Dragon Shard

1. Lucy Pratt 13u 14/11/18
Annotating a Video Game Script- Dragon Shard
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https://en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons:_Dragonshard "Dungeons & Dragons:
Dragon shard is a real-time strategy role-playing vi deo game, devel oped for Microsoft Windows by
Li qui d Entertainment, and published by Atari i n 2005. It takes place i n Eberron, one of the offi cial
Dungeons & Dragons campaign setti ngs. The game combi nes elements of tr aditional real-time
strategy gameplay wi th role-playing el ements such as hero units, and questing. Dragon shard
i ncludes two single-player campaigns, single-player skirmish maps, and multiplayer support. The
si ngle-player campaign follows the struggles of three competing factions to gain control of a
magi cal artifact known as the Heart of Siberys.
Style: This is a Video Game script. The
use of ‘Plate One’ is different from the
other scripts I have analyzed as
Also the use of detailed descriptions for
the scenes is due to the fact the
cinematic aspect of the game would have
no dialogue so the writer needs to be
clear on what he wants on the screen.
The use of ‘MONTAGE OF 2D ART’ is not
expanded on due to the fact that the
script is focusing on the opening cut
scene of the game and not so much, what
looks like, the title screen. The playable
sections of the script describe briefly
what the play will do, due to the fact that
they can’t say exactly what the player will
do. The use of a montage in an audio
visual or audio product, to open, would
not work as it would just confuse the
audience as it give little information to
the audience. Whereas opening montages
for games helps attract and get the
player exited to play the game as it will
show little on setting, characters, villains
etc., to intrigue.
Content: This script is for the opening cinematic scene for the video game Dragon Shard. It
describes the setting as well as the important aspects of the scene. The script also sets up
the action for the full game. The game is part of a series of game which is obvious by the
lack of character introductions.
Target Audience: My Target audience analysis is on Canva.

2. Lucy Pratt 13u 14/11/18
Annotating a Video Game Script- Dragon Shard
2 | P a g e
Narrative Theory: Due to this being an opening scene for a video game the theory
suggested by Branigan (1992) would not fit this script. Propp’s (1928) character theory
works with this script as the player would be the hero, Lady Marryn would be the helper,
the donor and the dispatcher with Bastion being
the false hero. Todorov’s (1969) theory could
relate to this script as this script would show the
equilibrium and the disruption (trapped in cave),
however the rest of the game will show the rest of
the cycle. 2 examples of Barthes’ (1960s) theories
are, Action code- the description of the ‘fighting
low-level enemies’ as well as the arguments
between the characters, Referential code-
explanations for the player on how to play are put
in the stage directions of the script. Lady Marryn
and Bastion would be the binary opposites
proposed by Levi-Strauss (1972) due to the fact
they have different agendas, morals and attitudes
towards the mission (one strict and in charge
while the other only thinking about benefits to
himself etc. I feel this script is the beginning of a
Forking-Path. This is due to the fact Cameron’s
(2008) theory on Modular Narratives mentions
this as having alternative versions of the story
which would be the case when the play starts
getting more and more control on the stories
path.
Genre Theory: The genre of this game would probably be both fantasy and adventure,
which supports both Buckingham’s (1993) and
Altman’s (1999) theories. Ryall (1978) came up with
the following codes and conventions, Iconography-
This script describes fantasy creatures, vibrant
colours, and unrealistic scenarios which all link to the
fantasy genre, Narrative- The ending is left open as it
continues the story throughout the rest of the game,
Representation- the perfect, female leader
stereotype in this game is described as ‘beautiful’
with ‘gleaming armor’ and ‘wields a Warhammer’,
lastly Ideologies- the player instantly believes the
characters helping them are the heroes and that
monsters and magic exists in the world of the game.