107513 - NARRATIVE

Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Adso Fernández Baena

Trimester: First term

Credits: 4

The materials can be provided in Catalan as well as in Spanish or English.

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 teacher will present a statement for each activity and the evaluation and / or rubric criteria.
• The teacher will inform of the dates and format of the delivery of the activity.

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:

• It is necessary to obtain a mark higher than 5 in the final exam to pass the subject.
• The activities and the exams expose the reduction of note by problems of writing in his enunciation.
• An activity not delivered or delivered late and without justification (court summons or medical matter) counts as a 0.
• It is the responsibility of the student to prevent plagiarism in all its forms. In the case of detecting a plagiarism, regardless of its scope, in some activity it will correspond to have a note of 0. In addition, the professor will communicate to the Head of Studies the situation so that measures applicable in matter of sanctioning regime are taken. .

Recovery:

• The recovery will be done with a recovery exam that will have the same format and contents as the exam of activity 4.
• It is necessary to obtain a mark superior to 5 in the final exam of recovery to pass the asignatura.
• The mark of the resit exam will be applied only to the mark of the A4 activity. Therefore, the weighting of the other activities will be taken into account to obtain the final grade of the recovery.
• The delivery of the rest of the activities will not be admitted to be re-evaluated in the framework of the recovery.
• In case of passing the recovery, the maximum final mark that can be obtained in the total of the subject is 8.

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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. 

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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.