EdX

Interactive Narrative (edX)

Offered by The University of British Columbia, UBCx,

Learn how to use player choice and interactivity to create compelling game experiences. The primary difference between video games and other art forms is interactivity. Players embody the characters in a game; instead of watching the protagonist make choices, they actively make choices for the player character.

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For writers, choice takes on a different meaning in games that allow players to control the outcome of the plot. How do you ensure that game choices are meaningful, have consequences, and also don’t require an impossible amount of work for the game design team?
In this course we will explore how choice works in games, how branching plots work, and how to manage them with tools such as pinch points, bottlenecking and story silos. We’ll look at characters and dialogue, then get you authoring your own interactive narrative with commonly available online tools.
Verified learners will access additional game industry interviews, assignments and discussion topics, connecting with a community of other writers and game enthusiasts.
This course is part of the Writing for Video Games Professional Certificate.

What you'll learn

How choice in games differs from choice in other stories
How branching narrative affects gameplay
The use of stakes and consequences to make choices compelling
How to think about and tame branching plots
Explore different conversation systems and narrative generation tools
Experiment with branching narrative using common online tools.

Syllabus

Module 1: Choice in Games

Choice-based experiences
Types of branching narrative
Elements of choice

Module 2: Structuring Choice

Main branches
Trimming the tree
Making choices matter
Types of choices

Module 3: Characters & Dialogue in Branching Narrative

Characters
Branching dialogue
Non-linear storytelling
Tools

Module 4: Using the Tools

Features of Twine, Klint and others
Analyzing existing work
Planning for interactivity
Using the tools effectively

Module 5: Your Interactive Project

Managing interactivity
Dealing with excessive choices
Editing and revision

Go to Class

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