This is the third edition of Character Development and Storytelling for Games, a standard work in the field that brings all of the teaching from the first two books up to date and tackles the new challenges of today. Professional game writer and designer Lee Sheldon combines his experience and expertise in this updated edition. New examples, new game types, and new challenges throughout the text highlight the fundamentals of character writing and storytelling.
But this book is not just a box of techniques for writers of video games. It is an exploration of the roots of character development and storytelling that readers can trace from Homer to Chaucer to Cervantes to Dickens and even Mozart. Many contemporary writers also contribute insights from books, plays, television, films, and, yes, games.
Sheldon and his contributors emphasize the importance of creative instinct and listening to the inner voice that guides successful game writers and designers. Join him on his quest to instruct, inform, and maybe even inspire your next great game.
Author(s): Lee Sheldon
Edition: 3
Publisher: CRC Press
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 425
City: Boca Raton
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Preface to the Third Edition
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction
PART I: Background
CHAPTER 1 ◾ Equations
CHAPTER 2 ◾ The Story Remains the Same
Aristotle and those Other Greeks
Aristotle
Unity of Time
Unity of Place
Unity of Action
Homer
Sophocles
Aristophanes
Jung's Collective Unconscious
Campbell's Hero's Journey
Primary Sources
From The Great Train Robbery to Birth of a Nation
The Language of Drama and Film
Universal Themes
Drama
Conflict
Character
Cut Scenes
PART II: Creating Characters
CHAPTER 3 ◾ Respecting Characters
Three Dimensions
The Physical Character
The Sociological Character
The Psychological Character
Character Progression
Growth
Development
The Pivotal Character
The Player-Character
Is the PC Meant Only to be Controlled by the Player, or is it Meant to be the Player?
Is the PC Original, or Based on a Character From Another Medium?
How Much does the Player know About the Character?
How Much does the Character know About the Player?
If the Player-Character Needs Certain Skills, Must the Player Have them, Too?
If the Player Can Control More than One Character, how does this Affect the NPCs and Storytelling?
Major Characters
Minor Characters and Extras
Avoiding Stereotypes
CHAPTER 4 ◾ Character Roles
The Character's Role in Story
Populating the World
Commentary and Gossip
Living Useful Lives
The Player-Character Revisited (Protagonist)
Villains (Antagonists)
Mentors
Sidekicks
Servants and Pets
Merchants
Trainers
Quest Givers
CHAPTER 5 ◾ Character Traits
Mobility
Controlling the Space
Physical Skills
Professions
Race
Sex
Character Emotion
Characters in Opposition
Conflict
Orchestration
Memory
Revealing Character Through Action
CHAPTER 6 ◾ Character Encounters
Perception
Perspective (First Person Versus Third Person)
Dialogue
Dialogue Systems
Canned Speeches
Canned Conversations
Mood Meter
Attitude Chart
Iconic Choices
Topic List
Highlighted Text
Dialogue Menu
Natural Language/AI-Based Conversations
Entrances and Exits
Time
Place
Action
Return Visits
Relationships
Factions
The Player-Character and NPCs
TGT Full System
TGT Simplified System
Trust (Distrust)
Respect (Disrespect)
PART III: Telling the Story
CHAPTER 7 ◾ Once Upon a Time
Building a Home for Characters
Story or Game: Which Comes First?
Original Material
Adaptations from Other Media
Epilogue
Sequels
Finding a Style that Fits
Linear Versus Nonlinear
Avoiding Clichés
CHAPTER 8 ◾ Respecting Story
Willing Suspension of Disbelief
The Fourth Wall Revisited
The Trap of Cut Scenes
The Trap of Too Much Backstory
The Trap of Letting Players "Discover" the Story
Verisimilitude
Expressionism
Symbolism
Consistency of the World
Setting
Weather
Scope and Scale
CHAPTER 9 ◾ Bringing the Story to Life
Foreshadowing
Point of Attack
The Obligatory Scene
Crisis, Climax, and Resolution
Reversals
Arcs
Exposition in Action
CHAPTER 10 ◾ Games: Charting New Territory
Characters Revisited
Puzzling Developments
Quests
Tasks and Errands
Matrix Quests
Quests and Missions
Types of Quests
Rewards
The Story Up Till Now
CHAPTER 11 ◾ Story Anatomy
Heart: Player Emotion
Mind: Sharing the Theme
Funny Bone: Roflmao!
CHAPTER 12 ◾ Editing
Collaboration
Adapting to the Engine you End Up With
Stopping The Bleeding when you Cut Levels and Areas
Polishing Dialogue
Copy Editing
CHAPTER 13 ◾ The Roots of a New Storytelling
The Odyssey
The Canterbury Tales
Don Quixote de La Mancha
Mozart, Game Designer
Charles Dickens and Publishing in Parts
Saturday Morning at the Movies (Movie Serials)
Dennis Wheatley's Crime Dossiers
Daytime Soap Operas
Episodic Television
CHAPTER 14 ◾ Modular Storytelling
The Yoke of Narrative
Traditional Story Forms in Games
Traditional (Linear)
Branching (Linear Thinking)
Web (Simple Nonlinear)
Relinquishing Control
Modular (Nonlinear)
Nesting Modules
Systemic Storytelling
Structuring Chaos
Adventures in a Nonlinear World
PART IV: Games People Play Today
CHAPTER 15 ◾ Game Types
Clickers
Action
Adventure
Multiplayer
Mods
Role-Playing
Simulations
Strategy
CHAPTER 16 ◾ Game Genres
Melodrama
Fantasy
Science Fiction
War
Espionage
Crime
Mystery
Horror
Romance
Western
CHAPTER 17 ◾ Storytelling in Virtual Worlds
Computer as Game Master
Thousands of Heroes
Ongoing Story
The Trap of Episodic Structure
Revealing Story
True Multiplayer Quests
Crowd Control
Variety
Hiding the Numbers
Empowering Emergent Storytelling
Footprints in the Sand
CHAPTER 18 ◾ Storytelling in Small Games
Star Trek: Infinite Space
Indiana Jones Adventure World
The Lion's Song
Freud's Office
Close Conversation
CHAPTER 19 ◾ Storytelling in Applied Games
Abstraction
Story Structure
Balance
Sustained Narrative
Footprints on the Page
Dealing with Textbooks
The Sky's the Limit
PART V: Reflections
CHAPTER 20 ◾ Postlude: Endgame
Index
