Interactive Narrative: The Final Evaluation

For this assignment I chose ‘Wix’ to host my videos.

The initial plan was to use YouTube but when I was uploading it, I realized that Annotations is not longer a thing, meaning I can’t properly time when the options would appear or customize the design to fit the game.

Wix on the other hand, also does not allow me to annotate videos but It can provide me an alternative solution where I could put buttons below the video. It’ll make more sense when you play it :’)

Slides and instructions (just in case) are also available in the website.

Click here to start game.
Click here for slides.

 

Alternatively, access the slides via Google Drive.

P.s. Since deadline is pushed to Sunday 2359, I will still be tweaking the videos here and there. Do provide suggestion/advice and let me know if there’s any errors that occur in the website. Thank you!!

 

Interactive Story update

The flowchart below indicates my progress with the narrative. Only 2 parts to go.

I’ve indicated ‘1’ and ‘2’ as there’s a slight change during that options.

  1. A suggestion provided with prof Don is to have a character yank the cables out as it allows the character to show more emotions.
  2. Character throws a rock as a form of distraction but due to his low accuracy, it hits the golem. Originally, the character sneaks around the golem, but felt it wasn’t as funny or interesting.

Storyboards and research are in my previous post. Other than the 2 changes, they’re pretty much still the same.

These are the updated boards for Act 1:

Interactive Narrative: Focus (Storyboards)

Focus is a working title for this assignment*

Updated Logline: Roger is a confident 18 year old  police recruit from the future. He is next in line to complete his final test to graduate from the academy. The test being a VR game that requires the player to diffuse bombs in peculiar situations.

This interactive narrative lets player help Roger make various decision throughout the story whereby the objective is to get him to pass his test.

Character Designs

The style I’m going for with this designs are simple to ensure that I’m efficient with my animatic.

(From Left to right)

Roger: A 17-year-old recruit and the shortest among his cohort. He never gets intimidated when a problem arises and with the help of the audience, he will try his best to ace his test.

I referenced his design with old school scifi films and series where baggy outfits were ‘in’. However, I toned down the “bagginess” to highlight his diligence (which will be more obvious when he’s next to his mates, who are much baggier).

 In-VI-gitron: A mannequin looking robot whose function is to invigilate examinations for recruits. It’s the 6th type of robot that is utilized in the police force (this information does not really matter but I thought it would be fun to world-build a little).

Its plain design is inspired not necessarily from a particular character but from a scene in Ghost in the Shell 1995 (which I was reminded of during my research) where during the montage, Major Motoko Kusanagi roams about the streets where one of it’s final shots was a bunch of mannequins.

P.s. In-VI-gitron only has one arm as it only needs it for results projection.

Golem-Knight: It being a golem, it doesn’t really have or need a personality apart from it having one goal in mind, to protect the treasure chest and to attack whoever attempts to steal or provoke him.

Since this character is within a VR game, I went with a more fantastical approach with its design. Its huge proportions is intentional to make it a lot more intimidating to the audience as well as Roger, who’s much MUCH smaller. It’s dismembered design is inspired by the material golems are made of, earth/rocks. Having some pieces float as opposed to being attached gives this monster a fantastical look as well as emphasis the material it’s made off as opposed to adding details to the design which can hinder the animatic process.

Storyboards

The boards are a work in progress where there are some missing elements in between some shots but still more or less captures the general flow of this story.

The ending for the “Smash” outcome has yet to be decided as I’m going back and forth as to whether this should be another bad ending or a good ending.

Interactive Narrative: Focus

Choices in video games that affects the narrative makes the fictional world a lot more immersive when the decision the player makes plays an important role to the story.

Logline: Roger, a police recruit from a future, is in line to complete his final phase of his test which involves a VR game. As he puts on the headset, he is presented with 2 characters with 2 distinct stats. After choosing his character, Roger is transported to a strange land where his objective becomes clear, to grab the treasure chest that is guarded by a brute.

The collage below are visual references I’ve picked up to help visualize the look I’m going for in terms of technology, the clothing and the setting.

References from:  Ghost in the Shell (1995), Patlabor, Gundam Stardust Memory, Samurai Jack, Blade Runner, Midnight Gospel, Segway S-Pod, Adventure Time, Blade Runner 2049, Maniac, Alien

 

From the reference, one can instantly notice the clash of genre, Fantasy and Sci-fi (80s sci-fi/cyberpunk). While they seem like something of 2 different worlds, I believe it’s possible for both genres to mix with each other, just like Star Wars.

However, I plan on pushing the wackiness a little further. Especially since the setting is based in a VR game, it would be the perfect opportunity to do as audiences would have a much easier time suspending their disbelief.

Below is the original flowchart I created that maps out the narrative.