Playing A Story - Collaborative Narrative

What the talk is about

John Epler explains how to make a game's narrative cohesive, drawing on his work on Dragon Age. His core idea: story is the sequence of events, while narrative is the whole play experience, where mechanics, art, audio and plot serve one idea; he cites From Software games, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and God of War. He walks through the process using the Trespasser DLC: gather what every department has before pitching, set key themes and "razors" that cut what doesn't fit, prototype early, and fill gaps with connective tissue between missions. He also stresses that everyone on the team should play the build, that leads should trust their experts, and that a culture of respectful feedback matters. The Q&A covers brainstorming, prototyping tools and foreshadowing twists. Useful for narrative designers, writers and team leads.