Why would you want to develop narrative in a multiplayer competitive game? In this talk, Christina Norman will show how establishing characters, setting and world can increase player engagement and enjoyment in PvP games. Drawing on examples from League of Legends and other multiplayer competitive games, she will describe effective techniques for communicating narrative without disrupting gameplay. She will also share insights gained from narrative development in League of Legends. Takeaway Attendees will gain an understanding of how narrative development can improve player enjoyment in PvP games. Techniques for developing narrative will be discussed that are effective in PvP, co-op and single-player games. Intended Audience This talk is directed at narrative designers and all game developers with an interest in player experience. While all examples are drawn from PvP games, the techniques discussed and insights shared are relevant to both co-op and single-player game development.

1. COMPETITIVE MULTIPLAYER
PRESENTED BY
CHRISTINA NORMAN
Twitter: @truffle
League of Legends: kitaeLink to full slides at end of presentation
STORYTELLING

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ON THE INTERNETS

3. INTRODUCTION
WHO AM I?
‣ Game
Designer
&
Writer
@
Riot
Games
‣ Previously
Game
Designer
&
Programmer
@
BioWare
‣ Worked
on
League
of
Legends
&
Mass
Effect
1,
2,
3

4. AGENDA
WHY HOW NEXTWHY
TLDR; Familiar techniques, it’s all about how you use them

5. STORY INSPIRES PLAYERS
AND HELPS THEM IMMERSE

6. SETTING

7. CHARACTER

8. NARRATIVE
“It’s what she’d want. And you know it.”

9. CHARACTERSETTING NARRATIVE
STORY ALIGNS DEVELOPERS
SO WE CAN CREATE AN AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE

10. COMPETITIVE MULTIPLAYER GAMES
HAVE STORIES TOO

11. SINGLE PLAYER CAMPAIGN
IS A POWERFUL TECHNIQUE

12. MULTIPLAYER ONLY GAMES
ARE BECOMING MORE COMMON

13. THEIR STORIES
ARE HARDER TO TELL

14. TRANSMEDIA
CAN WORK – BUT ISN’T PART OF PLAY
VIDEOS COMICS BOOKS

15. WHAT IF STORY COULD BE PART OF COMPETITIVE PLAY?
COMMON CONCERNS
‣ Story
disrupts
gameplay
‣ Players
don’t
want
or
care
about
stories
IT CAN - LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW
It
doesn’t
have
to
They
will
if
you
tell
the
right
stories
LEAGUE OF LEGENDS COMPETITIVE GAMEPLAY
<<< LCS VIDEO GOES HERE >>>
Imagine awesome #LCS gameplay or just
watch the #LCS. It’s awesome.
www.lolesports.com

16. AGENDA
WHY HOW NEXT

17. 1. NEVER IRRITATING
2. NO PAUSING OR DELAYS
3. NO DISTRACTIONS
4. NO CONFLICTING GOALS
GROUND RULES
FOR COMPETITIVE STORYTELLING
MULTIPLAYER FIRST
DISTRACTIONS CAN KILL
SUPPORT TEAMPLAY
PLAYERS OPT IN

18. 4 TECHNIQUES
• Ambient NPC Voice-over
• PC Voice-over
• Story Objectives
• Story Events

19. TECHNIQUE: AMBIENT NPC VOICE-OVER
“Can
the
reapers
be
stopped,
Shepard?”
GOOD FOR
‣ Tone
‣ SeOng
‣ Character
‣ NarraQve
OVERVIEW

20. TECHNIQUE: AMBIENT NPC VOICE-OVER
MULTIPLAYER CHALLENGES
‣ Tone
mismatch
‣ Relevance
to
gameplay
‣ DistracQons
can
kill
CHALLENGES

21. CASE STUDY: LOL SHOPKEEPER
GOALS
‣ Establish
world
‣ Establish
champions
‣ Lighten
tone
EXAMPLE
LEAGUE OF LEGENDS HAS 118 PLAYABLE CHARACTERS
EACH HAS RELATIONSHIPS AND BACKSTORY

22. CASE STUDY: LOL SHOPKEEPER
MULTIPLAYER CHALLENGES
‣ Tone
mismatch
‣ Relevance
to
gameplay
‣ DistracQons
can
kill
KEY TAKEAWAY“Priceless!
Now,
hand
over
the
gold.”
APPROACH
Suppor8ve
humorous
tone
Speaks
in
response
to
player
shopping
ac8vi8es,
crea8ng
ceremony
Non-­‐combat
area
Create
characters
that
work
with
exis8ng
gameplay
and
pacing

23. CASE STUDY: LOL SHOPKEEPER
“You
look
just
like
your
sister…
wait…
I’m
not
supposed
to
talk
about
that.”
RESULTS

25. ONE LINE
Tons
of
engagement

26. 4 TECHNIQUES
• Ambient NPC Voice-over
• PC Voice-over
• Story Objectives
• Story Events

27. PC VOICE-OVER
“I’ve
got
to
keep
moving.”
GOOD FOR
‣ Confirming
player
acQon
‣ DirecQng
player
‣ SeOng
‣ Main
Character
OVERVIEW

28. PC VOICE-OVER
MULTIPLAYER CHALLENGES
‣ Tone
mismatch
‣ Relevance
to
gameplay
‣ DistracQons
can
kill
CHALLENGES
Iden8cal
to
NPC
voice-­‐over

29. CASE STUDY: ROCHELLE EXAMPLE

30. CASE STUDY: ROCHELLE
“Oh,
sweet
Jesus,
look
at
all
these
guns!”
SCRIPTED
APPROACH

31. CASE STUDY: ROCHELLE
“Can
somebody
help
me?
Damsel
in
distress
over
here.”
GAMEPLAY ALERT
APPROACH

32. CASE STUDY: ROCHELLE
“Oh
shit!
Look
at
ya.
Let
me
help
you
up.
GAMEPLAY CEREMONY
APPROACH

33. CASE STUDY: ROCHELLE
MULTIPLAYER CHALLENGES
‣ Tone
mismatch
‣ Relevance
to
gameplay
‣ DistracQons
can
kill
KEY TAKEAWAY
APPROACH
Wrote
to
gameplay
tone
Characters
and
players
have
the
same
goals
Lines
draw
aEen8on
to
relevant
gameplay
Observe
gameplay,
write
lines
in
character
to
highlight
relevant
informa8on

34. CASE STUDY: ROCHELLE
RESULTS
‣ Players
learn
about
characters
naturally
through
play
‣ Players
develop
character
preferences
despite
no
gameplay
impact
RESULTS

35. 4 TECHNIQUES
• Ambient NPC Voice-over
• PC Voice-over
• Narrative Objectives
• Story Events

36. TECHNIQUE: NARRATIVE OBJECTIVE OVERVIEW
GOOD FOR
‣ MoQvaQng
players
‣ SeOng
up
gameplay
‣ Moving
the
story
forward
Lol! Another
EZ delivery
quest…
NEW QUEST!
‣ Take
the
ring
to
Mt.
Doom

37. TECHNIQUE: NARRATIVE OBJECTIVE
MULTIPLAYER CHALLENGES
‣ Goals
can
feel
repeQQve
‣ Team
goals
can
feel
impersonal
‣ Individual
goals
can
disrupt
teamplay
CHALLENGES

38. CASE STUDY: THE HUNT IS ON
GOALS
‣ Experience
narraQve
resoluQon
through
gameplay
‣ PosiQve
experience
for
both
teams
EXAMPLE

39. CHARACTER MOTIVATION EXPRESSED IN GAME
HUNT TO GET TROPHIES
APPROACH
HUNT TO EVOLVE

40. INTERSECTING BACKSTORY APPROACH
FIGHT WITHOUT A CLEAR VICTOR

41. NARRATIVE RESOLUTION
KILL QUEST TRIGGERED LATE GAME
APPROACH
The
Hunt
Is
On!
Kha’zix
must
kill
Rengar
first
to
become
the
ulQmate
predator
(assists
count).
“I
have
grown
and
adapted
since
I
took
his
eye.
Now
I
will
have
feast
on
him.”
–
Kha’zix
The
Hunt
Is
On!
Rengar
must
kill
Kha’zix
to
become
the
ulQmate
hunter
(assists
count).
“He
is
my
greatest
prize.
The
one
beast
who
escaped
me.
I
must
have
his
head.”
-­‐
Rengar

42. THEMATIC REWARD
FULL EVOLUTION
APPROACH
ULTIMATE TROPHY

43. CASE STUDY: THE HUNT IS ON
MULTIPLAYER CHALLENGES
‣ Goals
can
feel
repeQQve
‣ Team
goals
can
feel
impersonal
‣ Individual
goals
can
disrupt
teamplay
KEY TAKEAWAYS
APPROACH
Rare
(probably
too
rare)
Specific
to
Kha’zix
and
Rengar
Trigger
during
team
fight
phase
of
game
Rewards
must
impact
gameplay
Theme
increases
value
of
gameplay
rewards

44. FEW PLAYERS WILL EXPERIENCE THIS RESULTS
BUT SOCIAL MEDIA INCREASES REACH

45. 4 TECHNIQUES
• Ambient NPC Voice-over
• PC Voice-over
• Story Objectives
• Story Events

46. TECHNIQUE: STORY EVENT
GOOD FOR
‣ Player
parQcipaQon
in
narraQve
progress
OVERVIEW

47. TECHNIQUE: STORY EVENT
MULTIPLAYER CHALLENGES
‣ Goal
changes
can
disrupt
compeQQve
play
‣ Not
all
team
members
may
want
to
parQcipate
CHALLENGES

48. GOALS
‣ Establish
Freljord
region
‣ High
player
parQcipaQon
‣ Increase
understanding
of
facQonal
affiliaQon
‣ Measure
results
CHOOSE YOUR TRIBE EXAMPLE

49. TRANSMEDIA APPROACH
PROSE AND ILLUSTRATION

50. TRANSMEDIA APPROACH
WEBSITE

51. TRANSMEDIA APPROACH
NARRATIVE VIDEO

52. EARN ONE ICON BY WINNING TEN GAMES
CHALLENGE ALIGNED WITH FRELJORD THEMES
PROVISIONAL ICON PERMANENT ICON
EVENT THEMATIC ALIGNMENT
‣ Players
pick
tribes
‣ MulQple
victories
required
‣ Failure
is
possible
FRELJORD THEMES
‣ Champions
picking
tribes
‣ War
spans
many
bafles
‣ Harsh,
brutal,
environment
APPROACH

53. CASE STUDY: CHOOSE YOUR TRIBE
MULTIPLAYER CHALLENGES
‣ Goal
changes
can
disrupt
compeQQve
play
‣ Not
all
team
members
may
want
to
parQcipate
KEY TAKEAWAY
APPROACH
Layer
meta-­‐progression
on
exis8ng
goals
Par8cipa8on
is
op8onal
and
gameplay
is
unchanged
Preserved
compe88ve
play
but
event
didn’t
feel
truly
in-­‐game.
Opportunity
to
improve
through
in-­‐game
ceremony.

54. PLAYER PARTICIPATION
HIGH LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION
PARTICIPATION METRIC
‣ Measured
all
players
who
won
ten
games
during
the
event
RESULTS

55. PLAYER COMPREHENSION
COMPREHENSION INCREASED AND WAS RETAINED
COMPREHENSION METRIC
‣ Survey
of
random
players
to
measure
knowledge
of
champion
facQonal
affiliaQon
‣ Measured
before
event,
ager
event,
and
six
months
ager
even
‣ Comprehension
increased
and
was
retained
RESULTS

56. AGENDA
WHY HOW NEXT

57. 1. NEVER IRRITATING
2. NO PAUSING
3. NO DISTRACTIONS
4. NO CONFLICTING GOALS
WE’VE TALKED ABOUT GROUND RULES
FOR COMPETITIVE STORYTELLING
MULTIPLAYER FIRST
DISTRACTIONS KILL
SUPPORT TEAMPLAY
PLAYERS OPT IN

58. WE’VE EXPLORED TECHNIQUES
AMBIENT VOICE-OVER PLAYER VOICE-OVER
STORY OBJECTIVES STORY EVENTS
AND BEST PRACTICES

59. NEXT STEPS ARE
A CHALLENGE

60. TELL STORIES IN GAME
YOU KNOW PLAYERS WILL LOVE

61. “MY FAVORITE CHARACTER
HAS A SISTER? I HAVE TO PLAY HER!”

62. LET PLAYERS PROGRESS NARRATIVE
THROUGH GAMEPLAY

63. “I KILLED RENGAR AND GOT MY 4th
EVOLUTION POINT!”

64. LET PLAYERS EXPRESS THEMSELVES
THROUGH STORY

65. “I’VE ALWAYS HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR
VILLAINS. FROSTGUARD ALL THE WAY.”

66. BRING NEW TECHNIQUES
???
???
??? ??? ???
TO COMPETITIVE PLAY

67. WHAT STORIES WILL
YOUR GAMEPLAY INSPIRE?

68. COMPETITIVE MULTIPLAYER
PRESENTED BY
CHRISTINA NORMAN
Twitter: @truffle
League of Legends: kitae
STORYTELLING
hfp://www.riotgames.com/careers
Help us tell stories:
Full Slides:
hfp://bit.ly/CompeQQveStorytelling