Whats Laras Story Advanced Storytelling Techniques in Tomb Raider: Underworld Eric Lindstrom TRU Cre

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(No Transcript)
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Whats Laras Story?Advanced Storytelling
Techniques in Tomb Raider Underworld
Eric Lindstrom TRU Creative
Director Crystal Dynamics
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SESSION OUTLINE
This session will cover the following

• Three Storytelling Challenges of the Tomb Raider
  Franchise
• One obvious, one subtle, and one inflammatory
• General Strategies
• And some people arent going to like them
• Advanced Storytelling Techniques
• Easy to understand but not so easy to implement
• Parting Shots
• Plus QA if theres time

But first some disclaimers
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Disclaimers
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THE FIRST STORYTELLING CHALLENGE
The Obvious

• Limited Franchise Definition
• The original characterizations of Lara Croft and
  Tomb Raiding were not deep enough to sustain many
  games without change

Early Original Tomb Raider Design Document cover
Additional backstory and stronger motivations
were needed to sustain continued interest in
Laras adventures
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FRANCHISE EVOLUTION
Alter the past to change the future

• To motivate Laras pursuits, we gave her a
  life-shaping event
• While still a child, Lara accidentally activated
  an ancient device in a Nepalese monastery
  resulting in the death of her mother
• Laras fathers life changed, because he
  believed his wife had been taken to Avalon, and
  he spent his remaining years trying to find her
• Laras life changed because guilt gave her an
  unquenchable thirst to understand the powerful
  and deadly artifacts the Ancients left behind

These changes gave personal meaning and context
to Laras lifestyle and quests, but they had
other consequences as well
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THE SECOND STORYTELLING CHALLENGE
The Subtle

• Conflicting Character Perceptions
• People disagree on whether Lara is a hero or an
  anti-hero, and each side is antagonistic toward
  the opposing view

Wallpapers from the original Tomb Raider
This is important because it affects fantasy
fulfillment and attachment, which are vital to
storytelling success
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Whats the Truth?
See for yourself
The End of Tomb Raider III http//www.tombraiderch
ronicles.com/cgi-bin/dl02/dl.pl?mv_tombraider3_fmv
_end
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Whats the Truth?
See for yourself
Lara Cruz is a modern day adventurer and
procurer of rare artifacts, which she relieves
from Johnny Foreigner with the gay abandon of a
five-year-old stealing Mars Bars from the local
cornershop. Tomb Raider Design Doc
v1.3, March 3rd, 1995
Early concept art for the original Tomb Raider by
Toby Gard
But the truth is largely irrelevant
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CONFLICTING CHARACTER PERCEPTIONS
Hero or Anti-hero?

• Why not let people think what they want?
• Fans who see Lara as a traditional action hero
  react negatively to instances of Lara doing
  anything that isnt heroic
• Fans who see Lara as a self-serving pirate react
  negatively to seeing Lara act nobly or
  altruistically because this dulls the edge about
  her that they love

These two audiences needed to be reconciled
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AUDIENCE RECONCILIATION
Accommodate both sides

• Help people think what they want
• Depict Lara doing harsh things to satisfy the
  Anti-hero Faction
• Use storytelling language to justify these
  actions to satisfy the Hero Faction

Wallpaper from Classic Tomb Raider
People see what they want to see with a little
help
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TOMB RAIDER UNDERWORLD
The other consequences

• Tomb Raider Legend storyline appealed more to
  the Hero Faction
• Tomb Raider Underworld gets edgier to satisfy
  the Anti-hero Faction

Wallpaper from Tomb Raider III
But appealing to both audiences remains a risk
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THE THIRD STORYTELLING CHALLENGE
The Inflammatory

• Storytelling Techniques
• Storytelling methods and quality in most
  videogames still have a long way to go to achieve
  full potential

This challenge for Tomb Raider Underworld is for
all videogames
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GENERAL STRATEGIES
And some people arent going to like them

• STOP saying that storytelling is less important
  than game mechanics
• Thats like saying a cars body is less
  important than its transmission
• START putting storytelling on par with
  playability, art, and audio design
• This is tragically long overdue
• STOP hiding behind the word Interactive
• Games and movies are not as different as many
  claim
• START training and employing storytelling experts
• And yes, some of them will come from Hollywood

Remember when programmers did all the art and
audio?
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GENERAL STRATEGIES
And some people arent going to like them

• STOP saying that storytelling is less important
  than game mechanics
• Thats like saying a cars body is less
  important than its transmission
• START putting storytelling on par with
  playability, art, and audio design
• This is tragically long overdue
• STOP hiding behind the word Interactive
• Games and movies are not as different as many
  claim
• START training and employing storytelling experts
• And yes, some of them will come from Hollywood

Remember when programmers did all the art and
audio?
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GENERAL STRATEGIES
And some people arent going to like them

• STOP saying that storytelling is less important
  than game mechanics
• Thats like saying a cars body is less
  important than its transmission
• START putting storytelling on par with
  playability, art, and audio design
• This is tragically long overdue
• STOP hiding behind the word Interactive
• Games and movies are not as different as many
  claim
• START training and employing storytelling experts
• And yes, some of them will come from Hollywood

Remember when programmers did all the art and
audio?
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GENERAL STRATEGIES
And some people arent going to like them

• STOP saying that storytelling is less important
  than game mechanics
• Thats like saying a cars body is less
  important than its transmission
• START putting storytelling on par with
  playability, art, and audio design
• This is tragically long overdue
• STOP hiding behind the word Interactive
• Games and movies are not as different as many
  claim
• START training and employing storytelling experts
• And yes, some of them will come from Hollywood

Remember when programmers did all the art and
audio?
18
GENERAL STRATEGIES
And some people arent going to like them

• STOP saying that storytelling is less important
  than game mechanics
• Thats like saying a cars body is less
  important than its transmission
• START putting storytelling on par with
  playability, art, and audio design
• This is tragically long overdue
• STOP hiding behind the word Interactive
• Games and movies are not as different as many
  claim
• START training and employing storytelling experts
• And yes, some of them will come from Hollywood

Remember when programmers did all the art and
audio?
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ADVANCED STORYTELLING TECHNIQUES
How we are doing it

• What follows are techniques we used in Tomb
  Raider Underworld
• Most of them are not new, but they are woefully
  underutilized in videogames
• They fall under many different disciplines but
  have common goals
• They require skill and care from content creators
  and those who oversee them
• Yes, some of them come from film, a proven medium
  and our closest cousin
• As with everything, it comes down to a matter of
  details

And you can do it, too
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DETAILS MATTER
Just ask the devil
Work from the inside out
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Content Matters (or, What its all about)
Emphasize drama, avoid stereotypes

• Compelling Characters
• Agents of action and emotion
• Memorable Settings
• The other character
• Unusual Circumstances
• Story Drama

Dont think of stories as screenplays
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Compelling Characters
Be specific and unique

• The sum of their parts
• ELEMENT LARA CROFT STEREOTYPE
• Role Wealthy tomb raider Smuggler
• Look Attractive but not overtly sexual Sex
  kitten
• Personality Classy, polite, but hard
  edged Vixen tough girl
• Dialog Witty, smart, meaningful Innuendo
• Voice British accent, well acted Generic
  Hollywood
• Behavior Unusual anti-hero Tough but sensual
• Credible Yes No

And most importantly, be objective
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Memorable Settings
Be appropriate and relevant

• Settings need to fit in a number of ways
• ELEMENT Tomb Raider Underworld Angel of
  Darkness
• Type Large scale ancient tombs Paris
• Relevance Archeological sites City
• Interest Exotic parts of the world Streets and
  sewers
• Fidelity Lush jungles and stone
  ruins Unpopulated city
• Credible Yes No

And dont fool yourself about what you are making
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Unusual Circumstances
Not the same old same old

• The concept of a story is the Log Line
• In Tomb Raider Underworld, artifact hunter Lara
  Croft discovers and explores dangerous ruins
  around the world in her search for Thors hammer
  despite the possibility of triggering the
  world-ending battle of Ragnarök.
• Heres another Log Line
• A soldier finishes basic training and fights a
  series of pitched battles to turn the tide of the
  war against invading aliens.

If the Log Line doesnt sound interesting or
unique, the story probably isnt either
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Unusual Circumstances
Not the same old same old

• The concept of a story is the Log Line
• In Tomb Raider Underworld, artifact hunter Lara
  Croft discovers and explores dangerous ruins
  around the world in her search for Thors hammer
  despite the possibility of triggering the
  world-ending battle of Ragnarök.
• Heres another Log Line
• A soldier finishes basic training and fights a
  series of pitched battles to turn the tide of the
  war against invading aliens.

If the Log Line doesnt sound interesting or
unique, the story probably isnt either
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Structure Matters (or, How to Structure the
Content)
Stories are not just a framework for action

• Games are about progressive growth and success
• Stories are about sudden changes and failure
• Reconcile by leveraging distinction between
  gameplay and plot
• And both already have a Beginning, a Middle, and
  an End

Players can succeed (gameplay) while the
characters fail (plot)
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Case Study Portal
Heros Journey for Chell

• ACT I Ordinary World Player wakes up
• Call to Adventure GLaDOS instructs Player
• Meeting with the Mentor GLaDOS advises Player
• Crossing First Threshold First potentially
  fatal encounter
• ACT II Tests, Allies Enemies Gameplay, GLaDOS,
  WCC
• Approach to Inmost Cave Final Room (cake!)
• The Ordeal Incineration
• Reward (Seize the Sword) Survival (backstage
  access and truth)
• ACT III Road Back Backstage gameplay
• Resurrection GLaDOS explodes
• Return with Elixir Parking lot with a neat gun

The Writer's Journey Mythic Structure For
Writers, by Chris Vogler
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Case Study Bioshock
Heros Journey for Jack

• ACT I Ordinary World Player on airplane
• Call to Adventure Crashes into the sea
• Meeting with the Mentor Called by Atlas
• Crossing First Threshold Atlass family killed
• ACT II Tests, Allies Enemies Ryan, Tennenbaum,
  Sisters, Big Daddys
• Approach to Inmost Cave Reaching Ryan
• The Ordeal Fight
• Reward (Seize the Sword) Truth
• ACT III Road Back Working with Tennenbaum
• Resurrection Fighting Fontaine
• Return with Elixir Escape

Goals, motivations, relationships, and knowledge
change throughout
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Size Matters (or, How to Scale the Content)
How soon they forget

• Quality is more important than Quantity
• Because of gameplay, a game is not a twenty hour
  movie
• There is only so much players will remember
  anyway
• Even long movies or trilogies focus on memorable
  groups and elements
• Gameplay is not an Unbroken Experience
• Players rarely play through in one session
• Build in reminders
• Journals, data files, summaries, and dialog
  refreshers

Assume players have short memories
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Interactivity Matters (or, How to Role Play the
Content)
Doing isnt the same as watching

• We sympathize with characters we see we
  associate with characters we control
• Movie heroes can behave in ways that player
  characters should not be forced to
• Dont injure game progression for the sake of
  story progression
• Know your focus at every moment people think
  about one thing at a time

All games that contain characters are role
playing games
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Mood Matters (or, How to Support the Content)
Keep everyone marching to the same drumbeat

• Every moment has tone, mood, and emotion goals
• You need to know what they are at all times
• Leverage all elements to support these goals
• Score
• Audio Design
• Lighting
• Camera Angle
• Color Correction and other Full Screen FX
• Weather and other conceits

If its not working for you, its working against
you
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In the Beginning
A nice day for exploring

• Tomb Raider Underworld starts sunny and calm
• Score light, casual, wonderment
• Audio Design emphasizes vacation sounds
• Lighting bright and safe
• Camera Angle level and ordinary
• Color Correction and other Full Screen FX a
  bit over bright
• Weather and other conceits sunny and nice, but
  a touch of clouds

Things have to be good before they can get worse
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In the Beginning
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Later
No more fun and games

• The plot takes a serious turn
• Score more thoughtful and mysterious
• Audio Design more on edge, unsettling
• Lighting more contrast to bring in dark
  corners and shadows
• Camera Angle less safe
• Color Correction and Full Screen FX more
  saturated and starker
• Weather and other conceits fair weather but
  less so

The calm before the storm
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Later
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Even Later
The situation is grave

• Bad things have happened
• Score creepy and dangerous
• Audio Design harsher and somber
• Lighting drab
• Camera Angle claustrophobic
• Color Correction and other Full Screen FX
  washed out
• Weather and other conceits raining and heavy
  atmosphere

And its going to get worse
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Even Later
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The Power of Contrast
Little forces add up to big effects

• All of these effects are
• Important contributors to how the gameplay feels
• Need to be tuned to the storytelling goals
• Created by different contributors on the team

And these forces need to be marshaled by experts
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Quality Matters (or, How to Deliver the Content)
Quality goods are made by skilled hands

• Specialization is overdue
• Story Design
• Written Dialog
• Vocal Performance
• Audio Design
• Music Composition
• Lighting
• Cinematography
• Post-production visual effects

Equally important is proper direction and
flexibility
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PARTING SHOTS
Where I repeat myself

• Understand what your audience wants
• Make choices that support the emotional landscape
• Employ experts

Everything matters
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Questions?
Your turn
Send questions or requests for these slides to
elindstrom_at_crystald.com