The Aisleborne
- Role: Narrative Designer
- Genre: Medieval Action Adventure
- Type: Single player RPG
- Duration: 13 weeks
- Tools: Arcweave, Miro, Google Sheets, Google Slides
Goal
- Build a narrative-focused game project beginning with research and finishing with documentation tailored for team collaboration
- Write branching and linear dialogue that is congruent with the characters and seamlessly leads to gameplay
- Develop a fictional world and its main storytelling elements with iterations closely guided by veteran narrative designers
- Create clear and digestible character, location, and script materials for art, voice actors and design teams
Overview
Linear & Branching Dialogue
Designed Quest Branching Dialogue
Wrote dialogue threads that integrate variables and choices seamlessly into the gameplay, with dynamic dialogue that responds to player actions:
- Roleplay choice HUB – Allows the player to respond to the NPC with polar opposite reactions that best suit their own playing styles
- Tutorial Quest – As this quest is still part of the tutorial, there are no quest acceptance hubs.
- Polarized Choices – Polar opposite choice to cater to the various player types
Prototyped a clickable branching dialogue text prototype using Arcweave to simulate the dialogue in the context of narrative flow, with:
- Urgent Stakes: Ensured clarity on the narrative urgency for the Build the Armory and Settlement Defenses gameplay
- Respected Player Character – Made it clear that the sovereign trusts the player character, so that the player feels their choice holds weight
- Narrative Simplicity – Quest reflects the player character’s unquestioning loyalty to his sovereign at this stage of the game, but gives polar opposite choices to cater to different player types
- Tied to Gameplay – Ensured dialogue was tight, informative, and quickly led to gameplay
Linear Dialogue
Designed linear dialogue threads to prove character dynamics, tone and story to gameplay functionality
- Ideated linear dialogue for character introduction and clear goal communication, framed by narrative lore
- Iterated dialogue based on internal feedback to hone character voice, narrative tension and immersion
- Provided clear design guidelines for art teams
Character Design & Barks
Player Character: Trillo
Crafted a player character with motivations that conflict throughout the story, leading to dynamic choices that shape his growth and branch the protagonist’s story into 3 exclusive character arcs
- Researched, designed, and fleshed out character motivations and personality to reflect narrative themes and game mechanics
- Wrote the character bio and gameplay barks with design, combat function, and Jungian personality archetypes in mind
- Supported the combat designer with unique weapons and attacks
💡 In-game bio:
Fresh out of his hibernation underground as a larvae, this rookie is searching for his kind with the pride of the Cicada Battalion and his heart on his sleeve. He’d trade both for a Captain’s sword, no questions asked.
Ally NPC: Taru
Designed a leader NPC quest giver and wrote their dialogue barks to connect them to location, biome and lore.
- Character personality and ties to the world lore, player and gameplay
- Motivations, needs, and how they conflict with the protagonist’s within the framework of the story’s themes
- Role within the main storyline and how its barks, weapons and attacks intertwine with the player journey
💡 In-game bio:
Though some in Your Dream Kitchen still dare call her “the Light-beamer,” former chief Taru now follows command and keeps tight watch over King B’s subjects: a small price to pay to avoid mass squashing.
Enemy NPC: King B
Designed the antagonist NPC to address the following design needs:
- Character personality and ties to the world lore, player and gameplay
- Motivations, needs, and how they conflict with the protagonist’s within the framework of the story’s themes
- Role within the main storyline and how its barks, weapons and attacks intertwine with the player journey
💡 In-game bio:
The battle for the throne of Your Dream Kitchen left this former scavenger with a scar and a case of soul-crushing boredom. He now rules the village with sharp, golden authority, and longs for the days of the first missiles.
Storyboarding & Trailer Script Writing
Wrote a storyboard script for the opening sequence of the game, and designed a preliminary storyboard to collaborate with the art and marketing teams for internal approvals
- Designed shots with worldbuilding in mind, creating a sequence that can be used as both a trailer for the game and the intro cinematic before the tutorial
- Wrote a short script for the opening seuence of the project with location, camera view, and action guidelines
- Created a storyboard prototype with simple assets for quick and efficient communication between teams
Voice Over Documentation
Created 4 Voice Over Actor documents for the Player Character, 2 NPC quest characters, and the enemy, in order to provide detailed information to support the actor and promote faster and better voice recording sessions.
Each document included:
- Character Design images, character bios, personality notes, motivations, and vocal directions for each character
- All lines of dialogue for these characters, along with scene details and quest summaries to provide situational and mood context for the voice actor
Compiled a Voice-Over Actor Casting Document to help the team cast appropriate actors/actresses based on cultural, age, and gender requirements for the characters.
Worldbuilding
Fleshed Out The Exterior Locations
Designed the building documents for Scorpion’s Harcore Forge for art and design teams, in order to achieve the following goals:
- Provide a key reference image with notes and additional information to further refine design intent and supply the art team with clear materials to inspire their work
- Clearly label the building document for its exterior, as well as its name and location number for the team to reference the town map with ease
- Include important narrative details, gameplay usage and brief descriptions of NPCs relating to the building for quick reference
Designed the building documents for the Infirmary for art and design teams, in order to achieve the following design goals:
- Provide a key reference image with notes and additional information to further refine design intent and supply the art team with clear materials to inspire their work
- Clearly label the building document for its exterior, as well as its name and location number for the team to reference the town map with ease
- Include important narrative details, gameplay usage and brief descriptions of NPCs relating to the building for quick reference
Designed the building documents for King B’s Castle for art and design teams, in order to achieve the following design goals:
- Provide a key reference image with notes and additional information to further refine design intent and supply the art team with clear materials to inspire their work
- Clearly label the building document for its exterior, as well as its name and location number for the team to reference the town map with ease
- Include important narrative details, gameplay usage and brief descriptions of NPCs relating to the building for quick reference
Fleshed Out The Interior Locations
Designed the interior documents for Scorpion’s Hardcore Forge to achieve the following design goals:
Annotate layout that clarifies room functions, key items that support worldbuilding and player interaction with NPC
- Help establish mood and tone for the location with lighting, color, focal props and set-dressing refs for the art team
- Outline player flow and gameplay usage to align design, narrative, and scripting
Designed the interior documents for the Infirmary to achieve the following design goals:
Annotate layout that clarifies room functions, key items that support worldbuilding and player interaction with NPC
- Help establish mood and tone for the location with lighting, color, focal props and set-dressing refs for the art team
- Outline player flow and gameplay usage to align design, narrative, and scripting
Designed the interior documents for King B’s Castle to achieve the following design goals:
Annotate layout that clarifies room functions, key items that support worldbuilding and player interaction with NPC
- Help establish mood and tone for the location with lighting, color, focal props and set-dressing refs for the art team
- Outline player flow and gameplay usage to align design, narrative, and scripting
Genre and Content Research
High-level research document including video games and movies that share narrative themes and tropes, in order to help determine the project’s gameplay, world-building and target audience.
- Created a list of movies and games takes as reference, including the official posters, synopses and reasoning for choosing each
- Wrote focus notes on what elements to draw inspiration from to prove similar ideas have interest across several audiences