Game narration – How to Prepare for a Game?

You have your New Game ready.
You have your Friends/Playtesters around you.
You’re Enthusiast.
You’re a little Dubious.
You’re not sure to be properly Prepared.

How will you need to get into the Game?

Here’s how.

You don’t have to do Everything

  • You Only need the Core Rules
  • If it is 1 of your 1st Playtest, you probably haven’t designed all the necessary rules.
  • The Rule set will increment as the Game goes.
  • Do you know all the Rules of your Game?
  • Did you readapted them?
  • From which other Game?
  • Why this Game?
  • Are the Rules easy to remember?
  • Are they explained through the Game itself?
  • Can they be learned as you Play?
  • Can they be learned later?
  • How often are they repeated?
  • Through which Sub-Games are they implemented?
  • This is a Collective Game
  • Who are you testing your Game with?
  • Are they willing to play this Game?
  • What do they expect?
  • When did they start playing?
  • Is it their 1st Game?
  • Do they seem to understand the Core mechanism?
  • Do they accept them?
  • How do they react to the Trails you propose them?
  • Which Trails do you propose them?
  • Would you enjoy them?
  • Their Suggestions
  • How can your Players help you enhance the Game?
  • What do they enjoy?
  • What do they dislike?
  • What confuses them?
  • What enthusiasm them?
    • Even if they can’t tell why.
  • What would they like more of?
  • What would they Modify?
  • How would they modify it?
  • Ask them for procedure.
  • How would they implement these Procedures?
  • How detailed can they be?

Diversity of Encounters

  • Diversity & Discovery
  • How many types of Environment does your Game contain?
  • What are the specificities of each Environment?
  • What makes them Unique?
  • Why would your Players want to visit them?
  • What can they find in them?
  • What do they expect from this World?
  • How do you respond to these Expectations?
  • Through which decisions?
  • With which Creatures?
  • Diversity & Balance
  • Which kind of Trials will the Players face?
  • How progressiveness is implemented in the Game?
  • What are the Milestones of the Game?
  • How is Progression displayed?
  • Can they track it?
  • How do you manage the rhythm of your Game?
  • Do they face weak enemies at latter stages of the Game?
  • Can they face strong enemies at an early stage?
  • Diversity & Choices
  • How can they interact with their environment?
  • When can the Player choose?
  • What are their Choices?
  • Do you have a list?
  • What are the Consequences to these choices?
  • Are they displayed immediately?
  • What type of Consequences occur?
  • Do you have a clear typology?
  • Are these Consequences memorable?
  • Do they affect Character Relationships?
  • Do they affect the Environment?
  • Do they lead the Players to more trouble?
  • Do they lead the Players to Rewards?
  • How do they affect the Outcome?
  • Are there different Outcomes?
  • Are there different Endings?
  • Are there branched Outcomes?
  • How do they lead to the different Endings?
  • What are the Hints on which way to follow?
  • Do your Players want to replay the game as soon as you finished it?
  • How long is a Game?
  • Can you make it Shorter?

Everyone has a Goal

  • Every Character has a Goal
  • Who are the Characters?
  • Who are the Characters created by the Players?
  • Who are the Characters you created?
  • How do they relate to each other?
  • How do they differ?
  • When will they interact?
  • How will they interact?
  • Can they pursue the same Goal?
  • Do they pursue opposite Goals?
  • Will they oppose each other?
  • Do they have to?
  • Are there incompatibilities?
  • What are they?
  • Can they ally?
  • Every Player has a Goal
  • How do Players interact with each other?
  • Do they Collaborate?
  • Willingly?
  • Do they Hinder each other?
  • Do they have to Hinder each other?
  • How do they Compete?
  • Does every Player have a clear Goal?
  • Can they name it?
  • Can they describe it?
  • Do they want to share?
  • Are they dubious about the nature of their goal?
  • Are they confused?
  • How can you help them define their goal?
  • How can you help them find their goal?
  • The Game itself has a Goal
  • What do the players Expect from this Game?
  • What do they think the Story will be?
  • Why do they think that?
  • Which symbols did you use?
  • How do they convey a specific atmosphere?
  • When will the Player realize they are not in the type of game they expected?
  • How will they respond?
  • How will the Game react to their actions?

The Main Goal, Enticement

  • Do you want to have Fun?
  • Is it your Goal?
  • What’s Fun to you?
  • What’s Fun to your Players?
  • Does it matter for them?
  • How do they Entertain themselves?
  • What are their favorite Games?
  • What are their favorite Movies?
  • What are their favorite Series?
  • How do they qualify them?
  • Do they want to find the same sensations through your Game?
  • How can you give it to them?
  • Enticement vs Fun
  • What is Fun supposed to be?
  • Is a Game supposed to be Fun?
  • Do your Players want to have Fun?
  • Are you playing a Drama?
  • Are you playing a Horror game?
  • Are you playing an Action game?
  • Is it the type of Game your Players want to play?
  • Which emotions are they looking to feel?
  • Would you rather have a Fun game or a Memorable one?
    • It’s possible to have both, but you’ll have to be great at Comedy.
    • And it may just be the most difficult genre to write.
  • Do you prefer Likeable Characters or Memorable ones?
    • Again, it is possible to have both.
    • Even if, Likeable Characters tend to be more bland & Forgetable.
  • What’s Stimulating?
  • What are the Players looking for into your Game?
  • Do they play to Compete?
  • With who?
  • Other Players?
  • Players that they know?
  • Players that they never met?
  • Do they want to Optimize their Playstyle?
  • Do they want to beat the Game as fast as possible?
  • Do they want to beat the Game as efficiently as possible?
  • Do they want to beat the Game at the maximum difficulty?
  • Do they want to try new Playstyles?
  • Do they want to get out of their usual way of Playing?
  • Why?

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