A Preface to the Week

Hello, all!

This weekend: Nanocon X (Facebook).  Boards games, card games, LARPS, and minis - just to name a few of the con’s attractions.  The local InternationalGame Developers Association brought a number of speakers too.  So what does this mean for you?

First, since the GDCO notes are finalized, more learning-summaries are on the way!  Chris Totten (author, game design professor, and game designer), Josh Lynsen (social media consultant, and StreetPass Network creator), and Chris Weed along with Joe Sklover (creators of Humans vs Zombies) give their experiences and input on gaming and play experiences.  So much knowledge!

Second, I look forward to seeing you later this week.  In the future, Chess, Hawken, and more games than you can shake a joystick at!  In the meantime, checkout the student project I’ve been working on: Fury Void.  Take care!

GDCO Notes - Game Narrative Tutorial, The Last Few

Tutorial #6 

Play, Don’t Tell: Interactive Storytelling 101

Speaker: Tobias Heussner (Bigpoint)

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Start Constructing a Narrative:

1)      What's Player Agency

2)      Player is the Storyteller

3)      What's Narration Perspective

4)      Define who the Player thinks they are

a.       Defines their desired range of possibilities

Styles of Narration

1)      Quest-based – someone whats the player to do something for a reason

a.       Reason/motivation is the story

b.      Quest tasks are tools

c.       Chains can share meta-plots

2)      Event-based – something happens and forces the player to react

a.       Highly dynamic/scalable

b.      Depends on staging

c.       Expensive/complex

d.      A location is not an event!

3)      Mission-based / Level-based / Environmental / Cutscene / Combinations of styles

Starting a game narrative, the author only has 3 minutes to tell a compelling story.

Play the story!  Don't tell it!  And telling equals reading/watching cutscenes.

Tutorial #7

That Shadow’s Got a Story for You: Environmental Narrative

Speaker: Toiya Kristen Finley (Schnoodle Media)

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Environmental Narrative

1)      Used in: plot, character development, mechanics, etc.

2)      Documentation

a.       What is the purpose of the location?

b.      Mechanics/level design say what about the world/characters?

c.       The location elicits what emotional state?

d.      What is the art/sound supposed to convey?

GDCO Notes - Travis George, Stacking the League Team

Stacking Talent: Growing the League of Legends Team

Speaker: Travis George (Riot Games)

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Basics:

1)      Know who you are and what you are hiring for.

2)      Have a rigorous hiring process.

3)      Only hire 'A's, and don't keep anyone who's not.

Idea Suggested (1 meeting) → Concept (5 days) → Program and Balance (10 weeks) → Forum Posts (community team) → Patch System Release (release team)

Lessons from Lee Sin

1)      Empower the right people.

2)      Trust, but validate, in the execution phase.

3)      Make sure people are passionate with the game and the community.

Lessons from moving to Korea

1)      Hire 'force multipliers' that can replicate themselves and have the right amount of autonomy.

2)      Don't compromise on who you hire or who your hires hire.

3)      Ensure people truly believe in/embody your culture at work.

Lessons from growth

1)      Hire smart, adaptable people.

2)      Think who is the right person for the job (should vs could), not just who's capable.

Don't compromise!

Spend more time on people!

Interview using real-world tests!

Imagine starting over – who are your most valuable people?

Check out the '9 Box Performance-Potential Matrix'