Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
But you must ask yourselves, do the others not see the snow leopard
Is a ravening beast? Once healed, who knows where its hungry eyes
might turn?
Will you give Medea the blood?
�
The messages concerning the snow leopard were neutral for Deathbone, the
Shady Goobers, and Aesir. The message for the Park Rangers made it clear that
they were to argue in favor of giving the blood to their charge, Medea. As you
can see above, the Angry Fashion Crusaders were by far the most suspicious.
My intention was that the students would frame the debate from the points of
view of both of the two roles they were given: players in the game and designers
of the game. I felt sure they would be able to step outside the story and arrive at
the decision that best served the game. The lesson, already articulated several
times already in class, was that however much they might want the game they
were working on to go, the needs of the game must come first. But I had made a
serious mistake.
These were gamers, seasoned role-players adept at immersing themselves in a
narrative, even one as thin as this one. They carried on an increasingly lively
debate, but only taking positions consistent with their avatars
characters. I had
allowed for the possibility that some guild or guilds might withhold the blood by
creating two continuations of the quest. But I had to prompt the exercise to
include their opinions as designers. And even then, one guild, Shady Goobers,
was adamant that they had no idea which direction was more dramatic.
Withholding the blood made for some great drama as the debate proved.
'
I had also kept them in the dark as to the plight Chasers of the Dawn were
facing. All alone in Far Plains, they had their own issue: Asha, the shape-shifter
they were protecting, had vanished before the battle with the frost lizard. They
had been given the choice to search for her, or to remain in their village as they
had been commanded. They chose to remain. On this day, the choice was
offered to them again. Again, they chose to remain.
I realized too late that I had been caught up in maintaining the mystery of my
story and had totally dropped the ball in terms of sharing the intentions of the
Game Master. The debate should have always been from the point of view of
designers, not characters. I should have made that clear.
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