Narrative - Enacting Stories

Narrative

Jenkins (2004) argues that there are 4 types of environmental storytelling; Evocative Spaces, Enacting Stories, Embedded Narratives and Emergent Narratives. In our Group Project Design Groups, we have individually looked at one of these types each and completed the following tasks:

1. Summarise the main argument that Jenkins is making in relation to the category.
2. Bullet point out what you regard as the important elements within the category.
3. Briefly add your own examples from your own playing experience.
4. Consider the extent to which the game you are producing will be / or could be influenced by consideration of this narrative category.
5. Report back your findings to the group.

I read the extract from Jenkins ‘Game Design as Narrative Architecture’ on Enacting Stories and here are my results:

Enacting Stories

Summary

Games are more often Spatial Stories which have smaller goals etc within the overall story. These smaller goals (micro-narratives) would have some sort of memorable moment, be it a cut-scene, a gameplay experience such as high action and would produce an emotional impact / experience which helps the overall story experience.


Bullet Points of important elements:

• Two levels of narrative:
• broadly defined (overall story).
• localized (levels).
• Spatial stories:
• Episodic and sometimes can be re-ordered without massively impacting the overall story as each individual ‘episode’ only offers a small part of the overall story.
• Story progression:
• Is by player movement / exploration rather than simply plot progression.
• Environmental Storytelling – plot is influenced by players interaction with the game world.
• Micronarratives:
• Memorable moments / emotional impact / emotional experience (connected to the overall story).
• Plot vs. Freedom:
  
• Conflict of allowing enough player freedom while still keeping the plot going.

Gaming Examples

Final Fantasy X-2:

Players have the freedom to visit all the known game locations, interacting with NPC’s and the game world. Certain locations will advance the story by opening further quests / missions / imparting information etc. They don’t have to be done in a specific order and some can be ignored altogether.

Most locations will have a Mission of some sorts there which will either advance the story, provide the player with some reward (item), or provide other information such as a bit of background story. There will usually be a challenge and these separate missions are micronarratives and have 'memorable moments' (eg.: fighting a huge boss - see picture, finding a powerful item, plot cut-scene, etc).

- Spatial Stories and Narrative influenced by player & game world interaction.

Project Considerations

The game design of our group (Absent Logic) already has some of the ideas of Enacting Stories. There is an overall story and then there are smaller puzzles for the player to solve to advance the story (micronarratives). At present though, our game idea is fairly linear. One puzzle completion leads directly on to the next advancing the story.

We could amend this so that certain parts of the story have an optional choice of which areas / puzzles to do in which order, before having to go on to the main story progression puzzle. This will give the player an amount of freedom and will make parts of the game story Spatial and a help in the Freedom vs. Plot area as well.

Bibliography

H.Jenkins (2004) Game Design as Narrative Architecture in N, Wadrip-Fruin & P, Harrigan (eds) First Person : New media as Story, Performance and Game MIT Press, Cambridge p124-126