Writing: Game Narrative Notes

1) Create the World

• World Map
  – Continents
  – Areas
  – Cities
  – Capitals/Kingdoms/Villages
  – Landmarks
  – Secret Areas
• Population (who lives where)
  – Nations
  – Peoples
  – Abandoned areas
  – Ruins (recent or ancient)
• World “conflicts”: economy, politics, technologies, social structures, travel, religion
• Technologies -> How advanced is this civilization? Are all areas advanced, or are some wealthier/better off than others?

2) Create the Characters

• Appearance
• Personality
• Skills
• Backstory
  – Where they come from
  – Ideals, flaws, bonds, mission
  – Who, What, Where, Why
• Alignment
• Name

3) Create the “Grand Storyline”

What is the overarching conflict?

Does an open world follow a grand storyline?
– The reason for the final boss encounter (if any)
– Twist on the final boss encounter
– Can we sympathize or connect with the final boss?
– If there is a hero, there is usually a villian. THE HERO’S JOURNEY trope

4) Create the storyboard

• Thumbnail sketches
• Color studies
  – Temperature reflects time of day and mood
  – Use limited palettes to experiment with mood and setting
  – Top-down vs Platform vs Open World perspectives

5) Implement the story

• Cutscenes
• Environment
• Enemies
• NPCs
• Allies
• Loading screens
• Art, merch, hype, etc

Notes from Feb 2, 2019
Ljubica Todorovic
Calgary, Alberta