Investigating the ludological effects wrought from branching narratives and decision based changes in storytelling

8/6/2019 Investigating the ludological effects wrought from branching narratives and decision based changes in storytelling.

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Investigating the ludological effects wrought from

branching narratives and decision based changes in

storytelling.

By Christopher Walden


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Investigating the ludological effects wrought from

branching narratives and decision based changes in

storytelling.

Written by Christopher Walden

Supervised by Steve Webley

BEng (Hons) Computer Games Design


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Research Goals

During the duration of the project, the following goals will be met:

Investigate the pros and cons of branching narratives in video games

Discover their purpose; Discover what they are good for; Discover what they are bad for; Discover why they are still used.

Collect examples of branching narratives and identify the good from the bad, noting

potential techniques in execution that can be borrowed or elaborated upon in further

games

Identify a medium that utilises split narrative; Identify how the decisions are made; Discover why it works well/badly and can it be improved; Find further examples in current games that show this.

Collect examples of multiple endings and identify the good from the bad, noting potential

techniques in execution that can be borrowed or elaborated upon in further games

Identify a medium that utilises multiple endings; Discover why it works well/badly and can it be improved; Find further examples in current games that show this.

Create a design document for a game that uses both a branching narrative and multiple

endings, using the previous findings to prevent alienating the player and/or affecting

gameplay

Create a realistic idea for a current generation game that uses both a branchingnarrative and multiple endings in its story;

Create and implement mechanics and gameplay that is either unaffected orcompliments the narrative structure;

Test the document with a questionnaire to see if members of the public agree withthe way these narrative techniques are utilised.


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Abstract

It appears that most games are actively making an effort to tackle the many simple and

complex issues that come with decision making and branching narratives, mainly to improve

the gameplay of the game itself. However, as later proven, even recent games still suffer a

few minor setbacks when it comes to the execution of branching and decision systems.

Some of the worst examples are by all means singular, but by comprising a list of rules to

follow, this can be nipped in the bud before its a bigger issue.


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Contents

INTRODUCTION 7

1. AN INTRODUCTION TO BRANCHING NARRATIVES 8

1.1. WHAT IS A BRANCHING NARRATIVE? 9

1.2. BRANCHING NARRATIVES IN CINEMA 11

1.2.1. Sliding Doors (1998)

1.2.2. Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt, 1998)

1.2.3. Blind Chance (Pryzpadek, 1987)

1.3. BRANCHING NARRATIVES IN OTHER MEDIA 13

1.3.1. Plays and pantomimes

1.3.2. Novels

1.4. THE USE OF BRANCHING NARRATIVES IN VIDEO GAMES 15

1.5. MULTIPLE ENDINGS 15

1.5.1. Relation to branching narratives

1.6. WHY USE THESE TECHNIQUES? 15

1.7. PROBLEMS WITH SEQUELS 161.8. PROS AND CONS 16

2. THE TARGET GENRE AND AUDIENCE 17

2.1. LOOKING FOR PATTERNS 18

2.1.1. Genre

2.1.2. Age and audience

2.2. ROLE-PLAYING GAMES 20

2.2.1. A brief history

2.2.2. Inspiration and early alternatives

3. CREATING A METHOD OF ANALYSIS 22

3.1. THE TEN RULES 23

3.1.1. Method of creation 23

3.2. RULE #1 PLAYERS WANT THEIR GAMEPLAY UNRESTRICTED 24

3.3. RULE #2 PLAYERS WANT TO FEEL THE EFFECT OF THEIR DECISION 25

3.4. RULE #3 PLAYERS WANT THE OPTION TO CHANGE A DECISION 26

3.5. RULE #4 PLAYERS WANT DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES WHEN PLAYING A SECOND TIME 27

3.6. RULE #5 PLAYERS WANT CANONICAL SEQUELS 28

3.7. RULE #6 PLAYERS DONT WANT ENDINGS TO BE A PUNISHMENT 29

3.8. RULE #7 PLAYERS SHOULDNT HAVE TO PLAY MORE THAN THREE TIMES TO OBTAIN

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaTHE FULL NARRATIVE 30

3.9. RULE #8 PLAYERS DONT WANT MORAL CHOICES JUST BECAUSE THERE IS A MORAL

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaCHOICE SYSTEM 31

3.10. RULE #9 PLAYERS SHOULDNT HAVE TO CONSIDERABLY CHANGE PLAY STYLES 323.11. RULE #10 PLAYERS SHOULDNT GAIN A GREATER REWARD FOR A PARTICULAR

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAMORAL CHOICE 33


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4. ANALYSING EXISTING GAMES 34

4.1. METHODOLOGY OF THE ANALYSIS 35

4.2. FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS (2010) 36

4.2.1. Game synopsis

4.2.2. Why this game?

4.2.3. Analysing against the ten rules4.3. ATELIER RORONA: ALCHEMIST OF ARLAND (2009) 40



4.3.3. Analysing against the ten rules

4.4. MASS EFFECT (2007) 44




4.5. 999: 9 HOURS, 9 PERSONS, 9 DOORS (2009) 48




4.6. HEAVY RAIN (2010) 524.6.1. Game synopsis



5. CONCLUSION 56

6. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND APPENDICES 60

6.1. BIBLIOGRAPHY 61

6.2. APPENDICES 62

6.2.1. Appendix #1

6.2.2. Appendix #2

6.2.3. Appendix #3


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Introduction

A common criticism made about branching narratives in video games is with multiple

endings. An often voiced concern is that there only seems to be one true ending, and that

the other potential endings leave the player feeling alienated from the true story. A good

example of this is the original Half-Life (1998) game. A decision at the end of the game seesyou either working for a mysterious character, or being transported to an alien planet,

unarmed, to fend for yourself. While a situation like this is ideal for standalone games, as it

promotes replay value, what is the effect on the players that move to Half-Life 2(2004),

only to find that they are working for the mysterious character after all? Does this render

their endeavours in the previous game utterly pointless?

Of course, it is not simply the endings of games that raise the same questions. In Fallout:

New Vegas(2010), players have a whopping four factions to work for at a particular branch

in the narrative, ultimately affecting the sides of an impending war and its outcome. Is there

one correct or best route? Does it change the ending, causing potential rifts in sequels? Is

it ultimately worth it, or realistic, that people should be playing this game multiple times to

discover the narrative hidden in the different branches?


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Chapter 1

An Introduction to Branching Narratives


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1.1 What is a branching narrative?To understand exactly what a branching narrative is, we can look at the base definitions of

both terms.

Narrative: a story; an account of a sequence of events, whether fictional or non-fictional. To be

distinguished from writing that is strictly descriptive, expository (like an essay), or dramatic (i.e., like a

play). A narrative may include some description and analysis, but it must tell a story. It has a narrator who

addresses someone (usually us, the readers).[1]

As you may assume, the narrative in a video game is the story behind the gameplay. Saving

a war-torn Earth from an alien threat, starting a family and even searching for treasure are

narratives. An existing example would be to look at the popular PC game Half Life (1998),

where the protagonist Gordon Freeman triggers the horrific incident known as the

resonance cascade while performing an experiment, causing massive destruction, death

and an alien infestation of the entire Black Mesa Research Facility [2].

It is with this understanding that we can look onto the meaning of branch or branching.

The word itself has many definitions, though it is only one that we need to explore:

- A division of a stem, or secondary stem arising from the main stem of a plant

- A part of a forked or branching shape; "he broke off one of the branches"

- An outgrowth: a natural consequence of development

- A divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork"[3]

With this in mind, a perfectly linear narrative can be illustrated as running in a straight line.

The far left end would be the start of the story, were as the far right would be the end or

conclusion.

To create a narrative branch, there typically needs to be a decision made. In video games,

this would be an input of some kind, regardless of whether this choice is dictated to the

player themselves. This could work differently in other media, for example a list of choiceson an interactive DVD movie or a crowd response for a play or pantomime. Regardless, a

choice would account for 99% of the branches in narratives, with the remaining examples

coming down to media featuring a random factor.

Using Fallout 3 (2008) as an example, a basic demonstration of a narrative branch can be

displayed. At the beginning of the game, the player character is allowed to choose what to

do with an undetonated bomb. The narrative would essentially split at this point due to the

potential choices available.

Start End

[1] Iolani (2010) English 10 Literary Terms Short Story[Online]. Available from:http://www.iolani.org/usacad_eng_eng10ssterms_cw9404.htm [Accessed: 29 December 2010][2] Planet Half-Life (2010) Half-Life [Online]. Available from:http://planethalflife.gamespy.com/hl/ [Accessed: 29 December 2010][3] WordNet (2010) WordNet Search 3.0 [Online]. Available from:http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=branch [Accessed: 29 December 2010]


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While the two endings may not necessarily be different, two realities are created due to this

one decision. In one branch, the game ends with the bomb deactivated, and in the other it

ends with the bomb having been detonated. Regardless of the event not having a direct

impact on the ending itself, this is an example of a very basic narrative branch.

Of course, there are an infinite number of different ways that will create a narrative branch.

A current trend in recent video games involves making karmic choices. The player will be

presented with three different options to choose from, with each of these offering good,

neutral or bad karma.

An example scenario that would use karmic decisions would be if a town is threatened by

thugs. The bad choice would be aiding the thugs and taking over the town, the neutral

choice would be removing the thugs for a fee and the good choice would be removing thethugs for free. Karma choices can also branch further by having two karmic decisions one

after other, with players able to pick a good and a bad choice for example.

Start

Deactivate the bomb

Detonate the bomb End

End

Start

End

End

End

Good karma choice

Neutral karma choice

Bad karma choice


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1.2 Branching narratives in cinemaBranching narratives have existed in films long before video games, so it is beneficial to look

at famous examples of these in order to use them later in the analysis for current video

games. Similarities between game and film will also be able to be drawn.

1.2.1 Sliding Doors (1998)What is Sliding Doors?

The film follows a woman that has just lost her job, but when she heads to the underground

to catch a train, the movie splits. The film follows both what happens if she catches the

train, as well as if she misses it.

Branching narratives in Sliding Doors

The film centres on a split narrative, based on whether or not the main character reaches a

train on time or not. For the rest of the film, differences are shown in the two branches

solely because of this event. Due to this branch, the film is presented with two potential and

different endings. Due to the film being marketed and created around such a device, the

film makes sure that the scenes are linked smoothly and work well out of chronological

order.

1.2.2 Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt, 1998)What is Run Lola Run?

The main character is given the space of twenty minutes in order to collect 100,000 German

marks to save her boyfriends life. The film splits into many what if? scenarios.

Branching narratives in Run Lola Run

This film almost seems like a mix between both Sliding Doors and Run Lola Run. The film is

based around catching a train (possibly where Sliding Doors found inspiration from), and

there are three potential outcomes that are played out fully and in sequence (identical toRun Lola Run). It is a particularly good reference point to show that it is entirely possible to

have a video game change significantly and seamlessly without harming the narrative flow.


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1.2.3 Blind Chance (Pryzpadek, 1987)What is Blind Chance?

The lead character is rushing to catch a train to Warsaw and while doing so, bumps into astranger drinking beer. The film shows what happens next, as well as two other scenarios

that happen at the train station should he not collide with this man.

Branching narratives in Blind Chance

Similar to Sliding Doors, the movie revolves around a branching narrative, though in this

instance instead of two outcomes, there are three. The film essentially plays the first branch

from beginning to end, before returning to a particular point in the past and branching,

creating another potential outcome. This is repeated a third and final time which concludes

the story. Again, it shows that branching narratives need to be thought about foremost tobe able to derive the most from them.


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1.3 Branching narratives in other mediaOf course, branching narratives are not limited to films and video games alone, but exist in a

variety of other formats. They have been used as a method of bringing people coming back,

be it to re-read a book or to re-visit a particular show or event. They essentially increase thelongevity of a particular product for less effort than it would take to create an entirely new

version of the media in question.

1.3.1 Plays and pantomimesPerhaps the earliest example of branching narratives in

either a play or pantomime exists in the 1934 play by Ayn

Rand; Night of January 16th

. The basic premise of the play

is that a woman (Karen Andre) is on trial for the murder

of her employer-come-lover (Bjorn Faulkner). Instead ofthe play then proceeding like this for the entire duration,

there is an unusual twist, a jury composed of audience

members will decide her fate at the end of the play [1].

This of course presents the most basic of narrative

branches, the scenario where the jury votes guilty and

the scenario where the jury votes not guilty.

As for a modern example, there is the long-running Shear

Madness which has been running since 1980. Set in a

unisex hair salon, the audience are tasked with helpingthe actors find the killer amongst them, after discovering

a murder in the early stages of the show. The play itself

contains an intermission, where the actors

take to the seats of the theatre to talk to

the audience in character. At the end of the

intermission, the audience votes for who

they believe is the murderer, and the play

follows a different route from then on. As

Seth Bisen-Hersh comments, the play is in

such a style that you can go again, vote fora different ending, and see what new jokes

were added just for that night [2].

Another notable example is The Mystery of

Edwin Drood, a play based on the

unfinished novel by Charles Dickens. The

audience can vote for both who they

believe to have committed a murder, as

well as a romantic couple, due to Dickens

death before finishing the novel.

[1] Lawrence (2009) Night of January 16th [Online]Available at: http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/books/rand/night.html [Accessed 10 April 2011][2] Bisen-Hersh (1999) Shear Madness [Online]Available at: http://tech.mit.edu/V119/N48/Shear_Madness.48a.html [Accessed 10 April 2011]


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1.3.2 NovelsNarrative branching has also been achieved in a few

ways in print, via novel. Hopscotch by Julio Cortzar

was published in 1963 and is thought to be theearliest example of a book with multiple endings. At

the end of chapter 56 of 155, Cortzar writes "the

reader may ignore what follows with a clean

conscience" [1], indicating the alternative ending to

the story.

Charles Dickens Great Expectations is another novel

that contains an alternate ending. However,

contrary to the deliberate inclusion of an alternateending like with the story of Hopscotch, the

alternate ending to Great Expectations was

published in revised editions. The reasoning behind

this is that Dickens changed the ending shortly

before publication, but kept hold of the original

ending he had written before. This is now typically

used as bonus material.

A very popular medium containing a massive amount

of narrative branching are the plethora of choose your

own adventure novels available. The stories typically

present the main character as yourself, allowing you to

pick the decisions yourself, having you move to

different page numbers to progress a story. Due to the

amount of decisions in these books, they can typically

have over 20 different endings per book, with one of

these being the true ending.

A common occurrence with these books involves the

reader placing their fingers inside the book to

remember which page they are on, just in case a

decision they make results in a bad ending. This is an

early example of how decision making in video games

should consider the desires of the player when forcing

decision upon them.

[1] Complete-Review (2010) Hopscotch [Online]Available at: http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/cortazar/rayuela.htm [Accessed 11 April 2011][2] Katz (2011) Gamebook Web Page [Online]Available at: https://reader009.{domain}/reader009/html5/0519/5aff842c5a123/5aff8435bbf5d.jpg[Accessed 11 April 2011]


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1.4. The use of branching narratives in video games

Branching narratives have appeared in video games as early as Bubble Bobble (1986) and

continue to make frequent recurrences, with many of the current popular titles utilising

them in one way or another.

1.5 Multiple endings

Most narrative based media contain stories that are simply read from beginning to end, yet

in some circumstances there can be more than one way to end them, usually at the choice

of the reader. These examples can prove to be a simple gimmick, yet they can be utilised

well to increase the longevity of the piece. For example, choose your own adventure books

such as those previously mentioned would be exceedingly short and unlikely to be reread,

but with the ability to make different decisions and reach an alternate ending, the

experience is prolonged.

1.5.1 Relation to branching narratives

Multiple endings require narrative branching, yet narrative branching does not necessarily

mean there will be multiple endings. For example, an alternate ending means that an event

has changed at some point in the story, this point being the narrative branch. If the ending is

unrelated to the situation presented beforehand, then the narrative is simply another story

rather than a direct continuation of the former. There is, however, one exception from this

rule. This is that the multiple endings do not in fact change events, but expand them. For

example in the basic ending, a character may find a powerful sword, but in the best

ending, he finds the same powerful sword and defeats an enemy with it. This is more of an

expansion of the story rather than creating a branch, so a branch isnt created.

1.6 Why use these techniques?

Branching narratives are created for several reasons, one of these being to create karma

systems. Karma systems themselves usually require either two or three different responses

or outcomes per branch. This is because of needing a good and bad response, with many

games often adding a third, neutral option. Based on this choice, the world will react in anoticeably different way to the alternate decisions. Of course, karma systems wouldnt

necessarily have to have narrative branches that differ based on these decisions, but it then

becomes questionable as to whether you really need a karma system if everything stays the

same.

They can also be used as a punishment and/or reward system. Games such as Disgaea 3

(2008) use the players failure to complete particular missions as a way of changing the

games story, and as a result cutting it shorter than the true story. However, players can still

continue the true story providing they dont overwrite their last save data.


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Multiple endings are often used as a reward. In the game Star Ocean: The Last Hope (2009),

character specific endings are acquired by completing specific dialogue sequences

throughout the main story. While these endings do not affect the plot directly, they do offer

the bonus of watching what happens to the characters after the end of the game. The

second game in the same series, Star Ocean: The Second Story (1998) has a total of 86

different endings to collect, based on dialogue read and decision made during the story.

1.7 Problems with sequels

The problem with sequels to games that contain narrative branches is that the sequel

should follow the choices you have picked. Realistically, you are continuing your adventure

and so bad endings should indeed be reflected in a potential sequel. Games such as Mass

Effect (2007) remedy this by utilising the save game of the previous title, but many games

like to assume that the best ending was achieved. The downloadable title Dead Rising 2:

Case West (2010) actually continues from Dead Rising 2 (2010), on the assumption that

ending A was achieved. The game has six endings; S, A, B, C, D and F, with S being the best

and F the worst. This is why it is strange that it would specifically continue from ending A,

rather than S.

This of course only applies to direct sequels wherein the same characters are featured and

past events are featured in some way. Indirect sequels have no bearing on this, for example

Final Fantasy VI (1994) when compared to Final Fantasy VII (1997).

1.8 Pros and cons

Narrative branching doesnt come without its downsides, but it is a necessity to creating a

fully fleshed out game with varying decisions. The following is a list of the pros and cons

concerning their use in video games:

Pros

They allow you to create the illusion of choice in a game. They increase the longevity of the game. They allow you to play closer to what you would want to, rather than being tied to

one story.

Cons

Can create discrepancies with sequels if not thought out. Can leave players missing segments of story if they decide not to replay the game.


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Chapter 2

The target genre and audience


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2.1 Looking for patterns

It is of course apparent that not every game that comes onto the market contains either

narrative branching or multiple endings, which is why it is important to gauge exactly what

kinds of games use them and why. From this, it is possible to understand the exact reasonsbehind including decisions in the first place.

2.1.1 Genre

To obtain data to analysed, the fifty top-selling games of 2011 were looked at (see appendix

one). Out of the fifty titles, only five of these used split narratives; Dragon Age 2 (2011),

Monster Hunter Freedom 3rd

(2010) (a Japan only release thus far), Grand Theft Auto IV

(2008), Red Dead Redemption (2010) and Mass Effect 2 (2010). All of these are in face RPG

games somewhat, with all but questionably Grand Theft Auto IVhaving RPG as the

predominant genre of the game. Using this information, the top fifty RPGs by sales werethen looked at. The list was also limited to the Xbox 360, due to both a wider range of RPGs

to choose from, as well as keeping the data within the last six years.

Of these titles, a whopping 23 titles feature narrative branching in one form or another (see

appendix two). Eight of the top ten games on the system were included in the 23, with

multiple entries for series like Fallout, Fable and MassEffect. Other genres were also looked

at for comparison. Action featured a mere 4 of its top 50 featuring narrative branching, of

which one of these was also in the RPG list (Grand Theft Auto IV). The other genre that

would most likely feature decision making is adventure titles, with 17 titles. Fourteen of

these were Japanese visual novel games, making the list predominantly due to theirpopularity in Asia. Decision making is a key mechanic of visual novels, which are very similar

in comparison to choose your own adventure books.

RPGs will be the genre used when further analysing the use of branching narratives. Besides

the fact that there are six more titles in the top fifty when compared to adventure games, it

is also because RPGs are localised and released in most countries with the console to use

them. Most Japanese visual novels never make it out of Asia due to the cost of translation,

as well as a lack of interest in Western gamers. Using this logic, adventure games can be

knocked down to three titles, with the RPG genre being further ahead.

[1] VGChartz (2011) Yearly [Online]Available at: http://www.vgchartz.com/yearly.php [Accessed 12 April 2011][2] VGChartz (2011) 360 RPG [Online] Available at:http://www.vgchartz.com/worldtotals.php?name=&publisher=&console=X360&genre=RPG&minSales=0&results=50&sort=Total [Accessed 12 April 2011][3] VGChartz (2011) 360 Action [Online] Available at:http://www.vgchartz.com/worldtotals.php?name=&publisher=&console=X360&genre=Action&minSales=0&results=50&sort=Total [Accessed 12 April 2011][4] VGChartz (2011) 360 Adventure [Online] Available at:http://www.vgchartz.com/worldtotals.php?name=&publisher=&console=X360&genre=Adventure&minSales=0&results=50&sort=Total [Accessed 12 April 2011]


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2.1.2 Age and audience

Using the data taken from the top fifty RPGs that contain narrative branching, it is possible

to look at ages and audiences for games that feature these techniques, as well as consider

why this is the case. The classifications of each game were recorded for both ratings systemsthat operate in the UK: the BBFC rating (British Board of Film Classification) and the PEGI

rating (Pan European Game Information). The reason for looking at both of these simmers

down to two points. The first is that the ratings vary, due to the categories each company

will put games into. For example, the BBFC have an age 15 rating, were as the closest rating

PEGI has is the 16+.

As you can see, the majority of

ratings given by PEGI to RPGs that

feature narrative branching fall

into the PEGI 18 category. This islikely due to the realism most of

these games try to gain to immerse

or interest the player, as well as

including blood, gore and sexual

contend. Over a quarter of these

fall into PEGI 16, showing that

almost three quarters of these

games are targeted at those aged

16 or over.

A little over a quarter each fall

into either BBFC 15 or BBFC 18

ratings, also showing a heavy teen

influence on games with narrative

branches. It may be due to the

BBFC also rating films that games

seem to have fewer 18 ratings as

they can be directly comparable,

though it could also be the case

that these titles are falling into

the unclassified category.

The unclassified category appears on each pie chart for different reasons. For the PEGI

ratings chart, it is largely because the BBFC rating can be widely recognised in Britain as a

seal of approval as well as a classification. Some games will seek out a rating from them over

PEGI for this reason. BBFC has a lot of unclassified games, mainly due to the fact that the

service is far more expensive. Many new developers will go for the PEGI rating to maximise

their budgets and not hamper profits further.

Aiming a decision based RPG on those aged 16 and above seems to be the most idealsituation, though raising the rating to an 18 wont tarnish sales much either.

PEGI Games per Classification

PEGI 12

PEGI 16

PEGI 18

Unclassified

BBFC Games per Classification

BBFC 12

BBFC 15

BBFC 18

Unclassified


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2.2 Role-playing games

While role-playing games have become commonplace on recent gaming systems, they were

few and far between on consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System when they

were still being researched and experimented with. Over time, the genre has evolved into amuch broader classification, with many new games being released, designed to break the

mould that its predecessors have formed.

2.2.1 A brief history

The first few RPG video games were seemingly made on

old computer systems and existed predominantly as text

adventures. Due to the limitations of the hardware at the

time, introducing complex imagery of scenery or monsters

was a far cry. However, games such as this kept beingcreated; lending a hand to the creation of the first RPGs

in the style we see them in today.

Perhaps the most famous of the early RPGs is Final

Fantasy (1987), most predominantly because of its long

run of sequels and spin offs. Whilst still fairly primitive,

the game offered players a vast world they could see and

explore, as well as train characters and defeat monsters

while working

through a story.Dragon Quest

(1986) was an even earlier RPG released on the same

platform, that being the NES. While the Dragon Quest

series is not largely popular to the majority of

Western gamers, they are even more popular than

Final Fantasy titles is Japan where it originates.

Games in this genre continuously evolve, be it

developing deeper stat systems, changing from

random battles to active battles, or simply viaaesthetic differences. They have indeed upheld the

trend of being exceedingly popular in Asia, while

Western fans are fewer in number.

[1] TS1.MM (2000) Final Fantasy [Online] Available at:http://pics.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/1239413216-00.jpg [Accessed 13 April 2011][2] MobyGamer (2011) Dragon Warrior [Online] Available at:http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=702573064052&id=2b3ad55587ff926ff7eda153a8b5041a&url=http%3A%2F%2Fimage.com.com%2Fgamespot%2Fimages%2Fbigboxshots%2F8%2F563408_29015_front.jpg [Accessed 13 April 2011]


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2.2.2 Inspiration and early alternatives

The largest influence of RPGs outside of other video games is from the tabletop game of

Dungeons and Dragons. It has been a popular game to roleplay since its creation in 1974,

which is one potential reason why the video game counterparts were so widely sort after.The premise of the game is that one

player, known as the dungeon master

or DM, would create a world for the

other player controlled characters to

explore together. Enemies, treasure

and scenario are but a few things that

can be created with this game, with

very few rules being required when

playing casually. Of course, keeping

track of statistics, deciding whatcomes next and finding enough friends

to play with you is certainly a problem

for some people, which is where RPGs

come in. They are largely single player,

with the equivalent of the dungeon masters role being controlled by the computer. They

can largely be considered a pick up and play alternative to the classic table top game.

The thirst for fantasy themed past times can be linked to

novels and early film. Most notable of these is The Lord

of the Rings, the famous series of novels written by

J.R.R.Tolkien. The first of these books, The Fellowship of

the Ring, was released in 1954 and a long time before

computers were used to replicate adventures similar to

those in the books. However, they were by no means

the first to touch the subject of mythical happenings and

fantasy. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a story about an

adventure between Enkidu and Gilgamesh, travelling

and questing at the displeasure of the gods. The

significance of this piece is that they were likely written

in the Third Dynasty of Ur, a time between 2150 and

2000 BC. Fantasy has long been on the minds of human

kind, yet it has only been recently that these have begun

to manifest.

[1] Stansfield (2010) Dungeons and Dragons [Online] Available at:http://richardlstansfield.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/800px-dungeons_and_dragons_game.jpg[Accessed 13 April 2011][2] 4.bp (2011) Lord of the Rings [Online] Available at: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3M-N-pevHKY/TM6TW79E0LI/AAAAAAAAD_o/_7XtoeRrBBg/s1600/LordofTheRings.jpg[Accessed 13 April 2011]


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Chapter 3

Creating a method of analysis


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3.1 The Ten Rules

In order to be able to judge what is and isnt a good technique to adopt when it comes to

narrative branching and the related, a system must be devised to analyse games that

already exist. Using this, it will be possible to see the shortcomings of those already on themarket, as well as discover ways to solve these issues. If all games analysed follow one of

the rules, it can be surmised that that rule in particular is important to follow.

3.1.1 Method of creation

Ten rules will be created by looking at other media and discovering if there are any recurring

issues in these types of games. Once an idea for a rule has been created, it will then be

analysed and proven that it is worthy of being used to analyse existing games with narrative

branching techniques. These ten rules can then be followed by games that wish to use

complex decision making in order to minimise issues that players may or will have an issuewith.


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3.2 Rule #1 Players want their gameplay unrestricted

Warren Spector firmly believes that if were really going to be interactive, if were really

claiming to collaborate with players, then let them express themselves through play [1].

The problem with this, of course, is that not every player plays the same way. Each playerwill have a different story to tell and countless ways to create a journey theywanted [2], so

giving players the tools to create such a scenario is paramount when creating a game with

such depth. We can understand this better by looking at a typical karma-based system.

We already understand that karma systems exist

to allow players to play the role of a good, neutral

or evil player. This itself poses a decision to the

player from the get go, allowing the game to

appeal better based on the player themselves.For example, if you wish to play as an evil

character, Fable 2(2008) will have a better

appeal right off the bat, than say a game like

Crackdown (2007), where you are locked into

being good. A simple karma system itself avoids a

lot of the restricting ludological features

commonly found in linear games. You are playing

as an avatar of yourself, rather than a named

character with a predefined story.

Thus, the inclusion of decision based changes to

the story allows the game to appeal better to the

player at hand. As Spector later mentions, if you

give the player a variety of simple tools to use and a world which has some depth of

simulation, that allows emergence [3].

[1] Warren Spector (2010). Edge Magazine (December 2010, Issue 222).Bath: Charles River Media. Page 62.

[2] Shaun Curnow (2010). Games Master (December 2010, Issue GM232).Bath: Charles River Media. Page 68.[3] Warren Spector (2010). Edge Magazine (December 2010, Issue 222).Bath: Charles River Media. Page 62.[4] Buzz Media (2009) Uploads [Online]Available at: http://www.thebuzzmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/fable-2-box-art-front.jpg[Accessed 13 December 2010]

[4]


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3.3 Rule #2 Players want to feel the effect of their decision

When its me who is faced with having to choose between two bad options, I get a level of

understanding that marines face in combat that I would not get by watching someone else

make that decision [1] says Peter Tamte, while talking about his upcoming game Six Days inFallujah (TBA). A decision cannot simply be a means of moving the story along, it has to

carry with it several things. The feeling of change, knowing that you have the power to alter

events is simply one of these.

A game called One Chance (2010) is a good example of how to successfully execute a

decision system in a video game. As Alec Meer describes it, One Chanceis a game about

making choices, then dealing with whatever happens [2]. The game itself is very basic,

allowing you to make simple

choices in the last week of yourlife. As a scientist who has helped

accidentally create what could be

the death of all of mankind, do

you spend your last days working

on the cure, or do you stay home

to be with the people who love

you the most? The game does not

allow you to replay the game after

the ending is reached, insteadshowing you an image of the world you left behind. While it is such a simple game in

concept, it proves that larger, mainstream games have something to learn on split narrative

execution. As Meer puts it, that I feel awful is precisely why One Chance is a success[3].

On the contrary, if the decision itself has no meaning, players will be quick to point faults.

One much-trumpeted sequence in which you choose to leave a friend to die or drag him

the length of a desert simply doesnt have the promised consequences your decision is

made irrelevant by the following cutscene [4] comments Edge Magazine on Fable 3 (2010),

and quite rightly so. If a scenario is destined to happen, why make a decision out of it?Consequence is vital when driving home the meaning behind decision making in games, so

making hollow decisions only serves in alienating the players from feeling truly in control.

[1] Peter Tamte (2010). Edge Magazine (December 2010, Issue 222).Bath: Charles River Media. Page 70.

[2] Alec Meer (2010) Last Night: One Chance [Online] Available at:http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/12/07/last-night-one-chance/[Accessed 13 December 2010][3] Alec Meer (2010) Last Night: One Chance [Online] Available at:http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/12/07/last-night-one-chance/[Accessed 13 December 2010][4] Edge Magazine (No author credited) (2010). Edge Magazine (December 2010, Issue 222).Bath: Charles River Media. Page 81.


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3.4 Rule #3 Players want the option to change a decision

Quite ironically, while in-game decisions need to have an impact to them, sometimes

players want to go back on their choices. The notion may indeed be similar to that of playinga choose your own adventure style book as a kid, where you would have multiple fingers

stuck between different pages to prevent a bad ending stopping your adventure.

There's a problem with branching paths and moral decisions in videogames: even if they

are meaningful (few are), players can usually bypass the system by using multiple save files

or other means to go in for another attempt and a different outcome[1]. The words of

Jordan Devore are quite true. Many players will create multiple saves in order to experience

the most that a game has to offer, cheating their way out of having to replay most of the

game again. The comments on Newgrounds (the website that hosts One Chance) are full of

people angry about [not being able to replay One Chance] [2] says Colette Bennett, and

yet, [the creator] says the heart of the game is about facing the consequences of your own

actions [3].

So why is such animosity garnered from the lack of a simple replay or save feature? It could

be that players dislike the lack of control they have over achieving any or all of the potential

routes. Perhaps completionists dislike the knowledge that they cannot test and discover

what could have happened. One potential answer to this stems from looking at the role of

the game itself.

Could it perhaps be that the player feels as if it is no longer a game they are playing, but a

simulation? It's more a human life concept than something that belongs in a video

game[4] admits Bennett, again talking about the decision-heavy One Chance. The real

world only allows you to make certain decisions once. Some decisions we have to make can

be hard, so wrong or not, we will look back on our choices years afterwards. While these are

justifiably replicated in simulation games, should they exist in a regular RPG? The answer

will always vary based on the player; some people will be happy to watch their decisions

face consequences, while others will want to start over to achieve a particular scenario.

We aren't accustomed to making hard decisions. We dislike consequence [5] was

Bennetts summary. While there are definite positives on both sides of the coin, a simple

save or replay system will bring more satisfaction than dissent.

[1] Jordan Devore (2010) You Have One Chance to Save the World [Online] Available at:http://www.destructoid.com/you-have-one-chance-to-save-the-world-189094.phtml[Accessed 13 December 2010][2, 3, 4, 5] Colette Bennett (2010) One Chance: Consequences in Gaming [Online] Available at:http://www.destructoid.com/one-chance-consequences-in-gaming-189151.phtml[Accessed 13 December 2010]


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3.5 Rule #4 Playe

playing a second ti

It is well known that many pl

discover more about a games

because they enjoy the game

with, even fall in love with, th

must a game do to lure a gam

A good example to look at is

Generations of War (2009). T

cross between a novel and a

game, yet it adopts a unique

narrative delivery. The gamedialogue to draw the player i

game; to discover more abou

characters and of course, to l

is it worth forcing the player i

playthroughs to discover all o

Does the developer themselv

Clearly Idea Factoryhas thou

about this decision, including

and narrative branches.

The inclusion of multiple endi

own questions, however. Do

to the game going in opposit

shortcomings? In the case of

other less significant interacti

the reactor yourself, you alre

able to guess the outcome, b

be a major draw to some gen

[1] Robyn Theberge (2010). EdgBath: Charles River Media. Page[2] Ghostlight (2010) Agarest: Ghttp://agarest.ghostlight.uk.com

s want a different experienc

e

yers will play through a game more than on

narrative, to play as a different kind of char

. As Robyn Theberge put it, Its the people t

at keep you going back and playing every da

er into playing a game through more than t

he PC gameAgarest:

e game itself is a

actical role-playing

pproach at

ses its well writtento replaying the

t the scenario, the

vel up. This in mind,

nto multiple

f these secrets?

es benefit from this?

ht long and hard

multiple endings

ngs also raises its

he endings exist due

directions, or are they there to highlight th

garest, the ending is determined via charac

ons. For example in Fallout 3 (2008), if you d

dy have a good idea of the outcome to this

it through sheer surprise or a manner of pl

res, most particularly shooters and visual no

Magazine (December 2010, Issue 222).0.neration of War [Online] Available at:images/agarest_front.png [Accessed 13 April 2011]

27

when

ce, be it to

cter, or simply

hat you connect

y [13]. What

e once?

players

ter interaction and

ecide to walk into

action. Not being

t twists proves to

els.

[2]


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3.6 Rule #5 Players want canonical sequels

Alex Nevarro once claimed that Dead Rising (2006) had a plot that manages to be intriguing

without intruding too much on the action [1], so why is does a game with such a successful

narrative allow inconsistencies to be introduced to the game world? It has a total of sixendings, which can be simmered down to two bad endings, three okay endings and the

best ending. These bad endings do just that, killing off the protagonist Frank West upon

receiving one of them. However because of the game

having ended, and also due to the complex nature of

collecting the endings in Dead Rising in particular, most

people who have seen either of these endings will not

have seen the four regular endings. As far as they are

aware, Frank West is dead. This creates a problem in

terms of the overarching canonical story continued in

the sequel, most specifically Dead Rising 2: Case West.This story is set after the events of the first game, yet

with a very much alive Frank. Of course, to most people,

this is an enjoyable meeting of the two main characters,

yet to those who had since considered Frank dead, is this

really true? Walking over the story that was established

following a lengthy time investment only serves to

infuriate. It is of course completely reasonable to believe

that the endings were written due to the developers not planning ahead for a sequel, or

even for the reappearance of Frank West, but this has happened again in Dead Rising 2, let

alone being completely avoidable. To protect a game from inconsistencies or having to

suffer retcon (retroactive continuity), these endings should not have been endings at all.

There would be little change in the story if these were instead special game over screens,

that then returned the player to a previous checkpoint in order to obtain an ending that can

be easily continued in later games. If you want to kill a character, you should also be

prepared to abandon them should a sequel arise, unless it can be explained.

This does not simply apply to just endings either. For example, if you played as an evil

character that detonated the bomb in megaton in Fallout 3, you would certainly hope that a

sequel involving the same protagonist would continue where you left off with the world and

character in the same state. This is perhaps the reason why games such as Fallout 3 dont

create direct sequels and only loosely mention previous protagonists in subsequent games.

Even something as basic as voices can potentially stir the people that will ultimately be

buying and playing a product. Isaac Clarke didn't speak a word in Dead Space (2008),

despite the horrors unfolding around him [3] says Patrick Klepek, and why should he? In

fact, the use of a silent protagonist could be considered a unique selling point.

"The voice thing is really just about making the game believable," [4] states Steve Papoutsis,

which raises questions about how Dead Space does not have a voice, and perhaps if there

were problems with the original that should be addressed in the sequel.

[2]

[1] Nevarro (2006) Dead Rising Review [Online] Available at:http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/deadrising/review.html [Accessed 15 April 2011][2] Nevarro (2006) Dead Rising Review [Online] Available at:http://uk.gamespot.com/pages/image_viewer/boxshot.php?pid=928326 [Accessed 15 April 2011][3, 4] Klepek (2006) The Reason Dead Space 2 [Online] Available at: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/703590/the-reason-dead-space-2s-once-muted-isaac-clarke-suddenly-has-a-voice/ [Accessed 15 April 2011]


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3.7 Rule #6 Players dont want endings to be a

punishment

When a game demands a significant investment of

time from the player, it often leaves a sour taste inthe mouth if you are suddenly struck with a bad

ending. There are simple solutions around this

problem, such as utilising multiple save states.

When playing the game Ever 17: The Out of Infinity

(2002), decisions made can be the difference

between life and death for the characters involved.

However, this game does indeed utilise such save

features to circumvent this issue, but games such

as the aforementioned Dead Rising and its sequel

can spring these endings on the player if theyarent aware of them or avoiding them. With a

poor save system that allowed for only one save

slot [1], players had no choice but to make

multiple playthroughs from the beginning just to

collect all six. In a world where you can simply view

these online, many people did, which makes the

endings somewhat redundant.

Visual novels are renowned for their complex use of branching narratives, as well as having

a plethora of different endings to unlock, which are usually tied into following particularcharacters rather than for playing well. Kagetsu Tohya (2001) is a good example due to the

availability of a flowchart that details the many paths that can be taken (see appendix 3).

Because these games are created with multiple playthroughs in mind, endings can be

obtained easier by allowing players to save before decisions. Most visual novels allow you

to save your progress and come back to them whenever, though they don't always let you

save at decision points. This feature is most notably useful when trying to avoid a Bad End

[2]. Thus, the player can pick one route and see that ending, then go back to the second

save for the other ending, with both counted as being earned legitimately.

A game with additive or expansive endings may be the way for players to be able to bothenjoy the ending they received, as well as not feel cheated out of the best or correct

ending. What this entails is that the basic ending that is obtained at the end of the game

regardless would depict all of the key points to the games actual ending. Extra scenes that

add or expand on this base ending could then be unlocked via reward, which only serve to

add a few extra scenes for curiosities sake, rather than key plot elements. Ideally someone

who received the standard ending would know everything necessary to be able to discuss

the ending with someone who has seen these extra scenes.

[1] Terminal Gamer (2010) Capcom Boss: Dead Rising 2 Will Be Better Balanced [Online] Available at:http://terminalgamer.com/2010/06/22/capcom-boss-dead-rising-2-will-be-better-balanced/ [Accessed 16 April 2011][2] Anime Vice (2010) Visual Novel [Online] Available at:http://www.animevice.com/visual-novel/22-653/ [Accessed 15 April 2011][3] Blogspot (2010) Osama Lemuel Black [Online] Available at:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Zsv-N_KACvI/TUtehMHjvdI/AAAAAAAABFU/gFxQ7TVZJ44/s1600/ever17.jpg [Accessed 16 April 2011]

[3]


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3.8 Rule #7 Players shouldnt have to play more than

three times to obtain the full narrative

Mass Effecthas a very simple method of determining alignment. You can either pick good or

bad choices, paragon and renegade respectively. With a system such as this, it is without

question that you can obtain all alternate speech from the decision making in a total of two

playthroughs. In a game such as this which involves a hefty amount of character

customisation and replayability, it never becomes an issue.

Fallout 3 has a similar system in place. There are

three different states of karma, which are

simply good, neutral and evil. Three

playthroughs of sticking to the correct responses

and you will have obtained all the narrative.Because each of these playthroughs requires

significant change in the way they are played,

they do not offer the dull monotony that

replaying a standard RPG with no customisation

would offer. Even the multiple endings can be

achieved in one play through should you

remember to save before entering the final

room.

Star Ocean: The Second Storyis one of many

examples that show that adding too much

content can become overkill. As mentioned before, the game has a whopping 86 different

endings to obtain, and while you can obtain more than one on a single playthrough, it will

eventually become a task too mundane for those who are not diehard fans of the title.

Adriaan den Ouden claims that a playthrough of the game can take anywhere between 20-

40 Hours [1], so collecting all of the endings could take a time investment of 150 hours or

more. To add to that, the endings are unlocked via sets of conditions being met, so you are

not guaranteed to collect all the endings that remain on a subsequent playthrough. Ofcourse, it is easy enough to follow a guide to collect the remaining endings, but if you have

to use a guide then the point is lost, as you may as well read up on them instead.

While it is expected to see extra content awarded to the players that put in the time and

effort to replay a game, putting vital story pieces as a way of tempting players into doing it

is the wrong way to go about it. Multiple playthroughs should not be expected, and should

instead be encouraged via gameplay, not narrative.

[1] Ouden (2009) The Corbomite Maneuver [Online] Available at:http://www.rpgamer.com/games/socean/so2se/reviews/so2sestrev1.html [Accessed 16 April 2011][2] Giant Bomb (2011) Fallout 3 [Online] Available at:http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/24/176342-bright_bos__large.jpg [Accessed 16 April 2011]

[2]


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3.9 Rule #8 Players dont want moral choices just because

there is a moral system

When a game contains a moral choice system of some sort, it can be easy for the decisions

that are dotted around the main game to be all related to a karmic alignment. This does not

have to be the case, with simple decision making often being forgotten in the aftermath. A

decision that asks if a player wishes to go to town A or town B shouldnt be reworked into

a karma choice. Games have plenty of other ways to utilise karma, including decisions that

can really benefit such as the life or death of a character.

An example of this involves the ending to Fallout 3. In the last action to possibly take in the

main game, the player must make a decision on how to stop a sabotaged water purifier. The

good option here is to do it yourself and die in the process, with the bad choice being to do

nothing to help and get someone else to do it. The first point is that with this being the finalchoice in the game, a karma related decision

is nigh on pointless. You could play as the

most evil character ever to walk the

wastelands, yet still achieve the good

ending based on your action, and vice versa.

Whats more, with the addition of the

Broken Steel (2009) expansion, you will

survive the ordeal regardless, making the

moral choice worthless. The choice is

unnecessary, and should the good or evil

approach be required, it should have been

tied to the player characters alignment from

the main game.

Fable 3 can again be used as an example of this. In the aforementioned scene with your

friend dying, you are given the choice to save him or to leave him. This in itself is a correct

way to use a moral choice, as it presents what seems like a genuine situation that would

require such a hefty decision. Unfortunately the choice is irrelevant, there only to serve asone of many points to collect karma via choice. Due to the end game making a habit of using

karma related decisions, its hard to find the reason as to why it was included. The character

himself was important, yet not pivotal enough to need to live. Having his death become an

option would have corrected the choice, given a reason for it and a physical representation

of that choice later on in the game.

[1] Saw (2008) Leipzig 08: Fallout 3 Sets Date [Online] Available at:http://monstervine.com/2008/08/leipzig-08-fallout-3-sets-date-the-bomb-drops-on-october-28/[Accessed 21 April 2011]

[1]


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3.10 Rule #9 Players shouldnt have to considerably

change their play style

Games that encourage swapping roles, classes and objectives can help prolong a games life,

and is certainly recommended when trying not to risk boredom or monotony in a game.However, it is when games offer rewards based on data like speed when the game can stop

being fun.

An example of this is in Final Fantasy IX (2000), where the player can earn the Excalibur 2

weapon by reaching a particular area within a pre-determined time limit. This time limit

starts at the beginning of the game, and essentially requires the player to speed through the

game if they want it. When a game as deep as an RPG requires you to speed through it for

the sake of an item, players will begin to miss key events, side quests and pieces of narrative

they would have otherwise seen.

The later versions ofHalf Life 2 also have a similar

feature, which gives the player an achievement for

completing it with only using a maximum of one bullet.

While these can be good for players that wish to play the

game a second time and in a different manner, there are

plenty of people that would attempt such a feat on their

first playthrough to eliminate the need to play it again.

This potentially scars the view that the player has of the

game, which does not help when you can earn more sales

through positive word of mouth. A simple unlock for thisupon initial completion would suffice, guaranteeing that

the player does not ruin his or her first experience.

Tales of Vesperia (2008) is notorious for having players

complete difficult challenges just for little things like achievements and alternate dialogue.

One of these requires you to beat the game in less than 15 hours, a feat that requires you to

speed through the game and not even daring to explore past the main quest. Another is to

defeat Barbos, one of the more significant bosses in the game, under level 15. For

comparison, the maximum level in the game is 200, with the recommended level you would

be at during this point having progressed regularly being roughly level 27. Activelysuggesting players to speed through the game is almost like telling them to ignore the

narrative altogether, and as mentioned previously, should only come after the initial

playthrough of the game.

[1] William (2011) Half-Life 2 [Online] Available at:http://www.moddb.com/games/half-life-2 [Accessed 21 April 2011]

[1]


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3.11 Rule #10 Players shouldnt gain a greater reward for

a particular moral choice

In a game where moral choice is solely down to the players decisions, offering a greater

reward for one choice in particular will bribe characters out of their characters role. Eachalignment or state of karma should offer similar rewards to prevent players choosing

narrative branches that they would have otherwise ignored.

Fallout 3 offers an interesting decision at the beginning of the game, which at first glance

does not seem like an offer weighted in either direction. The player is given an opportunity

to diffuse a bomb in the town of Megaton, and can either do this safely or rig it to blow up.

If you diffuse it, you are awarded with your own house in the town, or if you blow it up, you

get a room in the nearby Tenpenny tower. However blowing it up, the evil decision, has

many other repercussions that a good player would not suffer. Collectibles are lost in the

explosion, including a unique one that may not have been collected by the player at thispoint. Also, many quest-giving NPCs can be killed in

the explosion, or failing that, killed on the way across

the wasteland to find a new home. These

possibilities are of course not underlined, but will

eventually become known to the player later in the

game.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) also had a moral

choice system, yet again it seemed to be leaning in

favour of good. Morally good characters gain accessto more dialogue, benefits such as cheaper items

and more of the sort. However being evil can lead to

town guards endlessly chasing you when you appear,

essentially blocking you off from certain quests and

items. Stealing from certain towns and getting

caught can essentially ruin any further progression in

that town.

However, choices unrelated to moral decisions with varying rewards are usually fine. The

player is not bound to decisions like these with their characters, so they will be able todecide which choice they want and be unbiased. Would such a choice be morally bound,

there would be cased of good characters picking bad choices for the sake of a few items and

not because they themselves would pick that option if they were indeed in such a situation.

[1] Trazac (2009) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review [Online] Available at:http://www.trazac.tk/ [Accessed 21 April 2011]

[1]


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Chapter 4

Analysing existing games


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4.1 Methodology of the analysis

First and foremost, a synopsis of each game will be given, so that it is easy to understand the

background to which these decisions are being used in. A short piece on why the particular

game is being analysed will explain the reasoning behind the choice, as well as thesuitability.

Each game will then be analysed using the ten rules stated previously. The game will then be

rated against each rule on a scale of zero to two; zero being that it fails to adhere to the

rule, with two meaning a sufficient adherence. By looking at these final scores, it is possible

to see which games have the most issues, and looks to draw reasoning from genre, platform

or even year of release. If the score for a rule doesnt make a two, the reasoning will be

given as well as potential solutions to these issues.


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4.2 Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

4.2.1 Game Synopsis

Set in the year 2281, America has become adesolate wasteland after a nuclear war. The

player character, known simply as the

courier was due to deliver a package, but

was assaulted and left for dead in a shallow

grave. Upon being rescued by a robot

known as Victor, the player can travel the

wastes in search of revenge, wealth and of

course, adventure.

4.2.2 Why this game?

Fallout: New Vegas contains is both a

shooter and an RPG, both of which are

exceedingly popular genres. It also has a

deep karma system and a large wealth of

decisions to be made, making it ideal to be

analysed.

4.2.3 Analysing against the ten rules

4.2.3.1 Rule #1 Players want their gameplay unrestricted

Fallout: New Vegas offers a karma system similar to that of its predecessor Fallout 3. Players

can choose to side with either good or evil, or even stay neutral while travelling and

exploring the wastelands. This means that the decisions presented will always have an

appropriate answer based on the karmic alignment of the character. There are also

reputation levels that keep track of the players actions in particular areas, meaning the

game will know if you are being evil in one area and good in the next, and treats youaccordingly in those areas. Karma specific missions and companions also help drive the

differences between each side, which helps the player believe that the game is adapting to

whichever play style they decide to adopt.

[1] Wehner (2010) Game Begins Fallout New Vegas... [Online] Available at:http://gotchamovies.com/ul/photos/movie/o/6c2dd3933ce996e7550c8a13abf60ae3-sc.jpg [Accessed 18 April 2011]

[1]


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4.2.3.2 Rule #2 Players want to feel the effect of their

decision

Created in part by the aforementioned karma system, choices are shown to have fairly large

effects of the game world. For instance, in the mission Come Fly with Me, you are taskedwith helping a small group of ghouls (who are humans that have become deformed by

radiation) launch themselves via rocket to a sacred place. During the end sequence of this

mission, you get to see the rockets launched as a reward of

sorts to finishing the quest at hand. This will also differ

based on the decisions made, for example sabotaging the

rockets will allow you to watch them crash. The majority of

decisions that can be made show the effects directly

afterwards, rather than hiding them or delaying the

effects.

4.2.3.3 Rule #3 Players want the option to change a

decision

Fallout: New Vegas offers players a large quantity of save states to use, which itself is only

limited by the hard drive the game is using. It is obviously that a decision heavy game cant

have confirmation screens or the ability to skip back a scene, but so long as the player saves

regularly and before decisions, they can prevent making a decision they will later regret.

However, an option to force incremental saves would be

handier, due to the face that Fallout: New Vegas savesupon changing areas, which would eliminate possibly

making errors in decision making. It is up to the player to

keep up and remember to do this, so it is certainly not

guaranteed that the player can change their ways without

restarting the game.

4.2.3.4 Rule #4 Players want a different experience when

playing a second time

Again, because of the complex karma system in place, it is easy to play as a completely

different style character a second time around. The sex of the player character becomes a

key feature to particular discussions, so choosing the opposite gender will also increase the

differences. Specialising in different weaponry and skills also open up different options,

while also closing others. There are also different factions that can be sided with for further

dialogue and scenario changes, each of which are not

necessarily aligned to a particular state of karma.


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4.2.3.5 Rule #5 Players want canonical sequels

The Falloutseries of games have never as yet created a direct sequel to any of their games.

The games are, however, based in the same canonical timeline. For example, Fallout: New

Vegas is set four years after the events in Fallout 3. They very rarely carry characters overfrom one game to the next, though some factions and

locations do appear in more than one title. By creating a

clean slate in every game for a player character, players are

not tied into events which may have been referenced

incorrectly or differ to how the player completed them in

older games.

4.2.3.6 Rule #6 Players dont want endings to be a

punishment

The endings that can be obtained in Fallout: New Vegas are largely dependent on the

faction the player is aligned with, as well as their state of karma. This is a change from

Fallout 3s very similar endings, that of which contained a few different lines of dialogue and

the character involved with stopping a disaster. In this sense, the endings are much

improved and offer unique dialogue based on the situation itself. However, the endings are

abrupt and involve a line or two from someone in charge of the faction you are following,

before being taken to the credits. You are also unable to

continue your game from after this point, but rather have

to make use of your previous save, so you cannot complete

quests regardless of your character being alive and well.

While the endings arent intended to be a punishment,

little thought into their implementation can make it that

way regardless.

4.2.3.7 Rule #7 Players shouldnt have to play more than


The narrative itself is generally pretty static, and will feature similar, if not the same

dialogue between playthroughs. This is of course not the case when concerning dialoguechoices that are morally bound. Each of these decisions contains different dialogue to match

the decision taken and potentially the characters

alignment too. Decisions will always have a maximum of

three different options to match the karma system, so

providing the player explored all of the side quests on each

of the three playthroughs, all of the narrative can be

obtained.


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4.2.3.8 Rule #8 Players dont want moral choices just

because there is a moral system

While the decisions are of course encouraged to bare

karmic consequences, the neutral decision serves as ananswer to a situation that doesnt need to be given a

good or evil answer. If players wished for it, they could

play the entire game without shifting karma by just

following the neutral paths. They are never forced into

being good or evil, with the decision being completely

up to themselves.

4.2.3.9 Rule #9 Players shouldnt have to considerably


There are no time constraints or large hurdles to jump over to obtain collectibles; with

everything in realistic and sensible placements. Fallout: New Vegas allows the player to

explore as they would in such a situation, so massive

changes are unrealistic. The games hardcore mode does

indeed involve large changes in play style, but it is simply

an option and bears no narrative differences besides

what can be drawn by the player. Changing alignment

doesnt involve much change other than in who you

would realistically side with or fight against, and weaponsare very similar to each other.

4.2.3.10 Rule #10 Players should not have a greater

reward for a particular moral choice

While there are no direct instances of being given greater rewards based on karma, items

can be obtained easier while playing as an evil character. Theft bypasses a lot of the

limitations placed on obtaining strong items earlier, and providing you can perform such an

act without being caught, this could be considered an

advantage. However, doing this in front of the owner is a

difficult task early in the game, plus being good can also

net you discounts in these very stores. The benefits and

downsides seem to work well together, offering neither

side a distinct advantage.


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4.3 Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland (2009)

4.3.1 Game Synopsis

Rorona is a fledgling apprentice alchemist, ajob that she takes very seriously even

though she isnt very good at it. Her

masters business isnt doing very well, and

they are eventually visited by a knight, who

brings them the grave news that the shop

will have to close. They manage to

compromise by promising to complete

particular assignments over a three year

period, with Rorona becoming the master

alchemist during this period.


Atelier Rorona is a modern example of a

pure RPG, which unlike Fallout: New Vegas,

it does not stray far from its primary genre.

It is also a Japanese developed game, so

similarities between this game and visual

novels are also apparent.



Atelier Roronas mission structure is such that there is little room to venture from the quests

presented to you. You get the choice of which characters you take with you on your travels,

which can also result in new dialogue options, but there is not a lot that the game allows

you to change. This is largely because you are playing as Rorona, a pre-established

character, rather than creating your own character and making their story. Still, it can bedone, as shown in games such asAlpha Protocol (2010) which allow a moderate amount of

gameplay decisions as well as being good or evil, while

still following one pre-established character.

[1] Tim (2010) Atelier Rorona [Online] Available at:http://www.gamers-lobby.com/images/atelier-rorona-21487942.jpg [Accessed 18 April 2011]

[1]


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4.3.3.2 Rule #2 Players want to feel the effect of their

decision

Decisions are largely dialogue based and affect the opinions other characters have of you,

rather than the world at large. They largely affect the ending of the game that you receivebased on the amount of characters or a particular character liking you enough. While the

decision making is indeed playing a role in changing the way that the game ends, it is not

apparent until nearer the end of the game what effect they have. The decision making

draws many similarities to Japanese visual novel games,

where the goal for many of them is to make friends (or fall

in love) with a variety of characters. While boosting

friendships is very much a Japanese game mechanic,

Western players may not like the way it doesnt visibly alter

the game until the very end.

4.3.3.3 Rule #3 Players want the option to change a

decision

While the decisions certainly do not carry as much weight as those found in RPGs like

Fallout, the option to alter a decision may be required by players who are searching for

particular endings or dialogue. The similar is nigh on

identical to that from Fallout: New Vegas, in which you can

make multiple saves only to the limit of the hard drive.

However, saving can only be done in a particular place (thealchemist shop) and so it can be difficult to make saves

before and after decisions and branches.

4.3.3.4 Rule #4 Players want a different experience when

playing a second time

While the main crux of the story such as the quests and the characters you meet will be the

same regardless of how many times you play it, you can pursue different friendships or

teams to take on your adventure. It is enough to warrant a second playthrough with

alternate dialogue via selection of different branching

narratives, but the changes are solely story related and will

not prolong gameplay. For the players that arent a fan of

the decision system and lack of immediate consequence, a

second playthrough may be largely unsuitable.


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4.3.3.5 Rule #5 Players want canonical sequels

Due to the less than impactful style decisions, there wouldnt be much cause for concern

considering Roronas character, or depiction of past events, in a sequel. A direct sequel was

released under the nameAtelier Totori: Alchemist of Arland 2 (2010), and while Rorona doesindeed feature in the game, she is replaced by Totori as the

main character. This enables the developers to careful

choose which of the past events to depict when concerning

decisions, if any at all. Narrative branches chosen in the first

game will be unaffected either directly or indirectly via

referencing because of this.

4.3.3.6 Rule #6 Players dont want endings to be a

punishment

Atelier Rorona has over thirty different endings to obtain, though you can only obtain one

per playthrough. Because it is possible to meet the criteria for more than one ending in one

playthrough, the game ranks particular endings above others. This means that missing out

on one condition for an ending will drop you to the ending below it and so on. This also

means that if you meet the conditions for the top ending (known as Astrids ending), you

cannot obtain the ending ranked below it. This means that

players will have to deliberately avoid meeting certain

requirements in order to get the required ending. While the

endings themselves do not punish the player for doing bad,

the player may end up with the wrong ending because they

are playing too well.

4.3.3.7 Rule #7 Players shouldnt have to play more than


As mentioned previously, there are upwards of thirty different endings that can only be

obtained in individual playthroughs. A lot of these are in fact specific to particular characters

met within the game, rather than to do with overarching story. While this means that

obtaining one ending over another means you will only lose particular information on onecharacter or event, it is still a lot to ask to have players

complete the game so many times. A good example of how

to do this correctly exists in Star Ocean: The Last Hope.

Endings are given per character, yet if the correct conditions

are met you can potentially obtain them all in the same

playthrough.


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4.3.3.8 Rule #8 Players dont want moral choices just

because there is a moral system

Atelier Rorona does not have a moral choice system in

place, mainly due to you playing as a pre-established goodcharacter. The choices that do exist in the game are not

reflective of moral choices either, so its difficult to

compare. Such a system would certainly not work well in a

game like this, so it is worth mentioning that it is good that

such a system does not exist.

4.3.3.9 Rule #9 Players shouldnt have to considerably


Again, with decision making coming in the form of making friendships and helping those

around the game, there is no way to change playing style.

The full narrative can be collected by simply playing and

collecting the many endings. While many players will likely

begin to rush the quests, or at least focus on the main ones

when they are trying to obtain all of the endings, there is no

pressure from the game to have to finish it quickly for extra

dialogue or endings.

4.3.3.10 Rule #10 Players should not have a greaterreward for a particular moral choice

While there is not a moral choice system in the game, there are rewards given based on

responses to particular decisions. This usually results in increasing the relationship Rorona

has with a particular character or not, dependant on choosing the correct option. There are

also split choices that will raise one character or another

based on the response, so it is possible to lose out on

progress with a character in particular. These changes are

cumulative and not determined absolutely by one choice, so

picking one option over another does not offer you less of a

reward based on which character you become friendlier

with.


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4.4 Mass Effect (2007)

4.4.1 Game Synopsis

Commander Shepherd has just become thefirst human being to be admitted into the

exclusive spectre program, an extremely

high honour. He must take and complete

missions using whatever means necessary

while appeasing those on the council, thus

making a name for humankind as a whole.

A fight ensues against the mysterious

reapers, beings that were long thought

extinct, and you must help protect the

galaxy against them.


Mass Effectcan be looked at as a contrast

to Fallout: New Vegas, being a primary

shooter with RPG elements. Bioware are

also famous for their conversation and

karma mechanics, making it an idea game

to test.



While players are certainly tied into following the missions they are given by the council,

there is a lot of leeway in how gameplay can progress. Players can explore different planets

nigh on whenever they like, as well as also having the option of finishing any mission in a

karmic good or bad fashion. Romantic interests can also be pursue

Documents

Investigating the ludological effects wrought from branching narratives and decision based changes in storytelling