Plot, Story and Objective

From YoYoGames Wiki

Introduction

Everygame gives the player a purpose or goal for playing it. This is what makes the player want to start playing, want to continue playing, and want to finish. While it is not single-handedly responsible for a good game, it can really help. This article goes over the various aspects of plot, story, and objective

For some games, this is developed through objectives, such as collect all the..., arrange the pieces into..., finish the level or (the easiest and simplest to use) don't die.

Many games also use a story or plot line for this purpose, in addition to objectives. A well constructed story uses the elements of literature. Which, simply put, involve the main parts of story; Plot, setting, theme, conflict, and character. Mastering each aspect of the story will give you a very well rounded storyline.

While its' really obvious to gamers what the objective and story elements are within a game, it's not quite so easy for the developer to implement them. You have so many different types of games, from puzzle games to RPG's, that the story/objective range is almost dizzying. There are, however, common elements that reside in whatever kind of game you have.

Challenge and Conflict

Challenge and Conflict are co-dependent concepts. Every good game uses these aspects, and if used right, the rest of the plot/objective(s) can be non-existent and still give the player reason to play.

Challenge is self-explanatory, it is the challenge the game presents the player. It can be anything from: don't die to arrange the variety of blocks to form complete horizontal lines which then disappear and give you points or, more simply points get a high score. A good challenge increases in difficulty as the player increases in skill, but is never too hard or too easy. The challenge does not have to be stated directly to the player, but the player does have to be able to figure it out. For example, if the challenge were to get the highest score, the player needs to be able to see the score and needs to be able see (and get onto) the high score table. More often than not, however, a challenge is not enough to hook the player.

Conflict is the element used to create the challenge. It can be a time limit, monsters, or even parts that require tact and reasoning. The conflict is the part of the challenge that defines the difficulty, and it is the part you change to increase the difficulty.

In terms of story, the conflict and challenge are more of a mirror to the game play versions of conflict and challenge. In most situations, the challenge in the game is the same as the challenge in the story.

In summary, you challenge the player to reach some goal - and make it difficult or challenging using various conflicts. Conflicts are any opposition to the player. Without conflict and challenge, the player will not want to, play it. In other words, a game is fun becauseof the challenge.

Character:

There are, within any game, three types of characters. Each type is important, but the most vital of all is the protagonist.

The protagonist is the character the player controls within the game, sometimes the character is an actual human-like being, while other times it seems there is no character at all. In terms of a computer game, we have two kinds of characters.

On one end of the spectrum is the passive character. The entirely passive character has no personality of its own, the player defines everything about it - including responses and appearance. This type allows the player to virtually become the character. Sometimes a passive character won't even have form. In many simulation and puzzle games, the character is nothing more than an omnipotent mouse.

On the other end of the spectrum is the assertive character. The entirely assertive character has an unchangeable appearance and has a predefined personality. In many cases, this character will do things of its' own will and sometimes won't allow the player do things.

You don't have to make the character completely assertive or completely passive. Having it more towards the middle is often a better idea anyways. While it depends strongly on the game the character is in, what kind of character you use is entirely up to you. Additionally, especially in RPG's, the player is not limited to the control of just one character.

But the protagonist is not the only character in a game. Often times, in RPG's and FPS's especially, you have Antagonists and NPC's.

The antagonist is the character that is working against the player. The antagonist often drives the challenge and/or conflicts, and doesn't even have to have a form either. In multiplayer games, the antagonist(s), in reference to a certain player, can be the other players. The more real you make an antagonist, the more real the game experience can be for the player. Just having an antagonist that is evil just because is not believable. Having an antagonist that is getting revenge on you because he/she believe you (your character) killed his/her father however, that's another story.

NPC's are a very different kind of character. In some cases, they represent simple story or quest pushers. A story pusher helps progress the plot by giving the player new information or objectives. Quest pushers give the player objectives. Note that not all objectives apply directly to the main objective of the game. Really well developed NPC's will seem more real and alive if you give them problems, personalities, behaviors, and goals. Sometimes, especially in games where you deal with characters in mass, giving each character a deep part in the plot will not be necessary and can actually be detrimental. This is seen in many simulation or RTS's.

Making good characters involves creating a balanced range of characteristics, and in many cases, realistic characters. Depending on the setting of the game.

In review, the player is represented by the protagonistcharacter(s). The protaganist(s) is somewhere on the spectrum between passive and assertive. Every game also has an antagonist though both the antagonist and protagonist don't necessarily have to have a defined form. NPC's can help progress the plot, challenge, and conflicts of the game. And no matter what character you are dealing with, in more realistic games (esp. those where the protaganist has form) having a balanced cast can bring your characters to life.

Setting:

The setting is where, when, and the culture of the game game. For setting, there are also two types:

The first type is abstract. The entirely abstract setting does not have to follow any of the rules that apply to the world, and can define its' own. Time and place are not are not important to the entirely abstract setting and could entirely be ignored. Abstract settings are most commonly seen in puzzle games.

The second type is real. The entirely real setting follows all the rules of reality, and time and place do matter, because the entirely real setting takes place at some time in earth. Games about real events in history are most commonly seen as entirely real settings.

Once again, most games lie in the in between space. Many RPG's are more real, but have things like magic or futuristic technology. While many puzzle games are very abstract, they still have many real traits, many still use gravity, for example.

Plot/story:

The plot is the flow of the game. Some games have this flow through the story, as one event leads to another, while others have this through transition through objectives. Unless done otherwise to make some point, the flow must be logical. For games with no real story, logical flow means that you add new elements gradually (often relative to the current setting) and the challenge difficulty increases likewise.

In a game with an actual story, you have to have a beginning that introduces the main mechanics of the game as well the main conflict and challenge. Additionally, the game has to have middle and an end. The middle should introduce the rest of the mechanics gradually, increase difficulty, and further develop the conflict, challenge, and story. Furthermore, the middle of the game should have ups and downs, "mini-climaxes" and falls. The end of the game must have a climax which should be the most challenging point in the game with the highest level of conflict (its' good to make it feel like the player is losing at this point) and then must have falling action that brings the character back to "normal" or almost so.

It is good to be original when you can with plot, coming up with creative events and so forth.

So, the plot should have highs and lows, and should generally have a logical flow. For games with actual stories, you should remember to a have a solid beginning, a dynamic middle and a strong ending that resolves most or all of the conflict and feels right.

Theme:

In literature, the theme is the thing the author has to say about the world or about humanity (Also known as the Moral of the story). In your game's story, you can have themes like this by illustrating them through the story. For example, let's say one of the themes you had in your game was "don't steal cookies from the cookie jar". You could illustrate this theme by having the whole game revolving around the fact that the main character stole a cookie from a cookie jar. Themes are what the player walks away from the game with, something they learned from it. Though they aren't necessary in video games, adding them in can really add something to your game.

Putting it all together:

Having good story, plot, and objective requires mastery of the elements of literature. Have a challenge that entices the player and increases in difficulty as the game progresses. Make the most of defined characters in a more realistic setting by giving them more aspirations, problems, and individualizing them. Figure out what kind of setting you have and figure out the "reality" of it, a good setting harmonizes with the other aspects of your game it doesn't oppose them (unless done purposefully to make a point). Remember to have a solid beginning, middle, and end to your story that has both dynamics and logical flow. And finally, remember that themes can really add something valuable to your game.