storytelling
-
Discussion
How do you view gameplay as a story element?
One of my favorite phrases is “ludonarrative dissonance” and I often find myself musing on it. The idea of the constant push/pull of gameplay elements and…
Read More » -
Discussion
What game tropes do you really respond to?
Fiction has tropes, and a lot of games are an avenue of storytelling — World of Warcraft has told a lot of stories over the years. One…
Read More » -
Discussion
What do you most want to see in Diablo 4?
One thing the Diablo series has always been hit or miss on is story — there are some amazing moments in all three of the current games,…
Read More » -
WoW
Is World of Warcraft the MMO equivalent of binge television?
The takeaway I have from playing World of Warcraft and experiencing its story over the past decade — from Cataclysm to Mists and then the Warlords/Legion/Battle for Azeroth years,…
Read More » -
Editorial
Battle for Azeroth is better than WoW Classic in every single way, except one
I’ve been slamming my head against the WoW Classic beta for a while now, scraping those levels and otherwise doing my level best to see as…
Read More » -
Editorial
If you meet the lore on the road, you must kill it
The lore of any game is there to help the game be fun and engaging. It is not a straitjacket. It is not a sacred and…
Read More » -
WoW
Battle for Azeroth has a ludonarrative dissonance problem
Every game has to think about its ludonarrative options — the way its gameplay is used to tell a story vs. how the story is told…
Read More » -
WoW
The challenge of narrative design in MMOs — and why you can hate good writing
This was originally published just for our supporters, but is now available for everyone. Enjoy! Writing a large MMO like World of Warcraft is a collaborative…
Read More » -
WoW
Anger is a valid emotion: Alex Afrasiabi on World of Warcraft’s story development
Alex Afrasiabi is Lead World Designer and Creative Director for World of Warcraft. It’s fair to say he has a good deal of insight into how WoW tells…
Read More » -
Diablo
What do you want to see from Diablo 4?
Before I get started, no, I have heard nothing about a Diablo 4. This isn’t a hint or a tease — I have no inside information and…
Read More »