Monday Environmental Storytelling part 2.

As a continuation on from my previous part one I’ll be looking into the GDC done by Harvey Smith again this time starting with the concept of Narrative Context. So what is Narrative Context? Well simply it is the way an environment can show the player what context it has in game, what role it is supposed to fulfill. An environment with good Narrative Context will be able to give the player visual cues as to its function in the story and in game, what type of inhabitants it may host, who build it, its history and current condition as well indications as to what may happen to the player next. It is the closest you can get to the principle of show don’t tell.

There are many examples of  visual story telling in not just video games but films as well. a classic example is the shark warning sin and shark dorsal fin in the movie "Jaws". These both foreshadow and clue the audience in to the inherent danger in the environment and story.


Fig [1]

Fig [2]

The environment can be used to give the player all types of information to the player. an example is the settlement at the beginning of fallout new Vegas. 

Fig[3]

This area is filled with small but immersive visual information about the inhabitants of this settlement for the player. There are animals and crops showing some of the people that live here are farmers. There are also water tanks and windmills, a general store and a saloon. All of these things gives this environment a immersive quality as nothing in it seems out of place or no nonsensical.

Continued in part 3

Bibliography

Smith, Harvey and Matthias Worch. “What Happened Here? Environmental Storytelling”. Gdcvault.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

Availble at: http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1012647/What-Happened-Here-Environmental

 Image references

Fig[1]

https://www.overthinkingit.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/amity-sign.jpg

Fig[2]

http://www.top10films.co.uk/img/Jaws_The-Unseen-Monster_shark-dorsal-fin.jpg

Fig[3]

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images/8/8d/Fnv_es_location_goodsprings1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20101101234747&path-prefix=es