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Session Name:

The Arcane Art of Puzzle Dependency Diagrams

Overview:

The Puzzle Design Diagram was invented by Ron Gilbert at Lucasfilm Games to complete the design of Maniac Mansion. Since then, it has been refined, expanded, and remains a very useful, but heretofore, mysterious tool for those who craft interactive stories. It facilitates several counterintuitive techniques, including dependency-only diagramming and designing from the end to the beginning. This talk describes the PDD and how to use it, with examples both from classic graphic adventures and modern action/adventure titles.

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