Contents  Introduction  Two Kinds of Story  Advantages of Low  Level Stories  Making Use of the  Low Level Story  Printable version  Discuss this article  in the forums

Making Use of the Low Level Story

So far this probably sounds fine. But how can a designer make use of a game's low level story? I believe the answer lies in the idea of the player's impact on the game world. What makes computer games different from any other form of commercial entertainment is the player's interaction with the game - his ability to influence the game world. This is the greatest strength of computer games. And designers need to exploit this advantage.

In my opinion, the key to increasing a game's replay value using the low level story is to show the player that his decisions affect the game world. I don't believe that the only way to make the player feel his influence on the game is to give him only chances to radically alter the major events of the game. A player will enjoy influencing smaller details of the game world at least as much. Consider this example:

The player's character decides to commit an act of burglary against a rival. This is not something which is important to the main storyline. The designer does not tell the player to do this. But because the designer is making use of the low level story to provide greater replay value, he is able to give the player a good deal of freedom. The player has decided to make use of this freedom to take an action he finds enjoyable.

The player naturally appreciates the expanded game mechanics which allow him the freedom to do something so unusual in a game. And he is happy to plunder his rival's household for no reason other than entertainment. The player's character may not find anything of value, but the player doesn't mind at all. On a whim, he steals something at random: his rival's lucky socks. The player has had a fine experience thanks to the greater freedom the game's design allows. But that is just the beginning.

The real enjoyment comes later in the game. The player's character awakens the next morning, and goes to a local restaurant for breakfast. While conversing with the NPCs in the restaurant, the player hears interesting bits of conversation. "Someone broke into Gildor's house last night, and all they took was a pair of socks," a lady might say. "I wonder what they wanted with those?"

This makes it clear to the player that his actions are important. And unlike saving the world from destruction, a plot device which has become a cliché that it is expected of virtually every RPG, this player created miniplot is interesting to the player. If the player finds enjoyment in carrying out the theft, he will find the results of this action interesting as well. In fact, the player will likely take full advantage of this newfound freedom to experiment with all sorts of actions. He will be fascinated with exploring the possibilities at his disposal. And he will have a wonderful time testing the most powerful feature of the computer game - its interactivity.

Here's another example of how keeping track of the player's actions (and therefore the low level story of the game) can have a small but charming effect on the player's experience:

The player's character, along with a few companions, finds himself transported forward in time. Returning to their homeland 150 years after their mysterious disappearance, the characters find that they have become the subject of local legends. Old villagers repeat tales they were told as children, about the daring deeds and disappearance of the brave company of heroes. The facts have grown in the telling of course, and it is hilarious to compare the stories with the truth.

"Pogrom the Fearless?" the player might exclaim. "What about that time he nearly died of fright when an owl hooted in a tree above him?" And of course, the game remembers the player character's actions. The player will hear again, in a somewhat overly glorified manner, about the cave the heroes explored. Sure, there wasn't anything particularly dangerous about the cave, but it is nice to be praised for valor just the same.

This really requires very little effort on the part of the game's designer. All he has to do is provide some method of keeping track of a few details of the player's actions. The game does not need to rattle off a list of all the things the player has done, as a child might list everything he learned in school one day. Only a few details are needed. In this case, less really is more.

The player should not be able to predict when something he does will be reflected in the game. Each instance should be fairly unexpected. The idea here is that it should always be a pleasant surprise for the player to see what sort of impact he has had on the game world. Only a few details are necessary to make use of this effect, and very little effort is required of the game's designer.

Conclusion

Making use of a game's player created, low level story has a number of advantages. A designer may use the low level story to increase the game's replay value, while simultaneously using the high level story to create a deep, compelling experience. The low level story is created by the player, and therefore requires very little effort on the part of the game's developers. Since so few resources are needed, a game which makes use of the low level story requires less time, effort and cost to produce. Since low level stories are naturally different, or at least enjoyable, each time the game is played, the designer does not need to expend extra effort to make the game different each time it is played (although he will probably still want to.) Unlike branching storylines, the possibilities for low level stories are limited only by game mechanics and the player's own imagination. Making use of low level stories plays to the greatest strength of computer games - interactivity. And unlike cliché plot devices such as great victories and saving an entire planet, low level stories have a smaller, more intimate charm. Ultimately, this may cause the player to find the small, unique quirks of low level stories more enjoyable than those major events in the game's high level story.