Agenda
Enriching Player's Self-Expression Through Alignment Systems
Olga Kellner (Narrative Design Director, Owlcat Games)
Pass Type:
Academic Pass, Festival Pass, Game Changer Pass, Indie Pass, Start-Up Pass -
Get your pass now!
Track:
Narrative & Performance, Design
Audience Level:
All
Format:
Lecture
Vault Recording: TBD
Audience Level: All
An alignment system governing character decisions in a video game can deepen player immersion and give weight to the choices - or it can turn into a rigid design trap. Existing in the sort of a "liminal space" between narrative and mechanics, a properly implemented alignment system will facilitate intense and meaningful game immersion as players are able to truly comprehend and experience the weight of their actions. In this lecture, the speaker will discuss the mindful implementation of alignments in roleplaying games with expansive branching narratives, sharing practical design approaches drawn from their personal experience in the creation of CRPGs at Owlcat Games (Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader).
Takeaway
Attendees will receive guidelines on how to evaluate the necessity of an alignment system in their game, a review of the practical transfer/creation of alignment systems in various titles, and a range of practical ideas for the design and the implementation of alignment-centric mechanics.
Intended Audience
Middle- and senior-grade narrative designers who have some preliminary knowledge on RPG design both in their own settings and established IPs will benefit from the lecture the most. Indie developers will also be granted useful insight into the principles of establishing alignment systems in the existing IPs that can be transformed and transferred into their own projects.