Comments on: Researching Story http://www.jeffongames.com/2006/03/researching-story/ This is Jeff. This is Jeff On Games. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:39:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Craig http://www.jeffongames.com/2006/03/researching-story/#comment-73 Craig Thu, 16 Mar 2006 03:38:08 +0000 http://www.jeffongames.com/?p=24#comment-73 Yeah, it sounds like agreement to me. :) I did like Deus Ex, but not to the extreme level most other people did. I just couldn't get into the JC Denton character, no matter how I tried to shape him. But I guess I'm a minority, there. Yeah, it sounds like agreement to me. :)

I did like Deus Ex, but not to the extreme level most other people did. I just couldn’t get into the JC Denton character, no matter how I tried to shape him. But I guess I’m a minority, there.

]]> By: Jeff http://www.jeffongames.com/2006/03/researching-story/#comment-72 Jeff Wed, 15 Mar 2006 18:33:53 +0000 http://www.jeffongames.com/?p=24#comment-72 I would say it wasn't the "branching story" of Deus Ex that impressed me, because it really wasn't branching. It was an illusion of freedom that made me feel like I was actually developing JC Denton in ways beyond adding stats. I was creating a JC that I wanted to see through my actions, and other people would react to that. I thought that was aweseome, especially in the first playthroughs (and more and more in subsequent playthroughs). As you know, I'm not a fan of branching (sigh... I feel another post comming on ;)), but I'm all for the illusion of freedom inside chains, but that's because I see chains everywhere in games (I feel rules are essentially just chains). I think real interactive narrative will not come from braching stories, but simply having consistent reactions to all possible inputs to the game. This simply means having lots of trending and dependencies that can cause story "changes" but lead to the feeling of agency in most everything yo do. So we're probably in agreement. Most branching stories fail miserably, because the discreet branch always feels artifical. Trending of fuzzy input, on the other hand makes the branch invisible and creates a feel of real development. I would say it wasn’t the “branching story” of Deus Ex that impressed me, because it really wasn’t branching. It was an illusion of freedom that made me feel like I was actually developing JC Denton in ways beyond adding stats. I was creating a JC that I wanted to see through my actions, and other people would react to that. I thought that was aweseome, especially in the first playthroughs (and more and more in subsequent playthroughs).

As you know, I’m not a fan of branching (sigh… I feel another post comming on ;)), but I’m all for the illusion of freedom inside chains, but that’s because I see chains everywhere in games (I feel rules are essentially just chains). I think real interactive narrative will not come from braching stories, but simply having consistent reactions to all possible inputs to the game. This simply means having lots of trending and dependencies that can cause story “changes” but lead to the feeling of agency in most everything yo do.

So we’re probably in agreement. Most branching stories fail miserably, because the discreet branch always feels artifical. Trending of fuzzy input, on the other hand makes the branch invisible and creates a feel of real development.

]]> By: Craig http://www.jeffongames.com/2006/03/researching-story/#comment-71 Craig Wed, 15 Mar 2006 16:48:14 +0000 http://www.jeffongames.com/?p=24#comment-71 That article really pissed me off, too. There are things to be learned through debate. There are even things to be learned from people who are obviously wrong. The masturbator in that piece is the fawning writer, worshipping the more recognized game developers in a way that makes me feel vaguely ill regardless of which side I'm on. On another note, I didn't find the "branching story" of Deus Ex to be any more interesting than the "linear story" of, say, Beyond Good and Evil. Branching doesn't cut it for me. The few games I've played which have a generative story, rather than a pre-scripted story... those I love. But if I have to choose between a crummy branching story and a good linear story, I will always choose the good story, despite the "lack of freedom". Branching stories are the difference between having two inches or three inches of slack on your ankle chains. I'd rather do without the chains entirely. That article really pissed me off, too. There are things to be learned through debate. There are even things to be learned from people who are obviously wrong. The masturbator in that piece is the fawning writer, worshipping the more recognized game developers in a way that makes me feel vaguely ill regardless of which side I’m on.

On another note, I didn’t find the “branching story” of Deus Ex to be any more interesting than the “linear story” of, say, Beyond Good and Evil. Branching doesn’t cut it for me.

The few games I’ve played which have a generative story, rather than a pre-scripted story… those I love. But if I have to choose between a crummy branching story and a good linear story, I will always choose the good story, despite the “lack of freedom”. Branching stories are the difference between having two inches or three inches of slack on your ankle chains. I’d rather do without the chains entirely.

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