114
Video Game Design Composition
9. The turning point of the story.
10. Characters that perform a standard game role, but have very general
characteristics that provide some variation among the same type of
characters in the game.
On a separate sheet of paper or in a word processing document, answer each of
the following questions.
11. List five reasons to add a story to a game.
12. How are characters and story used as part of the marketing effort of a
game?
13. List the six procedures for creative writing.
14. How does determining the central premise differ from creating a primary
conflict?
15. What does a female hero need to balance as she completes the heroine’s
journey?
16. How is a novel similar to a game with a linear story?
17. What story structure would be the best way to allow the player to choose a
mission and start a different mission without having to finish the first?
18. What is the purpose of environmental illustrations in world design?
19. How do thematic elements create continuity of a scene?
20. What two items are most used to convey mood in a scene?
Mathematics
1. Solving for the number of probable outcomes requires the multiplication of
the possible options for each draw. If you roll a single die three times and
have the results of 6, 4, and 3, this creates a unique combination (6,4,3).
The total number of possible outcomes for each throw is six. Each time the
die is thrown, it can land on any of the six numbers. Possible outcomes
could be (1,1,1), (1,1,2), (1,1,3), and so on. The total three-number
combinations possible is found by multiplying the number of possible
outcomes by the number of possible outcomes for every throw. In this
case, it is: six (possible outcomes throw one) multiplied by six (possible
outcomes throw two) multiplied by six (possible outcomes throw three).
6 × 6 × 6 = 63 = 216
This approach can be applied to find the total possible endings in a
branching story. Assume the branches are “possible outcomes” and
each level is a “throw.” Use spreadsheet software to create the following
table. Complete the table by determining how many possible endings this
branching story can have.
Apply Your STEM Knowledge