🎮 Merging diegetic story & gameplay: 1️⃣ Use environmental storytelling (details tell the tale). 2️⃣ Align character goals with player objectives. 3️⃣ Let mechanics reveal narrative themes. 4️⃣ Dialogue should enhance actions, not halt them. #GameWriting #NarrativeDesign #GameDevTips ⚔️🧙‍♂️Exta tip below 👇 - ThreadSky

ldsimons.bsky.social • 65 days ago

🎮 Merging diegetic story & gameplay:
1️⃣ Use environmental storytelling (details tell the tale).
2️⃣ Align character goals with player objectives.
3️⃣ Let mechanics reveal narrative themes.
4️⃣ Dialogue should enhance actions, not halt them.

#GameWriting #NarrativeDesign #GameDevTips
⚔️🧙‍♂️Exta tip below 👇

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ldsimons.bsky.social•65 days ago

Which leads to a classic, made relevant again by the famous by Syd Field : "Show, don't tell."

ldsimons.bsky.social•65 days ago

Most game developers think that dialogue needs to be meaningful and overly dramatic, but that's a common mistake: Dialogue is a waygate to connect action with emotion. A simple voice line or a scene that transmits the change the characters go through can say more than hundreds of lines of dialogue.⬇️

pixelwolfog.bsky.social•65 days ago

I thought character goals and player objectives were one and the same so how do I differentiate between the two but keep them closely aligned to drive the story?

ldsimons.bsky.social•64 days ago

A good strategy to keep them closely aligned is to appeal to the player through agency, this means putting it in the hands of the player to choose what to do: ignore the kitty meowing in the burning tree, or save it and lose precious time to save the villagers.

ldsimons.bsky.social•64 days ago

Player Goals = What the player needs to do to complete X mission or progress further down the adventure. :)

ldsimons.bsky.social•64 days ago

Character goals = what drives them, motivation, part of the background character design. A fine example of this is the story of how a hero was orphaned due to war, and that motivated him into becoming a soldier that protects the weak.

pixelwolfog.bsky.social•64 days ago

I have a lot of thinking to do then to update my game story and really think about how these two intertwine! Thank you for the explanation 😁

ldsimons.bsky.social•64 days ago

My pleasure! Don't doubt asking me anything you need, I have almost 18 years worth of experience in game design, quest design, and worldbuilding, so gotta put those to use for the new generation of game devs! Cheers!

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