The Glue of Narratives – Indirect Storytelling in a Digital World
Authors
Hornstrup, Kenni Kirkegaard ; Madsen, Peter Skov Klitgaard ; Bendixen, Lars Kiesbye
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-05-31
Pages
112
Abstract
Afhandlingen undersøger, hvordan videospil formidler historier og skaber glæde, og hvordan forskellige dele af spiloplevelsen arbejder sammen. Som ramme bruger vi Ralph & Monu’s Unified Theory, der beskriver samspillet mellem spilleren, artefaktet (spillet og dets hardware) og den oplevelse, der opstår. Vi formulerer fire spørgsmål: hvordan formidler spil fortælling og underholdning; hvilke indirekte fortællingsgreb bruges, og afspejles de i gængse spilmodeller; hvad uden for egentlig indholdsproduktion kan indirekte styrke fortællinger; og hvordan repræsenteres og fungerer ikke-fundamentale elementer af mekanikker og narrativer i spildesign. For at teste teorien sammenlignede vi Ralph & Monu’s definitioner med andre forfatteres beskrivelser af videospil. Vi fandt huller, især omkring implicitte fortællingsmetoder, som miljøfortælling, vejledning, form og farve samt animation. For at inkludere disse foreslår vi begrebet “Emergent Mechanics” og dets placering i modellen. Vi definerer det som bevidste designvalg, der skal fremme ønskede fremvoksende og tolkede fortællinger i relation til spilmekanikker og indlejrede (forudskrevne) fortællinger. Vi udforsker flere teknikker, der passer til denne definition. Vi drøftede Unified Theory og det foreslåede begreb i et online forum med personer i og omkring spilbranchen for at vurdere, om “Emergent Mechanics” er en brugbar kategorisering. Diskussionen viste, at selve konceptet fungerer, men at navnet kan være problematisk, da personer med forskellige baggrunde foreslog andre betegnelser. Vi konkluderer derfor, at definitionen er funktionel, mens navngivningen bør genovervejes.
This thesis examines how video games convey stories and enjoyment, and how different parts of the game experience work together. We use Ralph & Monu’s Unified Theory, which describes the interaction between the player, the artifact (the game and its hardware), and the resulting experience, as our framework. We address four questions: how games deliver narrative and fun; which indirect narrative techniques are used and whether common game models capture them; what outside of direct content production can indirectly strengthen narratives; and how non-fundamental elements of mechanics and story are represented and function in game design. To test the theory, we compared Ralph & Monu’s definitions with those of other game scholars. We identified gaps, especially around implicit narrative methods such as environmental storytelling, guidance, form and color, and animation. To account for these, we propose the concept of “Emergent Mechanics” and its inclusion in the model. We define it as deliberate design choices intended to promote desirable emergent and interpreted narratives in relation to game mechanics and embedded (pre-authored) narratives. We explore several techniques that fit this description. We discussed the Unified Theory and the proposed concept in an online forum with people in and around the games industry to assess whether “Emergent Mechanics” is a useful category. The discussion suggested the concept is functional, but the naming may be problematic, as participants from different backgrounds suggested alternative labels. We therefore conclude that the definition works as a concept, while the name may need reconsideration.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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