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Storytelling
Kevin Blake
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The Story Telling Engine
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Linear Stories
Pros Require less content
than nonlinear ones Storytelling engine is
simpler Are less prone to bugs
and absurdities Cable of greater
emotional powerCons Deny the player agency
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Nonlinear Stories
Branching Stories
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Immediate, Deferred, and Cumulative Influence
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Nonlinear Stories
Foldback Stories
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Emergent Narrative
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EndingsChallenges and Choices
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Endings
When to use Multiple Endings
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Granularity
Coarse Granularity Narrative blocks are infrequent StarCraftFine Granularity Narrative block are frequent Indiana Jones SeriesInfinitesimal Granularity Player is unaware of narrative events as
separate from the rest of the game Half-Life (comes close)
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Mechanisms for Advancing the Plot
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Mechanisms for Advancing the Plot
As a Series of Challenges or Choices
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Mechanisms for Advancing the Plot
As a Journey
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Mechanisms for Advancing the PlotAs a Drama
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Emotional Limits of Interactive Stories
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Emotional Limits of Nonlinear Stories
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Emotional Limits of Avatar-Based Games