Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
writer—someone who has likely dedicated years if not decades studying
and practicing the art of storytelling—at the peril of your game's narrative
quality.
4
… And What You Can Do about It
With so many potential obstacles standing in the way of fantastic
storytelling in video games, it's no shock that the results almost always fall
somewhere on the “Spectrum of Suckage.” In fact, the surprising part is
that a great game story ever manages to make it to market, period.
So, how do you as a game developer get it right?
Avoid the Traps
Based on all the pitfalls listed in the previous sections, you should now un-
derstand that achieving narrative excellence in your game involves:
▪
Recognizing that professional-level game writing is a specialized
skill.
▪
Hiring a qualified game writer very early in the game development
cycle.
▪
Integrating the game writer fully into the development team and its
processes.
▪
Empowering the writer with decision-making authority over game
narrative and strong influence over anything closely related to it.
▪
Supporting the writer when cross-discipline conflicts inevitably arise.
▪
Keeping the writer on-team until the very last changes to the game
are complete.
Beyond these points, identifying and hiring the right candidate(s) should
maximize your chances for success. We will cover recruiting and hiring
