Supremacy of Player-Driven Storytelling
Giving the Writer Greater Freedom
Strengthening the Player–Character Bond
Giving the Players What They Want
Chapter 13 The Argument Against the Supremacy of Player-Driven Storytelling
Time, Money, and Player Interest
The Added Time and Expense of Creating Player-Driven Stories
Adding Interaction at the Expense of Other Elements
Story Structure and the “Ideal” Chain of Events
Giving the Players What They Want
Chapter 14 What Players Really Want: The Most Important Issue
Do Players Know What They Really Want?
How Important Are Game Stories to Players?
Story Preferences by the Numbers
Chapter 15 The Future of Storytelling in Games
The Most Popular Types of Storytelling