As we journey through digital worlds, environmental storytelling plays a key role in our understanding and investment in its history and characters – subconsciously or directly. We rarely stop to consider what exactly goes into the design process of embedding a character into the game space. As a student, I was crazy enough to try by myself. Part practical breakdown, part postmortem, this talk does a low level dive into the theory

1. I Was Lost In Space
Alex Williams
AMSTERDAM | MAY 8-9, 2018

2. Background

Who Am I? (NOT MATTIA)

Who Was I?

What was this Project?

Why did I do it?

3. Environmental Storytelling?

Narrative Through Inference and Exploration

Narrative Design At Core

I'm Sorry.

But – Multidisciplinary! Holistic!

More!

4. First, some terms and theory!

5. Cinema And Games

Borrowing Historically

Creating shots, cutscenes, etc

Tension – Contradicts why games are strong

Push Vs Pull

6. Core Approach

What makes a place?

Causality

Framing

Affordances

Art?

Sound?

7. Causality

Broad strokes – setting in motion

A web of cause and effect

9. Framing

Old School – Direct link back to film conventions

Creating mise-en-scene

Guiding the player's 'frame'

Vending Machine

Biggest problem with interactivity

11. Framing Makes:
- Causality traceable and interpretable through associative power
- Interpretation – evaluation of situation based on personal views
- Active, learning, invested, pulling

12. Affordances

Qualities of an object

Communicating and foreshadowing - telegraphing

Subconscious expectations

Blood trails, bumps in the night, teacup handles

Can be done badly

14. Character

How do we describe a character?

3D Bone structure – flexible, source of relationships

Design tools – influence by:
− Predefined Functions
− Goals
− Possible/Impossible Actions

16. Character In Environment

Mash this all up and get what?

Externalise bone structure into environment – causality

Work station example – causality and bone structure

All objects justified by causality and serving character

Redefining some terms

17. Predifined Functions in Environment

Set Objective

Framing of 'shot'

Include Micronarratives – spilt coffee

18. Goals / Actions in Environment

Shift from implicit statement to support and justification

Chain of events as character goals

Communicate actions over time

19. Affordances in Environment

Role in all language

Back to the work station – role/function

Mind detail level

21. A Note About Science Fiction

Hard Scifi and detraction from focus

Interesting character solutions from real life limitations

22. Setting Primer – DSC ISAAC
Base camp Tau Ceti f – 11.8 lightyears away
14 Years Earth Time, 5 Years Ship time
Mid 21st
Century - Post Fusion
Renewed interest in space (travel)
Technology golden age
colonisation initiative – who?

23. Narrative Primer – DSC ISAAC
Fine at first...
A pulse - lost in transit for over 22 ship years
No communications
Ship Built for near indefinite survivability, but...
However, they haven't been idle
One more important detail...

24. The DSC ISAAC saw the first ever childbirth in space.
Soren Kierke was born only weeks before the pulse struck.

25. Practical Execution

Filling in Bone Structure

Designing the Space
− Production design
− Solutions and Considerations
− What is the Ship?
− Ship and Room Causality

27. Soren's Skeleton - Physiology
Male, 22
Pale skin due to life under artificial lights
Auburn Hair, dark brown eye color
Upright, rigid posture

28. Soren's Skeleton - Physiology
Neat, tidy appearance, slightly makeshift or
improvised clothing and accessories as a result of
living outside mission parameters
Right ring finger amputated in accident involving
artificial gravity malfunction

29. Soren's Skeleton - Physiology
Slight muscular build, physically fit as a result of
lifelong spaceflight exercise regimen to combat
muscle mass loss/bone density reduction

30. Soren's Skeleton - Sociology
Classless society, but driven by authority due to the
presence of highly trained/specialised crewmembers.
Grew up in an environment that encourages making
oneself useful, respecting superiors, and intellectual
development.

31. Soren's Skeleton - Sociology
Privately schooled in basic maths, sciences, history
by the mission’s education software/professional.
Encouraged to pursue own interests and explore the
ship’s knowledge base.

32. Soren's Skeleton - Sociology
Soren’s family is Danish-American from his father’s
side, and British from his mother’s side.
Soren grew up in a community consisting entirely of
adults, and never had peers.
Soren can often be found browsing the digital library
for subjects that interest him, and occasionally tinkers
with materials and equipment.

33. Soren's Skeleton - Sociology
Soren’s parents are mission critical personel, running
the Isaac’s medical labs. Soren has a stable
relationship with his family, and relatively little need to
rebel during his teenage years. He is aware that he is
being groomed to a degree by his parents and the
other crew members.

34. Soren's Skeleton - Psychology
Soren holds logic, intelligence, and openness in high
regard. Being raised in a multicultural, academic
environment with very strongly opinionated and
educated adults has forced him to adopt a diplomatic
approach to people, but he feels that his opinions are
not always heard.

35. Soren's Skeleton - Psychology
Soren is determined to prove his value, and
unconditionally puts the mission before anything else.
He is absolutely devoted to ensuring that the
sacrifices of those around him are not in vain, and
most importantly, realises it is his only way out of
entrapment.

36. Soren's Skeleton - Psychology
Soren is very curious by nature. Although not
particularly daring, he spends a lot of time thinking
about exploration and treading new ground. He views
his time on the Isaac as leading up to something. This
idea motivates him to keep thinking forward away
from doubt.

37. Soren's Skeleton - Psychology
Conversely, he does often feel completely trapped,
wondering what it would be like to leave his life
behind completely.
Soren is routinely evaluated by the ship’s
psychologist.

38. Yes.
There's a lot of me in there.
I'm very original.
It's pretty funny in hindsight.

39. With that being said...

41. Which was unexpected, and
totally unplanned for.

43. Not unexpected, but a crazy
amount of work regardless.

44. The ISAAC – Soren's Area

Center Room

Bed

Cabinet

Desk

Working Table

Observation Deck

The State of It

45. The Cargo Room

46. The Cargo Room

47. The Cargo Room

48. The Bed

49. The Cabinet

50. The Desk

51. The Workbench

52. The Observatory

53. The State of It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km3LWiWtN5M

54. The State of It
Powerful baseline
-Hints at functionality and affordance
- No proper material or age work
- Lack of props
- Where is the connective tissue? Where are the breadcrumbs?

55. Moving Forwards, Supposedly
Speaking of overscope, I did have plans.
Also, audio by Sjoerd Limberger

56. I'm Done

Thanks

57. Stalk Me

LinkedIn or Facebook - Alex Williams

rwilliams.alex@gmail.com

Www.byrabbit.design