Predetermined Story Structures
Narration structures whose order presentation in a game exists before game instances begin.
This pattern is a still a stub.
Examples
As books that provide players with gameplay while reading, Gamebooks[1] like The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Scorpion Swamp, Clash of the Princes, and the Lone Wolf series have Predetermined Story Structures.
Using the pattern
Predetermined Story Structures are explicit Narration Structures that designers create before gameplay begins.
PSS is when the design has already decided how the narration structures should be used.
Games commonly create Predetermined Story Structures in relation to how players move in Game Worlds (similar to aspects of the narrative Monomyth[2] pattern and the "Road Movie"[3] genre). Common story elements related to the physical aspects of Game Worlds include Alien Space Bats, Big Dumb Objects, Environmental Storytelling, MacGuffins, Switches, Traces, and Traps. Clues can also be used, as long as they work within the Thematic Consistency. These elements can be compartmentalized by Inaccessible Areas and Levels and Conditional Passageways can be used to progress a game's narration by opening up new areas. One-Way Travel can hinder players from spending time in areas which no more narration is supposed to take place within. Quests can motivate players to move between places in Game Worlds, as can gameplay specific goals such as Reconnaissance, Rescue, and Traverse.
Scripted Information Sequences are actual actions and events that progress Narration Structures while being designed beforehand for specifically story purposes. Cutscenes do the same but provide players with not opportunity for interaction.
In contrast to Levels, Scenes allow gameplay not only to be spatially separated but also temporally separated. Persistent Game World Changes based upon story events is a way to clearly indicate development of the game narration.
Can Be Instantiated By
Ability Losses, Controllers, Quests, Factions, Helpers, Information Passing, Main Quests, Sidequests,
Invulnerabilities together with NPCs
Can Be Modulated By
Companions, Dedicated Game Facilitators, Detective Structures, Ephemeral Goals, Factions, Feigned Die Rolls, Freedom of Choice, Game Masters, Helpers, Information Passing, Loading Hints, Melodramatic Structures, New Abilities, Permadeath, Persistent Game Worlds, Privileged Movement, Puzzle Solving, Quick Time Events, Red Herrings, Spawning, Summary Updates, Temporal Consistency,
Diegetic Aspects
Interface Aspects
Narrative Aspects
Predetermined Story Structures is a Narration Pattern.
Consequences
Can Instantiate
Character Defining Actions, Companions, Cutscenes, Narration Structures, Luck, Predictable Consequences, PvE, Storytelling, Tension
with Clues
Gain Information, Gain Ownership
Can Modulate
Alternate Reality Gameplay, Boss Monsters, Characters, Character Development, Freedom of Choice, Gain Competence, Player Characters
Potentially Conflicting With
Freedom of Choice, Persistent Game Worlds, Player Elimination, Procedurally Generated Game Worlds, Randomness, Replayability, Self-Facilitated Games, Unwinnable Games
Death Consequences when these can apply to Characters important to the narrative
Relations
Can Instantiate
Character Defining Actions, Companions, Cutscenes, Narration Structures, Luck, Predictable Consequences, PvE, Storytelling, Tension
with Clues
Gain Information, Gain Ownership
Can Modulate
Alternate Reality Gameplay, Boss Monsters, Characters, Character Development, Freedom of Choice, Gain Competence, Player Characters
Can Be Instantiated By
Ability Losses, Alien Space Bats, Big Dumb Objects, Conditional Passageways, Controllers, Cutscenes, Environmental Storytelling, Factions, Helpers, Inaccessible Areas, Information Passing, Levels, MacGuffins, Main Quests, One-Way Travel, Persistent Game World Changes, Quests, Quick Time Events, Reconnaissance, Rescue, Scenes, Scripted Information Sequences, Sidequests, Switches, Traces, Traps, Traverse
Clues together with Thematic Consistency
Invulnerabilities together with NPCs
Can Be Modulated By
Companions, Dedicated Game Facilitators, Detective Structures, Ephemeral Goals, Factions, Feigned Die Rolls, Freedom of Choice, Game Masters, Helpers, Information Passing, Loading Hints, Melodramatic Structures, New Abilities, Permadeath, Persistent Game Worlds, Privileged Movement, Puzzle Solving, Quick Time Events, Red Herrings, Spawning, Summary Updates, Temporal Consistency
Possible Closure Effects
-
Potentially Conflicting With
Freedom of Choice, Persistent Game Worlds, Player Elimination, Procedurally Generated Game Worlds, Randomness, Replayability, Self-Facilitated Games, Unwinnable Games
Death Consequences when these can apply to Characters important to the narrative
History
New pattern created in this wiki.
