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Chapter 3 Story Composition
A dark color palette with lots of black, gray, dark brown, or green would convey a
mood of gloom or fright. Look at the examples shown in Figure 3-16 to see how
thematic elements can be changed to convey mood.
Character Motivation and Emotional Development
Each level needs to have elements to motivate the main character within
the story and to emotionally develop the character. In many levels, the character
needs to overcome a tragic flaw. In other levels, the character may simply be
working on avenging a wrong from the enemy. An emotional change can be a
very simple change from a stressful emotion in the heat of battle to a relaxed
emotion in the safety of a checkpoint. A complex emotional change can be found
in a story where the hero slays the dragon and rescues the princess. Here the high
stress, angry emotional state is changed to living happily ever after.
Without character motivation and emotional development, a level in a first-person
shooter is simply a shooting gallery with moving targets. Imagine your favorite first-
person shooter (FPS) game. Does the character face decisions that cause an emotional
change? The hero needs some motivation to achieve an objective. The hope is that by
achieving the objective, the hero will experience an emotional status change.
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Happy, Upbeat, or Cheerful Gloomy, Foreboding, or Fearful
Object Mood
Elements
Object Mood
Elements
Happy mood:
Pastel color
palette
Natural lighting
Gloomy to
fearful mood:
Dark color
palette
Low light/
silhouettes
Happy mood:
Bright color
palette
Bright lighting
Foreboding to
gloomy mood:
Dark color
palette
Subdued/muted
lighting
Figure 3-16.
Notice how visual elements can create a mood for the setting.