How to tell stories through Settings? Guiding

How do you Guide the Public while leaving them a maximum of Freedom?

  1. You Define the Limits of your Settings
  2. You Place Objects of Interest in the Setting
  3. ?

1. Define the Limits

  • Artificial Limits are movable (voluntarily), rigid & often controlled.
  • Walls
  • Control Posts
  • Roads
  • Fields
  • Natural Limits also movable if an incident occurs, soft & rarely controlled.
  • Natural limits can be created or modified by Catastrophes.
    • Flooding
    • Avalanches
    • Landslide/Rockslide
    • Eruptions
  • Large extends & Unknown places
    • Sea
    • Deserts
    • Grottos
  • Important drops
    • Mountains
    • Cliffs
    • Waterfalls
    • Pits
  • Extreme conditions
    • Heat/Drought
    • Gazes/Toxin
The Glade
  • You’re in a Glade.
  • It’s nighttime.
  • The Wood cages you.
  • You could engage in them.
  • But you have no light.
  • And the sounds coming from them alert you.
  • Beyond the woods are mountains.

2. Place Objects of Interest

  • The most common type of Objects of Interest include:
  • Surprising objects.
  • Disproportionate objects.
  • Sources of Danger.
  • Sources of Excitement.
  • Sources of Safety.
The Glade
  • In the Middle of the glade there’s a river.
  • On one side of the river there’s a little house.
  • Simply made of wood & stones.
  • Well kept, as suggest the little garden outside.
  • There are vegetables & fruits properly sorted & even categorized.
  • Multiple trees are grouped behind the house.
  • From the house’s chimney comes smoke.
  • Someone’s in.
  • And they’re cooking something.
  • There’s a cat talking with a dog.
  • You’ve got mixed feelings.
  • On the other side there’s a boat.
  • Why is this boat on the other side?
  • Why is it there?
  • It looks big enough to fit 5 persons.
  • Does it belong to the house’s owner?
  • It doesn’t seem to be used by her, as there’s a smaller boat closer to the house.
  • Also this one is off the river.
  • It doesn’t seem to have been used by anyone for some time.

3. People

  • People can both Limit one’s Behavior & Attract someone.
  • Define Limits
  • Antagonistic Goals limit each Parts options.
  • Convergent Goals also limit each Parts options.
  • In the 1st case, Antagonists may thwart each other.
  • In the 2nd case, the Convergence of interest define some options are more consensual and therefore more desirable for the Parts.
  • Arouse Interest
  • People providing resources arouse interest.
  • Especially People providing Information regarding the immediate Environment.
    • Natural Limits
    • Artificial Limits
    • Sources of danger
    • Atmosphere
    • Audio & other Senses
    • Presence of Exits
The Glade
  • Should you question the house’s owner?
  • Should you stay near the house for the night?
  • Should you inspect the boat?
  • Should you look for someone in the Boat?

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