Abstract
Much has been made of games that include the subcategory of play labelled “choice and consequence” (Taylor-Giles, Toward a Deeper Understanding of Branching Dialogue Systems. Queensland University of Technology, 2014). However, previous discussions focussed exclusively on video games that already include a choice-based dialogue interface, such as Mass Effect (BioWare, Mass Effect [Computer Software]. Electronic Arts, Redwood City, CA, 2007), Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare, Dragon Age: Origins [Computer Software]. Electronic Arts, Redwood City, CA, 2009), Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal, Deus ex: Human Revolution [Computer Software]. Square Enix, El Segundo, CA, 2011), and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim [Computer Software]. Bethesda Softworks, LLC, Rockville, MD, 2011) (Taylor-Giles, Game User Experience and Player-Centered Design. Springer, Cham, 2020). This chapter explores the key learnings of branching dialogue systems and how they can be applied to linear, large-scale video game stories in a way that is efficient, cost-effective, and which does not require the inclusion of a choice-based dialogue interface.
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Notes
- 1.
Although Supergiant Games has already released a substantial voice-over-related update to address a lack of variety in some character lines, this may not always be an option and certainly requires additional planning to ensure the most efficient use of resources, i.e., a large content update, as opposed to adding a line or two of additional VO.
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Taylor-Giles, L.C. (2022). Systemic NPC-Side Branching in Linear AAA Video Game Stories. In: Bostan, B. (eds) Games and Narrative: Theory and Practice. International Series on Computer Entertainment and Media Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81538-7_2
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