Slay the Dragon. Robert Denton Bryant

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СКАЧАТЬ Marvel for raising money to develop its own properties for the big screen, including two games based on Tom Clancy novels-turned-game franchises: Splinter Cell (with Tom Hardy attached) and Ghost Recon.¹¹

      Games are not just about games anymore. The worlds are colliding. Swirling around you. It can be very confusing. We’re here to clear up the differences, to bridge the similarities, and to get you thinking about that alchemy!

      We hope you find the ideas and exercises within to be a worthy quest. We wrote this book for you, if you are:

      • a writer who wants to explore interactive storytelling,

      • a writer who wants to understand the role of story in the game development process,

      • a game writer (or gameplay designer) who wants to make your work more integrated and emotionally resonant with gameplay (and vice versa); or

      • a passionate fan of story-driven video games.

      At the end of each chapter are some Dragon Exercises. We encourage you to do them. Let us be your quest givers here to take you through world-building, character creation, branching narratives, and game mechanics (among many other topics).

      It’s time to begin your journey.

      It’s time to slay the dragon!

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK (PRESS X TO SKIP)

      Movies (and television) and video games; video games and movies. This book is a bridge between those two types of media. Let’s call them linear narrative and interactive narrative.

      You may be very familiar with the material on linear narrative: character, conflicts, and all the other tenets of drama. But you might not know anything about game mechanics and gameplay. Or, you may be an avid game player—or game creator—who is familiar with gameplay but might not know about story structure. With that in mind, we have laid out some “choose-your-own-adventure” options to help guide you through the book. As much as we hate to skip over cut scenes, sometimes it happens. So we are providing you with a SKIP button here.

      If You Are a Writer and Know a Little about Games

      Most of this book is going to be new to you. Sure, you will be tempted to skip over story and jump right to gameplay. But you want to make sure you read the story material also, for it is wildly different in interactive narrative.

      Must-read chapters: all of them!

      If You Are a Game Developer and Know a Little about Story

      For a game dev, a chapter like “What’s in a Game?” may seem like a boot camp tutorial. So skip it. And you can probably skip over game mechanics. But don’t pass up story, or characters. Even level design has something to offer on how it applies to what keeps viewers in their seats—engaging content.

      Must-read chapters:

      2. Do Games Need Stories?

      3. Aristotle vs. Mario

      4. The No-Act-Fits-All Structure of Video Games

      5. Writing a Great Playable Character

      6. Who Am I When I Play? Gameplay as Method Acting

      8. The Hero of a Thousand Levels

      9. Building Your World with the Narrative Design Toolbox

      12. What Happens Next?

      If You Are a Film Producer or Creative Exec Looking for the Next Big Crossover IP

      Everyone wants to be that genius at the studio who makes the video game movie (or TV show) work. So far it hasn’t. Why is that? We think you should read through the entire book to make your job easier. Bridge the two worlds together. You are not looking to break into the video game business, so you will probably skip most of the exercises as well.

      Must-read chapters:

      1. What’s in a Game?

      2. Do Games Need Stories?

      3. Aristotle vs. Mario

      4. The No-Act-Fits-All Structure of Video Games

      5. Writing a Great Playable Character

      6. Who Am I When I Play? Gameplay as Method Acting

      7. Game Design Basics for Writers

      8. The Hero of a Thousand Levels

      12. What Happens Next?

      If You Teach and Use this as a Textbook

      Everything in this book has been beta-tested in our classrooms. We have structured the book so you can use it to map out your semester. Each chapter contains exercises and projects that we have workshopped with our own students with great success. Our students have gone on to work in the video game field as writers, producers, testers, and even journalists.

      Must-read chapters: all of them!

      If You Are a Hobbyist and Want to Make Your Own Game

      Read it all the way through from beginning to the end. (And don’t forget the exercises!)

DRAGON EXERCISES 00

      Playing to Learn

      AT THE END of each chapter we’ve suggested some exercises for you to do. This is not homework. This is fun. This is brainstorming, or getting your brain ready to be stormed with your great game idea(s).

       1 START YOUR GAME JOURNAL

      Games are meant to be played. Funny how simple that seems, but it is the truth. But now when you play a game, we want you to play with a more analytical eye. Start a Game Journal, and fill it with your reflections on and impressions of every game you play, good or bad. Record your thoughts during or shortly after the game.

       2 PLAY A BOARD GAME

      For your first entry, we want you to play a board game. But not a game that’s sitting in the basement of Mom’s house, or in your closet. Play a new board game—one that you’ve never played before.

      Board games have enjoyed a renaissance over the last decade or so. Actor Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation) hosts a web series called “Table Top,” which features celebrities and game industry veterans playing new board games.

      But why do you need to play a board game?

      The Writer will probably be the player who loves to read the backstory that might come with the instructions; or really like the world as described on the back of the box. But board games are a great way for writers to start thinking about game design. As Writers play board games, they should ask: What are the rules? What are the obstacles? Are there rewards and achievements? СКАЧАТЬ