What are you looking for?
The materials can be provided in Catalan as well as in Spanish or English.
B1_That students have demonstrated knowledge and understanding in a field of study that is based on general secondary education, and is accustomed to finding at a level that, although with the support of advanced textbooks, also include some aspects that involve knowledge from the forefront of your field of study
B2_That students know how to apply their knowledge to their job or vocation in a professional way and have the skills they demonstrate by developing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study
B3_Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their area of study), to make judgments that include reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues
B4_That students can convey information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialized and non-specialized audiences
V1. Demonstrate knowledge of the history of video games and analyze the reference video games with arguments based on evaluation criteria contextualized in the historical and cultural framework.
V2. Design the mechanics, rules, structure and narrative of video games following the criteria of gameplay and balance to provide the best possible gaming experience.
T1_That students know a third language, which will be preferably English, with an adequate level of oral and written form, according to the needs of the graduates in each degree
T2_That students have the ability to work as members of an interdisciplinary team either as one more member, or performing management tasks in order to contribute to developing projects with pragmatism and a sense of responsibility, making commitments taking into account the available resources
The subject of Narrative takes a holistic approach (literature, cinema and games) to the phenomenon of telling, living and playing stories in the framework of the subject of Game Design and Creation. In this way, it is key to understand not only the formal elements of the narratological tradition (characters, plots, temporality and space) but also the contemporary debates that arise from the current playful positions. In addition, the subject has a strong link with the cultural and social framework of the video game, thus generating a text / context reading that takes into account both the cultural function of the medium and its ability to present new imaginaries. This theoretical approach is complemented by the realization of different practices, all of them oriented to the conceptual creation of a small game of marked narrative character.
This subject has methodological and digital resources to make possible its continuity in non-contact mode in the case of being necessary for reasons related to the Covid-19. In this way, the achievement of the same knowledge and skills that are specified in this teaching plan will be ensured.
The Tecnocampus will make available to teachers and students the digital tools needed to carry out the course, as well as guides and recommendations that facilitate adaptation to the non-contact mode.
At the end of the course students must be able to:
E1.6. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a video game in a reasoned and exemplary way.
E2.1. Design mechanics and rules of the game that as a whole is called gameplay
E2.2. Design levels including strategies, definition of the puzzle or the mission to complete, so that the objectives set by the script are achieved.
E2.3. Design the narrative of a video game and specify the interactive script.
The subject uses the following work methodologies:
Master Class, Video Capsules, Presentations.
1. Is there a narrative in video games?
1.1. Clarifying terms: Narrative, Narrative, Fiction, Experience and play
1.2. Game fiction
2. Gaming fiction in the framework of digital leisure
2.1. Knowledge and action
2.1.1. The narrator in video games: degrees of existence and typology
2.1.2. Who does the narrator follow? Focus and targeting
2.1.3. Breaking the rules: metalepsis
2.2. Spatio-temporal articulation
2.2.1. The space
2.2.2. The narrative temporality in the video game
2.3. The character
2.3.1 Concept of interactive character
2.3.2 Identification and control of the user
2.3.3 Configuration and transformation arc
2.3.4 Emotional, psychological characterization and actions
2.4. Narrative function of style
2.4.1 The sound
2.4.2 The design of the interface
2.4.3 Abstraction and hyperrealism
2.4.4 Narrative emotional tension and emotional tension of the game
2.5. Narrative structures and game models
2.5.1 Action as a narrative engine
2.5.2 Plots, conflict and objectives
2.5.3 The relationship of plots to rules
2.5.4 Structure of acts and levels
2.5.5 Game rhythm and narrative rhythm
2.5.6 Climax, resolution and quantitative balance of the game
3. Narration and game creation: the Narrative Designer
3.1 Narrative Designer and related figures: screenwriter, dialogue writer, writer and game designer.
3.2 Types of texts and the notion of world design
3.3. The dialogues
3.4. The design of missions or quests and the design of narrative puzzles
4. The video game as a cultural heir: archetypes and universal arguments
4.1. The immortal seeds in the video game
4.2. The great hegemonic arguments
4.3. The big pending arguments
In order to gather evidence of the achievement of the expected learning outcomes, the following will be performed evaluative activities (Related to all common competencies):
A1. Reading academic and research articles (Evidence of learning outcomes E1.6)
Students must read academic articles related to the subject and will be evaluated at the beginning of the theoretical sessions.
A2. Narrative Documentation: Concept, Story, Backstory and documentation (Evidence of learning outcomes E2.2, E2.3)
Students will have to create a game proposal, develop the story and the backstory. They will also have to develop the game design documentation (character sheets, description and flow chart of the missions, among others).
A3. Prototyping: Missions, linear and nonlinear dialogues (Evidence of learning outcomes E1.6, E2.1)
From the framework of the game proposed in Activity 2, students will have to implement the contents. They will also need to write the linear dialogues in literary script format (cutscene at the beginning and end of the game) and at least one of the non-linear dialogues that are meaningful within the game.
A4. Final exam (Evidence of learning outcomes E1.6, E2.1, E2.2)
Theoretical-practical exam where all the contents of the subject are collected.
General criteria of the activities:
The grade of each student will be calculated following the following percentages:
A1. Exercise to do in class or at home: Reading articles 10%
A2. Laboratory practice - Group: Narrative Documentation: Concept, Story, Backstory and documentation 20%
A3. Laboratory practice - Group: Prototyping: Missions, linear and nonlinear dialogues 20%
A4. Final exam 50%
Final grade = A1 0,1 + A2 0,2 + A3 0,2 + A4 0.5
Considerations:
Recovery:
Lebowitz, J. & Klug, C. (2012). Interactive Storytelling for Video Games: Proven Writing Techniques for Role Playing Games, Online Games, First Person Shooters, and more. Massachusetts: Focal Press.
Walton, M. & Suckling, M. (2012). Video Game Writing: From Macro to Micro. Dulles: Mercury Learning and Information.
Navarro, VM (2016). Directed Freedom A grammar of video game analysis and design. Santander: Shangrila.
Plans of the Mace, A. J. (2015). Video games and fictional worlds. Madrid: Ediciones Cátedra.
Aristotle (2004). Poetics. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
Cuadrado Alvarado, A. & Planells de la Maza, AJ (2020). Fiction and video games. Theory and practice of game narration. Barcelona: UOC Press.
Bateman, C. (Ed.). (2021). Game writing: Narrative skills for videogames. New York: Bloomsbury.
King, S. (2018). As I write. Madrid: Debolsillo.
Marx, C. (2007). Writing for animation, comics & games. London: Taylor & Francis.
Mckee, R. (2018). The dialogue: The art of speaking on the page, the scene and the screen. Barcelona: Alba Editorial.
McKee, R. (2011). The script. Story. Barcelona: Alba Editorial.
Anyó, L. (2016). The player involved: Video games and stories. Barcelona: Laertes.
Heussner, T., Finley, T., Hepler, J. & Lemay, A. (2015). The Game Narrative Toolbox. Abingdon: CRC Press.
Sheldon, L. (2014). Character development and storytelling for games (2nd edition). Boston: Course Technology.
Campbell, J. (1959). The hero of a thousand faces: psychoanalysis of the myth. Mexico: Economic Culture Fund.
Cuadrado Alvarado, A. (2017). Audiovisual Narration. Madrid: Synthesis.
Gaudreault, A. & Jost, F. (1995). The cinematic story. Cinema and Narratology. Barcelona: Paidós.
Murray, J. (1999). Hamlet on the Holocaust. The future of narrative in cyberspace. Barcelona: Paidós.
Thabet, T. (2015). Video Game Narrative and Criticism: Playing the Story. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Domsch, S. (2013). Storyplaying. Agency and narrative in video games. Berlin: De Gruyter.
Vogler, C. (2002). The writer's journey. Madrid: But Not Too Much.
Balló, J. & Pérez, X. (2006). The immortal seed: the universal arguments in cinema. Barcelona: Anagram.
Bordwell, D. (1996). Narration in fiction cinema. Barcelona: Paidós.