game NARRATIVE with CHARACTER

  
      With the game narrative that we discuss in the last post, here I have an example of a game that play it online which is Stop GMO2 (Underground) game.This game is quite cute and interesting even tough I just play it once.The narrative in this game is short and simple.It just show the main character (Pink Hunter) begin his journey in a jungle and get into a well.So that is how his hunting begin.

The interface of Stop GMO2 (Underground) game.

The short and simple narrative scene of this game.

A little tutorial of the game after the narrative.

You can choose your weapon and ready for haunting!

On his way to go hunting.

The characters that involve in this game.


In this game there are two characters and their function are:

Pink Hunter : Were responsible to kill all the dangerous GMO along his haunting by using any of his weapons.
GMO (carrot) : Must survive themselves from Pink Hunter and can attack him at the same time.

    There are many game that has narrative, the different is how the game designer create the narrative game without make the player to become bored and not interesting to play your game.In my opinion as a player,I rather choose a short and simple narrative but interesting.It will make player feel excited to start the game and understand enough by only wathcing the narrative.

~Narrative in Game~

For this class, we have learned about narrative in a game. Narrative means the non-interactive part of a game's story, the part in which the game designer tell the players things without letting him do anything. Narrative sometimes helps the player to  understand the flow of  the game by watching the narrative but sometimes it’s not because most of the player will be more excited to start the game than watch the narrative first.

It depends on how the game designer tells the story about the game. The narrative can be interesting, however if we had been watching it for a few times we might get bored. Most of the game that we played must have this narrative which sometimes we can skip but sometimes we must watch or read the narrative first before start the game.

“A story is an artefact you consume and a game is a process you enter into, and create the artefact.’’

~Greg Roach~

            The statement had been simplified and explained by our lecturer and it’s means like a story is a pre-constructed chunk of material, while a game is something more malleable and something that one helps to construct. Stories and games are very related but both of them have different meaning and role. So, as a future game designer, we must know how to create an effective narrative or story that helps the player in understand the game and enjoy while playing it.

            Here are eight tips that we learned about narrative in game:

1.      Goals, Obstacles, and Conflicts

2.      Provide Simplicity and Transcendence

3.      Consider the Hero’s Journey

4.      Put Your Story to Work!

5.      Keep Your Story World Consistent

6.      Make your Story World Accessible

7.      Use Clichés Judiciously

8.      Sometimes a Map Brings a Story to Life 


Example of Game that Have Interesting Narrative.

Alan Wake

Heavy Rain

Nominees

!interactiOn mOdel in hOt dOg bush!

        For the game Hot Dog Bush that I have been share for the last post, the interaction model that I found in this game is avatar based.This is because player will control the avatar which is Bush to sell all the foods and beverages.It's will look like that we are in that game and do the selling.Bush will face with many character of customer.He has to patient and calm to settle up all the customer's orders.He must get in time to avoid the customers from become angry and leave away.

       It is also a single player game because it just involve 'me' and the 'situation'.There is no other character that he has to challenge accept the situation which are the customers and the time limit.With that, he must prepare and always get ready with the situation and take an immediate action. He must alert with time and the numbers of orders that he must prepare.

interactiOn mOdel

           The user interface turns the player's inputs on the hardware into actions within the game world.The relationship between the player's inputs and the resulting actions is dictated by the game's interaction model.The model determines how the player projects her will,her choices and her command, into the game.In particular,it define what she may and and may not act upon at any given moment.Video games use a number of standard interaction models,including multipresence,avatar-based models,contestant models and so on.

Interaction  model are features of the user interface.

        
          In a multipresent model,for example can act on different parts of the game world whenever she wants to,reaching "into" it from the "outside".In an avatar-based model,the player is represented by a character who already is inside the game world,and the players acts on the world through that character.Just as the visible parts of a game's user interface change during play, a game can have more than one interaction model depending on what is happening at the time.

source from : Fundamnetals of Game Design , Ernest Adams

Types of Interaction Models

• Avatar based
• Multipresent
• Party based
• Contestant based
• Desktop

Avatar Based

• Player controlling a single character, the avatar in the game world.
• Player acts upon the world through his avatar.
• Example of game : Diablo

Multipresent

• Player can act upon several different parts of the game world at a time.
• Example of game : Age of Empire (online)

Party Based

• A small group of characters generally remain together as a group.
• Example of game : Dragon Age : Origins

Contestant Based

• Player answers questions and make decisions.
• Usually no navigation available.
• Example of game : Wheel of Fortune

Desktop

• Mimics a computer desktop
• Usually found only in games that represent some kind of office activity.
• Example of game : Industry Player

Hot Dog Bush - Example of Game Feedback

Feedback Elements in this game. (Hot Dog Bush)

The Interface of the game before you start.There are three button that you can choose which
are Play, Instructions, High Scores

When you playing this game,you will face many types of customer with different levels of patience.
The customers became angry by making noises and show their angry face for waiting their order so long.
So,as a player you must alert and take the action quickly.
This is one of the feedback when you cannot finish the order,at this moment player will feel very stressful.

If you do not pass the level, this feedback will display this page means that you  had failed
and need to restart this level.
This feedback makes the player feels sad. But, at the same time it makes them to
keep play until they pass this level.

If you pass the level, this feedback will display this page means that you  had succeed
and can start for the next  level.
After failed in a time, the player will feel so satisfied when they get passed in that level.
It's also makes the player to keep playing and try for the next challenger in the next level.

Both of these feedback create two different mood for the player.At the same time,the player will have two choices either to continue or exit the game.

As a game designer, you must know the right situation when creating feedback for the players.Don't make them too stress or too comfortable with their current state.

INDICATOR

As you can see, there are a few indicators in this game situated at the bottom of the screen:

1. A small clock : Show the time left for you to complete the orders and to collect the money as many as you can.
2. Money : Show your current money that you've collected for this level.
3. Goal :  Show the goal (money) that you must achieved in this level.

There also a 'Pause' button to help you in pause and resume the game, switch on or off the sound, quit the game, show the high scores and more.

Feedback Design

What is Feedback???

Feedback is the information that is returned to the players by the game.Good feedback will helps a player to understand more about the game,thus affecting what the player will do next.

For this task, we have been ask by our lecturer,Dr Tan Wee Hoe to choose an online game and describe the feedback element of the game which have five (5) types:

• Reward

• Judgement

• Challenge

• Instructions

• Reinforcement/Encouragement

I have choose an online game which is Hot Dog Bush.This game is very interactive and quite challenging because we have to use our speed to finish each level.Moreover, this food serving game will add up their menu for each next level.The higher level you play,the more menu and vagaries of customer you must face.So, a good strategy and time management are required if you want to move on the next challenging level.

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