Overall Game Design - Video Game: Storytelling - page 139

series of missions from that perspective—but then we introduced a bigger
threat that required both sides to put aside their differences in order to
face it. This allowed us to craft a unified third act that resolved the branch-
ing and saved us from effectively developing two different games. (That
said, we also included some flags that allowed us to sporadically acknow-
ledge which side the player had chosen in the war, including the playing of
two mildly differentiated closing cutscenes.)
Using a balanced approach between game story and player story cre-
ates the potential to please the widest range of players—from those who
crave a well-crafted narrative to those who want a decent amount of free-
dom and a significant feeling of agency. The main downside of this ap-
proach is an ongoing challenge in finding the correct balance and dealing
with what may be unclear priorities during development between crafted
and emergent storytelling. When both are considered equally important to
the design, which one wins when a conflict emerges? And of course, an-
other risk when one attempts to provide the “best of both worlds” is to fail
at doing either particularly well.
Player Story Dominant
This type of game design emphasizes player choice and agency over rich,
predetermined story elements.
Hallmarks
▪ Same or similar overarching game story for all players
▪ Thinner, less developed and less compelling crafted story
▪ Limited, often binary game story variations based on player actions
or decisions
▪ Significant range of choice regarding player character
▪ Often multiple player characters with wide variety of customization
options
▪ Allows for “perma-death” of multiple player characters
▪ Less emphasis on the creation of engaging, memorable game
characters
▪ Emphasis on strategy and/or tactics