Agenda
Soap Opera to Space Opera: Writing Game Stories that Last Forever
Jaclyn Seto (Senior Game Writer, Respawn Entertainment)
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Track:
Narrative & Performance
Audience Level:
All
Format:
Lecture
Vault Recording: TBD
Audience Level: All
Most games have a beginning, middle, and end, but things aren't so clear-cut in live-service games where the demand for new content is both frequent and never-ending. This session discusses how to approach storytelling in live-service games, or ongoing games that have no defined ending, through the lens of Apex Legends, a live-service first-person hero shooter. I will demonstrate how games can use strong, well-developed characters to create compelling storylines and how this can get players emotionally invested in the narrative. I will also discuss how we approach integrating upcoming design changes into an ongoing narrative to fulfill a more cohesive vision.
Takeaway
Attendees will learn strategies on how to approach character-based storytelling in ongoing games which they will be able to apply to their own game worlds and characters. This includes ways to keep characters evolving and changing, how to reveal story using interpersonal relationships, and how to account for design changes in the story.
Intended Audience
This session is for attendees interested in learning more about how storytelling can be done in ongoing games, live-service games, or character-heavy titles without campaigns.