Description:

Games, particularly Role-Playing Games (RPGs) and other participatory narratives, share many properties with traditional narratives, yet differ significantly from their linear counterparts. This course focuses on the elements of narrative as well as the principles that drive virtual or alternative possible worlds (both fictive and reality-based), and it will provide students with practice writing and designing artifacts that demonstrate an understanding of plot, character, setting and the impact of structure and purpose in game development. This course is taught in the fall semester only. 3 hrs. lecture/wk.

Associated Costs: These are additional (out-of-pocket) expense considerations that students should expect in addition to the course tuition, fees, and textbooks. $20 to $30.

Supplies: Refer to the instructor's course syllabus for details about any supplies that may be required.

Textbook(s): For information see - http://bookstore.jccc.net

Course Fees: NONE

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

1. Define and describe the relationships between the roles of character, setting and plot, and user interactivity in digital narratives.
2. List, describe and outline different linear and nonlinear story structures and plots.
3. Write and format proposals, screenplay material, treatments, and character sketches.
4. Describe dialogue engines and their role in moving a participatory narrative.
5. Analyze characters presented in various media for complexity, motivations, and consistency in personality and expression.
6. Write dialogue with “stage directions” that demonstrate a consistent character in a nonlinear narrative.
7. Describe the elements that create an explorable virtual world.
8. Generate ideas for game concepts, characters, plot complications, gameplay challenges, and structures for participatory narratives using brainstorming techniques.
9. Design gameplay challenges that complement the rhetorical aim of educational, training and entertainment games.
10. Make and assist others to make global, functional and editorial revisions in writing projects according to the conventions of the media and industry.

Content Outline & Competencies:

I. The Purposes of Games and Participatory Narratives
   A. Identify and describe games that entertain.
   B. Identify and describe games that inform or teach facts and skills.
   C. Identify and describe games that persuade users to adopt certain
attitudes or teach desirable behaviors.
   D. Write a proposal for a game with an emphasis on its purpose and
objective.

II. The Role of Setting and Virtual Worlds in Games
   A. Analyze setting-driven games.
      1. Critique the virtual explorable world in games.
      2. Describe the role of setting in digital narratives.
         a. Identify the relationship between setting and game
challenges.
         b. Identify the relationship between setting and archetypal
characters and character growth.
   B. Describe the role of design elements in games and digital stories.
      1. Describe the role of color and shapes in suggesting mood, tone,
and physical sensations like heat, cold, hardness, sharpness, etc.
      2. Identify and discuss dominant art styles in establishing user
expectations.
   C. Identify the role of setting in establishing narrative limits.
      1. Infer spatial limits within the game from the setting.
      2. Anticipate temporal limits within the game from the setting.
      3. Predict the physical laws within the game from the setting.
   D. Create detailed and appropriate settings for games.
      1. Analyze the role of setting in several forms of media (print,
film, digital).
      2. Propose back stories and game objectives suitable to specific
game worlds.
      3. Design (visually or textually) settings for an original scene in
a game.

III. The Role of Character in Games
   A. Identify archetypal characters (hero, mentor, sidekick, higher self,
allies, shape shifters, tricksters, threshold guardians, shadows, and
heralds).
   B. Describe the role of viewpoint in games.
      1. Identify and analyze third-person viewpoint in games.
         a. List and describe the elements of characterization.
            1) Defining characters through their appearance.
            2) Defining characters through their dialogue.
            3) Defining characters through their actions.
         b. List and describe the challenges in characterization.
            1) Maintaining consistency in personality traits.
            2) Using flat and rounded characters to move the story and
promote identification.
      2. Identify and analyze first-person viewpoint in games.
         a. Identify and describe the challenges of creating a
first-person character to be played by all kinds of people.
         b. Identify and describe the challenges of inserting the
first-person character into the story smoothly.
            1) Providing player with the context.
            2) Providing player with the viewpoint character’s
exposition.
   C. Describe the role of motive in games.
      1. List and describe classic character motives.
      2. Identify and describe the challenges of creating a motive for the
player/user in first-person games.
      3. Describe methods of revealing motives for characters within the
game.
   D. Create developed characters for games
      1. Compile a character bible describing principle physical
characteristics, personality traits and driving motives for several key
characters in an original or published game.
      2. Write several pieces of dialogue with instructions for vocal and
visual expressions for a single character in keeping with that
character’s profile.
      3. Write appropriate material for a dialogue engine.

IV. The Role of User-Interactivity in Games
   A. Describe the role of and expectations for the tools used to
experience digital narratives and games (interfaces, keyboards,
controllers, specialized equipment). 
   B. Identify types of user-challenges:
      1. Logical and inference challenges.
      2. Lateral-thinking challenges.
      3. Memory challenges.
      4. Intelligence and knowledge-based challenges.
      5. Pattern-recognition challenges.
      6. Spatial-relationship challenges.
      7. Coordination and reflex challenges.
      8. Moral and ethical challenges.
   C. Employ techniques for establishing and modifying pace.
      1. Balance explicit and implicit problem-solving.
      2. Discuss impact of challenge sequencing.
      3. Incorporate short- and long-term game objectives and goals.
   D. Analyze the role of gameplay in the interactive experience.
      1. Maintain a player’s log reflecting on game-playing
experiences.
      2. Create a representation (textual, visual, video-diary,
multi-media, etc.) describing the student’s individual definition of
“gameplay.”

V. The Role of Plot in Games
   A. Describe the role of structure in stories.
      1. Outline the traditional story structure.
      2. Identify interactive variations including hierarchical, open, and
common closed (string of pearls, multi-path, parallel tracts) structures.
   B. Describe the role of plot in games.
      1. Describe the purposes of narrative plots in games and explorable
worlds.
         a. Constructing “back stories” that act as catalysts for
action.
         b. Creating narratives that establish objectives throughout a
game.
      2. List and understand archetypal plots for stories.
      3. Describe plot types most appropriate for different kinds of
games/digital stories.
   C. Describe the role of challenges in games and stories.
      1. List complications that arise from characters and their natures.
      2. Describe complications that arise from setting.
      3. Discuss complications that arise from plot devices.
      4. Define complications that arise from the supernatural.
   D. Design plot structures for games.
      1. Map an overarching structure for a proposed game.
      2. List and describe several challenges players will encounter in a
proposed game.

Methods of Evaluation of Competencies:

Evaluation of student mastery of course competencies will be accomplished using the following methods:

Analyses and reviews of previously published materials: 20-30%
4-9 Projects: 50-60%
Final and in-class activities: 20% 
  Total: 100% 

FINAL GRADES
 A = 90% - 100%  
 B = 80% -  89% 
 C = 70% -  79%      
 D = 60% -  69% 
 F = under  60%

Caveats: NONE

Disabilities:

If you are a student with a disability, and if you will be requesting accommodations, it is your responsibility to contact Access Services. Access Services will recommend any appropriate accommodations to your professor and his/her director. The professor and director will identify for you which accommodations will be arranged.

JCCC provides a range of services to allow persons with disabilities to participate in educational programs and activities. If you desire support services, contact the office of Access Services for Students With Disabilities (913) 469-8500, ext. 3521 or TDD (913) 469-3885. The Access Services office is located in the Success Center on the second floor of the Student Center.