Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
She hasn't achieved it yet, and the outcome could still go either way, but
the Hero has had some kind of epiphany and at last knows what she needs
to do—if she can only pull it off!
Tension Map
The level of tension as felt by the audience is a good metric of conflict and
pacing, and can be counted on to predict how engaging the story is likely
to be to the audience at any given moment. Below is a look at how ten-
sion levels generally look in a standard, three-act story:
There are a few interesting things you might quickly notice about this
tension map
.
The first attribute that may jump out at you is its overall shape. Low ten-
sion in Act I, rising tension in Act II, the highest tension as we cross over
into Act III, and a rapid drop-off of all tension by the story's end. Tension is
closely associated with conflict, so no huge surprises there, right?
