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The Number One Educational Resource for the Game Industry

Session Name: Writing Modular Characters for System-Driven Games
Speaker(s): Tanya X. Short
Company Name(s): Kitfox Games
Track / Format: Design

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Overview: Making the paradigm shift from linear to system-driven thinking can be difficult, especially when it comes to delivering good writing. Using examples from the speaker's own system-driven writing ('Moon Hunters', 'The Shrouded Isle'), as well as from games like 'Civilization', 'Darkest Dungeon', 'Dwarf Fortress', or the 'Middle-Earth' series, this talk will explore ways modular thinking can help your storytelling, diving deep into character writing specifically as a metaphor for all system-driven writing. "Orthogonality" proves the name of the game, in terms of character traits, in how those traits express themselves, and even figuring out how to prioritize many types of character information. This session will define the tools that are available to narrative designers to help your player find both satisfaction and surprise in your rich yet responsive world.

GDC 2018

Tanya X. Short

Kitfox Games

free content

Design

Design