WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.040 align:middle line:90% 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:02.470 align:middle line:84% The following content is provided under a Creative 00:00:02.470 --> 00:00:03.880 align:middle line:90% Commons license. 00:00:03.880 --> 00:00:06.920 align:middle line:84% Your support will help MIT OpenCourseWare continue to 00:00:06.920 --> 00:00:10.570 align:middle line:84% offer high quality educational resources for free. 00:00:10.570 --> 00:00:13.470 align:middle line:84% To make a donation or view additional materials from 00:00:13.470 --> 00:00:17.400 align:middle line:84% hundreds of MIT courses, visit MIT OpenCourseWare at 00:00:17.400 --> 00:00:18.650 align:middle line:90% ocw.mit.edu. 00:00:18.650 --> 00:00:20.810 align:middle line:90% 00:00:20.810 --> 00:00:24.290 align:middle line:84% Some content in this audio is not covered under a Creative 00:00:24.290 --> 00:00:25.785 align:middle line:90% Commons license. 00:00:25.785 --> 00:00:29.790 align:middle line:84% For more information, see the course materials on the MIT 00:00:29.790 --> 00:00:32.190 align:middle line:90% OpenCourseWare website. 00:00:32.190 --> 00:00:36.620 align:middle line:84% PROFESSOR: OK, so today, we have a guest lecturer, Clara. 00:00:36.620 --> 00:00:41.102 align:middle line:84% Some of you have probably already taken her class. 00:00:41.102 --> 00:00:42.050 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. 00:00:42.050 --> 00:00:43.472 align:middle line:90% My current victims. 00:00:43.472 --> 00:00:44.894 align:middle line:90% PROFESSOR: And past victims. 00:00:44.894 --> 00:00:46.316 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. 00:00:46.316 --> 00:00:47.840 align:middle line:84% PROFESSOR: We'll probably need to do 00:00:47.840 --> 00:00:50.786 align:middle line:90% something about the lights. 00:00:50.786 --> 00:00:53.732 align:middle line:90% [INAUDIBLE]. 00:00:53.732 --> 00:00:56.200 align:middle line:90% I'm sorry, I'm sorry. 00:00:56.200 --> 00:00:59.180 align:middle line:84% I'm still operating on Tylenol and caffeine. 00:00:59.180 --> 00:01:03.950 align:middle line:84% So today we're going to talk about stories in games. 00:01:03.950 --> 00:01:07.690 align:middle line:84% And Clara teaches not just the Intro to Video Game Studies 00:01:07.690 --> 00:01:08.955 align:middle line:84% class, but also the Writing for Video Games 00:01:08.955 --> 00:01:11.320 align:middle line:90% class in the spring. 00:01:11.320 --> 00:01:16.284 align:middle line:84% I wanted her to come in and bring her expertise because 00:01:16.284 --> 00:01:17.588 align:middle line:84% she's [UNINTELLIGIBLE] probably a 00:01:17.588 --> 00:01:19.218 align:middle line:90% lot more than I have. 00:01:19.218 --> 00:01:22.641 align:middle line:90% 00:01:22.641 --> 00:01:24.597 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Hello, perfect. 00:01:24.597 --> 00:01:25.847 align:middle line:90% [INAUDIBLE]. 00:01:25.847 --> 00:01:28.020 align:middle line:90% 00:01:28.020 --> 00:01:31.622 align:middle line:84% So yeah, Philip asked me to come here and talk about 00:01:31.622 --> 00:01:35.632 align:middle line:84% stories in games, and as far as I remember, he said you 00:01:35.632 --> 00:01:38.250 align:middle line:84% guys had to read two articles for today. 00:01:38.250 --> 00:01:40.476 align:middle line:90% Chapter four in [INAUDIBLE] 00:01:40.476 --> 00:01:45.859 align:middle line:84% and Soren Johnson's Theme is Not Meaning. 00:01:45.859 --> 00:01:48.853 align:middle line:90% Didn't I [INAUDIBLE], too? 00:01:48.853 --> 00:01:49.851 align:middle line:90% PROFESSOR: Yes. 00:01:49.851 --> 00:01:51.348 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: And he's late, OK. 00:01:51.348 --> 00:01:51.847 align:middle line:90% PROFESSOR: Shh! 00:01:51.847 --> 00:01:53.843 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: [LAUGHS] 00:01:53.843 --> 00:01:57.085 align:middle line:84% Anyway, so preparing this has been kind 00:01:57.085 --> 00:01:59.590 align:middle line:90% of interesting because-- 00:01:59.590 --> 00:02:04.295 align:middle line:84% I thought about this quite a bit because there's this focus 00:02:04.295 --> 00:02:08.820 align:middle line:84% in my research studying how games and stories can be 00:02:08.820 --> 00:02:09.590 align:middle line:90% brought together. 00:02:09.590 --> 00:02:11.870 align:middle line:84% What does it mean to have a story in a game? 00:02:11.870 --> 00:02:14.260 align:middle line:90% Where do we put the story? 00:02:14.260 --> 00:02:16.700 align:middle line:84% But the interesting challenge was thinking, well, the guys 00:02:16.700 --> 00:02:19.970 align:middle line:84% are working mostly on non-visual games. 00:02:19.970 --> 00:02:24.320 align:middle line:84% And what do stories have to do with non-fictional games. 00:02:24.320 --> 00:02:27.690 align:middle line:84% So here what I'm going to need is your input, because you 00:02:27.690 --> 00:02:30.820 align:middle line:84% guys have been playing all these board games, card games, 00:02:30.820 --> 00:02:34.700 align:middle line:84% and I want a bit of your input of what you think. 00:02:34.700 --> 00:02:40.260 align:middle line:84% How you think these concepts apply to non-digital games, 00:02:40.260 --> 00:02:44.110 align:middle line:84% because the part of digital games I can do pretty 00:02:44.110 --> 00:02:44.365 align:middle line:90% confidently. 00:02:44.365 --> 00:02:47.710 align:middle line:84% But I don't know as much about board games or card games. 00:02:47.710 --> 00:02:48.995 align:middle line:90% So I need your expertise. 00:02:48.995 --> 00:02:50.865 align:middle line:90% This is why you guys are here. 00:02:50.865 --> 00:02:54.160 align:middle line:84% So the first thing that I wanted to ask you about is 00:02:54.160 --> 00:02:57.350 align:middle line:84% that we have two different meetings, and one is sort of 00:02:57.350 --> 00:03:00.320 align:middle line:84% about fiction and the other is sort of about theme. 00:03:00.320 --> 00:03:03.666 align:middle line:84% But what is the fiction of a game? 00:03:03.666 --> 00:03:04.916 align:middle line:90% I turn it to you. 00:03:04.916 --> 00:03:07.860 align:middle line:90% 00:03:07.860 --> 00:03:11.816 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The fiction of a game is, well, whatever you 00:03:11.816 --> 00:03:12.700 align:middle line:90% want it to be. 00:03:12.700 --> 00:03:16.564 align:middle line:84% It could be the characters in a digital game. 00:03:16.564 --> 00:03:18.500 align:middle line:84% It could be a real environment, but you just have 00:03:18.500 --> 00:03:18.920 align:middle line:90% fictional characters. 00:03:18.920 --> 00:03:23.670 align:middle line:84% It could be an environment that may not exist. 00:03:23.670 --> 00:03:27.310 align:middle line:84% It's pretty much up to the designer to figure out what 00:03:27.310 --> 00:03:28.930 align:middle line:90% they want to-- 00:03:28.930 --> 00:03:31.850 align:middle line:84% like with [INAUDIBLE] be in the game that are real, or if 00:03:31.850 --> 00:03:35.841 align:middle line:90% they want it to be fiction. 00:03:35.841 --> 00:03:39.400 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Well, there's something there, but 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:45.990 align:middle line:84% it might be a bit more intuitive than that. 00:03:45.990 --> 00:03:47.236 align:middle line:84% I think that you're on the right track, yes. 00:03:47.236 --> 00:03:49.600 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I'd say it's the setting or the universe in 00:03:49.600 --> 00:03:52.680 align:middle line:84% which the user perceives the events of the game to take 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:57.880 align:middle line:84% place in, or the one that the designer intends the user to 00:03:57.880 --> 00:03:58.750 align:middle line:90% see the game take place in. 00:03:58.750 --> 00:03:59.760 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: OK, so you can mention 00:03:59.760 --> 00:04:02.340 align:middle line:90% environment as the big-- 00:04:02.340 --> 00:04:03.650 align:middle line:90% what was the word you used-- 00:04:03.650 --> 00:04:08.470 align:middle line:84% the universe, the setting, something like that. 00:04:08.470 --> 00:04:08.940 align:middle line:90% Back there. 00:04:08.940 --> 00:04:10.825 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Oh yeah, I was going to say that the word that is 00:04:10.825 --> 00:04:12.024 align:middle line:90% used over and over is world. 00:04:12.024 --> 00:04:14.838 align:middle line:84% It's just a world, pretty much. 00:04:14.838 --> 00:04:16.529 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: And that's the keyword. 00:04:16.529 --> 00:04:20.350 align:middle line:84% When [UNINTELLIGIBLE] is talking about fiction, he's 00:04:20.350 --> 00:04:24.340 align:middle line:84% really talking all throughout about fictional worlds. 00:04:24.340 --> 00:04:27.540 align:middle line:84% In a way, designing games and designing video games 00:04:27.540 --> 00:04:32.242 align:middle line:84% specifically, is always thinking about what is the 00:04:32.242 --> 00:04:32.890 align:middle line:90% world of this game. 00:04:32.890 --> 00:04:35.120 align:middle line:84% And at times there might be games that don't have worlds. 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:36.520 align:middle line:90% You can make Tetris. 00:04:36.520 --> 00:04:38.110 align:middle line:90% You could make-- 00:04:38.110 --> 00:04:40.000 align:middle line:84% There's very few video games without worlds. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.250 align:middle line:90% But there are some. 00:04:42.250 --> 00:04:43.000 align:middle line:90% Tetris-- 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:43.840 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Peggle. 00:04:43.840 --> 00:04:45.110 align:middle line:90% So does Peggle. 00:04:45.110 --> 00:04:45.840 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Peggle? 00:04:45.840 --> 00:04:47.560 align:middle line:84% Well, Peggle has characters, you know. 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:48.760 align:middle line:90% You were talking about this. 00:04:48.760 --> 00:04:52.335 align:middle line:84% Characters are already [UNINTELLIGIBLE] in fiction. 00:04:52.335 --> 00:04:54.420 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: You said it has nothing to do with unicorns. 00:04:54.420 --> 00:04:55.670 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes. 00:04:55.670 --> 00:04:57.190 align:middle line:90% 00:04:57.190 --> 00:04:58.141 align:middle line:90% Who wants to say something? 00:04:58.141 --> 00:04:59.494 align:middle line:90% We have two hands here. 00:04:59.494 --> 00:05:01.300 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: I'm stealing it. 00:05:01.300 --> 00:05:03.960 align:middle line:84% OK, in print or with board games, I think of fiction much 00:05:03.960 --> 00:05:10.400 align:middle line:84% more as the specific explicit things they give you, like the 00:05:10.400 --> 00:05:16.380 align:middle line:84% pictures, the rules, and all of that stuff versus what it 00:05:16.380 --> 00:05:17.380 align:middle line:90% feels like you're doing. 00:05:17.380 --> 00:05:20.070 align:middle line:84% So if they don't specifically tell you you're in blah place, 00:05:20.070 --> 00:05:22.420 align:middle line:84% then that's not part of the fiction. 00:05:22.420 --> 00:05:23.940 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: OK, yeah. 00:05:23.940 --> 00:05:26.350 align:middle line:84% So you put your finger on it, but when we're talking about 00:05:26.350 --> 00:05:28.780 align:middle line:84% non-digital games, there are some non-digital games where 00:05:28.780 --> 00:05:30.940 align:middle line:84% thinking about worlds is a bit shaky. 00:05:30.940 --> 00:05:32.360 align:middle line:90% Do you want to say something? 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:34.230 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yeah, just going to add that in an environment, 00:05:34.230 --> 00:05:35.770 align:middle line:84% you have a set of things you can do. 00:05:35.770 --> 00:05:37.570 align:middle line:84% So you're basically given rules. 00:05:37.570 --> 00:05:41.250 align:middle line:84% Like in a board game, you could be given a character 00:05:41.250 --> 00:05:44.890 align:middle line:84% that has to jump for some reason. 00:05:44.890 --> 00:05:45.947 align:middle line:84% The board game could say that they could 00:05:45.947 --> 00:05:47.820 align:middle line:90% jump some insane distance. 00:05:47.820 --> 00:05:49.110 align:middle line:84% Well, in real life, they can't do that. 00:05:49.110 --> 00:05:50.330 align:middle line:84% That's just part of the fiction. 00:05:50.330 --> 00:05:54.316 align:middle line:84% So it's whatever laws apply within that world, as well. 00:05:54.316 --> 00:05:56.060 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: This is a very interesting point 00:05:56.060 --> 00:05:58.660 align:middle line:84% because when you were talking about-- 00:05:58.660 --> 00:06:00.400 align:middle line:84% what's that word that he uses-- 00:06:00.400 --> 00:06:01.645 align:middle line:90% incongruous worlds? 00:06:01.645 --> 00:06:03.030 align:middle line:90% Incoherent, incoherent. 00:06:03.030 --> 00:06:05.410 align:middle line:84% He talks about incoherent worlds, and it's like, well, 00:06:05.410 --> 00:06:06.390 align:middle line:90% incoherent according to what? 00:06:06.390 --> 00:06:07.940 align:middle line:84% It's obviously not the rules that are also creating part of 00:06:07.940 --> 00:06:08.845 align:middle line:90% the fiction. 00:06:08.845 --> 00:06:15.060 align:middle line:84% The rules are also creating what are the laws of gravity 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:19.020 align:middle line:84% in a specific world that we are playing in, for example. 00:06:19.020 --> 00:06:22.370 align:middle line:84% So when we're talking about fiction, we're mainly talking 00:06:22.370 --> 00:06:24.010 align:middle line:90% about fictional world. 00:06:24.010 --> 00:06:26.960 align:middle line:84% Now, how does that relate to theme? 00:06:26.960 --> 00:06:30.105 align:middle line:84% And you were already kind of hinting at that. 00:06:30.105 --> 00:06:32.190 align:middle line:84% That in fiction and board games, it's kind of like, 00:06:32.190 --> 00:06:34.750 align:middle line:84% well, it almost can be about anything. 00:06:34.750 --> 00:06:37.380 align:middle line:84% But what is the theme of a g-- when you-- if you remember 00:06:37.380 --> 00:06:39.390 align:middle line:90% Soren Johnson's discussion-- 00:06:39.390 --> 00:06:40.950 align:middle line:84% what does he refer to as a theme? 00:06:40.950 --> 00:06:45.800 align:middle line:84% He is not an academic, so he has a more wobbly, loose 00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:47.250 align:middle line:90% definition. 00:06:47.250 --> 00:06:48.500 align:middle line:90% What is the theme of a game? 00:06:48.500 --> 00:06:54.431 align:middle line:90% 00:06:54.431 --> 00:06:56.683 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The theme of the game is what the designer says 00:06:56.683 --> 00:06:58.970 align:middle line:84% to the player, this is what the game is about. 00:06:58.970 --> 00:07:03.870 align:middle line:90% 00:07:03.870 --> 00:07:05.310 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: But when-- 00:07:05.310 --> 00:07:06.995 align:middle line:84% Soren Johnson is saying theme is not meaning. 00:07:06.995 --> 00:07:10.560 align:middle line:90% 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:13.360 align:middle line:84% So he's making a point that theme might not be what the 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:15.192 align:middle line:90% game is about. 00:07:15.192 --> 00:07:15.650 align:middle line:90% Right? 00:07:15.650 --> 00:07:17.400 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: This is what the game designer tells you. 00:07:17.400 --> 00:07:18.960 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah. 00:07:18.960 --> 00:07:22.533 align:middle line:84% The example that he gives is Ticket to Ride, right? 00:07:22.533 --> 00:07:26.350 align:middle line:84% And Ticket to Ride is not about riding trains. 00:07:26.350 --> 00:07:28.240 align:middle line:90% It's about-- 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:29.750 align:middle line:90% it's about-- 00:07:29.750 --> 00:07:34.170 align:middle line:84% well, the description is about going from one 00:07:34.170 --> 00:07:35.610 align:middle line:90% end to another, right? 00:07:35.610 --> 00:07:36.570 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:07:36.570 --> 00:07:37.050 align:middle line:90% And travelling across-- 00:07:37.050 --> 00:07:38.490 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Is building-- 00:07:38.490 --> 00:07:39.970 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: It's about travelling 00:07:39.970 --> 00:07:41.110 align:middle line:90% across the United States. 00:07:41.110 --> 00:07:43.080 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: But is it really travelling, or is it 00:07:43.080 --> 00:07:43.850 align:middle line:90% building the-- 00:07:43.850 --> 00:07:45.442 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: It's not even a story about-- 00:07:45.442 --> 00:07:46.834 align:middle line:90% the story's about travelling. 00:07:46.834 --> 00:07:48.410 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, the story's about travelling, 00:07:48.410 --> 00:07:49.460 align:middle line:90% that's the theme. 00:07:49.460 --> 00:07:51.535 align:middle line:90% But what you actually do is-- 00:07:51.535 --> 00:07:57.280 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The official story is that I think it's some 00:07:57.280 --> 00:07:59.655 align:middle line:84% number of years after the events that were Around the 00:07:59.655 --> 00:08:03.930 align:middle line:84% World in Eighty Days, and to commemorate that, the original 00:08:03.930 --> 00:08:06.140 align:middle line:84% people who were involved in that race decided they're 00:08:06.140 --> 00:08:08.134 align:middle line:84% going to race across America in trains. 00:08:08.134 --> 00:08:10.882 align:middle line:84% And that is the theme of the game, according to-- 00:08:10.882 --> 00:08:12.485 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, that's the theme of the game. 00:08:12.485 --> 00:08:15.190 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Well, that sort of what drives to the point of 00:08:15.190 --> 00:08:17.770 align:middle line:84% what Sorenson's talking about, that when theme and meaning 00:08:17.770 --> 00:08:18.580 align:middle line:90% are incongruous-- 00:08:18.580 --> 00:08:22.190 align:middle line:84% as they are in Ticket to Ride to an extreme extent-- it can 00:08:22.190 --> 00:08:24.381 align:middle line:84% actually turn people off from the game sometimes. 00:08:24.381 --> 00:08:25.236 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Well, and it's not 00:08:25.236 --> 00:08:25.840 align:middle line:90% that it's a bad game-- 00:08:25.840 --> 00:08:26.610 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Or Halo Wars. 00:08:26.610 --> 00:08:27.980 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Well, not necessarily. 00:08:27.980 --> 00:08:29.175 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The thing about Halo Wars was that it sounded like 00:08:29.175 --> 00:08:31.210 align:middle line:84% you bought it thinking it was going to be an action game, 00:08:31.210 --> 00:08:33.301 align:middle line:84% then got disappointed and were like, blah! 00:08:33.301 --> 00:08:35.330 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: In the case with Ticket to Ride, it is pretty 00:08:35.330 --> 00:08:37.570 align:middle line:84% much just what they were saying there, right? 00:08:37.570 --> 00:08:42.210 align:middle line:84% That the theme seems to just be whoever it is that wrote 00:08:42.210 --> 00:08:45.927 align:middle line:84% the instruction booklet say that you're doing, which may 00:08:45.927 --> 00:08:47.672 align:middle line:84% not necessarily have anything to do with the actual 00:08:47.672 --> 00:08:49.270 align:middle line:90% mechanics of the game. 00:08:49.270 --> 00:08:50.070 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, I have the game. 00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:51.855 align:middle line:84% I didn't know if you guys have played it. 00:08:51.855 --> 00:08:52.720 align:middle line:90% I made you want to play it. 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:54.620 align:middle line:90% [INAUDIBLE] 00:08:54.620 --> 00:08:55.910 align:middle line:84% As of right now, [UNINTELLIGIBLE] 00:08:55.910 --> 00:08:59.400 align:middle line:84% is a game called Too Many Cooks, and it seems to be 00:08:59.400 --> 00:09:02.026 align:middle line:90% about cooking. 00:09:02.026 --> 00:09:05.720 align:middle line:84% Yeah, you have ingredients, and you're 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:08.160 align:middle line:90% making a soup of sorts. 00:09:08.160 --> 00:09:11.050 align:middle line:84% But really what you're doing is resource management and 00:09:11.050 --> 00:09:11.920 align:middle line:90% exchanging. 00:09:11.920 --> 00:09:14.690 align:middle line:84% Just imagine being a cook and having to, like, well, I have 00:09:14.690 --> 00:09:17.805 align:middle line:84% to wait until I get the right ingredient or maybe exchange 00:09:17.805 --> 00:09:18.970 align:middle line:90% it for another. 00:09:18.970 --> 00:09:22.370 align:middle line:84% That's not how you cook really. 00:09:22.370 --> 00:09:26.700 align:middle line:84% So there's always the clash of how the fiction of the game 00:09:26.700 --> 00:09:27.720 align:middle line:90% relates to the rules. 00:09:27.720 --> 00:09:31.050 align:middle line:84% And the interesting distinction between fiction 00:09:31.050 --> 00:09:33.612 align:middle line:84% and theme is that theme seems to be like a layer, seems to 00:09:33.612 --> 00:09:36.320 align:middle line:90% be like a decoration. 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:38.970 align:middle line:84% At times, it can be part of the title. 00:09:38.970 --> 00:09:42.170 align:middle line:84% It can be how the tokens look like, or what 00:09:42.170 --> 00:09:43.150 align:middle line:90% the board looks like. 00:09:43.150 --> 00:09:47.620 align:middle line:84% That is setting up the fiction of the game. 00:09:47.620 --> 00:09:49.810 align:middle line:90% Not the fiction, the theme. 00:09:49.810 --> 00:09:51.930 align:middle line:84% But it doesn't really have a fictional world. 00:09:51.930 --> 00:09:54.260 align:middle line:84% When when you're playing Ticket to Ride or when you're 00:09:54.260 --> 00:09:57.055 align:middle line:84% playing Settlers, you have a feeling 00:09:57.055 --> 00:09:58.305 align:middle line:90% like you're in a world. 00:09:58.305 --> 00:10:00.498 align:middle line:90% 00:10:00.498 --> 00:10:04.980 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: At least, more so than Ticket to Ride. 00:10:04.980 --> 00:10:09.320 align:middle line:84% So, I will argue that maybe the world that you feel is not 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:12.130 align:middle line:84% that they're telling you that you're in, right? 00:10:12.130 --> 00:10:14.800 align:middle line:84% One of the problems of Ticket to Ride is that you never 00:10:14.800 --> 00:10:18.100 align:middle line:84% really feel these characters exist. 00:10:18.100 --> 00:10:23.426 align:middle line:84% But the world of the United States is very, very present. 00:10:23.426 --> 00:10:27.175 align:middle line:84% Like the positioning of the cities, the fact that these 00:10:27.175 --> 00:10:31.250 align:middle line:84% cities exist and can be connected by land is very-- 00:10:31.250 --> 00:10:33.360 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: You guys have read the levels of 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:33.610 align:middle line:90% abstraction? 00:10:33.610 --> 00:10:35.610 align:middle line:84% Talked about levels of abstraction here at all? 00:10:35.610 --> 00:10:37.413 align:middle line:84% PROFESSOR: Not in great detail, but-- 00:10:37.413 --> 00:10:40.670 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: OK, it's the idea that it's a world, 00:10:40.670 --> 00:10:44.385 align:middle line:84% but the way that it works is so abstracted that it doesn't 00:10:44.385 --> 00:10:46.230 align:middle line:84% really-- you're not in a world anymore. 00:10:46.230 --> 00:10:49.860 align:middle line:84% It's just these little bits and pieces. 00:10:49.860 --> 00:10:53.560 align:middle line:84% OK, we have fiction and we have theme, but 00:10:53.560 --> 00:10:54.510 align:middle line:90% we also have stories. 00:10:54.510 --> 00:10:57.790 align:middle line:84% And what do stories have to do with this? 00:10:57.790 --> 00:11:01.460 align:middle line:84% How do we have the story in non-digital games? 00:11:01.460 --> 00:11:02.525 align:middle line:90% What principle-- 00:11:02.525 --> 00:11:03.860 align:middle line:90% a story-- 00:11:03.860 --> 00:11:06.720 align:middle line:84% I'm going to find it for you to save time. 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:10.540 align:middle line:84% A story is a series of connected events that involve 00:11:10.540 --> 00:11:12.300 align:middle line:90% characters. 00:11:12.300 --> 00:11:15.260 align:middle line:84% So those characters perform actions, or there are 00:11:15.260 --> 00:11:18.940 align:middle line:84% happenings, things that happen to them, and those actions 00:11:18.940 --> 00:11:23.580 align:middle line:84% happen in time and in a specific setting, in a 00:11:23.580 --> 00:11:24.950 align:middle line:90% specific place. 00:11:24.950 --> 00:11:27.700 align:middle line:84% And in the case of games, they also involve objects. 00:11:27.700 --> 00:11:32.730 align:middle line:84% That's like my telegraphic version of what a story is. 00:11:32.730 --> 00:11:38.720 align:middle line:84% So what we do in games, in games we have changes of 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:39.730 align:middle line:90% state, right? 00:11:39.730 --> 00:11:42.680 align:middle line:84% Every step of a non-digital game, particularly. 00:11:42.680 --> 00:11:46.660 align:middle line:84% We can think about non-digital games as changes of state, and 00:11:46.660 --> 00:11:49.790 align:middle line:84% having a change of state can constitute an event. 00:11:49.790 --> 00:11:51.120 align:middle line:90% So that is one way. 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:54.990 align:middle line:84% So how do we generate rules that generate changes of state 00:11:54.990 --> 00:11:59.080 align:middle line:84% that can be thought of as an event in the story? 00:11:59.080 --> 00:12:01.580 align:middle line:90% But I want to know a bit more. 00:12:01.580 --> 00:12:04.650 align:middle line:84% Of the games that you've played so far, how can 00:12:04.650 --> 00:12:06.510 align:middle line:90% non-digital games-- 00:12:06.510 --> 00:12:10.805 align:middle line:84% and maybe you've played more board than card games than 00:12:10.805 --> 00:12:11.770 align:middle line:90% anything, but-- 00:12:11.770 --> 00:12:13.190 align:middle line:90% how can we have a story? 00:12:13.190 --> 00:12:15.290 align:middle line:84% How can we have those events happen? 00:12:15.290 --> 00:12:17.495 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: So one game that I've played that has a really 00:12:17.495 --> 00:12:19.000 align:middle line:84% nice story to it is Battlestar Galactica. 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:21.470 align:middle line:90% In a way, that places-- 00:12:21.470 --> 00:12:23.784 align:middle line:84% it works off of what the player already knows. 00:12:23.784 --> 00:12:27.270 align:middle line:84% So it sort of assumes that the player has a knowledge of the 00:12:27.270 --> 00:12:29.760 align:middle line:84% Battlestar Galactica world, and so it keeps 00:12:29.760 --> 00:12:30.756 align:middle line:90% referring to that. 00:12:30.756 --> 00:12:33.246 align:middle line:84% Whenever you play a card that has special abilities, 00:12:33.246 --> 00:12:37.014 align:middle line:84% [INAUDIBLE], so it relies on previous knowledge. 00:12:37.014 --> 00:12:38.802 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: That's a very good point. 00:12:38.802 --> 00:12:40.680 align:middle line:90% The point of-- 00:12:40.680 --> 00:12:43.690 align:middle line:84% in digital games and non-digital games, but is also 00:12:43.690 --> 00:12:44.790 align:middle line:90% in digital games-- 00:12:44.790 --> 00:12:49.370 align:middle line:84% a lot of storytelling in games happens in the player's head. 00:12:49.370 --> 00:12:52.240 align:middle line:90% Is it evoking [INAUDIBLE] 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:55.190 align:middle line:84% , is tapping on the player's knowledge. 00:12:55.190 --> 00:12:57.270 align:middle line:84% Is not, as we've got to say, is not so much about 00:12:57.270 --> 00:13:00.030 align:middle line:84% storytelling, but like, OK, what do you know? 00:13:00.030 --> 00:13:03.090 align:middle line:84% We are making the player fill in the gaps. 00:13:03.090 --> 00:13:06.640 align:middle line:84% So that designing a game that involves storytelling is 00:13:06.640 --> 00:13:10.180 align:middle line:84% usually giving cues to the player to create the story, if 00:13:10.180 --> 00:13:12.570 align:middle line:90% that makes sense. 00:13:12.570 --> 00:13:13.415 align:middle line:90% Patrick? 00:13:13.415 --> 00:13:17.290 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I was going to say that a lot of board and card 00:13:17.290 --> 00:13:20.415 align:middle line:84% games, a lot of the fiction just comes from the metaphors 00:13:20.415 --> 00:13:21.930 align:middle line:90% of the mechanics. 00:13:21.930 --> 00:13:25.650 align:middle line:84% So, for example, in Settlers, when you want to build a road, 00:13:25.650 --> 00:13:28.010 align:middle line:84% if you strip away all the fiction, it's just I have 00:13:28.010 --> 00:13:30.780 align:middle line:84% these cards, I put them down, I can put this piece here. 00:13:30.780 --> 00:13:36.500 align:middle line:84% But adding the fiction to it, you say now, I'm not just 00:13:36.500 --> 00:13:41.170 align:middle line:84% putting cards down, I'm using the resources to build a road. 00:13:41.170 --> 00:13:44.360 align:middle line:84% And so that metaphorical action is another 00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:45.630 align:middle line:90% event in the story. 00:13:45.630 --> 00:13:47.790 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Well, it becomes a meaningful action. 00:13:47.790 --> 00:13:48.540 align:middle line:90% That's another-- 00:13:48.540 --> 00:13:50.310 align:middle line:84% I'm sure that you guys have been talking about that. 00:13:50.310 --> 00:13:51.600 align:middle line:90% What is a meaningful action? 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:55.300 align:middle line:84% And at times, meaningful action is it constitutes a 00:13:55.300 --> 00:13:56.880 align:middle line:90% story event. 00:13:56.880 --> 00:13:57.995 align:middle line:90% Yeah. 00:13:57.995 --> 00:14:00.290 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I think the whole point of Munchkin and and 00:14:00.290 --> 00:14:03.750 align:middle line:84% Shiggy and those games are to construct stories. 00:14:03.750 --> 00:14:07.620 align:middle line:84% When we played it, there was a moment when someon trashed 00:14:07.620 --> 00:14:12.080 align:middle line:84% someone else's shrooms, and then the other person played a 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:16.020 align:middle line:84% Go Dumpster Diving card to go pick up the shrooms and a bong 00:14:16.020 --> 00:14:17.810 align:middle line:90% from the dumpster. 00:14:17.810 --> 00:14:21.330 align:middle line:84% And this whole sequence of events, the [UNINTELLIGIBLE] 00:14:21.330 --> 00:14:22.870 align:middle line:84% text on the cards, what they were, and the actions you were 00:14:22.870 --> 00:14:25.620 align:middle line:84% taking, and you string them all together, I did this, and 00:14:25.620 --> 00:14:28.040 align:middle line:84% this happened, and this happened with this object, and 00:14:28.040 --> 00:14:29.540 align:middle line:84% you've got a perfect story, because you know you're 00:14:29.540 --> 00:14:31.620 align:middle line:90% playing the geek, and that-- 00:14:31.620 --> 00:14:32.464 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Well, there's that. 00:14:32.464 --> 00:14:35.000 align:middle line:84% But the other thing that is good about Munchkin is that 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:36.890 align:middle line:90% reading the cards is fun. 00:14:36.890 --> 00:14:38.990 align:middle line:84% There are bits of the story you'll get in Munchkin that 00:14:38.990 --> 00:14:39.810 align:middle line:90% are like, [INAUDIBLE]. 00:14:39.810 --> 00:14:41.430 align:middle line:84% That is kind of like engaging already. 00:14:41.430 --> 00:14:42.630 align:middle line:84% Oh, and you wanted to say something? 00:14:42.630 --> 00:14:44.550 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I was just going to say that there are some games 00:14:44.550 --> 00:14:46.470 align:middle line:84% which are entirely about telling stories. 00:14:46.470 --> 00:14:46.950 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Thank you. 00:14:46.950 --> 00:14:50.418 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Role-playing games are the number one, and then 00:14:50.418 --> 00:14:53.452 align:middle line:84% another example is something like Once Upon a Time, which I 00:14:53.452 --> 00:14:57.060 align:middle line:90% think is [INAUDIBLE]. 00:14:57.060 --> 00:14:58.625 align:middle line:84% And then they have, also, The Adventures of Baron 00:14:58.625 --> 00:14:59.900 align:middle line:84% Munchausen, if you've ever seen-- 00:14:59.900 --> 00:15:00.650 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes. 00:15:00.650 --> 00:15:01.530 align:middle line:90% Oh, I should bring it, yes. 00:15:01.530 --> 00:15:02.380 align:middle line:90% I have it in my office. 00:15:02.380 --> 00:15:03.480 align:middle line:84% Thought that's kind of difficult to set 00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:05.160 align:middle line:90% up in half an hour. 00:15:05.160 --> 00:15:05.400 align:middle line:90% But yes. 00:15:05.400 --> 00:15:08.940 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: And actually, a friend of mine invented a game 00:15:08.940 --> 00:15:11.590 align:middle line:84% which is vaguely based on The Adventures of Baron 00:15:11.590 --> 00:15:16.387 align:middle line:84% Munchausen, where each person is telling a story and they 00:15:16.387 --> 00:15:19.598 align:middle line:84% have cards in front of them which needs to be flipped over 00:15:19.598 --> 00:15:21.080 align:middle line:84% by incorporating the elements of the story into 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:23.550 align:middle line:90% their hand of cards-- 00:15:23.550 --> 00:15:24.305 align:middle line:90% Anyway, don't worry about it. 00:15:24.305 --> 00:15:28.550 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yeah, you're going a bit faster, but that's fine 00:15:28.550 --> 00:15:31.940 align:middle line:84% because yeah, there are games that are about storytelling, 00:15:31.940 --> 00:15:33.640 align:middle line:84% communal storytelling, and role-playing 00:15:33.640 --> 00:15:34.500 align:middle line:90% games are about that. 00:15:34.500 --> 00:15:38.080 align:middle line:84% And again, as game designers, what we are given when we have 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:41.060 align:middle line:84% the rule book from D&D is a fictional 00:15:41.060 --> 00:15:42.870 align:middle line:90% world that has rules. 00:15:42.870 --> 00:15:48.150 align:middle line:84% But then we have, as a designer, as a DM, we are 00:15:48.150 --> 00:15:49.930 align:middle line:84% coming up with what is the situation? 00:15:49.930 --> 00:15:50.180 align:middle line:90% What is the world? 00:15:50.180 --> 00:15:51.710 align:middle line:84% What is the the specific challenges that we're 00:15:51.710 --> 00:15:52.950 align:middle line:90% situating in this world? 00:15:52.950 --> 00:15:54.920 align:middle line:90% How are we going to do that? 00:15:54.920 --> 00:15:57.810 align:middle line:84% But it's about communal storytelling. 00:15:57.810 --> 00:16:00.040 align:middle line:84% As we're going to see in a minute, there are also games 00:16:00.040 --> 00:16:02.000 align:middle line:84% that are about coming up with stories. 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:04.970 align:middle line:84% We're being thrown in a similar way-- 00:16:04.970 --> 00:16:07.650 align:middle line:84% well, in Munchkin, you're kind of constructing the 00:16:07.650 --> 00:16:08.730 align:middle line:90% story as you go. 00:16:08.730 --> 00:16:11.310 align:middle line:84% But in the games that we're going to play today, or some 00:16:11.310 --> 00:16:15.230 align:middle line:84% of you are, like Gloom or Once Upon a Time, the game is being 00:16:15.230 --> 00:16:17.180 align:middle line:90% able to produce a narrative. 00:16:17.180 --> 00:16:20.110 align:middle line:84% Being able to make sense given the specific cues. 00:16:20.110 --> 00:16:21.660 align:middle line:90% You've had your hand up? 00:16:21.660 --> 00:16:24.376 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I was going to do the opposite extreme of a game 00:16:24.376 --> 00:16:29.420 align:middle line:84% with a very basic story, and you kind of make a story up as 00:16:29.420 --> 00:16:32.700 align:middle line:84% you go along, but it's not really that crazy. 00:16:32.700 --> 00:16:36.450 align:middle line:84% This card game, Falling, where pretty much the pretense is 00:16:36.450 --> 00:16:40.460 align:middle line:84% you are [UNINTELLIGIBLE], and you're falling to your demise. 00:16:40.460 --> 00:16:46.250 align:middle line:84% And so while you guys are falling, you guys decide we'll 00:16:46.250 --> 00:16:48.820 align:middle line:84% make a contest of who hits the ground last. 00:16:48.820 --> 00:16:51.630 align:middle line:84% And so it's a real-time game, and you're dealt cards in 00:16:51.630 --> 00:16:52.775 align:middle line:84% order, and it keeps going until you 00:16:52.775 --> 00:16:53.690 align:middle line:90% reach the ground card. 00:16:53.690 --> 00:16:57.350 align:middle line:84% And so you can attack other people. 00:16:57.350 --> 00:16:59.427 align:middle line:84% OK, this is going to happen to you and 00:16:59.427 --> 00:17:00.381 align:middle line:90% different effects happen. 00:17:00.381 --> 00:17:02.350 align:middle line:84% And so when you're actually playing it, it's kind of like 00:17:02.350 --> 00:17:03.900 align:middle line:84% the intensity when you're falling. 00:17:03.900 --> 00:17:07.630 align:middle line:84% Like, oh, I'm going to die, I have to do this fast because, 00:17:07.630 --> 00:17:10.300 align:middle line:84% before you know it, the ground is already at you. 00:17:10.300 --> 00:17:11.990 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: It's interesting because it creates a longer 00:17:11.990 --> 00:17:13.405 align:middle line:84% event of something that's supposed is 00:17:13.405 --> 00:17:14.170 align:middle line:90% supposed to be, pop! 00:17:14.170 --> 00:17:14.380 align:middle line:90% Gone. 00:17:14.380 --> 00:17:16.280 align:middle line:90% Scratch, right? 00:17:16.280 --> 00:17:20.089 align:middle line:84% But it's kind of zooming in on how long that would feel if 00:17:20.089 --> 00:17:25.030 align:middle line:84% you were actually falling, making a mini-story of that. 00:17:25.030 --> 00:17:27.180 align:middle line:84% It's interesting because I don't know how strongly-- this 00:17:27.180 --> 00:17:29.380 align:middle line:84% is one of the questions we'll be talking about in stories in 00:17:29.380 --> 00:17:32.360 align:middle line:84% games is what kind of an event constitutes an 00:17:32.360 --> 00:17:33.980 align:middle line:90% event in the story? 00:17:33.980 --> 00:17:35.680 align:middle line:84% Is opening a door an event in the story? 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:39.300 align:middle line:84% Well, in some games, it can be because it might give you 00:17:39.300 --> 00:17:44.120 align:middle line:84% access to new areas, there might be someone showing up 00:17:44.120 --> 00:17:45.610 align:middle line:90% that changes things. 00:17:45.610 --> 00:17:53.470 align:middle line:84% But in other cases, like Monopoly, going around and 00:17:53.470 --> 00:17:54.510 align:middle line:90% getting the-- 00:17:54.510 --> 00:17:55.530 align:middle line:90% how many, $100?-- 00:17:55.530 --> 00:18:00.140 align:middle line:90% $200, is that an event? 00:18:00.140 --> 00:18:01.250 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Maybe it's not. 00:18:01.250 --> 00:18:03.250 align:middle line:84% It doesn't seem like a story event because it's such a 00:18:03.250 --> 00:18:06.333 align:middle line:84% mundane thing that happens all the time, although clearly, it 00:18:06.333 --> 00:18:07.501 align:middle line:90% has [INAUDIBLE]. 00:18:07.501 --> 00:18:08.870 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, it does have an effect, but as a 00:18:08.870 --> 00:18:14.320 align:middle line:84% storytelling art, is kind of questionable. 00:18:14.320 --> 00:18:16.240 align:middle line:84% The other thing I wanted to ask you, seeing as you guys 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:20.670 align:middle line:84% have been playing particular board games, there are board 00:18:20.670 --> 00:18:22.100 align:middle line:84% games that have similar mechanics. 00:18:22.100 --> 00:18:25.900 align:middle line:84% So, I played Race to the Galaxy, which I really like. 00:18:25.900 --> 00:18:27.650 align:middle line:84% And I've been told that [? Potomac Coast ?] 00:18:27.650 --> 00:18:29.900 align:middle line:90% is very similar, yes? 00:18:29.900 --> 00:18:33.370 align:middle line:90% So does changing the theme-- 00:18:33.370 --> 00:18:36.010 align:middle line:84% those two games have different themes-- 00:18:36.010 --> 00:18:39.460 align:middle line:84% but does changing the theme affect the rules in any ways? 00:18:39.460 --> 00:18:41.372 align:middle line:84% For those of you who might have played both? 00:18:41.372 --> 00:18:45.000 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Not really. 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:46.020 align:middle line:90% Not for-- 00:18:46.020 --> 00:18:46.830 align:middle line:90% San Juan, I think is closer. 00:18:46.830 --> 00:18:49.650 align:middle line:90% San Juan is with the cards. 00:18:49.650 --> 00:18:51.820 align:middle line:84% But it doesn't really change the game, because the 00:18:51.820 --> 00:18:52.880 align:middle line:84% mechanics are almost identical. 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.660 align:middle line:84% It's just covered in a different shell, or whatever 00:18:56.660 --> 00:18:58.940 align:middle line:84% it is, whatever the mechanic they're trying to mimic. 00:18:58.940 --> 00:19:02.030 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: So it's like maybe you don't like 00:19:02.030 --> 00:19:05.650 align:middle line:90% colonial or whatever-- 00:19:05.650 --> 00:19:08.540 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yeah, if you don't like the-- 00:19:08.540 --> 00:19:09.884 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: The science fiction part-- 00:19:09.884 --> 00:19:12.370 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The science fiction theme, you could go for this 00:19:12.370 --> 00:19:15.510 align:middle line:84% more Earth town building theme. 00:19:15.510 --> 00:19:19.150 align:middle line:84% But if you don't like playing the game itself, switching to 00:19:19.150 --> 00:19:20.428 align:middle line:84% the other game is probably not going 00:19:20.428 --> 00:19:21.508 align:middle line:90% to be all that different. 00:19:21.508 --> 00:19:23.430 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes, yeah, which I think is kind of 00:19:23.430 --> 00:19:25.526 align:middle line:84% interesting, and it's like, so [INAUDIBLE]. 00:19:25.526 --> 00:19:25.952 align:middle line:90% Yes? 00:19:25.952 --> 00:19:27.790 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The interesting thing is that in neither of 00:19:27.790 --> 00:19:31.245 align:middle line:84% those cases, unlike, say, Ticket to Ride, do these 00:19:31.245 --> 00:19:33.010 align:middle line:84% things feel like they're tacked onto the theme? 00:19:33.010 --> 00:19:37.580 align:middle line:84% And in each case, the actual mechanics of the card 00:19:37.580 --> 00:19:41.170 align:middle line:84% faithfully represent what they're supposed to be in the 00:19:41.170 --> 00:19:41.980 align:middle line:90% game fiction, right? 00:19:41.980 --> 00:19:50.810 align:middle line:84% So I feel that the fact that the themes are essentially 00:19:50.810 --> 00:19:54.130 align:middle line:84% interchangeable, or that the same mechanics underlie both 00:19:54.130 --> 00:19:57.120 align:middle line:84% games, despite the fact that they have different themes, 00:19:57.120 --> 00:19:59.300 align:middle line:84% doesn't necessarily mean that there's something 00:19:59.300 --> 00:20:00.700 align:middle line:90% wrong with the theme. 00:20:00.700 --> 00:20:01.861 align:middle line:90% It's just that-- 00:20:01.861 --> 00:20:03.070 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: But the meaning is similar-- 00:20:03.070 --> 00:20:04.386 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: It's just that the mechanics are flexible, or 00:20:04.386 --> 00:20:04.650 align:middle line:90% something like that. 00:20:04.650 --> 00:20:06.490 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: But what I mean, the meaning of what you actually 00:20:06.490 --> 00:20:08.040 align:middle line:90% do in the games is similar. 00:20:08.040 --> 00:20:12.020 align:middle line:84% Resource management, planning ahead, knowing when you can 00:20:12.020 --> 00:20:14.170 align:middle line:90% deploy a certain-- 00:20:14.170 --> 00:20:16.280 align:middle line:84% they are about the same thing, even if they 00:20:16.280 --> 00:20:18.180 align:middle line:90% have different settings. 00:20:18.180 --> 00:20:20.050 align:middle line:84% So that's probably the connection. 00:20:20.050 --> 00:20:22.980 align:middle line:84% It's not about oh, if you like science fiction games, you can 00:20:22.980 --> 00:20:26.160 align:middle line:84% play the Battlestar Galactica game, Race to the Galaxy, 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:30.470 align:middle line:84% whereas I'm guessing that for most people, it's, well, if I 00:20:30.470 --> 00:20:33.540 align:middle line:84% like Puerto Rico, or I'm thinking of San Juan, sorry, 00:20:33.540 --> 00:20:35.470 align:middle line:90% [UNINTELLIGIBLE] wrong place. 00:20:35.470 --> 00:20:38.000 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Their themes are close enough. 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:39.450 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: But you would play 00:20:39.450 --> 00:20:40.624 align:middle line:90% something that is similar. 00:20:40.624 --> 00:20:41.532 align:middle line:90% Does that make sense? 00:20:41.532 --> 00:20:47.050 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: If the meaning of both games is really empire 00:20:47.050 --> 00:20:48.160 align:middle line:90% building in some sense, right? 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:51.213 align:middle line:84% In San Juan, it's got historic themes, and Race to the Galaxy 00:20:51.213 --> 00:20:52.119 align:middle line:90% it's futuristic. 00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:55.800 align:middle line:84% But they're both empire building. 00:20:55.800 --> 00:21:00.090 align:middle line:84% The theme is very well defined in both of these games. 00:21:00.090 --> 00:21:02.304 align:middle line:84% That will make sense because both themes are about empire 00:21:02.304 --> 00:21:06.104 align:middle line:84% building, only one's in the future and one's in the past. 00:21:06.104 --> 00:21:08.790 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: OK, so we have-- 00:21:08.790 --> 00:21:10.590 align:middle line:84% this has taken a bit of the time, but these are the 00:21:10.590 --> 00:21:14.330 align:middle line:84% foundations of the concepts that I wanted to get across 00:21:14.330 --> 00:21:16.560 align:middle line:90% today and discuss today. 00:21:16.560 --> 00:21:20.280 align:middle line:84% When we talk about video games, there's an extra layer, 00:21:20.280 --> 00:21:25.212 align:middle line:84% which is video games that are story driven versus just games 00:21:25.212 --> 00:21:26.760 align:middle line:90% with a story. 00:21:26.760 --> 00:21:29.460 align:middle line:90% An example I have here. 00:21:29.460 --> 00:21:32.333 align:middle line:84% So this is Soul Calibur 2, as far as I remember-- 00:21:32.333 --> 00:21:33.319 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE] 00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:34.798 align:middle line:90% Soul Calibur II-- 00:21:34.798 --> 00:21:35.291 align:middle line:90% [INAUDIBLE] 00:21:35.291 --> 00:21:36.277 align:middle line:90% I think so. 00:21:36.277 --> 00:21:37.756 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: I don't know. 00:21:37.756 --> 00:21:38.742 align:middle line:90% [INAUDIBLE] 00:21:38.742 --> 00:21:42.010 align:middle line:84% Soul Calibur hoping that it was familiar to [INAUDIBLE] 00:21:42.010 --> 00:21:42.800 align:middle line:90% designing. 00:21:42.800 --> 00:21:47.757 align:middle line:84% Anyway, so in Soul Calibur, what's the game about? 00:21:47.757 --> 00:21:48.751 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Fighting. 00:21:48.751 --> 00:21:51.280 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: It's about fighting hand-to-hand. 00:21:51.280 --> 00:21:52.470 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: It has some weird story. 00:21:52.470 --> 00:21:55.470 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: And it does have a weird story that's 00:21:55.470 --> 00:21:57.010 align:middle line:84% like, well, does anybody know the story? 00:21:57.010 --> 00:22:00.155 align:middle line:84% I know that there's something, and there's some reason why 00:22:00.155 --> 00:22:04.050 align:middle line:90% Sandra or Sophitia-- 00:22:04.050 --> 00:22:06.634 align:middle line:90% Sophitia, right? 00:22:06.634 --> 00:22:07.586 align:middle line:90% I don't know. 00:22:07.586 --> 00:22:08.538 align:middle line:90% I think her sister is Sandra. 00:22:08.538 --> 00:22:11.230 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: They're related somehow, they're mother and 00:22:11.230 --> 00:22:13.870 align:middle line:84% daughter or brothers or sisters or something. 00:22:13.870 --> 00:22:15.790 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Oh, OK. 00:22:15.790 --> 00:22:17.380 align:middle line:84% Maybe that's what she's asking for. 00:22:17.380 --> 00:22:18.744 align:middle line:90% I didn't know. 00:22:18.744 --> 00:22:20.470 align:middle line:90% I still like these games. 00:22:20.470 --> 00:22:22.010 align:middle line:90% But do I know their stories? 00:22:22.010 --> 00:22:22.440 align:middle line:90% No. 00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:24.310 align:middle line:90% But does it? 00:22:24.310 --> 00:22:26.020 align:middle line:90% Eh, not really. 00:22:26.020 --> 00:22:26.900 align:middle line:90% Enough of these. 00:22:26.900 --> 00:22:29.030 align:middle line:84% For some people, I'm sure that they do care about the stories 00:22:29.030 --> 00:22:31.835 align:middle line:84% of these, or the stories of the characters in Street 00:22:31.835 --> 00:22:32.770 align:middle line:90% Fighter, for example. 00:22:32.770 --> 00:22:33.040 align:middle line:90% Yes? 00:22:33.040 --> 00:22:36.160 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Well I was going to say for games like this, I 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:39.220 align:middle line:84% actually kind of like the story because it adds-- 00:22:39.220 --> 00:22:40.670 align:middle line:90% the game is not the story. 00:22:40.670 --> 00:22:43.040 align:middle line:84% There are two separate entities. 00:22:43.040 --> 00:22:46.170 align:middle line:84% But one kind of adds to the other. 00:22:46.170 --> 00:22:47.530 align:middle line:90% Like Diablo, for example. 00:22:47.530 --> 00:22:50.090 align:middle line:84% There's lots of people that have played Diablo II without 00:22:50.090 --> 00:22:52.520 align:middle line:84% really caring about the actual story-- 00:22:52.520 --> 00:22:56.280 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Those cinematics were so cool back in the day. 00:22:56.280 --> 00:23:01.020 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: But even though you can pretty much separate the 00:23:01.020 --> 00:23:03.435 align:middle line:84% story from Diablo II and people would probably still 00:23:03.435 --> 00:23:09.040 align:middle line:84% play it, the story definitely adds a layer of, I am attached 00:23:09.040 --> 00:23:09.740 align:middle line:90% to this game. 00:23:09.740 --> 00:23:11.870 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: But Diablo, in Diablo, the 00:23:11.870 --> 00:23:14.690 align:middle line:84% difference is that Diablo's closer to being a 00:23:14.690 --> 00:23:15.450 align:middle line:90% story-driven game. 00:23:15.450 --> 00:23:18.000 align:middle line:84% It's closer to being an art-boutique game, where the 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:21.840 align:middle line:84% quests, you have to know who you're going to talk to, what 00:23:21.840 --> 00:23:24.130 align:middle line:90% are you going to do. 00:23:24.130 --> 00:23:28.430 align:middle line:84% I had a friend, we were working in this game service, 00:23:28.430 --> 00:23:32.500 align:middle line:84% and we had to test all these role-playing games. 00:23:32.500 --> 00:23:35.710 align:middle line:84% And one of my coworkers was like, oh, I have to play-- 00:23:35.710 --> 00:23:38.140 align:middle line:90% it was Baldur's Gate II. 00:23:38.140 --> 00:23:39.840 align:middle line:90% One of the cool ones. 00:23:39.840 --> 00:23:42.620 align:middle line:84% And he was like, OK, I have to test this, and I just have to 00:23:42.620 --> 00:23:43.650 align:middle line:90% see that it works. 00:23:43.650 --> 00:23:46.120 align:middle line:84% And he was not paying attention to any other text. 00:23:46.120 --> 00:23:48.890 align:middle line:84% He was just doing the technical testing. 00:23:48.890 --> 00:23:51.600 align:middle line:84% But then he got stuck, and we were supposed to finish the 00:23:51.600 --> 00:23:54.820 align:middle line:84% games, and he was stuck, and he was going slower because he 00:23:54.820 --> 00:23:55.290 align:middle line:90% didn't know what to do. 00:23:55.290 --> 00:23:58.600 align:middle line:84% I said, well, if you had read what you actually had to do. 00:23:58.600 --> 00:24:00.760 align:middle line:84% Well, for him, it was like, it was just a story! 00:24:00.760 --> 00:24:03.330 align:middle line:90% Well, you're playing an RPG. 00:24:03.330 --> 00:24:05.920 align:middle line:90% You can't leave the story out. 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:09.306 align:middle line:84% Somebody's telling you that you have to squash I don't 00:24:09.306 --> 00:24:13.660 align:middle line:84% know how many arts, be happy to know that you have to 00:24:13.660 --> 00:24:14.930 align:middle line:90% support the arts. 00:24:14.930 --> 00:24:16.790 align:middle line:90% You have to know where to go. 00:24:16.790 --> 00:24:20.120 align:middle line:84% So in story-driven games, what happens is that the story's 00:24:20.120 --> 00:24:23.810 align:middle line:84% really so tied to the rules and the goals of the game that 00:24:23.810 --> 00:24:26.570 align:middle line:84% you have, as you advance in the game, you're also 00:24:26.570 --> 00:24:29.110 align:middle line:90% advancing in the story. 00:24:29.110 --> 00:24:34.210 align:middle line:84% That something that, here, when you beat up somebody in 00:24:34.210 --> 00:24:38.360 align:middle line:84% Soul Calibur or Street Fighter, whatever fighting 00:24:38.360 --> 00:24:42.970 align:middle line:84% game you can think of, there might be a little cut scene 00:24:42.970 --> 00:24:44.150 align:middle line:90% that tells us who they are. 00:24:44.150 --> 00:24:46.010 align:middle line:90% One thing that I like about-- 00:24:46.010 --> 00:24:46.660 align:middle line:90% is it Soul Calibur? 00:24:46.660 --> 00:24:47.530 align:middle line:90% Yeah. 00:24:47.530 --> 00:24:50.000 align:middle line:84% There's a bit of taunting, like, oh, he beat me, or 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:51.680 align:middle line:90% something like that. 00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:55.730 align:middle line:84% But that is building character a bit, and that means writing. 00:24:55.730 --> 00:24:58.760 align:middle line:84% But really, it's not really story-driven. 00:24:58.760 --> 00:25:02.340 align:middle line:84% The fact that we're getting bits of the story as we 00:25:02.340 --> 00:25:05.610 align:middle line:84% complete challenges, doesn't mean that if we ignore the 00:25:05.610 --> 00:25:07.212 align:middle line:84% game, we can still complete the game 00:25:07.212 --> 00:25:07.715 align:middle line:90% without knowing the story. 00:25:07.715 --> 00:25:08.930 align:middle line:90% Does it make sense? 00:25:08.930 --> 00:25:13.390 align:middle line:84% So this is something that video games are doing that, to 00:25:13.390 --> 00:25:16.480 align:middle line:84% a certain extent, some of the board games that you might 00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:18.100 align:middle line:84% have been playing don't quite do. 00:25:18.100 --> 00:25:21.200 align:middle line:90% Does it make sense? 00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:24.920 align:middle line:84% We can still think of-- and there might be some people who 00:25:24.920 --> 00:25:28.080 align:middle line:84% play these board games still at the mathematical level 00:25:28.080 --> 00:25:31.140 align:middle line:84% without paying any attention to what the event that's 00:25:31.140 --> 00:25:32.810 align:middle line:90% representing of. 00:25:32.810 --> 00:25:36.160 align:middle line:84% But that's one potential of video games, that idea of 00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:38.480 align:middle line:84% having a story-driven game where you're playing a game, 00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:41.940 align:middle line:84% you are interacting with the world with a strong-- 00:25:41.940 --> 00:25:44.523 align:middle line:84% in the cases of story-driven games, you also have the 00:25:44.523 --> 00:25:47.300 align:middle line:84% struggle of a fictional world that you are interacting with, 00:25:47.300 --> 00:25:50.810 align:middle line:84% that you are exploring, that you're poking around. 00:25:50.810 --> 00:25:55.960 align:middle line:84% So one thing I wanted to make clear here is that when we 00:25:55.960 --> 00:25:57.210 align:middle line:90% talk about storytelling-- 00:25:57.210 --> 00:25:59.820 align:middle line:90% and let's try to use the term. 00:25:59.820 --> 00:26:01.640 align:middle line:84% We're talking about the stories, but is it really 00:26:01.640 --> 00:26:02.480 align:middle line:90% storytelling? 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:04.170 align:middle line:84% And the thing is that technically 00:26:04.170 --> 00:26:05.350 align:middle line:90% games don't tell stories. 00:26:05.350 --> 00:26:06.730 align:middle line:90% Who's telling the story? 00:26:06.730 --> 00:26:08.350 align:middle line:90% Who's the narrator? 00:26:08.350 --> 00:26:10.910 align:middle line:84% There might be games that have a kind of gimmick of having 00:26:10.910 --> 00:26:14.630 align:middle line:84% the narrator, like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. 00:26:14.630 --> 00:26:17.770 align:middle line:84% When you make a mistake, and he's supposed to be telling 00:26:17.770 --> 00:26:21.120 align:middle line:84% what's happened to him, and he's like, no, no, no, wait, 00:26:21.120 --> 00:26:22.150 align:middle line:84% when are you guys going to learn, no, 00:26:22.150 --> 00:26:24.860 align:middle line:90% that's not how it happened. 00:26:24.860 --> 00:26:29.450 align:middle line:84% But really, most games, again like Baldur's Gate or Diablo, 00:26:29.450 --> 00:26:35.760 align:middle line:84% or more recently like Mass Effect, who is the 00:26:35.760 --> 00:26:37.370 align:middle line:90% storyteller? 00:26:37.370 --> 00:26:40.100 align:middle line:84% And the thing is that there are also 00:26:40.100 --> 00:26:41.910 align:middle line:90% different types of stories. 00:26:41.910 --> 00:26:44.590 align:middle line:84% When we are interacting with a game, what we are doing is 00:26:44.590 --> 00:26:48.310 align:middle line:84% performing, and as we perform, we are creating a story. 00:26:48.310 --> 00:26:52.460 align:middle line:84% There's a story that has been maybe prepared for us. 00:26:52.460 --> 00:26:55.580 align:middle line:84% Going back to the Munchkin thing, in every card, we have 00:26:55.580 --> 00:27:01.970 align:middle line:84% a bit of the story, and we are kind of putting it together, 00:27:01.970 --> 00:27:04.130 align:middle line:90% laying it out. 00:27:04.130 --> 00:27:08.190 align:middle line:84% So the game designers have designed each game, each chunk 00:27:08.190 --> 00:27:09.710 align:middle line:84% of the story, what are the cues that 00:27:09.710 --> 00:27:10.650 align:middle line:90% we're giving the player? 00:27:10.650 --> 00:27:14.230 align:middle line:84% But then there's also what else this player is bringing 00:27:14.230 --> 00:27:16.030 align:middle line:90% to the game. 00:27:16.030 --> 00:27:19.260 align:middle line:84% As I was saying before, there's part that is the game 00:27:19.260 --> 00:27:22.330 align:middle line:84% itself telling its story, and the other is what we are 00:27:22.330 --> 00:27:27.200 align:middle line:84% evoking, what we are having the player bring to the game. 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:29.300 align:middle line:84% Is the story happening in that player's head? 00:27:29.300 --> 00:27:31.190 align:middle line:84% So what I'd like to say is that it's not really 00:27:31.190 --> 00:27:34.270 align:middle line:84% storytelling, it's about story building, and as game 00:27:34.270 --> 00:27:37.800 align:middle line:84% designers, we are designing those little chunks. 00:27:37.800 --> 00:27:43.210 align:middle line:84% We are creating stories that are meant to be reconstructed, 00:27:43.210 --> 00:27:45.230 align:middle line:90% that are meant to be together. 00:27:45.230 --> 00:27:47.890 align:middle line:84% So the difference between storytelling and story 00:27:47.890 --> 00:27:50.700 align:middle line:84% building basically, when we have storytelling, we have 00:27:50.700 --> 00:27:56.720 align:middle line:84% somebody who's narrating, or maybe there's someone who's 00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:58.900 align:middle line:84% re-enacting what's happened, so a thing like 00:27:58.900 --> 00:27:59.870 align:middle line:90% theater, for example. 00:27:59.870 --> 00:28:02.560 align:middle line:84% But this continuous, it's something that just happens 00:28:02.560 --> 00:28:07.700 align:middle line:84% and is not fragmented, which is what story building means. 00:28:07.700 --> 00:28:11.040 align:middle line:84% We have something that has not already happened. 00:28:11.040 --> 00:28:16.540 align:middle line:84% It's communicated one way, and what those events are and what 00:28:16.540 --> 00:28:19.840 align:middle line:84% order they're told, that's determined by the author. 00:28:19.840 --> 00:28:24.000 align:middle line:84% If we think about stories and how stories apply to games in 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:25.380 align:middle line:84% terms of story building, we're talking 00:28:25.380 --> 00:28:27.180 align:middle line:90% about fragmented stories. 00:28:27.180 --> 00:28:27.970 align:middle line:90% Stories in pieces. 00:28:27.970 --> 00:28:30.540 align:middle line:84% Stories that we have to put together like a puzzle. 00:28:30.540 --> 00:28:32.290 align:middle line:90% And we're game designers. 00:28:32.290 --> 00:28:33.570 align:middle line:90% We make puzzles. 00:28:33.570 --> 00:28:36.290 align:middle line:84% That's one of the many things that we can do. 00:28:36.290 --> 00:28:38.900 align:middle line:84% What those fragments are, how are we giving cues to the 00:28:38.900 --> 00:28:42.270 align:middle line:84% player to put together those fragments, or to come up with 00:28:42.270 --> 00:28:45.750 align:middle line:84% their own ways of coming up with the story. 00:28:45.750 --> 00:28:48.640 align:middle line:84% In a way, it's a kind of collaboration between the 00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:51.210 align:middle line:84% designer and the player, because we rely on the player 00:28:51.210 --> 00:28:54.480 align:middle line:84% to put this story together, to come up with their own ways of 00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:59.600 align:middle line:84% filling the gaps, to really have a proactive role in 00:28:59.600 --> 00:29:02.470 align:middle line:84% figuring out what the story is, and what the 00:29:02.470 --> 00:29:03.420 align:middle line:90% order of events is. 00:29:03.420 --> 00:29:04.160 align:middle line:90% But there are-- 00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:08.510 align:middle line:84% you guys have seen the games of progression and the games 00:29:08.510 --> 00:29:09.780 align:middle line:90% of emergence? 00:29:09.780 --> 00:29:10.472 align:middle line:90% Yes? 00:29:10.472 --> 00:29:11.274 align:middle line:90% You discussed that? 00:29:11.274 --> 00:29:13.998 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Could you [INAUDIBLE] 00:29:13.998 --> 00:29:15.850 align:middle line:84% I'm trying to remember where this-- 00:29:15.850 --> 00:29:17.220 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: It's like the [INAUDIBLE] in the 00:29:17.220 --> 00:29:19.152 align:middle line:90% first chapter, second chapter? 00:29:19.152 --> 00:29:19.976 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Well it's a seperate-- 00:29:19.976 --> 00:29:23.070 align:middle line:84% I think we had actually looked at the individual paper. 00:29:23.070 --> 00:29:26.180 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yeah, we have the individual, not the book. 00:29:26.180 --> 00:29:27.812 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Not the chapter? 00:29:27.812 --> 00:29:29.270 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: But it's basically the same thing. 00:29:29.270 --> 00:29:31.855 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: OK, yeah, because he talked about 00:29:31.855 --> 00:29:35.090 align:middle line:84% the same thing in a couple of different places. 00:29:35.090 --> 00:29:39.590 align:middle line:84% So what happens is that at times, there are games that 00:29:39.590 --> 00:29:42.940 align:middle line:84% have a specific order of events, and there are some 00:29:42.940 --> 00:29:47.020 align:middle line:84% adventure games, like Syberia for example, where you have to 00:29:47.020 --> 00:29:50.840 align:middle line:84% go through a very specific sequence of events, and when 00:29:50.840 --> 00:29:53.450 align:middle line:84% you get to a scene it's like, you have to do this. 00:29:53.450 --> 00:30:01.370 align:middle line:84% Things like Dragon's Lair, the laser disc DVD. 00:30:01.370 --> 00:30:04.030 align:middle line:84% When you go to a place and you have to figure out what is the 00:30:04.030 --> 00:30:07.070 align:middle line:84% action that you have to do, and if you don't do it, you 00:30:07.070 --> 00:30:09.290 align:middle line:90% die in horrible ways. 00:30:09.290 --> 00:30:15.520 align:middle line:84% So those are games that set the order of events very 00:30:15.520 --> 00:30:16.340 align:middle line:90% specifically. 00:30:16.340 --> 00:30:19.550 align:middle line:84% But most of the games tend to have some more flexibility, 00:30:19.550 --> 00:30:22.490 align:middle line:84% and let the players explore the world. 00:30:22.490 --> 00:30:26.240 align:middle line:84% Things that happen in the world are generated by how the 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:28.200 align:middle line:84% player is interacting with the world. 00:30:28.200 --> 00:30:31.010 align:middle line:84% So in RPGs, for example, depending on the RPG, there 00:30:31.010 --> 00:30:34.412 align:middle line:84% might be the main quest and the side quests, and there 00:30:34.412 --> 00:30:36.880 align:middle line:84% might be flexibility in what order that happens. 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:41.320 align:middle line:84% Even how a player might solve a specific quest. 00:30:41.320 --> 00:30:48.050 align:middle line:84% In terms of table top, who here has been dungeon master? 00:30:48.050 --> 00:30:50.034 align:middle line:90% OK, a bunch of you. 00:30:50.034 --> 00:30:51.902 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: [LAUGHTER] 00:30:51.902 --> 00:30:53.925 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: OK, so we have a 00:30:53.925 --> 00:30:55.400 align:middle line:90% corner of dungeon masters. 00:30:55.400 --> 00:30:59.110 align:middle line:84% So you probably know that when you design a quest, and then 00:30:59.110 --> 00:31:01.600 align:middle line:84% you set it up, and you have your players, and then your 00:31:01.600 --> 00:31:03.760 align:middle line:84% players come up with a couple of different ways of tackling 00:31:03.760 --> 00:31:05.940 align:middle line:84% your quest, whatever they can come up with. 00:31:05.940 --> 00:31:08.610 align:middle line:84% And you have to improvise and try to-- 00:31:08.610 --> 00:31:10.710 align:middle line:84% you're building the rails of their living. 00:31:10.710 --> 00:31:13.290 align:middle line:84% It's like they're trying to anticipate what 00:31:13.290 --> 00:31:15.010 align:middle line:90% they're going to do. 00:31:15.010 --> 00:31:19.825 align:middle line:84% So we're trying to get that into video games, too, but we 00:31:19.825 --> 00:31:22.605 align:middle line:84% don't have the improvisational capacity built 00:31:22.605 --> 00:31:24.640 align:middle line:90% into computers yet. 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:29.195 align:middle line:84% But as you see, it's like the dungeon masters, as dungeon 00:31:29.195 --> 00:31:32.695 align:middle line:84% masters, we're responding to the actions of the player. 00:31:32.695 --> 00:31:33.945 align:middle line:90% Does it make sense? 00:31:33.945 --> 00:31:35.560 align:middle line:90% 00:31:35.560 --> 00:31:38.170 align:middle line:84% When we're talking about story building, there are games, as 00:31:38.170 --> 00:31:41.170 align:middle line:84% I was saying, that are about story building, where the 00:31:41.170 --> 00:31:45.280 align:middle line:84% challenge is constructing a story, improvising as you go. 00:31:45.280 --> 00:31:47.770 align:middle line:84% You're given chunks, and you have to be able to be a 00:31:47.770 --> 00:31:49.300 align:middle line:90% storyteller. 00:31:49.300 --> 00:31:50.940 align:middle line:90% But you'll play these later. 00:31:50.940 --> 00:31:54.609 align:middle line:90% 00:31:54.609 --> 00:31:57.100 align:middle line:84% We've actually talked about this before. 00:31:57.100 --> 00:32:02.430 align:middle line:84% So when we're talking about building the fictional world 00:32:02.430 --> 00:32:04.140 align:middle line:90% of the game-- 00:32:04.140 --> 00:32:07.860 align:middle line:84% I'm going to [UNINTELLIGIBLE] through this a bit fast. 00:32:07.860 --> 00:32:09.910 align:middle line:90% We have until 4:30, right? 00:32:09.910 --> 00:32:10.870 align:middle line:90% PROFESSOR: Yes. 00:32:10.870 --> 00:32:12.310 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: OK. 00:32:12.310 --> 00:32:17.160 align:middle line:84% So there are also very minimal ways in which we can construct 00:32:17.160 --> 00:32:21.690 align:middle line:84% our fiction, and these are lessons that I've taken from 00:32:21.690 --> 00:32:22.620 align:middle line:90% digital games. 00:32:22.620 --> 00:32:26.990 align:middle line:84% But if you think about it, many of these also apply to 00:32:26.990 --> 00:32:28.800 align:middle line:90% non-digital games. 00:32:28.800 --> 00:32:34.330 align:middle line:84% So for example, we have the title of a game can tell us 00:32:34.330 --> 00:32:36.990 align:middle line:84% something about the fictional world, right? 00:32:36.990 --> 00:32:39.790 align:middle line:84% What about board games or card games? 00:32:39.790 --> 00:32:43.261 align:middle line:84% How do the titles build the fictional world? 00:32:43.261 --> 00:32:45.525 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The board game Mafia Wars is pretty clear about 00:32:45.525 --> 00:32:46.700 align:middle line:90% what you're doing. 00:32:46.700 --> 00:32:48.050 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: So that's a way. 00:32:48.050 --> 00:32:49.840 align:middle line:84% It's evoking some things, like the type or 00:32:49.840 --> 00:32:52.720 align:middle line:90% kind of world on itself. 00:32:52.720 --> 00:32:53.950 align:middle line:84% And also setting the situation. 00:32:53.950 --> 00:32:58.210 align:middle line:90% So here, Mafia Wars is about 00:32:58.210 --> 00:32:59.000 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Mafia having-- 00:32:59.000 --> 00:32:59.712 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: There's different factions. 00:32:59.712 --> 00:33:00.940 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Getting in trouble-- 00:33:00.940 --> 00:33:02.060 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: There's going-- 00:33:02.060 --> 00:33:02.970 align:middle line:90% yeah. 00:33:02.970 --> 00:33:06.740 align:middle line:84% There's going to be betrayal probably, shooting down people 00:33:06.740 --> 00:33:08.155 align:middle line:90% in horrible ways. 00:33:08.155 --> 00:33:09.308 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]. 00:33:09.308 --> 00:33:10.980 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Any licensed game? 00:33:10.980 --> 00:33:12.345 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Any licensed game? 00:33:12.345 --> 00:33:13.320 align:middle line:90% Yes. 00:33:13.320 --> 00:33:18.560 align:middle line:84% Thought at times, things like versions of Monopoly or 00:33:18.560 --> 00:33:19.970 align:middle line:84% Trivial Pursuit where it's kind of like-- 00:33:19.970 --> 00:33:21.075 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Star Wars-- 00:33:21.075 --> 00:33:23.610 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Star Wars everything. 00:33:23.610 --> 00:33:26.360 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Risk gets kind of broad. 00:33:26.360 --> 00:33:28.370 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: And there are also skimmings of 00:33:28.370 --> 00:33:29.830 align:middle line:90% Risk, right? 00:33:29.830 --> 00:33:31.110 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Yeah, lots. 00:33:31.110 --> 00:33:32.460 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Lord of the Rings. 00:33:32.460 --> 00:33:33.800 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Lord of the Rings everything, too. 00:33:33.800 --> 00:33:36.662 align:middle line:90% 00:33:36.662 --> 00:33:37.912 align:middle line:90% Kind of like Barbie. 00:33:37.912 --> 00:33:40.001 align:middle line:90% 00:33:40.001 --> 00:33:41.909 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I just feel like there are so many Risks. 00:33:41.909 --> 00:33:44.217 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I know there's [? God's ?] which takes place 00:33:44.217 --> 00:33:46.882 align:middle line:84% back in like mythological, [INAUDIBLE]? 00:33:46.882 --> 00:33:50.396 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, apart from franchises, what 00:33:50.396 --> 00:33:50.945 align:middle line:90% other titles are-- 00:33:50.945 --> 00:33:52.485 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The Settlers of Catan. 00:33:52.485 --> 00:33:55.272 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Settlers of Catan, which is evoking--? 00:33:55.272 --> 00:33:56.255 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Settling. 00:33:56.255 --> 00:33:57.700 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 00:33:57.700 --> 00:34:00.020 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Building cities. 00:34:00.020 --> 00:34:00.330 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Building, sure. 00:34:00.330 --> 00:34:01.976 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: San Juan. 00:34:01.976 --> 00:34:04.170 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, San Juan's going to-- 00:34:04.170 --> 00:34:05.330 align:middle line:90% that's what you told me, too. 00:34:05.330 --> 00:34:06.735 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Chinatown. 00:34:06.735 --> 00:34:07.620 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Chinatown? 00:34:07.620 --> 00:34:09.521 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: It's set in Chinatown. 00:34:09.521 --> 00:34:10.739 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: And what do you do? 00:34:10.739 --> 00:34:13.239 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: You build businesses that are stereotypically 00:34:13.239 --> 00:34:15.579 align:middle line:84% associated with being in Chinatown. 00:34:15.579 --> 00:34:17.451 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 00:34:17.451 --> 00:34:19.442 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: So with one title, it's not only we're 00:34:19.442 --> 00:34:21.940 align:middle line:84% evoking the world, but we can also evoke rules. 00:34:21.940 --> 00:34:23.294 align:middle line:84% What do you have to do to here? 00:34:23.294 --> 00:34:25.635 align:middle line:84% So like Mafia Wars, you kill people. 00:34:25.635 --> 00:34:27.070 align:middle line:90% But then, Settlers of Catan. 00:34:27.070 --> 00:34:28.320 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:30.595 align:middle line:90% 00:34:30.595 --> 00:34:32.520 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: But you are maybe playing what some of 00:34:32.520 --> 00:34:35.454 align:middle line:84% the rules are, what the game is about, which is what is 00:34:35.454 --> 00:34:36.260 align:middle line:90% important here. 00:34:36.260 --> 00:34:41.030 align:middle line:84% And again, Soren Johnson calls attention to the fact that if 00:34:41.030 --> 00:34:44.219 align:middle line:84% you're announcing that your game is about something in the 00:34:44.219 --> 00:34:47.479 align:middle line:84% description booklet, the people might not always read, 00:34:47.479 --> 00:34:49.949 align:middle line:84% or at least a part of people don't read. 00:34:49.949 --> 00:34:53.260 align:middle line:84% You should follow up with that, because it's helping, 00:34:53.260 --> 00:34:57.000 align:middle line:84% it's giving cues to the player about how is the story of the 00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:57.660 align:middle line:90% game going to build up. 00:34:57.660 --> 00:34:59.410 align:middle line:90% What is the key? 00:34:59.410 --> 00:35:02.560 align:middle line:84% I like talking about giving keys to the player a lot 00:35:02.560 --> 00:35:04.800 align:middle line:90% because I come from theater. 00:35:04.800 --> 00:35:06.880 align:middle line:84% It's a very intuitive way of understanding. 00:35:06.880 --> 00:35:09.650 align:middle line:84% It's not about us selling the story, it's about helping the 00:35:09.650 --> 00:35:11.590 align:middle line:90% player construct the story. 00:35:11.590 --> 00:35:15.076 align:middle line:84% So I have two examples from video games I really like 00:35:15.076 --> 00:35:19.630 align:middle line:84% about how to build a fictional world with a title. 00:35:19.630 --> 00:35:23.730 align:middle line:84% One obvious one in video games is Space Invaders, right? 00:35:23.730 --> 00:35:28.311 align:middle line:84% Space Invaders means we're on Earth and-- 00:35:28.311 --> 00:35:28.780 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Invaders, aliens. 00:35:28.780 --> 00:35:31.360 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Invaders from space, and we'll probably 00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:32.140 align:middle line:90% have a fight. 00:35:32.140 --> 00:35:33.580 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Invading from space. 00:35:33.580 --> 00:35:35.220 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Another good one, 00:35:35.220 --> 00:35:37.470 align:middle line:90% Zombies Ate My Neighbors. 00:35:37.470 --> 00:35:39.032 align:middle line:84% There's a whole story right there. 00:35:39.032 --> 00:35:41.212 align:middle line:84% So what's the story of this game? 00:35:41.212 --> 00:35:42.156 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Zombies ate the neighbors? 00:35:42.156 --> 00:35:43.970 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: The zombies ate the neighbors? 00:35:43.970 --> 00:35:45.590 align:middle line:90% So what do I do in this game? 00:35:45.590 --> 00:35:47.255 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Probably kill zombies. 00:35:47.255 --> 00:35:48.185 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: So probably killing zombies. 00:35:48.185 --> 00:35:49.755 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Are zombies eating my neighbors? 00:35:49.755 --> 00:35:52.250 align:middle line:84% Or the zombies ate my neighbors and then just left. 00:35:52.250 --> 00:35:53.545 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Maybe the zombies are your neighbors. 00:35:53.545 --> 00:35:55.310 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, maybe you have to kill your 00:35:55.310 --> 00:35:57.340 align:middle line:90% neighbors, too, now. 00:35:57.340 --> 00:36:00.170 align:middle line:84% If there's anything left, because they ate them. 00:36:00.170 --> 00:36:04.540 align:middle line:90% But this is a whole situation. 00:36:04.540 --> 00:36:05.000 align:middle line:90% What do I have to do? 00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:06.220 align:middle line:90% OK, zombies. 00:36:06.220 --> 00:36:09.010 align:middle line:84% Whacking zombies, I'm sure, or running away from them. 00:36:09.010 --> 00:36:11.320 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The fact that you have neighbors in the 00:36:11.320 --> 00:36:12.550 align:middle line:90% neighborhood, right? 00:36:12.550 --> 00:36:14.100 align:middle line:84% It's not like a military zombie shooter. 00:36:14.100 --> 00:36:16.715 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes, it's not Resident Evil. 00:36:16.715 --> 00:36:19.486 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: They looked vaguely like '50s. 00:36:19.486 --> 00:36:21.290 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, I'm not sure about that. 00:36:21.290 --> 00:36:24.820 align:middle line:90% This is like a Genesis game. 00:36:24.820 --> 00:36:26.680 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I just played a game with an old, like-- 00:36:26.680 --> 00:36:27.145 align:middle line:90% [UNINTELLIGIBLE] 00:36:27.145 --> 00:36:28.790 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, yeah, right. 00:36:28.790 --> 00:36:32.050 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Harkening back to the zombie movies of the day. 00:36:32.050 --> 00:36:33.690 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah. 00:36:33.690 --> 00:36:37.770 align:middle line:84% Another great title that I found not too long ago, Earth 00:36:37.770 --> 00:36:38.890 align:middle line:90% Dies Screaming. 00:36:38.890 --> 00:36:40.206 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 00:36:40.206 --> 00:36:41.152 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Wow. 00:36:41.152 --> 00:36:42.870 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Which is actually about the '70s-- 00:36:42.870 --> 00:36:46.026 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Whoa. 00:36:46.026 --> 00:36:48.770 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: The title is from a '70s British 00:36:48.770 --> 00:36:53.040 align:middle line:84% movie that I think has nothing to do with the game. 00:36:53.040 --> 00:36:55.970 align:middle line:84% This is like Space Invaders in a way. 00:36:55.970 --> 00:36:59.440 align:middle line:84% You are defending the earth, it kind of looks like that. 00:36:59.440 --> 00:37:04.860 align:middle line:84% You have your space ship, and you have invaders, and you 00:37:04.860 --> 00:37:09.080 align:middle line:84% have to destroy it before it lands on earth. 00:37:09.080 --> 00:37:11.550 align:middle line:84% But again, it's very evocative. 00:37:11.550 --> 00:37:15.530 align:middle line:84% It's more memorable than Space Invaders in a way, 00:37:15.530 --> 00:37:17.770 align:middle line:90% because it's got-- 00:37:17.770 --> 00:37:20.600 align:middle line:84% there's people attacking earth, whoever it is. 00:37:20.600 --> 00:37:22.090 align:middle line:84% And this is going to end badly. 00:37:22.090 --> 00:37:24.370 align:middle line:84% That's another thing, but Space Invaders and things like 00:37:24.370 --> 00:37:24.850 align:middle line:90% [UNINTELLIGIBLE] 00:37:24.850 --> 00:37:30.627 align:middle line:84% and all those arcade games that do have an ending, you 00:37:30.627 --> 00:37:31.908 align:middle line:90% know the ending. 00:37:31.908 --> 00:37:33.402 align:middle line:90% You cannot really save earth. 00:37:33.402 --> 00:37:37.510 align:middle line:90% It's really ominous in a way. 00:37:37.510 --> 00:37:39.480 align:middle line:90% But again, we have a whole. 00:37:39.480 --> 00:37:41.970 align:middle line:84% We have a whole situation is about-- 00:37:41.970 --> 00:37:43.200 align:middle line:90% in the title. 00:37:43.200 --> 00:37:43.830 align:middle line:90% It's also very memorable. 00:37:43.830 --> 00:37:45.290 align:middle line:90% I really like this title. 00:37:45.290 --> 00:37:48.770 align:middle line:84% Another way in which we can give cues to 00:37:48.770 --> 00:37:50.790 align:middle line:90% players to build worlds-- 00:37:50.790 --> 00:37:58.055 align:middle line:84% and I had more of this, but this applies more to video 00:37:58.055 --> 00:38:02.100 align:middle line:84% games than to board games, card games, and even 00:38:02.100 --> 00:38:05.380 align:middle line:84% role-playing games, is character design. 00:38:05.380 --> 00:38:07.690 align:middle line:90% Because when we are making-- 00:38:07.690 --> 00:38:09.960 align:middle line:84% and tell me from your own experience-- 00:38:09.960 --> 00:38:12.450 align:middle line:84% but when you're making non-digital games, and even 00:38:12.450 --> 00:38:17.890 align:middle line:84% when you're preparing your Dungeons & Dragons campaign, 00:38:17.890 --> 00:38:20.150 align:middle line:84% you don't really come up with the characters. 00:38:20.150 --> 00:38:23.220 align:middle line:84% The characters is something that the player brings. 00:38:23.220 --> 00:38:25.670 align:middle line:84% For card games, if you have any examples that are counter 00:38:25.670 --> 00:38:28.470 align:middle line:84% examples for this, please let me know. 00:38:28.470 --> 00:38:31.660 align:middle line:84% But character design is not something that you do so much 00:38:31.660 --> 00:38:32.480 align:middle line:90% in non-digital games. 00:38:32.480 --> 00:38:34.370 align:middle line:84% Do you have any examples of that? 00:38:34.370 --> 00:38:35.707 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Well, [UNINTELLIGIBLE] 00:38:35.707 --> 00:38:36.501 align:middle line:90% can be. 00:38:36.501 --> 00:38:38.680 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, in a way, yes. 00:38:38.680 --> 00:38:42.020 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I was thinking [? Acompora ?] 00:38:42.020 --> 00:38:45.645 align:middle line:84% and other games where you have a character which is assigned 00:38:45.645 --> 00:38:48.130 align:middle line:84% to you and often they have back story. 00:38:48.130 --> 00:38:50.576 align:middle line:84% In [? Acompora ?] there's [UNINTELLIGIBLE], Byron, or 00:38:50.576 --> 00:38:51.858 align:middle line:90% what have you. 00:38:51.858 --> 00:38:55.490 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I was going to say the game where 00:38:55.490 --> 00:38:56.160 align:middle line:90% you're trying to-- 00:38:56.160 --> 00:38:57.096 align:middle line:90% Clue, Clue. 00:38:57.096 --> 00:38:59.620 align:middle line:84% Where you choose a character and they all have their 00:38:59.620 --> 00:39:01.300 align:middle line:90% [INAUDIBLE] and whatnot. 00:39:01.300 --> 00:39:03.310 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: The things that I-- 00:39:03.310 --> 00:39:05.410 align:middle line:84% As a player, are you really involved with those 00:39:05.410 --> 00:39:06.475 align:middle line:90% characters? 00:39:06.475 --> 00:39:08.530 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I think I can think of one game which is an 00:39:08.530 --> 00:39:13.395 align:middle line:84% example where you are, and it's called Android. 00:39:13.395 --> 00:39:18.640 align:middle line:84% This game was released, I think, two years ago now, and 00:39:18.640 --> 00:39:19.820 align:middle line:90% part of the-- 00:39:19.820 --> 00:39:22.270 align:middle line:84% actually, you should probably play it-- 00:39:22.270 --> 00:39:25.870 align:middle line:84% part of the point is that it was trying to include 00:39:25.870 --> 00:39:27.120 align:middle line:90% developments of-- 00:39:27.120 --> 00:39:29.370 align:middle line:90% 00:39:29.370 --> 00:39:31.830 align:middle line:84% resolving characters' personal stories through 00:39:31.830 --> 00:39:32.760 align:middle line:90% mechanics in the game. 00:39:32.760 --> 00:39:33.590 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Oh, yeah. 00:39:33.590 --> 00:39:37.935 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: So you're actually playing through this choose 00:39:37.935 --> 00:39:42.070 align:middle line:84% your own adventure-ish type scenario. 00:39:42.070 --> 00:39:45.540 align:middle line:84% And the choices that you make throughout the game influence 00:39:45.540 --> 00:39:46.818 align:middle line:84% what directions your character's 00:39:46.818 --> 00:39:49.630 align:middle line:90% personal story arc. 00:39:49.630 --> 00:39:51.793 align:middle line:90% It's a very good game. 00:39:51.793 --> 00:39:53.090 align:middle line:90% But it's interesting, right? 00:39:53.090 --> 00:39:55.820 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, what I'm trying to get at here 00:39:55.820 --> 00:39:58.150 align:middle line:84% is that at times, the characters are-- 00:39:58.150 --> 00:40:01.650 align:middle line:84% and again, evoking actions, evoking certain emotions, too. 00:40:01.650 --> 00:40:05.560 align:middle line:84% I think that that detachment with non-digital games-- 00:40:05.560 --> 00:40:06.990 align:middle line:84% with role-playing games, it's different. 00:40:06.990 --> 00:40:10.120 align:middle line:84% But again, when you're building your own characters 00:40:10.120 --> 00:40:12.630 align:middle line:84% in role-playing, you have an investment when you're making 00:40:12.630 --> 00:40:13.630 align:middle line:90% it yourself. 00:40:13.630 --> 00:40:17.050 align:middle line:84% I'm talking more of the point of view of the designer. 00:40:17.050 --> 00:40:17.675 align:middle line:90% Here? 00:40:17.675 --> 00:40:22.870 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: So another [UNINTELLIGIBLE] game again, 00:40:22.870 --> 00:40:23.830 align:middle line:90% Battlestar Galactica. 00:40:23.830 --> 00:40:28.100 align:middle line:84% You are assigned a character, and if you know Battlestar 00:40:28.100 --> 00:40:30.370 align:middle line:84% Galactica, you're probably going to go for certain 00:40:30.370 --> 00:40:32.310 align:middle line:84% characters, because like, oh, that character's hilarious, I 00:40:32.310 --> 00:40:34.570 align:middle line:84% want to be him, or, I'm going to be 00:40:34.570 --> 00:40:37.030 align:middle line:90% Starbuck, Starbuck's awesome. 00:40:37.030 --> 00:40:41.130 align:middle line:84% And then each player actually also has certain traits, which 00:40:41.130 --> 00:40:43.720 align:middle line:90% are characteristic of their-- 00:40:43.720 --> 00:40:46.652 align:middle line:84% for the player in the [UNINTELLIGIBLE], like 00:40:46.652 --> 00:40:51.000 align:middle line:84% [? tie ?], except he's now taller, so there's a certain 00:40:51.000 --> 00:40:54.451 align:middle line:84% negative attribute to him if you're in a certain situation. 00:40:54.451 --> 00:40:55.244 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: OK. 00:40:55.244 --> 00:40:56.900 align:middle line:90% All right, we have-- 00:40:56.900 --> 00:40:57.100 align:middle line:90% near the back. 00:40:57.100 --> 00:40:59.620 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I was going to say in live-action role-playing 00:40:59.620 --> 00:41:03.210 align:middle line:84% games, like expansion, Assassin's Guild, and stuff, 00:41:03.210 --> 00:41:04.880 align:middle line:90% the characters are entirely 00:41:04.880 --> 00:41:08.070 align:middle line:90% designed by the game designers. 00:41:08.070 --> 00:41:12.775 align:middle line:84% But you still get the players who take up this character and 00:41:12.775 --> 00:41:14.600 align:middle line:84% become involved with it, because all of their actions 00:41:14.600 --> 00:41:19.462 align:middle line:84% are based on what the designer chose to make that character. 00:41:19.462 --> 00:41:22.426 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yep, yep, that's true, that's true. 00:41:22.426 --> 00:41:24.896 align:middle line:90% And one? 00:41:24.896 --> 00:41:26.040 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Two other games. 00:41:26.040 --> 00:41:31.963 align:middle line:84% Cosmic Encounter is where probably a lot closer to the 00:41:31.963 --> 00:41:34.590 align:middle line:84% thousand island kind of situation you've got. 00:41:34.590 --> 00:41:38.396 align:middle line:84% You pick a race at the beginning of the game. 00:41:38.396 --> 00:41:39.815 align:middle line:84% So it's not a single character. 00:41:39.815 --> 00:41:43.247 align:middle line:84% But that's effectively the same thing in that, if you 00:41:43.247 --> 00:41:45.510 align:middle line:84% pick something like the Cubans, you have different 00:41:45.510 --> 00:41:48.750 align:middle line:84% goals, and you have different powers that you 00:41:48.750 --> 00:41:50.060 align:middle line:90% can use in the game. 00:41:50.060 --> 00:41:52.687 align:middle line:84% Whereas if you play a game like Illuminati, instead of 00:41:52.687 --> 00:41:55.320 align:middle line:84% playing an individual you're playing a corporation, or 00:41:55.320 --> 00:41:56.560 align:middle line:90% actually a [UNINTELLIGIBLE] 00:41:56.560 --> 00:42:00.120 align:middle line:84% for society, for the most part, and your actual game 00:42:00.120 --> 00:42:03.990 align:middle line:84% winning goals are different, depending on who you pick. 00:42:03.990 --> 00:42:09.420 align:middle line:84% And part of the game is also figuring out what certain 00:42:09.420 --> 00:42:11.442 align:middle line:84% characters are trying-- how certain characters are trying 00:42:11.442 --> 00:42:14.932 align:middle line:84% to win the game, because not everybody has the same game 00:42:14.932 --> 00:42:15.663 align:middle line:90% winning goal. 00:42:15.663 --> 00:42:16.637 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: OK. 00:42:16.637 --> 00:42:18.098 align:middle line:90% Patrick, last one. 00:42:18.098 --> 00:42:22.020 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: In the card game Saboteur, if your role is the 00:42:22.020 --> 00:42:25.320 align:middle line:84% saboteur, then it is in the player's best interest to act 00:42:25.320 --> 00:42:26.801 align:middle line:90% in that role. 00:42:26.801 --> 00:42:28.460 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: To perform like what? 00:42:28.460 --> 00:42:30.870 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yes, to be some person to the other players 00:42:30.870 --> 00:42:32.316 align:middle line:90% without letting them catch on. 00:42:32.316 --> 00:42:33.510 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Well, awesome. 00:42:33.510 --> 00:42:36.590 align:middle line:84% You see, and this is why, I think, [UNINTELLIGIBLE] 00:42:36.590 --> 00:42:39.160 align:middle line:90% I was asking. 00:42:39.160 --> 00:42:44.190 align:middle line:84% Yeah, I think the LARPing one is the obvious case, yeah. 00:42:44.190 --> 00:42:48.640 align:middle line:84% In video games, what we do, we can build character in 00:42:48.640 --> 00:42:53.070 align:middle line:84% cinematic ways and cut scenes and whatever, but really, it's 00:42:53.070 --> 00:42:56.740 align:middle line:84% very difficult to build a character that is at the same 00:42:56.740 --> 00:43:00.960 align:middle line:84% time you, and not you are the player and not the player. 00:43:00.960 --> 00:43:05.240 align:middle line:84% And what we can do is give them cues about the 00:43:05.240 --> 00:43:06.590 align:middle line:90% personality of that character. 00:43:06.590 --> 00:43:10.190 align:middle line:84% And one of the examples I wanted to give was Sonic, 00:43:10.190 --> 00:43:11.960 align:middle line:84% because Sonic is not really you. 00:43:11.960 --> 00:43:13.310 align:middle line:90% This is always the-- 00:43:13.310 --> 00:43:15.905 align:middle line:84% a bit of this trouble in a lot of the examples that you were 00:43:15.905 --> 00:43:18.875 align:middle line:84% doing, except for LARPing, where LARPing is a bit more 00:43:18.875 --> 00:43:21.075 align:middle line:84% involved, is that it's kind of like you but not you. 00:43:21.075 --> 00:43:21.700 align:middle line:90% Who am I? 00:43:21.700 --> 00:43:24.070 align:middle line:84% I'm the saboteur, because I'm doing this. 00:43:24.070 --> 00:43:26.820 align:middle line:90% 00:43:26.820 --> 00:43:30.050 align:middle line:84% In games, we have Sonic, for example. 00:43:30.050 --> 00:43:31.130 align:middle line:90% We are Sonic. 00:43:31.130 --> 00:43:32.350 align:middle line:90% What are we? 00:43:32.350 --> 00:43:34.645 align:middle line:90% We are a blue hedgehog. 00:43:34.645 --> 00:43:35.844 align:middle line:90% And what do we do? 00:43:35.844 --> 00:43:37.296 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Collect rings. 00:43:37.296 --> 00:43:38.486 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Run. 00:43:38.486 --> 00:43:42.610 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: So, run and collect coins, and 00:43:42.610 --> 00:43:43.803 align:middle line:90% liberating cute animals. 00:43:43.803 --> 00:43:45.070 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: [UNINTELLIGIBLE] 00:43:45.070 --> 00:43:47.830 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes, that too. 00:43:47.830 --> 00:43:54.040 align:middle line:84% And one of the things, one of the goals of designing a 00:43:54.040 --> 00:43:55.740 align:middle line:84% character, particularly in video games, is 00:43:55.740 --> 00:43:57.510 align:middle line:90% making it seem alive. 00:43:57.510 --> 00:44:00.550 align:middle line:84% Making it go beyond the functional part. 00:44:00.550 --> 00:44:04.350 align:middle line:84% Like, oh, we are the saboteur, we are whatever character in 00:44:04.350 --> 00:44:05.910 align:middle line:90% Clue, for example. 00:44:05.910 --> 00:44:09.080 align:middle line:84% Having that emotional involvement, that is something 00:44:09.080 --> 00:44:12.650 align:middle line:84% that we are trying to achieve in video games. 00:44:12.650 --> 00:44:16.860 align:middle line:84% And Sonic does it in a very subtle, very cool way. 00:44:16.860 --> 00:44:19.720 align:middle line:84% Does anybody know what this picture is of? 00:44:19.720 --> 00:44:21.121 align:middle line:90% What he's doing? 00:44:21.121 --> 00:44:23.827 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: When you don't do anything, he starts tapping 00:44:23.827 --> 00:44:24.729 align:middle line:90% his foot and looking at you. 00:44:24.729 --> 00:44:25.803 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: So it's kind of like, you're not 00:44:25.803 --> 00:44:26.290 align:middle line:90% controlling me. 00:44:26.290 --> 00:44:27.330 align:middle line:90% Come on. 00:44:27.330 --> 00:44:28.440 align:middle line:90% I wanna go. 00:44:28.440 --> 00:44:29.270 align:middle line:90% I really have to go. 00:44:29.270 --> 00:44:31.780 align:middle line:84% I have to run, because what I do is running. 00:44:31.780 --> 00:44:33.650 align:middle line:90% So, let's go. 00:44:33.650 --> 00:44:35.370 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Mario goes to sleep. 00:44:35.370 --> 00:44:36.645 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, Mario goes to 00:44:36.645 --> 00:44:38.195 align:middle line:90% sleep, that's right. 00:44:38.195 --> 00:44:38.920 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Starts-- 00:44:38.920 --> 00:44:39.390 align:middle line:90% [INAUDIBLE] 00:44:39.390 --> 00:44:42.180 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: And do you remember any of the 00:44:42.180 --> 00:44:46.300 align:middle line:90% Earthworm Jim games? 00:44:46.300 --> 00:44:47.590 align:middle line:90% He does crazy stuff. 00:44:47.590 --> 00:44:49.540 align:middle line:90% He starts-- 00:44:49.540 --> 00:44:53.080 align:middle line:84% he flips his head, and he dresses up, like he is 00:44:53.080 --> 00:44:54.310 align:middle line:90% thinking, why don't I-- 00:44:54.310 --> 00:44:54.840 align:middle line:90% Yeah. 00:44:54.840 --> 00:45:00.350 align:middle line:84% Or he gets an afro wig at some point. 00:45:00.350 --> 00:45:01.640 align:middle line:90% What are you doing? 00:45:01.640 --> 00:45:04.300 align:middle line:84% But it's pulling attention to, who am I? 00:45:04.300 --> 00:45:06.905 align:middle line:84% When you're not controlling me, I'm gonna do it myself. 00:45:06.905 --> 00:45:10.530 align:middle line:84% And is the case of Sonic, it's like, OK, I'm a running guy, 00:45:10.530 --> 00:45:14.160 align:middle line:84% but I need you to run, so come on. 00:45:14.160 --> 00:45:16.057 align:middle line:84% And it's very subtle, something that is very 00:45:16.057 --> 00:45:19.248 align:middle line:84% minimal, but is building character, but is also telling 00:45:19.248 --> 00:45:22.160 align:middle line:84% the player who this character is. 00:45:22.160 --> 00:45:26.240 align:middle line:84% The last thing-- and this is something that, again, video 00:45:26.240 --> 00:45:28.380 align:middle line:84% games can do very well-- is something that role-playing 00:45:28.380 --> 00:45:34.950 align:middle line:84% games can do very well, or LARPing, but I'm not sure that 00:45:34.950 --> 00:45:38.270 align:middle line:84% card games or board games can do this, is environmental 00:45:38.270 --> 00:45:39.610 align:middle line:90% storytelling. 00:45:39.610 --> 00:45:43.700 align:middle line:84% It's telling the story in the space as you go around, as 00:45:43.700 --> 00:45:47.680 align:middle line:84% you're examining the space and what's going on. 00:45:47.680 --> 00:45:51.710 align:middle line:84% Video games, what they do very well, is construction of a 00:45:51.710 --> 00:45:53.550 align:middle line:84% virtual world that we can navigate, that we can explore, 00:45:53.550 --> 00:45:55.960 align:middle line:90% that we can interact with. 00:45:55.960 --> 00:45:58.170 align:middle line:90% And one of-- 00:45:58.170 --> 00:46:00.460 align:middle line:84% those of you who've been in my classes before, you know that 00:46:00.460 --> 00:46:02.290 align:middle line:84% I love the beginning of Bioshock as an example of 00:46:02.290 --> 00:46:05.840 align:middle line:84% environmental story telling, because you know what is this 00:46:05.840 --> 00:46:11.470 align:middle line:84% world, what has happened before, and they don't tell it 00:46:11.470 --> 00:46:11.880 align:middle line:90% with a word. 00:46:11.880 --> 00:46:14.110 align:middle line:84% It's just going to the space and figuring 00:46:14.110 --> 00:46:15.530 align:middle line:90% out what has happened. 00:46:15.530 --> 00:46:21.780 align:middle line:84% Another example that I really love is Portal where a lot of 00:46:21.780 --> 00:46:27.220 align:middle line:84% the story is told, or you figure it out, as 00:46:27.220 --> 00:46:28.470 align:middle line:90% you explore the world. 00:46:28.470 --> 00:46:30.120 align:middle line:90% So what is this in Portal? 00:46:30.120 --> 00:46:34.036 align:middle line:84% So, first of all, what is the premise of Portal, the story? 00:46:34.036 --> 00:46:36.780 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: You're a test subject testing a new device 00:46:36.780 --> 00:46:38.010 align:middle line:90% at Aperture Labs. 00:46:38.010 --> 00:46:40.985 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes, so you're a test subject. 00:46:40.985 --> 00:46:42.670 align:middle line:84% But very soon, you realize that there's 00:46:42.670 --> 00:46:45.330 align:middle line:90% something kind of wrong. 00:46:45.330 --> 00:46:49.440 align:middle line:84% This voice that keeps talking to, kind of warps around, and 00:46:49.440 --> 00:46:51.100 align:middle line:90% she goes and comes back. 00:46:51.100 --> 00:46:54.010 align:middle line:84% But there's something broken, and you just go on because you 00:46:54.010 --> 00:46:55.670 align:middle line:90% don't know what else to do. 00:46:55.670 --> 00:46:58.230 align:middle line:90% But here, what is this? 00:46:58.230 --> 00:47:00.510 align:middle line:84% Once you start realizing, OK, there's something really 00:47:00.510 --> 00:47:01.460 align:middle line:90% wrong, what is this? 00:47:01.460 --> 00:47:04.880 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: This is when you're trying to escape. 00:47:04.880 --> 00:47:06.110 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The hole in the wall. 00:47:06.110 --> 00:47:06.710 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: There's a hole-- 00:47:06.710 --> 00:47:09.120 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: One of the things is stuck forward, and you can 00:47:09.120 --> 00:47:09.540 align:middle line:90% sneak under it or something? 00:47:09.540 --> 00:47:11.980 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, you go behind the scenes and 00:47:11.980 --> 00:47:14.940 align:middle line:84% you realize, OK, so there's something really wrong here, I 00:47:14.940 --> 00:47:19.210 align:middle line:84% kind of guessed it, but here we have what looks like 00:47:19.210 --> 00:47:24.870 align:middle line:84% somebody's refuge, like where somebody was hiding, and they 00:47:24.870 --> 00:47:26.190 align:middle line:84% were writing all these messages. 00:47:26.190 --> 00:47:29.020 align:middle line:84% And, of course, it's very funny, because the famous "The 00:47:29.020 --> 00:47:32.880 align:middle line:84% cake is a lie," is not something that everybody has 00:47:32.880 --> 00:47:33.360 align:middle line:90% to go through. 00:47:33.360 --> 00:47:35.080 align:middle line:90% You have to find it. 00:47:35.080 --> 00:47:36.460 align:middle line:84% You have to find it in the game. 00:47:36.460 --> 00:47:38.160 align:middle line:84% It's part of exploring the game. 00:47:38.160 --> 00:47:42.110 align:middle line:90% So the reason why I like-- 00:47:42.110 --> 00:47:44.460 align:middle line:84% I like Portal for many, many reasons-- 00:47:44.460 --> 00:47:47.820 align:middle line:84% but one is because the storytelling is very 00:47:47.820 --> 00:47:51.610 align:middle line:84% brilliant--and is not something that we're told, 00:47:51.610 --> 00:47:52.770 align:middle line:90% this is what happened. 00:47:52.770 --> 00:47:55.830 align:middle line:84% We figure it out. by listening to the voice, by listening to 00:47:55.830 --> 00:47:58.040 align:middle line:84% GlaDOS, by going behind the scenes. 00:47:58.040 --> 00:47:59.980 align:middle line:84% We are piecing the story together. 00:47:59.980 --> 00:48:00.940 align:middle line:90% Yes? 00:48:00.940 --> 00:48:03.820 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: If you ever pay attention to what's written on 00:48:03.820 --> 00:48:06.680 align:middle line:84% the wall in the safe houses in Left for Dead, there's a lot 00:48:06.680 --> 00:48:08.140 align:middle line:90% of funny stuff, as well. 00:48:08.140 --> 00:48:10.600 align:middle line:84% And I initially hadn't realized Left for Dead had a 00:48:10.600 --> 00:48:11.320 align:middle line:90% story, really. 00:48:11.320 --> 00:48:14.640 align:middle line:84% And then, when you actually pause and read what's written 00:48:14.640 --> 00:48:16.980 align:middle line:84% on the walls in the safe houses, there's almost flame 00:48:16.980 --> 00:48:19.710 align:middle line:84% wars between different people who run to the same houses and 00:48:19.710 --> 00:48:21.950 align:middle line:84% are writing facts about the zombie apocalypse, and saying, 00:48:21.950 --> 00:48:24.880 align:middle line:84% oh, that's not true, that town is completely overrun, no, 00:48:24.880 --> 00:48:27.200 align:middle line:84% you're totally stupid, I was there last week, and it had 00:48:27.200 --> 00:48:30.180 align:middle line:84% these things going on and various two bits of trivia and 00:48:30.180 --> 00:48:30.950 align:middle line:90% facts about the world. 00:48:30.950 --> 00:48:32.935 align:middle line:84% And it's very, very clever, and often quite hilarious. 00:48:32.935 --> 00:48:35.900 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Because what environment storytelling 00:48:35.900 --> 00:48:38.570 align:middle line:84% is doing, after all, we're telling the story of the 00:48:38.570 --> 00:48:40.500 align:middle line:90% fictional world. 00:48:40.500 --> 00:48:44.790 align:middle line:84% That can be part of the goal of solving games, figuring out 00:48:44.790 --> 00:48:46.735 align:middle line:84% what is the story of the fictional world? 00:48:46.735 --> 00:48:49.520 align:middle line:90% 00:48:49.520 --> 00:48:50.160 align:middle line:90% Yes, Andrew? 00:48:50.160 --> 00:48:53.110 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Was there a conscious decision to use 00:48:53.110 --> 00:48:57.260 align:middle line:84% environmental storytelling as opposed to story building? 00:48:57.260 --> 00:48:58.660 align:middle line:84% Well, you mentioned the difference between 00:48:58.660 --> 00:49:01.496 align:middle line:84% storytelling and story building earlier, and you 00:49:01.496 --> 00:49:03.248 align:middle line:84% mentioned that that was environmental story telling as 00:49:03.248 --> 00:49:04.010 align:middle line:90% opposed to story building. 00:49:04.010 --> 00:49:05.110 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, and probably is 00:49:05.110 --> 00:49:07.510 align:middle line:90% really story building. 00:49:07.510 --> 00:49:09.870 align:middle line:84% So the thing is that environmental storytelling is 00:49:09.870 --> 00:49:11.140 align:middle line:90% what people call it. 00:49:11.140 --> 00:49:12.100 align:middle line:90% I'm using a phrase. 00:49:12.100 --> 00:49:14.840 align:middle line:84% But yeah, this is a type of story building. 00:49:14.840 --> 00:49:18.030 align:middle line:84% We're building a [UNINTELLIGIBLE], build it for 00:49:18.030 --> 00:49:19.380 align:middle line:90% the player. 00:49:19.380 --> 00:49:23.515 align:middle line:84% But yeah, this is story building. 00:49:23.515 --> 00:49:26.000 align:middle line:84% PROFESSOR: More precisely, you will see talks on 00:49:26.000 --> 00:49:29.880 align:middle line:84% environmental storytelling when you go to a conference. 00:49:29.880 --> 00:49:32.533 align:middle line:84% But what they're really talking about, so you know, is 00:49:32.533 --> 00:49:35.479 align:middle line:84% just that [INAUDIBLE] involved in research. 00:49:35.479 --> 00:49:38.920 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: So maybe the closest to this kind of thing is in 00:49:38.920 --> 00:49:41.480 align:middle line:84% flavor text in CCG's and other such stuff. 00:49:41.480 --> 00:49:43.770 align:middle line:84% So if you think, for instance, of Magic the Gathering, then 00:49:43.770 --> 00:49:46.100 align:middle line:84% there is a back story behind each of these 00:49:46.100 --> 00:49:48.390 align:middle line:90% expansions which comes out. 00:49:48.390 --> 00:49:51.985 align:middle line:84% And that's told through actual fiction, where you can buy a 00:49:51.985 --> 00:49:53.000 align:middle line:90% really trashy novel. 00:49:53.000 --> 00:49:54.920 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 00:49:54.920 --> 00:49:57.860 align:middle line:84% But it's also told through little quotes between-- 00:49:57.860 --> 00:50:01.010 align:middle line:84% by significant the characters in the fiction, also the 00:50:01.010 --> 00:50:02.300 align:middle line:84% images which are presented on the cards. 00:50:02.300 --> 00:50:04.544 align:middle line:84% So, maybe that's the closest thing to environmental story 00:50:04.544 --> 00:50:05.080 align:middle line:90% telling in-- 00:50:05.080 --> 00:50:06.900 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes, yeah. 00:50:06.900 --> 00:50:08.900 align:middle line:84% Magic the Gathering has this world, and it seems to be very 00:50:08.900 --> 00:50:11.060 align:middle line:90% easy expand it. 00:50:11.060 --> 00:50:13.910 align:middle line:84% I don't know if there's a bible of the Magic the 00:50:13.910 --> 00:50:14.870 align:middle line:90% Gathering world. 00:50:14.870 --> 00:50:17.290 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yeah, yeah, there's an entire creative department 00:50:17.290 --> 00:50:18.220 align:middle line:84% at Wizards of the Coast that's responsible for maintaining 00:50:18.220 --> 00:50:21.490 align:middle line:84% the story and making sure it's all consistent and stuff. 00:50:21.490 --> 00:50:23.780 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: So it's not really something-- 00:50:23.780 --> 00:50:27.712 align:middle line:84% it's almost 4:00, so I have still something, but we can go 00:50:27.712 --> 00:50:30.167 align:middle line:84% through it very fast if that works? 00:50:30.167 --> 00:50:32.627 align:middle line:84% PROFESSOR: If we run out of time, we can play these games 00:50:32.627 --> 00:50:33.521 align:middle line:90% on Friday or something. 00:50:33.521 --> 00:50:33.970 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: OK. 00:50:33.970 --> 00:50:34.590 align:middle line:84% PROFESSOR: If that sounds like a good idea. 00:50:34.590 --> 00:50:35.720 align:middle line:90% All right. 00:50:35.720 --> 00:50:38.850 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: So, we've been talking so far 00:50:38.850 --> 00:50:43.592 align:middle line:84% about designing the story of world, designing the story of 00:50:43.592 --> 00:50:45.070 align:middle line:90% the fictional world. 00:50:45.070 --> 00:50:47.890 align:middle line:84% What we also have, as I was saying before, the players 00:50:47.890 --> 00:50:50.910 align:middle line:84% also construction a story as we go. 00:50:50.910 --> 00:50:54.805 align:middle line:84% Things that happen to the player, things that happen in 00:50:54.805 --> 00:50:56.390 align:middle line:84% the world, because they happen to the player. 00:50:56.390 --> 00:50:59.245 align:middle line:84% And again, one of the reasons why I was talking about games 00:50:59.245 --> 00:51:02.850 align:middle line:84% of progressions versus games of emergence is that in 00:51:02.850 --> 00:51:08.630 align:middle line:84% stories, we have a similar parallel of stories that have 00:51:08.630 --> 00:51:14.590 align:middle line:84% been designed for the player, things that they have to do in 00:51:14.590 --> 00:51:18.590 align:middle line:84% role-playing games, and I'm talking about pen and pencil-- 00:51:18.590 --> 00:51:22.560 align:middle line:84% pen and paper role-playing games, we have the story that 00:51:22.560 --> 00:51:26.280 align:middle line:84% as the end we have designed, and then there's what the 00:51:26.280 --> 00:51:27.600 align:middle line:90% players are trying to do. 00:51:27.600 --> 00:51:32.140 align:middle line:84% In video games, because computers don't have the 00:51:32.140 --> 00:51:36.550 align:middle line:84% capacity for improvisation, what the player has to do is a 00:51:36.550 --> 00:51:39.170 align:middle line:90% lot more constrained in a way. 00:51:39.170 --> 00:51:41.440 align:middle line:84% So what are the bosses that they have to-- 00:51:41.440 --> 00:51:44.520 align:middle line:84% how do they solve a specific problem, or how do we get over 00:51:44.520 --> 00:51:45.610 align:middle line:90% a specific problem. 00:51:45.610 --> 00:51:52.170 align:middle line:84% So I like giving the example of Legend of Zelda games, 00:51:52.170 --> 00:51:58.680 align:middle line:84% where we do have a story that we're completing almost in a 00:51:58.680 --> 00:52:01.670 align:middle line:84% specific order, because if you don't have certain objects, 00:52:01.670 --> 00:52:04.440 align:middle line:84% you can't go to the next stage until you have certain 00:52:04.440 --> 00:52:05.360 align:middle line:90% properties. 00:52:05.360 --> 00:52:09.970 align:middle line:84% So even though we have a really nice, relatively open 00:52:09.970 --> 00:52:13.380 align:middle line:84% world, a world that we can navigate, we do have a 00:52:13.380 --> 00:52:16.020 align:middle line:84% specific order of events that we have to follow. 00:52:16.020 --> 00:52:19.750 align:middle line:84% Adventure games, it might be something like point and click 00:52:19.750 --> 00:52:23.795 align:middle line:84% adventure games, again, things like Syberia, things like 00:52:23.795 --> 00:52:26.510 align:middle line:84% Myst, where there is a pre-established sequence of 00:52:26.510 --> 00:52:29.290 align:middle line:84% events that we have to go settle. 00:52:29.290 --> 00:52:32.340 align:middle line:84% And then, the other extreme, we have games that are closer 00:52:32.340 --> 00:52:35.680 align:middle line:84% to these games like Once Upon a Time, or Gloom where the 00:52:35.680 --> 00:52:38.130 align:middle line:84% system itself is producing stories of 00:52:38.130 --> 00:52:40.300 align:middle line:90% sorts, like in The Sims. 00:52:40.300 --> 00:52:43.470 align:middle line:84% And in The Sims, the fact that we have a way to record our 00:52:43.470 --> 00:52:48.560 align:middle line:84% own stories and share them is proof that that's a kind of 00:52:48.560 --> 00:52:51.170 align:middle line:84% system closer to things like Once Upon a Time. 00:52:51.170 --> 00:52:54.210 align:middle line:84% That is, the system can generate narratives, and that 00:52:54.210 --> 00:52:59.570 align:middle line:84% playing with the system will generate some narratives. 00:52:59.570 --> 00:53:06.200 align:middle line:84% So we have ways in which, as designers, we can provide cues 00:53:06.200 --> 00:53:11.350 align:middle line:84% or ways to design the story of the player. 00:53:11.350 --> 00:53:14.650 align:middle line:84% And the first one is the game premise, what is 00:53:14.650 --> 00:53:16.560 align:middle line:90% the goal of the game? 00:53:16.560 --> 00:53:19.250 align:middle line:84% Game events, I don't know if I'll let that one, because 00:53:19.250 --> 00:53:21.070 align:middle line:90% that was too long. 00:53:21.070 --> 00:53:23.130 align:middle line:84% And we have [UNINTELLIGIBLE] a narrative. 00:53:23.130 --> 00:53:25.490 align:middle line:84% The game premise is who are you in the game, what 00:53:25.490 --> 00:53:26.340 align:middle line:90% do you do in it. 00:53:26.340 --> 00:53:30.660 align:middle line:84% It's kind of similar to the title, but in this case, is 00:53:30.660 --> 00:53:33.660 align:middle line:84% very tied to who is the player, what is the role of 00:53:33.660 --> 00:53:34.240 align:middle line:90% the player in the game? 00:53:34.240 --> 00:53:36.550 align:middle line:84% So things like Cooking Mama, for example. 00:53:36.550 --> 00:53:39.005 align:middle line:84% You're Cooking Mama, so who are you, Cooking Mama? 00:53:39.005 --> 00:53:40.240 align:middle line:90% You're not mama. 00:53:40.240 --> 00:53:42.418 align:middle line:90% Mama's complaining about you. 00:53:42.418 --> 00:53:45.160 align:middle line:84% You are the person who's cooking for Mama. 00:53:45.160 --> 00:53:48.160 align:middle line:84% That's the title they should have, Cooking for Mama. 00:53:48.160 --> 00:53:50.900 align:middle line:84% And then now they're getting pissed off at you because you 00:53:50.900 --> 00:53:52.730 align:middle line:90% didn't do it right. 00:53:52.730 --> 00:53:56.190 align:middle line:84% But it tells you basically so you're a cook. 00:53:56.190 --> 00:53:57.650 align:middle line:90% Or what is it that you do. 00:53:57.650 --> 00:53:59.710 align:middle line:84% You're trying to please Mama by cooking 00:53:59.710 --> 00:54:01.100 align:middle line:90% something nice and yummy. 00:54:01.100 --> 00:54:04.950 align:middle line:90% Usually, also kind of weird. 00:54:04.950 --> 00:54:08.660 align:middle line:84% A really good example of creating the story of the 00:54:08.660 --> 00:54:12.170 align:middle line:84% player by the premise of who you are in the game is this. 00:54:12.170 --> 00:54:15.700 align:middle line:90% 00:54:15.700 --> 00:54:17.350 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: I love this example. 00:54:17.350 --> 00:54:18.150 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: [UNINTELLIGIBLE] 00:54:18.150 --> 00:54:19.840 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Because it's like, who are you? 00:54:19.840 --> 00:54:20.760 align:middle line:90% You're a hacker. 00:54:20.760 --> 00:54:22.392 align:middle line:90% And it gives you-- 00:54:22.392 --> 00:54:24.890 align:middle line:84% the cool thing about this trailer is it gives you a list 00:54:24.890 --> 00:54:25.970 align:middle line:90% of what you do. 00:54:25.970 --> 00:54:27.240 align:middle line:90% This is your story. 00:54:27.240 --> 00:54:29.640 align:middle line:84% You are framing people, you are framing 00:54:29.640 --> 00:54:31.310 align:middle line:90% innocent people, of course. 00:54:31.310 --> 00:54:33.960 align:middle line:84% Maintaining people's academic records, building their 00:54:33.960 --> 00:54:37.730 align:middle line:84% devices, and all those are activities in the game, but 00:54:37.730 --> 00:54:38.670 align:middle line:90% it's also who you are. 00:54:38.670 --> 00:54:39.460 align:middle line:90% That is your story. 00:54:39.460 --> 00:54:41.564 align:middle line:84% Those are the kinds of things that you're going to be doing 00:54:41.564 --> 00:54:43.800 align:middle line:90% in the game. 00:54:43.800 --> 00:54:46.660 align:middle line:84% So again, we were talking about Saboteur before. 00:54:46.660 --> 00:54:50.415 align:middle line:84% Well, as saboteur, you already have a series of actions that 00:54:50.415 --> 00:54:52.720 align:middle line:84% you associated with the your character. 00:54:52.720 --> 00:54:55.780 align:middle line:84% That is way that we can design the story of the player, at 00:54:55.780 --> 00:54:59.670 align:middle line:84% least at the higher level, and give it that cue. 00:54:59.670 --> 00:55:02.480 align:middle line:84% I'm skipping game events because it's kind of long and 00:55:02.480 --> 00:55:04.770 align:middle line:90% it's very, very strong. 00:55:04.770 --> 00:55:08.760 align:middle line:84% Two basic video games, and mostly [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. 00:55:08.760 --> 00:55:12.810 align:middle line:84% The other example that I want to make here is 00:55:12.810 --> 00:55:13.600 align:middle line:90% micronarratives. 00:55:13.600 --> 00:55:18.550 align:middle line:84% And again, all these are more video game things, but 00:55:18.550 --> 00:55:22.775 align:middle line:84% micronarratives are little events, they're not even cut 00:55:22.775 --> 00:55:25.820 align:middle line:84% scenes, they're just little events that happen as 00:55:25.820 --> 00:55:28.440 align:middle line:84% reactions to the player's actions. 00:55:28.440 --> 00:55:33.590 align:middle line:84% In a way, Sonic tapping his foot is a kind micronarrative. 00:55:33.590 --> 00:55:36.900 align:middle line:84% You're not doing anything, come on, I want to go. 00:55:36.900 --> 00:55:40.425 align:middle line:84% Or Mario falling asleep is kind of like a 00:55:40.425 --> 00:55:41.675 align:middle line:90% micronarrative of sorts. 00:55:41.675 --> 00:55:44.420 align:middle line:90% 00:55:44.420 --> 00:55:46.430 align:middle line:84% This is one of my favorite micronarratives 00:55:46.430 --> 00:55:48.330 align:middle line:90% in these video games. 00:55:48.330 --> 00:55:54.620 align:middle line:84% This is the game Jet Set Willy, which is from 1985, 00:55:54.620 --> 00:55:58.160 align:middle line:90% maybe, something, middle '80s. 00:55:58.160 --> 00:56:00.110 align:middle line:90% It was for Commodore 64. 00:56:00.110 --> 00:56:01.200 align:middle line:84% Well, it was originally for the-- 00:56:01.200 --> 00:56:02.450 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Spectrum. 00:56:02.450 --> 00:56:05.013 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes, thank you. 00:56:05.013 --> 00:56:08.170 align:middle line:84% He's prepared a presentation on the Spectrum, yes. 00:56:08.170 --> 00:56:13.570 align:middle line:84% Commodore 64 and surrounding this world is Z80 platforms in 00:56:13.570 --> 00:56:17.534 align:middle line:84% the '80s, and this was a sequel to Manic Miner. 00:56:17.534 --> 00:56:22.044 align:middle line:84% So Manic Miner, you were Miner Willy, yes? 00:56:22.044 --> 00:56:22.950 align:middle line:90% Miner Willy. 00:56:22.950 --> 00:56:25.310 align:middle line:84% And you go down into the earth, and you find a 00:56:25.310 --> 00:56:27.360 align:middle line:84% treasure, and you become immensely rich. 00:56:27.360 --> 00:56:31.140 align:middle line:84% So with the money that you get from the first game, you throw 00:56:31.140 --> 00:56:35.460 align:middle line:84% a party, and you throw such a big party that your house 00:56:35.460 --> 00:56:38.510 align:middle line:84% becomes invaded by the weirdest creatures ever. 00:56:38.510 --> 00:56:46.012 align:middle line:84% There are flying toilet seats, mutant pigs, I don't know. 00:56:46.012 --> 00:56:46.894 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Sounds like a good party. 00:56:46.894 --> 00:56:49.780 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, such a good party that you get 00:56:49.780 --> 00:56:52.610 align:middle line:84% people from other worlds to come to your party. 00:56:52.610 --> 00:56:55.060 align:middle line:84% But the thing was that it was such a good party, you wanted 00:56:55.060 --> 00:56:55.920 align:middle line:90% to go to bed. 00:56:55.920 --> 00:56:56.500 align:middle line:90% This is Willy. 00:56:56.500 --> 00:56:57.830 align:middle line:90% This is you in the game. 00:56:57.830 --> 00:57:01.850 align:middle line:84% So in Jet Set Willy, this is the day after, and Willy is is 00:57:01.850 --> 00:57:04.840 align:middle line:84% hungover probably after the super party. 00:57:04.840 --> 00:57:05.970 align:middle line:90% And he was in a bed. 00:57:05.970 --> 00:57:11.080 align:middle line:84% In the game, to the left, you have the picture of the bed, 00:57:11.080 --> 00:57:13.470 align:middle line:84% and that's your goal, go to bed. 00:57:13.470 --> 00:57:17.130 align:middle line:84% But this is your landlady, who's seen how you trashed the 00:57:17.130 --> 00:57:20.830 align:middle line:84% place, and she doesn't want you to go to bed until you've 00:57:20.830 --> 00:57:22.230 align:middle line:90% cleaned it up. 00:57:22.230 --> 00:57:25.500 align:middle line:84% So the cool thing, they really want to get-- 00:57:25.500 --> 00:57:28.630 align:middle line:90% and then, the animation here-- 00:57:28.630 --> 00:57:32.370 align:middle line:84% is that she has her arms like this. 00:57:32.370 --> 00:57:35.290 align:middle line:84% She's holding her arms like this, and whenever 00:57:35.290 --> 00:57:37.599 align:middle line:90% you get near her-- 00:57:37.599 --> 00:57:39.048 align:middle line:90% which arm is it?-- 00:57:39.048 --> 00:57:41.946 align:middle line:84% her left arm, she goes like, ha! 00:57:41.946 --> 00:57:43.400 align:middle line:90% Go. 00:57:43.400 --> 00:57:45.410 align:middle line:84% And it's a reaction to what you do. 00:57:45.410 --> 00:57:47.420 align:middle line:90% With this, it's a few pixels. 00:57:47.420 --> 00:57:49.060 align:middle line:84% It's probably four or five pixels. 00:57:49.060 --> 00:57:51.940 align:middle line:84% And in four or five pixels, this game is telling you this 00:57:51.940 --> 00:57:52.950 align:middle line:90% is what you have to do. 00:57:52.950 --> 00:57:54.190 align:middle line:90% Go that way. 00:57:54.190 --> 00:57:55.020 align:middle line:84% This is your goal, you asked me. 00:57:55.020 --> 00:58:00.108 align:middle line:84% You've gotta come here, go that way, and clean it up. 00:58:00.108 --> 00:58:03.060 align:middle line:90% And this is eight bit pixels! 00:58:03.060 --> 00:58:05.530 align:middle line:84% And she's telling you all that with just a few pixels. 00:58:05.530 --> 00:58:08.060 align:middle line:84% You don't really need that much. 00:58:08.060 --> 00:58:11.270 align:middle line:84% But with that kind of reaction, we always want to, 00:58:11.270 --> 00:58:12.950 align:middle line:90% again, gives cues. 00:58:12.950 --> 00:58:14.650 align:middle line:84% What is it that the player has to do? 00:58:14.650 --> 00:58:17.250 align:middle line:90% We don't need a cut scene. 00:58:17.250 --> 00:58:21.430 align:middle line:84% With a few pixels, we know what we have to do, right? 00:58:21.430 --> 00:58:22.540 align:middle line:90% And it's a very difficult game, 00:58:22.540 --> 00:58:25.230 align:middle line:90% too, for today's standards. 00:58:25.230 --> 00:58:29.120 align:middle line:84% Anyway, so the conclusion here is that 00:58:29.120 --> 00:58:30.220 align:middle line:90% why do we need stories? 00:58:30.220 --> 00:58:31.200 align:middle line:90% Why do we need fictions? 00:58:31.200 --> 00:58:33.700 align:middle line:84% What do fictional worlds do for us? 00:58:33.700 --> 00:58:36.140 align:middle line:90% What do themes do for us? 00:58:36.140 --> 00:58:41.085 align:middle line:84% As we were saying, humans have a tendency the story-icize 00:58:41.085 --> 00:58:42.410 align:middle line:90% everything. 00:58:42.410 --> 00:58:44.830 align:middle line:90% We are natural storytellers. 00:58:44.830 --> 00:58:47.390 align:middle line:84% Some of what these games like Once Upon a Time or 00:58:47.390 --> 00:58:48.370 align:middle line:90% [? Bloom ?] 00:58:48.370 --> 00:58:52.810 align:middle line:84% are playing with is because we tell other people what has 00:58:52.810 --> 00:58:54.330 align:middle line:90% happened to us. 00:58:54.330 --> 00:58:56.520 align:middle line:84% If you complain about something, you're complaining 00:58:56.520 --> 00:58:58.550 align:middle line:84% in the form of a story if something might 00:58:58.550 --> 00:59:00.110 align:middle line:90% have happened to you. 00:59:00.110 --> 00:59:04.810 align:middle line:84% We understand our experiences as stories, and there are 00:59:04.810 --> 00:59:08.320 align:middle line:84% different disciplines that have dealt with this from 00:59:08.320 --> 00:59:12.610 align:middle line:84% computer science to psychology. 00:59:12.610 --> 00:59:15.520 align:middle line:84% How we are making stories about ourselves, how we are 00:59:15.520 --> 00:59:17.050 align:middle line:84% making stories about our worlds. 00:59:17.050 --> 00:59:21.400 align:middle line:84% So having a story, having a game that has a fictional 00:59:21.400 --> 00:59:24.210 align:middle line:84% world in which a story can take place is a way of 00:59:24.210 --> 00:59:27.230 align:middle line:84% understanding the underlying system. 00:59:27.230 --> 00:59:30.300 align:middle line:84% As I was saying, if we have a game that is called Mafia 00:59:30.300 --> 00:59:35.230 align:middle line:84% Wars, we already have a goal, we have sets of rules, who we 00:59:35.230 --> 00:59:38.500 align:middle line:84% are, what is it that we have to do. 00:59:38.500 --> 00:59:40.680 align:middle line:90% We don't need a lot of-- 00:59:40.680 --> 00:59:44.400 align:middle line:84% two words have been enough to evoke a lot of that 00:59:44.400 --> 00:59:46.950 align:middle line:90% information. 00:59:46.950 --> 00:59:50.830 align:middle line:84% So the last thing, and this applies a bit more to video 00:59:50.830 --> 00:59:54.470 align:middle line:84% games, is that by having a story, we're also providing 00:59:54.470 --> 00:59:56.800 align:middle line:90% consistency to the world. 00:59:56.800 --> 01:00:02.660 align:middle line:84% When Jesper Juul is talking about incoherent worlds, he's 01:00:02.660 --> 01:00:05.090 align:middle line:84% really talking about worlds where there's not really a 01:00:05.090 --> 01:00:07.680 align:middle line:84% story, and there are video games that have awful stories, 01:00:07.680 --> 01:00:08.700 align:middle line:90% that's true. 01:00:08.700 --> 01:00:11.030 align:middle line:84% But when you're forced, or when you're thinking about 01:00:11.030 --> 01:00:14.420 align:middle line:84% your world not only as a fictional world as a 01:00:14.420 --> 01:00:17.270 align:middle line:84% simulation, but also as a world that has to produce a 01:00:17.270 --> 01:00:20.460 align:middle line:84% story that makes sense, that is going to provide more 01:00:20.460 --> 01:00:22.340 align:middle line:84% coherence to the world hopefully. 01:00:22.340 --> 01:00:23.820 align:middle line:90% We have to [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. 01:00:23.820 --> 01:00:25.690 align:middle line:84% But that means that you can take the [UNINTELLIGIBLE] for 01:00:25.690 --> 01:00:26.940 align:middle line:90% games, [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. 01:00:26.940 --> 01:00:30.450 align:middle line:90% 01:00:30.450 --> 01:00:33.080 align:middle line:84% And there are things that yes there are complains about, 01:00:33.080 --> 01:00:38.510 align:middle line:84% like why does Mario have to realize? 01:00:38.510 --> 01:00:39.760 align:middle line:84% Well, because it's Mario, right? 01:00:39.760 --> 01:00:42.650 align:middle line:90% 01:00:42.650 --> 01:00:44.090 align:middle line:90% Is that part of the story? 01:00:44.090 --> 01:00:49.310 align:middle line:84% That's one of those no-man's land issues. 01:00:49.310 --> 01:00:53.460 align:middle line:84% Does that undermine the consistency of the world? 01:00:53.460 --> 01:00:59.450 align:middle line:84% Maybe the anthological level, the level of the world itself. 01:00:59.450 --> 01:01:02.750 align:middle line:84% But really, it's more about making sense about the rules. 01:01:02.750 --> 01:01:04.310 align:middle line:90% What is it-- 01:01:04.310 --> 01:01:07.160 align:middle line:84% being able to look at the world in a critical way. 01:01:07.160 --> 01:01:10.070 align:middle line:84% I'm trying to think of an example of-- 01:01:10.070 --> 01:01:13.028 align:middle line:84% apart from the three lives of Mario-- 01:01:13.028 --> 01:01:14.462 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: He was a plumber. 01:01:14.462 --> 01:01:15.418 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: What? 01:01:15.418 --> 01:01:16.646 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I thought you said he was a plumber. 01:01:16.646 --> 01:01:17.330 align:middle line:90% Oh no, that was in the theme. 01:01:17.330 --> 01:01:23.370 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: No, but for example, Kirby. 01:01:23.370 --> 01:01:29.350 align:middle line:84% He eats other creatures and spits them. 01:01:29.350 --> 01:01:31.160 align:middle line:90% Where does it come from? 01:01:31.160 --> 01:01:33.730 align:middle line:90% Why does it do that? 01:01:33.730 --> 01:01:36.870 align:middle line:90% What is the story of Kirby? 01:01:36.870 --> 01:01:39.330 align:middle line:84% He's kind of cute, but hey, I would watch out with him, 01:01:39.330 --> 01:01:40.770 align:middle line:84% because he can eat almost anything, and then 01:01:40.770 --> 01:01:41.190 align:middle line:90% he just dumps it? 01:01:41.190 --> 01:01:43.560 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Kirby's a weirdly disturbing character. 01:01:43.560 --> 01:01:45.042 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 01:01:45.042 --> 01:01:46.153 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes, if you think about 01:01:46.153 --> 01:01:47.018 align:middle line:90% it in terms of stories. 01:01:47.018 --> 01:01:48.994 align:middle line:90% But this is kind of wow. 01:01:48.994 --> 01:01:49.982 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Yoshi, too, right? 01:01:49.982 --> 01:01:50.980 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes. 01:01:50.980 --> 01:01:51.870 align:middle line:90% And I love Yoshi. 01:01:51.870 --> 01:01:55.260 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yeah, and that's another video game character-- 01:01:55.260 --> 01:01:58.340 align:middle line:84% it seems like one of the reasons why these arguments 01:01:58.340 --> 01:02:00.980 align:middle line:84% have been raised is because there have been these huge 01:02:00.980 --> 01:02:02.225 align:middle line:90% piles of inconsistencies. 01:02:02.225 --> 01:02:04.340 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: But the inconsistency has become-- 01:02:04.340 --> 01:02:06.740 align:middle line:84% I think that when you try to write the story, 01:02:06.740 --> 01:02:07.990 align:middle line:90% if that makes sense. 01:02:07.990 --> 01:02:10.650 align:middle line:90% 01:02:10.650 --> 01:02:14.662 align:middle line:90% So Yoshi eats creatures and-- 01:02:14.662 --> 01:02:16.030 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Then he spits them out. 01:02:16.030 --> 01:02:17.280 align:middle line:90% Each one. 01:02:17.280 --> 01:02:19.170 align:middle line:90% 01:02:19.170 --> 01:02:20.790 align:middle line:84% Depends on which Mario you're talking about, because if it's 01:02:20.790 --> 01:02:21.395 align:middle line:90% Super Mario World-- 01:02:21.395 --> 01:02:22.050 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: I'm thinking of Yoshi's Island. 01:02:22.050 --> 01:02:22.960 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Okay, yeah, in Yoshi's Island, 01:02:22.960 --> 01:02:23.792 align:middle line:90% yeah, he poops eggs. 01:02:23.792 --> 01:02:25.966 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, and is like, hm, and then he 01:02:25.966 --> 01:02:27.690 align:middle line:84% throws it, and they're like bombs? 01:02:27.690 --> 01:02:29.350 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yeah, he throws his eggs at-- 01:02:29.350 --> 01:02:30.600 align:middle line:90% he uses his eggs as weapons. 01:02:30.600 --> 01:02:35.125 align:middle line:90% 01:02:35.125 --> 01:02:37.370 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, but all of those things become 01:02:37.370 --> 01:02:38.610 align:middle line:84% evident the moment that we start his story 01:02:38.610 --> 01:02:39.400 align:middle line:90% [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. 01:02:39.400 --> 01:02:41.500 align:middle line:84% So who is this person, what do they do, why do they do this? 01:02:41.500 --> 01:02:43.740 align:middle line:84% Wow, it's kind of falling apart. 01:02:43.740 --> 01:02:45.270 align:middle line:90% So the incoherence-- 01:02:45.270 --> 01:02:47.620 align:middle line:84% and I'm just thinking that I don't know if you guys will 01:02:47.620 --> 01:02:48.620 align:middle line:90% really like this or not-- 01:02:48.620 --> 01:02:51.640 align:middle line:84% but the incoherence comes from the impossibility-- 01:02:51.640 --> 01:02:55.710 align:middle line:84% or not impossibility, but the problems of trying to make 01:02:55.710 --> 01:02:57.320 align:middle line:84% this into a story and realizing, well, 01:02:57.320 --> 01:02:58.610 align:middle line:90% this has not been-- 01:02:58.610 --> 01:03:01.040 align:middle line:84% this has been thought out as a cool game, and I love Yoshi's 01:03:01.040 --> 01:03:05.480 align:middle line:84% Island, but as a story, it kind of falls apart. 01:03:05.480 --> 01:03:08.222 align:middle line:90% Yes? 01:03:08.222 --> 01:03:11.510 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I think one of the really glaring inconsistencies 01:03:11.510 --> 01:03:14.760 align:middle line:84% in a lot of RPGs in particular is that in most of these 01:03:14.760 --> 01:03:19.550 align:middle line:84% worlds, there's some kind of resurrection card, and there 01:03:19.550 --> 01:03:21.865 align:middle line:84% are a lot of plots which revolve around character dying 01:03:21.865 --> 01:03:24.267 align:middle line:84% and that being a bad thing, but then you're like, why 01:03:24.267 --> 01:03:28.210 align:middle line:84% don't you just use your Phoenix Down or-- 01:03:28.210 --> 01:03:30.500 align:middle line:84% why do we care if the human is being assassinated, I've got 01:03:30.500 --> 01:03:32.690 align:middle line:84% this thing in my inventory which will bring him back. 01:03:32.690 --> 01:03:35.232 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes, I wished that about Aeris like a 01:03:35.232 --> 01:03:37.990 align:middle line:84% thousand times, and no, because this guy kills her? 01:03:37.990 --> 01:03:38.580 align:middle line:90% Then what kind of-- 01:03:38.580 --> 01:03:41.000 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The actual conceit there is you're not dead, 01:03:41.000 --> 01:03:43.750 align:middle line:90% you're just knocked out. 01:03:43.750 --> 01:03:45.950 align:middle line:84% So it's like smelling salts or something. 01:03:45.950 --> 01:03:47.390 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: But there are games like 01:03:47.390 --> 01:03:50.620 align:middle line:84% Planescape: Torment where that is incorporated in the-- 01:03:50.620 --> 01:03:54.300 align:middle line:84% you're immortal, and that's the thing, figuring out why 01:03:54.300 --> 01:03:55.160 align:middle line:90% you're immortal. 01:03:55.160 --> 01:03:58.520 align:middle line:84% They make fun of you waking up, and you go like, oh my 01:03:58.520 --> 01:04:02.950 align:middle line:84% goodness, this really hurts, I feel terrible! 01:04:02.950 --> 01:04:08.560 align:middle line:84% And then making that problem into an 01:04:08.560 --> 01:04:09.630 align:middle line:90% essential part of the game. 01:04:09.630 --> 01:04:10.050 align:middle line:90% Yes? 01:04:10.050 --> 01:04:14.500 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: So, with the RPG thing, the incoherency is how 01:04:14.500 --> 01:04:16.790 align:middle line:84% so many times when you're in these battles, you're doing 01:04:16.790 --> 01:04:18.000 align:middle line:90% these incredible things. 01:04:18.000 --> 01:04:22.230 align:middle line:84% Like you're summoning asteroids or jumping in the 01:04:22.230 --> 01:04:22.460 align:middle line:90% [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. 01:04:22.460 --> 01:04:25.330 align:middle line:84% But then in the game world, you get to a ledge, and 01:04:25.330 --> 01:04:26.916 align:middle line:84% they're like, oh, it's a ledge. 01:04:26.916 --> 01:04:28.640 align:middle line:90% I have to go around. 01:04:28.640 --> 01:04:30.430 align:middle line:90% Or it's a gap like this wide. 01:04:30.430 --> 01:04:34.420 align:middle line:84% I can't step over it because of a bush, oh no! 01:04:34.420 --> 01:04:35.750 align:middle line:90% What am I going to do? 01:04:35.750 --> 01:04:37.590 align:middle line:90% There's a bush in the way. 01:04:37.590 --> 01:04:38.520 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: But you're 01:04:38.520 --> 01:04:40.210 align:middle line:90% thinking diagonals, too. 01:04:40.210 --> 01:04:41.090 align:middle line:90% What? 01:04:41.090 --> 01:04:44.485 align:middle line:90% No, I cannot do diagonals. 01:04:44.485 --> 01:04:46.670 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I think another egregious inconsistency that 01:04:46.670 --> 01:04:49.820 align:middle line:90% comes up a lot is the-- 01:04:49.820 --> 01:04:52.140 align:middle line:84% and I think it's explicitly mentioned in the reading-- 01:04:52.140 --> 01:04:56.580 align:middle line:84% that you're the world savior usually, and on the way, 01:04:56.580 --> 01:05:00.650 align:middle line:84% you're going to pillage, steal, kill innocent people, 01:05:00.650 --> 01:05:01.860 align:middle line:84% and it's not going to be a big deal. 01:05:01.860 --> 01:05:06.420 align:middle line:84% And even in games where they make the endpoint variable, so 01:05:06.420 --> 01:05:08.530 align:middle line:84% all right, you can either save the world to or be a total 01:05:08.530 --> 01:05:11.350 align:middle line:84% jerk, and that fixes one problem, they still have the 01:05:11.350 --> 01:05:13.880 align:middle line:84% problem that during the game, you can alternate back and 01:05:13.880 --> 01:05:16.330 align:middle line:84% forth between being really good and really bad, and all 01:05:16.330 --> 01:05:18.510 align:middle line:84% it does is it kind of swings you one way or the other. 01:05:18.510 --> 01:05:19.630 align:middle line:90% It's one dimensional. 01:05:19.630 --> 01:05:22.045 align:middle line:84% So you're sort of just in a spectrum, and if you do five 01:05:22.045 --> 01:05:23.910 align:middle line:84% really bad things and then five really good things, 01:05:23.910 --> 01:05:25.280 align:middle line:84% you're back to where you started. 01:05:25.280 --> 01:05:29.750 align:middle line:84% And that's not necessarily consistent in terms 01:05:29.750 --> 01:05:30.210 align:middle line:90% storytelling. 01:05:30.210 --> 01:05:33.580 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Well, there's also the classic inconsistency of 01:05:33.580 --> 01:05:36.990 align:middle line:84% if I don't save the world, everything will be destroyed, 01:05:36.990 --> 01:05:38.422 align:middle line:84% but you're still going to charge me 100 01:05:38.422 --> 01:05:39.549 align:middle line:90% gil for this phoenix? 01:05:39.549 --> 01:05:43.413 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 01:05:43.413 --> 01:05:45.400 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: It's still inconsistent. 01:05:45.400 --> 01:05:48.130 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Or, I have to save the world now because bad 01:05:48.130 --> 01:05:48.890 align:middle line:90% things are happening. 01:05:48.890 --> 01:05:50.887 align:middle line:84% Let me go do these 20 side quests first. 01:05:50.887 --> 01:05:52.835 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: The whole world is that-- 01:05:52.835 --> 01:05:54.783 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: This cat's stuck in a tree! 01:05:54.783 --> 01:05:56.244 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 01:05:56.244 --> 01:05:57.687 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: There're rats in the cellar, 01:05:57.687 --> 01:05:58.310 align:middle line:90% man, rats in the cellar. 01:05:58.310 --> 01:06:00.550 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes, but the end of the world is nigh. 01:06:00.550 --> 01:06:03.010 align:middle line:84% Like in Final Fantasy, the end of the world is nigh, but let 01:06:03.010 --> 01:06:03.160 align:middle line:90% me go around-- 01:06:03.160 --> 01:06:03.580 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Blitzball! 01:06:03.580 --> 01:06:06.767 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: --and get more random encounters so 01:06:06.767 --> 01:06:08.350 align:middle line:90% that I can bump up my stats. 01:06:08.350 --> 01:06:10.210 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: So that actually reminds me of-- 01:06:10.210 --> 01:06:11.230 align:middle line:90% I think it was a web-comic-- 01:06:11.230 --> 01:06:15.880 align:middle line:84% that I read around a month ago, and it was based around, 01:06:15.880 --> 01:06:17.360 align:middle line:90% oh my god, you're our savior! 01:06:17.360 --> 01:06:18.310 align:middle line:90% You know how to solve it! 01:06:18.310 --> 01:06:21.310 align:middle line:84% Yes, I am, and so the whole time, he's just going on, 01:06:21.310 --> 01:06:22.802 align:middle line:90% like, what are you doing? 01:06:22.802 --> 01:06:26.280 align:middle line:84% They're raping and pillaging everything, they're destroying 01:06:26.280 --> 01:06:27.820 align:middle line:84% everything, what are you doing? 01:06:27.820 --> 01:06:30.220 align:middle line:84% Oh, I'll do that in a second, I just have to get this 01:06:30.220 --> 01:06:32.960 align:middle line:90% really, really cool shield. 01:06:32.960 --> 01:06:35.910 align:middle line:84% And then at one point it's like, why, what are you doing? 01:06:35.910 --> 01:06:38.620 align:middle line:84% It's like, I'm fishing, so I can get this lure, so I can 01:06:38.620 --> 01:06:41.700 align:middle line:90% catch another fish. 01:06:41.700 --> 01:06:44.570 align:middle line:84% Why would you ever be doing this right now when the 01:06:44.570 --> 01:06:46.925 align:middle line:84% world's about to end, and evil is spreading across 01:06:46.925 --> 01:06:47.350 align:middle line:90% everything? 01:06:47.350 --> 01:06:49.581 align:middle line:84% He's like, don't worry about it, I'm on it. 01:06:49.581 --> 01:06:51.145 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Well, it's very interesting. 01:06:51.145 --> 01:06:54.400 align:middle line:84% And this is my last slide, so if you want to-- 01:06:54.400 --> 01:06:55.570 align:middle line:90% we can go on discussing. 01:06:55.570 --> 01:06:56.442 align:middle line:90% PROFESSOR: Sure. 01:06:56.442 --> 01:07:00.210 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: So at times, the little cues that 01:07:00.210 --> 01:07:03.330 align:middle line:84% are building world or building character can also backfire. 01:07:03.330 --> 01:07:09.330 align:middle line:84% So I've been playing one of the DS Zelda games, and one of 01:07:09.330 --> 01:07:12.230 align:middle line:84% the nicest touches is that whenever you meet a character, 01:07:12.230 --> 01:07:14.800 align:middle line:84% Link is going to look at them in the eye. 01:07:14.800 --> 01:07:16.030 align:middle line:90% Hi! 01:07:16.030 --> 01:07:18.700 align:middle line:84% You're walking, and it's like, hi. 01:07:18.700 --> 01:07:21.265 align:middle line:84% And at times it's super weird, because the characters look at 01:07:21.265 --> 01:07:21.730 align:middle line:90% each other. 01:07:21.730 --> 01:07:24.960 align:middle line:84% They acknowledge that they're there, so they feel kind of 01:07:24.960 --> 01:07:29.600 align:middle line:84% alive with a very simple algorithm, where there's 01:07:29.600 --> 01:07:31.040 align:middle line:84% another character, they look at each other. 01:07:31.040 --> 01:07:33.520 align:middle line:84% It's like, wow, they're alive, cool, and they react. 01:07:33.520 --> 01:07:35.430 align:middle line:84% But then, you go into somebody's house, and they're 01:07:35.430 --> 01:07:37.140 align:middle line:84% looking at you and you're like, hi! 01:07:37.140 --> 01:07:38.100 align:middle line:90% [BREAKING SOUND] 01:07:38.100 --> 01:07:38.720 align:middle line:90% You know? 01:07:38.720 --> 01:07:40.584 align:middle line:84% You break their pots to get rupees. 01:07:40.584 --> 01:07:42.914 align:middle line:84% And they're looking at you, and you're breaking 01:07:42.914 --> 01:07:44.320 align:middle line:90% everything. 01:07:44.320 --> 01:07:46.470 align:middle line:84% And it's just like, this is kind of weird. 01:07:46.470 --> 01:07:48.710 align:middle line:84% They should react, because they're looking at you while 01:07:48.710 --> 01:07:51.588 align:middle line:90% you're breaking their house. 01:07:51.588 --> 01:07:57.880 align:middle line:84% And that's, again, is giving a touch that is making those 01:07:57.880 --> 01:08:00.610 align:middle line:84% characters alive, but it's also like breaking it, like, 01:08:00.610 --> 01:08:01.785 align:middle line:90% I'm still breaking your pots. 01:08:01.785 --> 01:08:03.108 align:middle line:90% I don't know what's better. 01:08:03.108 --> 01:08:08.440 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I think that was subverted in-- 01:08:08.440 --> 01:08:12.930 align:middle line:84% no, in another Zelda game, Link's Awakening? 01:08:12.930 --> 01:08:16.022 align:middle line:84% You go into the shop, and the shop owner is always looking 01:08:16.022 --> 01:08:18.136 align:middle line:84% at you, so if you take something off the shelf and 01:08:18.136 --> 01:08:19.850 align:middle line:84% try to exit, he says, no, you can't do that, 01:08:19.850 --> 01:08:20.990 align:middle line:90% you can't steal it. 01:08:20.990 --> 01:08:24.040 align:middle line:84% But if you run around him, he's not fast enough to keep 01:08:24.040 --> 01:08:26.456 align:middle line:84% his eye on you, so you run around him until he's looking 01:08:26.456 --> 01:08:29.410 align:middle line:90% away, and you can leave. 01:08:29.410 --> 01:08:31.979 align:middle line:84% But if you come back in, he says, you're the guy who stole 01:08:31.979 --> 01:08:33.689 align:middle line:84% something, and he shoots you with a laser. 01:08:33.689 --> 01:08:35.689 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 01:08:35.689 --> 01:08:37.949 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: And then every character in the game calls 01:08:37.949 --> 01:08:39.355 align:middle line:84% you "thief" for the rest of the game. 01:08:39.355 --> 01:08:40.267 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Ah, that's really funny. 01:08:40.267 --> 01:08:42.547 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Yeah, it's awesome. 01:08:42.547 --> 01:08:45.798 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I was going to say, Oblivion and Fallout do the 01:08:45.798 --> 01:08:49.330 align:middle line:84% same, where everyone watches you if they're within-- 01:08:49.330 --> 01:08:51.380 align:middle line:84% if they're acknowledging you, and then you try to take 01:08:51.380 --> 01:08:53.470 align:middle line:84% something, they're run up and be like, why the hell are you 01:08:53.470 --> 01:08:56.640 align:middle line:84% taking my stuff, or start beating you up or whatever. 01:08:56.640 --> 01:08:56.979 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Or shooting you. 01:08:56.979 --> 01:08:59.180 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Or calling the town guard. 01:08:59.180 --> 01:09:01.760 align:middle line:84% But it's problematic when you're powerful enough and you 01:09:01.760 --> 01:09:03.540 align:middle line:90% can take the town guard. 01:09:03.540 --> 01:09:04.960 align:middle line:84% Then it's just really annoying because everywhere you go, 01:09:04.960 --> 01:09:07.116 align:middle line:84% there's guys you can kill that are kind of there, and you're 01:09:07.116 --> 01:09:10.920 align:middle line:84% like, all right, come on, get out of my way. 01:09:10.920 --> 01:09:14.629 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: So there was a Mega Man Legends which I don't know 01:09:14.629 --> 01:09:15.520 align:middle line:90% if anybody ever played. 01:09:15.520 --> 01:09:17.590 align:middle line:84% I don't think anyone ever played that game. 01:09:17.590 --> 01:09:20.322 align:middle line:84% But essentially it was like Mega Man, but the 01:09:20.322 --> 01:09:22.050 align:middle line:90% RPG style of game. 01:09:22.050 --> 01:09:25.279 align:middle line:84% But it was actually slightly different from most RPGs. 01:09:25.279 --> 01:09:27.500 align:middle line:84% Most RPGs, you just walk around, walking into people's 01:09:27.500 --> 01:09:29.020 align:middle line:90% houses, looking for loot. 01:09:29.020 --> 01:09:31.740 align:middle line:84% But you actually couldn't just walk into people's houses. 01:09:31.740 --> 01:09:33.190 align:middle line:90% Their doors would be locked. 01:09:33.190 --> 01:09:36.573 align:middle line:84% And you could knock and see if anybody was there, but it was 01:09:36.573 --> 01:09:38.284 align:middle line:84% kind of interesting, because it was actually consistent, in 01:09:38.284 --> 01:09:40.560 align:middle line:84% the sense that you couldn't just randomly walk into 01:09:40.560 --> 01:09:43.359 align:middle line:84% somebody's house and steal their crap. 01:09:43.359 --> 01:09:46.010 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: So one thing that I wanted to ask-- 01:09:46.010 --> 01:09:48.520 align:middle line:84% because all these things in video games, after a while, 01:09:48.520 --> 01:09:50.260 align:middle line:84% they result in [UNINTELLIGIBLE], right? 01:09:50.260 --> 01:09:53.510 align:middle line:84% Because we have the possibility of having a 01:09:53.510 --> 01:09:58.780 align:middle line:84% fleshed out world that we can interact with, that is 01:09:58.780 --> 01:10:03.280 align:middle line:84% simulated, and the times where those cracks are showing, 01:10:03.280 --> 01:10:05.080 align:middle line:84% where the system is is showing, when it's showing 01:10:05.080 --> 01:10:08.085 align:middle line:84% that this is limited, that we've chosen a specific level 01:10:08.085 --> 01:10:12.050 align:middle line:84% of abstraction to simulate the world. 01:10:12.050 --> 01:10:18.800 align:middle line:84% But do those incongruencies bother people in board games 01:10:18.800 --> 01:10:20.050 align:middle line:90% or card games so much? 01:10:20.050 --> 01:10:22.680 align:middle line:90% 01:10:22.680 --> 01:10:25.490 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I would argue that sometimes it's a little bit of 01:10:25.490 --> 01:10:30.440 align:middle line:84% a speed bump to learning what's going on. 01:10:30.440 --> 01:10:32.765 align:middle line:84% Assuming some [UNINTELLIGIBLE], assuming 01:10:32.765 --> 01:10:35.100 align:middle line:90% that is incoherent. 01:10:35.100 --> 01:10:39.517 align:middle line:84% It seems like because it's almost impossible to play a 01:10:39.517 --> 01:10:41.409 align:middle line:84% card game or a board game without first understanding 01:10:41.409 --> 01:10:44.090 align:middle line:84% the rules, unlike in video games where you can just jump 01:10:44.090 --> 01:10:49.190 align:middle line:84% right in, that is usually something that can be 01:10:49.190 --> 01:10:53.772 align:middle line:84% surmounted if people say, oh, the rules say this, but the 01:10:53.772 --> 01:10:56.197 align:middle line:84% theme says that, OK, I understand how to play by the 01:10:56.197 --> 01:10:59.080 align:middle line:84% rules, and be able to step over that. 01:10:59.080 --> 01:11:00.340 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, and I think that that's an 01:11:00.340 --> 01:11:03.060 align:middle line:84% excellent point, and when we start playing a board game, 01:11:03.060 --> 01:11:05.970 align:middle line:84% probably what you guys do in this class, is you get a new 01:11:05.970 --> 01:11:06.480 align:middle line:90% board game. 01:11:06.480 --> 01:11:07.020 align:middle line:90% What do you do? 01:11:07.020 --> 01:11:09.865 align:middle line:84% You pick up the instructions and you're figuring out the 01:11:09.865 --> 01:11:11.630 align:middle line:84% rules first, and not the world. 01:11:11.630 --> 01:11:15.850 align:middle line:84% In a lot of video games, we figure out the world first, 01:11:15.850 --> 01:11:17.800 align:middle line:84% and then by exploring the world, we're 01:11:17.800 --> 01:11:18.640 align:middle line:90% figuring out the rules. 01:11:18.640 --> 01:11:22.040 align:middle line:84% And even if there are games that are giving us tutorials 01:11:22.040 --> 01:11:24.320 align:middle line:90% or manuals, who-- 01:11:24.320 --> 01:11:28.370 align:middle line:84% I don't know, not many people read the manuals, if at all. 01:11:28.370 --> 01:11:29.330 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: While the game is installing. 01:11:29.330 --> 01:11:32.630 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes, [INAUDIBLE]. 01:11:32.630 --> 01:11:35.450 align:middle line:84% But manuals is not something that-- 01:11:35.450 --> 01:11:37.600 align:middle line:84% even though it's going to be the first thing to look at in 01:11:37.600 --> 01:11:41.260 align:middle line:90% a board game and a card game. 01:11:41.260 --> 01:11:47.980 align:middle line:84% And even, well, as a player, you also look at the rule book 01:11:47.980 --> 01:11:51.750 align:middle line:84% at least to built your own character most times. 01:11:51.750 --> 01:11:53.240 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: You mean on PC and computer games? 01:11:53.240 --> 01:11:53.935 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: On role-playing games. 01:11:53.935 --> 01:11:57.655 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Oh, are you talking about table 01:11:57.655 --> 01:11:58.500 align:middle line:90% top role-play games? 01:11:58.500 --> 01:11:59.400 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yes, table top. 01:11:59.400 --> 01:12:01.115 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Oh yeah, even table top role-playing 01:12:01.115 --> 01:12:02.340 align:middle line:90% games you try to start. 01:12:02.340 --> 01:12:04.890 align:middle line:84% People start by looking at their handbooks. 01:12:04.890 --> 01:12:06.345 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: LARPing might be a 01:12:06.345 --> 01:12:08.480 align:middle line:90% good example of how-- 01:12:08.480 --> 01:12:10.790 align:middle line:84% LARPing, you're just given your 01:12:10.790 --> 01:12:11.590 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Your character sheet. 01:12:11.590 --> 01:12:11.900 align:middle line:90% You have to read it. 01:12:11.900 --> 01:12:13.230 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Your character sheet, which is very 01:12:13.230 --> 01:12:15.250 align:middle line:90% interesting. 01:12:15.250 --> 01:12:18.370 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: For role-playing, I know a lot of people who can't 01:12:18.370 --> 01:12:20.770 align:middle line:84% really be bothered to learn the rules that thoroughly and 01:12:20.770 --> 01:12:24.375 align:middle line:84% prefer just to experience the story and have somebody tell 01:12:24.375 --> 01:12:25.885 align:middle line:84% them how to resolve the mechanics and 01:12:25.885 --> 01:12:26.990 align:middle line:90% that kind of thing. 01:12:26.990 --> 01:12:30.080 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: But it's funny, because when you're 01:12:30.080 --> 01:12:34.000 align:middle line:84% building your character in a table top role-playing game, 01:12:34.000 --> 01:12:38.610 align:middle line:84% you still have to have a look at what is the race that you 01:12:38.610 --> 01:12:40.920 align:middle line:84% want, what is your religion, what is your powers that you 01:12:40.920 --> 01:12:43.490 align:middle line:90% want to choose? 01:12:43.490 --> 01:12:46.717 align:middle line:84% Even if you're only playing for kicks, and you don't care 01:12:46.717 --> 01:12:47.989 align:middle line:90% so much about the rule. 01:12:47.989 --> 01:12:51.375 align:middle line:84% And I'm the type of table top role-player that prefers the 01:12:51.375 --> 01:12:54.980 align:middle line:84% story, and I don't care so much about combat. 01:12:54.980 --> 01:12:58.270 align:middle line:84% But you still have to know the rules even before you start 01:12:58.270 --> 01:12:59.530 align:middle line:90% playing, if that makes sense. 01:12:59.530 --> 01:13:01.390 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: There are situations [UNINTELLIGIBLE] described 01:13:01.390 --> 01:13:04.390 align:middle line:84% where people don't look at the rules, but then they're 01:13:04.390 --> 01:13:06.543 align:middle line:84% usually relying on the GM to tell them what's allowed and 01:13:06.543 --> 01:13:08.850 align:middle line:84% what's not allowed, which means someone read the rules. 01:13:08.850 --> 01:13:11.249 align:middle line:84% It's no different from someone explaining to you a card game, 01:13:11.249 --> 01:13:12.235 align:middle line:84% as opposed to having the rules-- 01:13:12.235 --> 01:13:14.700 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: It actually makes the experience a bit like 01:13:14.700 --> 01:13:18.020 align:middle line:84% playing a computer game, that the GM does the 01:13:18.020 --> 01:13:19.270 align:middle line:90% [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. 01:13:19.270 --> 01:13:21.396 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yeah, the GM is your computer, and in fact it's 01:13:21.396 --> 01:13:23.952 align:middle line:84% more powerful than a computer, because a GM can figure out 01:13:23.952 --> 01:13:25.928 align:middle line:90% what you're actually asking. 01:13:25.928 --> 01:13:29.880 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 01:13:29.880 --> 01:13:32.350 align:middle line:90% [INAUDIBLE] 01:13:32.350 --> 01:13:34.820 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I had a question about the 01:13:34.820 --> 01:13:35.820 align:middle line:90% [UNINTELLIGIBLE], actually. 01:13:35.820 --> 01:13:39.250 align:middle line:84% So one thing about card games and board games is that almost 01:13:39.250 --> 01:13:43.360 align:middle line:84% everything that gets revealed or that happens in the middle 01:13:43.360 --> 01:13:49.000 align:middle line:84% of the game is usually a player mechanics. 01:13:49.000 --> 01:13:52.310 align:middle line:84% Sometimes there's some loose flexibility, like games where 01:13:52.310 --> 01:13:56.910 align:middle line:84% they allow open negotiation between specific players. 01:13:56.910 --> 01:13:59.080 align:middle line:84% But most of it's actually in the play of a card, the move 01:13:59.080 --> 01:14:01.120 align:middle line:84% of a piece, something like that. 01:14:01.120 --> 01:14:04.270 align:middle line:84% And especially when you're playing cards, you have to 01:14:04.270 --> 01:14:07.980 align:middle line:84% play flavor text, especially for cards where you can just 01:14:07.980 --> 01:14:10.440 align:middle line:90% play them at any time. 01:14:10.440 --> 01:14:14.100 align:middle line:84% And I've seen micronarratives done-- 01:14:14.100 --> 01:14:16.034 align:middle line:84% at least what I think a micronarrative seems to be-- 01:14:16.034 --> 01:14:19.065 align:middle line:84% done pretty well in those instances. 01:14:19.065 --> 01:14:23.320 align:middle line:84% In fact, in the example of cards, right, someone tries to 01:14:23.320 --> 01:14:25.410 align:middle line:84% do something that might win them the game, but you play 01:14:25.410 --> 01:14:29.390 align:middle line:84% this card, and that denies them the win, but it is tied 01:14:29.390 --> 01:14:32.490 align:middle line:84% up with some sort of flavor text, some sort of thematic 01:14:32.490 --> 01:14:33.810 align:middle line:90% element to that card. 01:14:33.810 --> 01:14:36.786 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Well, it could be like-- 01:14:36.786 --> 01:14:39.910 align:middle line:84% in Monopoly, what is the type of card? 01:14:39.910 --> 01:14:40.510 align:middle line:90% Those two types of cards. 01:14:40.510 --> 01:14:40.970 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Go to jail? 01:14:40.970 --> 01:14:41.962 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: No. 01:14:41.962 --> 01:14:42.760 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Community Chest and Chance? 01:14:42.760 --> 01:14:44.690 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, like the Chance. 01:14:44.690 --> 01:14:46.930 align:middle line:84% There's Chance when there's something that happens to you, 01:14:46.930 --> 01:14:48.005 align:middle line:90% but there's also-- 01:14:48.005 --> 01:14:48.770 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Community Chest. 01:14:48.770 --> 01:14:50.730 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: --the Community Chest, thank you, 01:14:50.730 --> 01:14:51.920 align:middle line:84% which is something that you play. 01:14:51.920 --> 01:14:55.200 align:middle line:84% The differences in micronarratives here, what it 01:14:55.200 --> 01:14:58.920 align:middle line:84% means is something, it's a reaction to player's events. 01:14:58.920 --> 01:15:03.680 align:middle line:84% It's not something that the player chooses to do. 01:15:03.680 --> 01:15:07.610 align:middle line:84% Those reaction cards, those are also part of the player's 01:15:07.610 --> 01:15:12.190 align:middle line:84% narrative, and in a way, the player is choosing, this is 01:15:12.190 --> 01:15:14.440 align:middle line:90% going to happen now. 01:15:14.440 --> 01:15:16.470 align:middle line:84% This is what Gloom is about, and these are what these two 01:15:16.470 --> 01:15:18.420 align:middle line:84% games are about most of the time. 01:15:18.420 --> 01:15:22.110 align:middle line:84% It's like you're trying to construct a story, and you're 01:15:22.110 --> 01:15:25.500 align:middle line:84% trying to tamper into somebody else's story, so it's that 01:15:25.500 --> 01:15:27.400 align:middle line:90% kind of reaction. 01:15:27.400 --> 01:15:29.720 align:middle line:84% Yeah, we would have to find a name for it. 01:15:29.720 --> 01:15:34.020 align:middle line:84% But yeah, the micronarrative is referring to something that 01:15:34.020 --> 01:15:35.490 align:middle line:90% happens as reaction. 01:15:35.490 --> 01:15:38.696 align:middle line:84% It's not something that the player does. 01:15:38.696 --> 01:15:40.310 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: It's often in reaction to what another 01:15:40.310 --> 01:15:40.830 align:middle line:90% player is doing. 01:15:40.830 --> 01:15:43.698 align:middle line:84% So it depends on whose point of view you are taking. 01:15:43.698 --> 01:15:47.480 align:middle line:84% So, I've got a Community Chest card, and I'm holding it until 01:15:47.480 --> 01:15:51.710 align:middle line:84% somebody else is about to take advantage of a position, and 01:15:51.710 --> 01:15:54.690 align:middle line:90% then I deny them that. 01:15:54.690 --> 01:15:56.114 align:middle line:84% So it's still a reaction to what the 01:15:56.114 --> 01:15:57.060 align:middle line:90% other player is doing. 01:15:57.060 --> 01:15:59.290 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Well, I just wanted to mention, in terms of 01:15:59.290 --> 01:16:01.386 align:middle line:84% micronarrative, I don't know, would this 01:16:01.386 --> 01:16:02.600 align:middle line:90% be a possible example? 01:16:02.600 --> 01:16:04.674 align:middle line:84% In the board game that we're designing, there's a computer 01:16:04.674 --> 01:16:06.909 align:middle line:84% in the center that you want to hack, and every time someone 01:16:06.909 --> 01:16:07.970 align:middle line:84% tries to hack it, it gets weaker. 01:16:07.970 --> 01:16:11.564 align:middle line:84% So it's sort of a response to someone doing an action on it. 01:16:11.564 --> 01:16:13.110 align:middle line:84% Would that count as a micronarrative, or is that 01:16:13.110 --> 01:16:15.441 align:middle line:90% more of a mechanic? 01:16:15.441 --> 01:16:20.630 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: It seems as an event it's 01:16:20.630 --> 01:16:21.360 align:middle line:90% an important event. 01:16:21.360 --> 01:16:22.350 align:middle line:90% It's a change of state. 01:16:22.350 --> 01:16:25.680 align:middle line:84% But I don't know how much of a story it is. 01:16:25.680 --> 01:16:29.370 align:middle line:84% And there's no science to what constitutes an event or not. 01:16:29.370 --> 01:16:31.636 align:middle line:84% It's something that's part of my research, it's something 01:16:31.636 --> 01:16:34.480 align:middle line:90% that I'm going to figure out. 01:16:34.480 --> 01:16:38.160 align:middle line:84% How can we identify what's an event that is a rule and is 01:16:38.160 --> 01:16:40.550 align:middle line:90% also an event in the story? 01:16:40.550 --> 01:16:42.650 align:middle line:84% Because things like disconnecting the computer, or 01:16:42.650 --> 01:16:46.320 align:middle line:84% hacking the computer, yeah, that seems to 01:16:46.320 --> 01:16:47.550 align:middle line:90% be clearly an event. 01:16:47.550 --> 01:16:51.300 align:middle line:84% What if we had each time that it becomes weaker, there is 01:16:51.300 --> 01:16:53.440 align:middle line:84% something else that you can do. 01:16:53.440 --> 01:16:57.485 align:middle line:84% So by hacking the computer, there is a new action. 01:16:57.485 --> 01:17:00.610 align:middle line:84% You get access to new areas of the game, or you 01:17:00.610 --> 01:17:03.080 align:middle line:90% get a new power up. 01:17:03.080 --> 01:17:05.500 align:middle line:90% Or it's easier-- 01:17:05.500 --> 01:17:06.890 align:middle line:90% for example, if-- 01:17:06.890 --> 01:17:10.060 align:middle line:84% I'm totally hypothesizing about what your game is 01:17:10.060 --> 01:17:13.040 align:middle line:84% about-- but if you will have a computer that is controlling 01:17:13.040 --> 01:17:16.660 align:middle line:84% the security of a place, whenever you hack a certain 01:17:16.660 --> 01:17:23.050 align:middle line:84% part of the system, it's letting you move faster 01:17:23.050 --> 01:17:25.600 align:middle line:90% through the board. 01:17:25.600 --> 01:17:32.240 align:middle line:84% In a way, that might be closer to a micronarrative, because 01:17:32.240 --> 01:17:34.240 align:middle line:84% it's a reaction, but it's also a consequence. 01:17:34.240 --> 01:17:37.016 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: In that case, in Careers for Girls, when you 01:17:37.016 --> 01:17:39.140 align:middle line:84% choose to go down a path, is that a micronarrative? 01:17:39.140 --> 01:17:42.406 align:middle line:84% Because the player chooses and then sort of changes the 01:17:42.406 --> 01:17:43.550 align:middle line:90% state, [INAUDIBLE]. 01:17:43.550 --> 01:17:46.520 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: I don't know the choices, but the 01:17:46.520 --> 01:17:50.420 align:middle line:84% events that happen, like what happens when you land on 01:17:50.420 --> 01:17:51.430 align:middle line:90% something, might be closer. 01:17:51.430 --> 01:17:55.690 align:middle line:84% And again, it's kind of like, it's a micronarrative? 01:17:55.690 --> 01:18:00.480 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Careers and Careers for Girls, which I both see as 01:18:00.480 --> 01:18:02.562 align:middle line:90% really, really appalling-- 01:18:02.562 --> 01:18:03.430 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: I agree. 01:18:03.430 --> 01:18:06.000 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Seems to be built on micronarratives, the whole 01:18:06.000 --> 01:18:08.480 align:middle line:84% idea that everywhere you land, something's happening-- 01:18:08.480 --> 01:18:09.660 align:middle line:90% you're granted something. 01:18:09.660 --> 01:18:11.240 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: But the choice-- what I'm saying is 01:18:11.240 --> 01:18:13.965 align:middle line:84% that the choice itself is not the micronarrative, it's the 01:18:13.965 --> 01:18:15.215 align:middle line:84% landing and what happens when you land. 01:18:15.215 --> 01:18:17.770 align:middle line:90% 01:18:17.770 --> 01:18:19.270 align:middle line:90% Oh wow. 01:18:19.270 --> 01:18:20.770 align:middle line:90% It's almost time. 01:18:20.770 --> 01:18:21.270 align:middle line:90% Anything else? 01:18:21.270 --> 01:18:23.870 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I actually wanted to make one last comment about 01:18:23.870 --> 01:18:27.530 align:middle line:84% emergent stories, particularly the example of The Sims. 01:18:27.530 --> 01:18:29.890 align:middle line:84% Is anybody familiar with Alice and Kev? 01:18:29.890 --> 01:18:31.030 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Yeah. 01:18:31.030 --> 01:18:32.840 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yeah, so Alice and Kev was this really 01:18:32.840 --> 01:18:35.430 align:middle line:84% interesting experiment that this guy did where he created 01:18:35.430 --> 01:18:37.630 align:middle line:84% two homeless Sims, a father and-- 01:18:37.630 --> 01:18:38.360 align:middle line:90% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Ah, yes! 01:18:38.360 --> 01:18:39.220 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: --a daughter. 01:18:39.220 --> 01:18:40.050 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I think we talked about this-- 01:18:40.050 --> 01:18:46.020 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: And just did a sort of a web-comic style display 01:18:46.020 --> 01:18:49.630 align:middle line:84% of the lives of these two homeless Sims as she grew up 01:18:49.630 --> 01:18:51.470 align:middle line:90% and he got older. 01:18:51.470 --> 01:18:58.680 align:middle line:84% And it almost seemed like it became a role-playing game, 01:18:58.680 --> 01:19:03.380 align:middle line:84% where the guy playing The Sims became the dungeon master, who 01:19:03.380 --> 01:19:07.470 align:middle line:84% had created these characters, and then the AIs were playing 01:19:07.470 --> 01:19:09.890 align:middle line:90% these characters for him. 01:19:09.890 --> 01:19:14.380 align:middle line:84% In particular, there was this one moment where he gets to a 01:19:14.380 --> 01:19:18.990 align:middle line:84% part of the story where the daughter has just gotten her 01:19:18.990 --> 01:19:21.100 align:middle line:84% first paycheck, and she decides to 01:19:21.100 --> 01:19:22.580 align:middle line:90% donate it to charity. 01:19:22.580 --> 01:19:25.316 align:middle line:84% And he keeps trying to keep her from donating it to 01:19:25.316 --> 01:19:27.740 align:middle line:84% charity, but she keeps saying I want to 01:19:27.740 --> 01:19:29.040 align:middle line:90% donate it to charity. 01:19:29.040 --> 01:19:31.910 align:middle line:84% So eventually he lets her donate it to charity. 01:19:31.910 --> 01:19:33.710 align:middle line:84% And it was almost like it was the character's 01:19:33.710 --> 01:19:36.130 align:middle line:90% choice to donate it. 01:19:36.130 --> 01:19:39.450 align:middle line:84% At the end of this blog that he did about this specific 01:19:39.450 --> 01:19:43.920 align:middle line:84% event, he's talking about what does it mean when a video game 01:19:43.920 --> 01:19:47.320 align:middle line:84% character that you created makes you question your own 01:19:47.320 --> 01:19:48.074 align:middle line:90% life choices? 01:19:48.074 --> 01:19:49.062 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 01:19:49.062 --> 01:19:51.370 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: This is a really interesting thing. 01:19:51.370 --> 01:19:52.630 align:middle line:84% If you haven't read it, you should check it out. 01:19:52.630 --> 01:19:53.710 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Yeah, on what blog? 01:19:53.710 --> 01:19:55.382 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: I think it's aliceandkev.com, 01:19:55.382 --> 01:19:57.692 align:middle line:90% something like that. 01:19:57.692 --> 01:20:00.060 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: It's a story of the Sims 3. 01:20:00.060 --> 01:20:01.883 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Yeah. 01:20:01.883 --> 01:20:03.356 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: Any more? 01:20:03.356 --> 01:20:06.547 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Talking about non-digital games being very 01:20:06.547 --> 01:20:09.130 align:middle line:84% involved in your character, and I felt like one game I've 01:20:09.130 --> 01:20:11.405 align:middle line:84% played where I've been very involved with a character is 01:20:11.405 --> 01:20:13.750 align:middle line:84% Mafia, where there's not a lot of actual 01:20:13.750 --> 01:20:14.550 align:middle line:90% information given to you. 01:20:14.550 --> 01:20:16.660 align:middle line:84% People are yelling at you, like, you're the Mafia, the 01:20:16.660 --> 01:20:18.560 align:middle line:90% way you smiled at him! 01:20:18.560 --> 01:20:20.216 align:middle line:90% Clearly you guys-- 01:20:20.216 --> 01:20:20.572 align:middle line:90% I don't know. 01:20:20.572 --> 01:20:23.280 align:middle line:84% CLARA FERNANDEZ-VARA: So you become the character more by 01:20:23.280 --> 01:20:27.570 align:middle line:84% how people see you than how you play it? 01:20:27.570 --> 01:20:29.690 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I guess you're also assigning character to other 01:20:29.690 --> 01:20:33.660 align:middle line:84% people, reading into their actions and things. 01:20:33.660 --> 01:20:37.130 align:middle line:84% PROFESSOR: That's a game where the roles are designed by the 01:20:37.130 --> 01:20:38.035 align:middle line:90% designer, right? 01:20:38.035 --> 01:20:39.470 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yeah, but there's only two roles. 01:20:39.470 --> 01:20:39.870 align:middle line:90% It's not like-- 01:20:39.870 --> 01:20:41.385 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Well no, there can be a lot of roles. 01:20:41.385 --> 01:20:42.115 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: There's a few roles. 01:20:42.115 --> 01:20:44.910 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I've seen websites with a whole list of roles, 01:20:44.910 --> 01:20:46.870 align:middle line:84% and some of them are hilarious. 01:20:46.870 --> 01:20:49.930 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Seems good. 01:20:49.930 --> 01:20:54.697 align:middle line:84% In digital games, I feel like there are the games where you 01:20:54.697 --> 01:20:57.020 align:middle line:84% have a very defined character, unlike this. 01:20:57.020 --> 01:20:59.200 align:middle line:84% If you have a very defined character in a video game, you 01:20:59.200 --> 01:21:01.370 align:middle line:84% tend to get into it more, whereas Fable, your character 01:21:01.370 --> 01:21:04.205 align:middle line:84% isn't defined, and changes based on the actions you use. 01:21:04.205 --> 01:21:06.580 align:middle line:84% If you're evil, he becomes ugly and he gets 01:21:06.580 --> 01:21:07.530 align:middle line:90% [UNINTELLIGIBLE] things. 01:21:07.530 --> 01:21:09.410 align:middle line:84% But I never felt like I identified with the character 01:21:09.410 --> 01:21:13.104 align:middle line:84% at all versus games that already give me a very strong 01:21:13.104 --> 01:21:15.444 align:middle line:84% character, and I play a certain way. 01:21:15.444 --> 01:21:18.850 align:middle line:84% PROFESSOR: That's odd because that's completely-- 01:21:18.850 --> 01:21:21.110 align:middle line:84% that runs against what you would be trying to do, at 01:21:21.110 --> 01:21:23.100 align:middle line:84% least, that's why they're marketing games that are 01:21:23.100 --> 01:21:24.590 align:middle line:84% trying to do it, to make you feel closer to the character 01:21:24.590 --> 01:21:27.505 align:middle line:84% because it's the reflection of who you are. 01:21:27.505 --> 01:21:30.217 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I think that Bioshock does a better job of 01:21:30.217 --> 01:21:32.075 align:middle line:84% that, where you never see the guy. 01:21:32.075 --> 01:21:35.610 align:middle line:84% So you're always just looking through his eyes, and he has 01:21:35.610 --> 01:21:40.021 align:middle line:84% essentially no personality, at least, no personality is 01:21:40.021 --> 01:21:41.500 align:middle line:90% displayed in the game. 01:21:41.500 --> 01:21:43.030 align:middle line:84% So it's almost as if you are directly 01:21:43.030 --> 01:21:43.860 align:middle line:90% interacting with the world. 01:21:43.860 --> 01:21:46.540 align:middle line:84% PROFESSOR: You're given a space to to be-- 01:21:46.540 --> 01:21:50.570 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: To actually project yourself into the game, which 01:21:50.570 --> 01:21:55.030 align:middle line:84% I think is sort of what Fable was trying to do, but doesn't 01:21:55.030 --> 01:21:56.062 align:middle line:90% really do a good job of it. 01:21:56.062 --> 01:21:57.890 align:middle line:84% Because you see him right there, and 01:21:57.890 --> 01:21:59.350 align:middle line:90% he's clearly not you. 01:21:59.350 --> 01:22:01.580 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I feel like Torment is a really-- 01:22:01.580 --> 01:22:03.560 align:middle line:84% Planescape: Torment has a really interesting take on 01:22:03.560 --> 01:22:08.430 align:middle line:84% this, where the character is essentially who it is that you 01:22:08.430 --> 01:22:11.517 align:middle line:84% play in that, but there's more to it than that, because 01:22:11.517 --> 01:22:13.892 align:middle line:84% there's also back story to the character, which you, the 01:22:13.892 --> 01:22:15.660 align:middle line:84% character, have forgotten, and it's 01:22:15.660 --> 01:22:16.590 align:middle line:90% revealed to you over time. 01:22:16.590 --> 01:22:21.550 align:middle line:84% But you know more of that character, who your character 01:22:21.550 --> 01:22:24.710 align:middle line:84% was back then, than you know about your character now. 01:22:24.710 --> 01:22:27.220 align:middle line:84% So your nature changes over time, and you've gone through 01:22:27.220 --> 01:22:29.140 align:middle line:90% several iterations of this. 01:22:29.140 --> 01:22:31.371 align:middle line:84% And none of them is the truer or more correct you. 01:22:31.371 --> 01:22:33.450 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: The funny thing about Planescape: Torment, 01:22:33.450 --> 01:22:37.390 align:middle line:84% it's kind of like a personality test. 01:22:37.390 --> 01:22:41.450 align:middle line:84% I've been playing it again, and the first time I played 01:22:41.450 --> 01:22:45.040 align:middle line:90% through, I was chaotic good? 01:22:45.040 --> 01:22:46.500 align:middle line:84% And I was trying to play different. 01:22:46.500 --> 01:22:49.200 align:middle line:90% I'm still chaotic good. 01:22:49.200 --> 01:22:52.650 align:middle line:90% So I'm kind of freaking out. 01:22:52.650 --> 01:22:56.150 align:middle line:84% OK, I'm really trying to do something different, but I'm 01:22:56.150 --> 01:22:58.390 align:middle line:90% still in the same alignment. 01:22:58.390 --> 01:23:01.380 align:middle line:84% Because a lot of your definition of-- 01:23:01.380 --> 01:23:04.940 align:middle line:84% and actually, your alignment can also decide items that you 01:23:04.940 --> 01:23:07.310 align:middle line:84% can get or things that you can do-- 01:23:07.310 --> 01:23:13.360 align:middle line:84% but it's based on your choices and how you tackle a quest. 01:23:13.360 --> 01:23:16.410 align:middle line:84% If you lie, for example, or if you do crazy things. 01:23:16.410 --> 01:23:19.970 align:middle line:90% 01:23:19.970 --> 01:23:22.300 align:middle line:90% It's not something-- 01:23:22.300 --> 01:23:26.660 align:middle line:84% once you realize what the effect of your choices is, you 01:23:26.660 --> 01:23:27.720 align:middle line:90% can kind of control it. 01:23:27.720 --> 01:23:29.010 align:middle line:90% But there's-- 01:23:29.010 --> 01:23:31.630 align:middle line:90% playing Planescape is-- 01:23:31.630 --> 01:23:35.490 align:middle line:84% it's going to be about you and how your game playing style is 01:23:35.490 --> 01:23:36.825 align:middle line:90% [UNINTELLIGIBLE] humanity. 01:23:36.825 --> 01:23:39.437 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Yeah, there's interesting effects in Knights 01:23:39.437 --> 01:23:43.670 align:middle line:84% of the Old Republic if anybody's played that. 01:23:43.670 --> 01:23:47.240 align:middle line:84% You can explicitly make decisions to 01:23:47.240 --> 01:23:49.470 align:middle line:90% go to the dark side. 01:23:49.470 --> 01:23:52.770 align:middle line:84% I remember when I played it, every time it came up with a 01:23:52.770 --> 01:23:55.030 align:middle line:90% decision where I could-- 01:23:55.030 --> 01:23:56.970 align:middle line:84% the dark side has all the awesome powers, right? 01:23:56.970 --> 01:24:00.030 align:middle line:84% So I kept thinking, I'm gonna be on the dark side, I'm gonna 01:24:00.030 --> 01:24:02.620 align:middle line:84% have all the awesome powers, it's gonna be grand. 01:24:02.620 --> 01:24:06.210 align:middle line:84% Then you get to the decisions, and I was almost uncomfortable 01:24:06.210 --> 01:24:09.010 align:middle line:84% with choosing the evil options, such that I couldn't 01:24:09.010 --> 01:24:12.182 align:middle line:84% actually bring myself to go to the dark side. 01:24:12.182 --> 01:24:15.140 align:middle line:84% PROFESSOR: We are actually out of time. 01:24:15.140 --> 01:24:18.005 align:middle line:90% But I wouldn't say that-- 01:24:18.005 --> 01:24:22.630 align:middle line:84% the options are thankfully all-- or, actually, let's save 01:24:22.630 --> 01:24:24.590 align:middle line:84% discussion of Knights of the Old Republic for another class 01:24:24.590 --> 01:24:26.930 align:middle line:90% [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. 01:24:26.930 --> 01:24:27.940 align:middle line:90% PROFESSOR: Yeah. 01:24:27.940 --> 01:24:29.760 align:middle line:90% OK, all right, well, thank you. 01:24:29.760 --> 01:24:31.010 align:middle line:90%