Date : Thursday, November 2nd - 10.30 - 11.00 >

Description: This session presents a structure for creating a cohesive narrative experience across multiple live event updates. Using Hunt: Showdown’s continued success as the backbone for this talk, we showcase a framework for creating holistic narrative content on a quarterly basis. This framework can help new Live Service games set up their story content for long term engagement and aid legacy games in maintaining their momentum. The core of creating this narrative cohesion is in an Overarching Event Outline we have developed. This outline includes the whole range of paid content with the corresponding story significance for each item. The Overarching Event Outline takes a character-forward approach that allows for collaboration between departments while staying scalable as a game grows. Intended audience & prerequisite This presentation is intended for designers in a Live Game environment and Live Game teams looking to integrate Narrative into their workflows. Prerequisites for this talk include an understanding of conventional Narrative Design and the difficulty of applying its wisdom to Games as a Service.

Session takeaway This talk provides an actionable framework for presenting multi-event narrative to a wider development group. It includes examples of character-forward content creation that stack across events to retain player interest, engagement, and content purchases. Our methodology for interfacing with departments for narrative handoffs and deliverables aims to keep teams flexible in a dynamic development environment.