Challenge Blog: Why You Should Visit Shepherdstown

Have you ever seen those perfect little quaint towns, like you see on the movies and tv? You know the ones that have those swanky little shops, that have the most unique stuff, and they always have that one coffee shop that everyone swears by?

Well, they actually exist. And they're as great as what they're made out to be. Welcome to Shepherdstown, WV. Nestled in the northeast panhandle of West Virginia on the Maryland border, Shepherdstown is exactly the picture of a perfect small town. This comfortable cozy little gem invites a flavor that is all its own. You'll fall in love with the delicious treats of the Shepherdstown Bakery where all kinds of baked goods and coffees are made fresh everyday. And you're never forget the eclectic Lost Dog, talk to Garth and he'll make you the best hot apple cider you've ever had, complete with cinnamon sticks and orange slices.  And on the corner, the Blue Moon Cafe serves the best little gourmet sandwiches with a European flair. And if that doesn't convince you that Shepherdstown is the place to visit, then you have to know that all the businesses depend on each other, and support local growing and farming. Pretty cool, eh? 

And going on right now, is Shepherdstown's annual BooFest, where local businesses participate and engage in everything Halloween. Stop by and check it out! It won't disappoint!

Writing Challenge Blog Voice and Style

Having just fought off the death jaws of a killer grizzly with only his hands and a rusty butter knife, Sampson pulled his kayak out of the brush and into the raging river.

"Sampson! Isn't there a waterfall at the end of the river?" exclaimed his female companion who had taken refuge in the back seat of the vessel. Sampson ripped a part of his shirt with his teeth and tied the scrap around a deep gash on his shoulder. 

"Waterfall? You mean kiddie slide?" He laughed as he dipped his muscled arms into the water and began navigate right into the rapids. 

Board Games and Narrative

Previously in my blog, my discussion toward narrative in gaming been directed towards video games, but this week, I want to explore the direction of narrative in board games. In my experience, the narrative function in board games can be similar to the narrative function in video games.  Not too long ago, I played the board game Munchkin for the first time, which if you haven't played it, is a card-based board game where the players create a character and fight monsters in a cute parody of RPG/ traditional dungeon and dragon-esque games. But I think what makes the game so interesting is that it allows the players to come up with their own narrative based on the random character that is created.  The cards are a variety of different values, anywhere from equipment and armor to steeds and power-ups, all help form the character that you have throughout the game.

This form of gameplay allows the players to create their characters own stories, it allows for emergent behavior in the game, and fosters interplay between each player.

Traditionally, there has been a narrative arc in which board games were based upon,  and though they were loose arcs with room for change and exceptions, most of the games that we are used to playing are usually based around these arcs.

A game design mechanics blogger, Linnaeus illustrates the game arcs in 2 different functions,

- The opening, middle game. and end game
- Income, Engine Building, Conversion

He explains the first function as:

-opening : "activation and coordination" of pieces and forming of a gameplan
- middle game: active combat or "the main struggle" as Linnaeus says
- end game: game slows, final maneuvers that determine the winner

Linnaeus gives some examples of this game style, but I think one of the best examples he gives is chess.

1) Setup of pieces, forming of strategy (Opening)
2) The gameplay, moving pieces, capturing pieces (middle game)
3) Most pieces are out of commission, winding down to the last available moves ( end game)

And the second as:

Income : beginning resources and start up
Engine Building : Using income to build "victory points"
Conversion: Rapid accumulation of "victory points"

I think, the most familiar game we can associate this arc with is Monopoly

Income: Go space, first cash payout ( income)
Engine Building: Buying properties, earning rent, building houses and hotels (engine building)
Conversion:  Buying the most properties, rent accumulation due to multiple rent incomes, hotels and bankruptcy of other players

Though he doesn't that these arcs are a bad thing, he frames them as a generic layout that many other games are made of, where the structure there, and a slightly different narrative laid on top. The end result is always the same and the gameplay to the end is always similar ( as in Monopoly : The player with the most properties/ money wins, doesn't matter the player)

This presents another interesting depth to narrative in games. The more that the players can create their own narrative within the framework correlates to a more desirable game experience.

The Need for Complex Narrative is Growing

Last week in my blog, I discussed the evolution of narrative through gameplay, as in games that let the player discover or create their own story are starting to become the next part in video game evolution. This week I found an article written by gamer-journalist Daniel Clark, who discusses how his need for a complex narrative in a game is starting to trump other facets of gameplay and how this need is starting to become a universal need for many gamers.

Clark notes that the more freedom and the more realistic the outcomes can be such as decisions that are made have consequences, and actions are based in a cause and effect manner. He notes that there is a distinctive change in the styling of narratives in games, "in game design, has seen a distinct shift away from a purely active response (e.g. kill everyone in the room), to more complex webs of cause and effect. Players are given far more choice in what type of order is restored (e.g. selfish gain versus community well-being), and by what means these conditions are met (e.g. through might or diplomacy)."  

Just like all facets of technology, our expectations for games are growing, and with that is the expectation that the line that we put between games and reality is starting to blur. The more that games can mimic and become like real-life, the more we are interested and engaged in them.  At the beginning of this blog series, I asked why narrative was important to the function and success of games, and Clark answers that by saying that narrative adds a break in between modes of mechanical gameplay, and allows a game to not seems to repetitive, boring, or intense. But he also says that narrative is also more than that, "The rise of narrative in gaming has been exactly that – stories created under the auspices of game design, like any other component, tailored to the experience intended."  I think it is interesting to note that it seems that narrative is an integral part of experience.

Clark ends by saying "The fact is, our lives are intricate portraits of human desire; its satisfactions and frustrations, both negligible and immense. When games mimic the agonies and ecstasies of our time on this planet, the depth of experience equals those inspired by any art form."  I think that this is definitely true. There is a rise in popularity of games that allow more free-roam, more human-like interaction within a fantastical or unable to be experience setting? Call of Duty or Elder Scrolls, they appeal to us because we have experiences that would in no other way be possible.

Writing Challenge #4: Titles, Descriptions, Leads

<head> <title> Totally 90s Inline Rollerblade Shop </head>
<meta name= "description" content=" Totally 90s is your one stop shop for the rollerblade and skate gear for men, women, and sports such as hockey and derby! Awesome dude!  ">

Welcome to Totally 90s, dude! We are the awesome new skate shop for rollerblades and inline skating. Just getting started? We carry skates for both men and women. Looking to demonstrate your mad hockey and derby skills? We've got the best deals for the best gear!

Interactivity Evolving: Narrative Structure in "Heavy Rain"

In my last blog, I discussed how the mechanics of a game helped create the narrative of the game, such as Limbo, this time I am discussing a game that has a very strong, almost cinematic narrative, Heavy Rain and how in both games, there is a trend emerging in the narrative style of video games. Narrative evolving through interactivity.

I came across an article in my research, an article from Gamasutra about the game's creator, David Cage. Cage describes how Heavy Rain's narrative structure sets it apart from other games, " I want to make games for a mature audience, and I think you need to go for stories, characters, and emotion.There are so many games out there where you shoot, or you run, or you jump. The industry doesn't need one more. So, yeah, try to create something emotional." Cage seems to imply that that emotion is another narrative element that draws people into the game. "I think what really matters is to create characters that the audience can resonate with. As long as you have characters that you like, and when you feel they are part of yourself in there, you get interested in what is happening to them, and then it resonates with you. That's the most important thing. And you don't need to shoot or kill anyone. There are other ways of interacting that are just as interesting."  This definitely holds true in the structure for Heavy Rain, at the very beginning of the game, you play as the main character and you learn him. You get to know his emotions, his daily routine, the people that are most important to him in his life. You get to actually play his life, and you actually in a way become Ethan Mars ( the main character) through the gameplay, with immediate environmental feedback  of his activities and his day-to-day interactions. Your actions and decisions as the player matter! It inspires how the narrative evolves throughout the story. Different actions can lead to different consequences.

In this game, characterization becomes key to caring about the narrative, we are intrigued not because the game has us performing exciting actions or taking us to exotic locations or situations, but because we care about the story and we want to know what happens next. "My approach is sometimes not well understood: I am interested in creating emotions through interactivity. I chose to use storytelling because I love stories and I think it is a very powerful and universal way to create emotion, " says Cage. He also talks about the concept that the strongest narrative is that which the player can discover and learn for himself. Narrative then becomes so intuitive, so woven into the game that it engages on so many different levels. "How can we enable the player himself to tell the story he wants through his actions, rather than forcing him to watch cinematics? Defining a language to tell compelling interactive stories without using repetitive mechanics is really the goal of my work, " Cage says. And it really makes me think about the experience that I want to have with this medium. From Cage's point of view,  it seems that stories, good stories, beg for an audience that can get immersed in them. We want to have a shared experience with the characters, or even give ourselves a presence with in the story. All these things, I think Cage would argue add meaning and depth to the video game world.

Creating Narrative through Mechanics: Taking a Look at Limbo

As I continue this semester to research narrative/ and storytelling  in video games, I've found that the narrative or narrative elements in those games can be anywhere from very complex to very simple, to none at all.  In my last blog, I discussed the role and differences between narrative and mechanics within genre and even if narrative was necessary at all for gaming. In my next blogs,  I want to take a look at a few examples of narrative within video gaming by looking at some games in particular.

 Limbo. For those who haven't heard of it, it's starting to become one of those underground gaming gems finding its way into the mainstream.  I heard of it through one of my friends, who had bought it because at the time, because it was relatively inexpensive as far as games go and there was  a rumor about some of the intensity and shock value of its gameplay. Intrigued, I joined him  and some other friends one evening as they sat down to play it. 

Screenshot from Limbo showing   monochromatic
black-and-white palette,
the use of depth perception in the game,
and the concept of the game's puzzles.

The gameplay is what is referred to as " 2D sidescroller", which means that the play is horizontal and the environment and the character move from left to right across the screen as play continues. But what really is unnerving and interesting is the way that the ambiance and the mechanics of the game tie into the narrative of the story. 

"The game is presented in black-and-white tones, using lighting, film grain effects and minimal ambient sounds to create an eerie atmosphere often associated with the horror genre. Journalists praised the dark presentation, describing the work as comparable to film noir and German Expressionism. Based on its aesthetics, reviewers classified Limbo as an example of video games as art." - Limbo Wiki Page

There are no cutscenes, no in game text. There is a very minimalist style to the game, and players are left alone to figure out the systems of puzzles that block your way of reaching the goal. All that is known is that the character in the game is on his way to find his sister.

 "Limbo is presented through dark, greyscale graphics and with minimalist ambient sounds, creating an eerie, haunting environment. The dark visuals also hide numerous environmental and physical hazards, such as deadly bear traps on the forest floor, or lethal monsters hiding in the shadows, such as a giant spider. Among the hazards are glowing worms, which attach themselves to the boy's head and force him to travel in only one direction unless bright light comes in contact with it, which changes the direction of the player until it is removed by static NPCs. " - Limbo Wiki Page

Screenshot from Limbo

What I found so interesting about Limbo, was the amount of story that I understood with a very limited narrative. There is nothing to guide you through the game, only the vicious and graphic deaths of the character when a puzzle is completed incorrectly, that trigger you to start again in the same location. But I grasped with just the name and the mechanics of the game that the story was supposed to be metaphorical and vague. From the title Limbo, you can already deduce that the main character is probably in the midst of purgatory, but what impressed me the most was that in a puzzle based game, each successive puzzle and section of the story was like traveling through a bleak nightmare, with repetitive tasks and gruesome punishments for not solving the puzzles correctly. Almost like a penance,  where the character and the player complete each puzzle not knowing where the game is going to lead, or what the find result will be. If even if the gameplay has any significant meaning. I think this ties in to the idea of purgatory well, and it is not unreasonable with the horrible and eerie effects and tribulations of the game if ideas of hell and the afterlife become images in the player's mind.

 There is no record of time passing, no night nor day, only the present where the character himself is not even really a person, but more like a shadow, just barely making it through each level, sometimes having repeated each puzzle countless times until the solution is found. There is no way back, only forward. And at the end of the game, there is nothing that states the game has ended, the character only completes the last level to find himself somehow right back at the beginning where he started. All of these subtle clues in the gameplay and environment, allowed my own mind to fill in the narrative that was actually not ever really stated. Even the game's developers have left the story of the game purposefully empty, so as to neither agree nor disagree with critics and players own interpretations. 

Even having watched the gameplay, I still find it hard to describe Limbo. There is something almost poetic about its openendedness that ironically adds so much depth to the game.