Slide 1

Slide 2

Tim Willits Storytelling and Technology at id Software

Slide 3

www.idsoftware.com Who is this guy? Creative Director at id Software Started at id Software in 1995 First Published Title: Ultimate Doom Current Title: RAGE Level Designer Lead Designer Creative Director

Slide 4

www.idsoftware.com Purpose Of This Talk How id Software develops stories alongside changing technology An understanding of how to balance storytelling and technology The decisions behind the storytelling of previous titles and what is changing for the upcoming title RAGE An explanation of how id Software wants to build the RAGE franchise through storytelling not sequel numbers!

Slide 5

www.idsoftware.com id Software giving a talk on storytelling Huh?! Public perception of the company Historically speaking id Software has created some of the most successful and industry shaping games

Slide 6

www.idsoftware.com What is video game storytelling? The story in a video game, if done correctly, can be as great as any novel or movie Doom vs. Lord of the Rings Its all the stuff in the middle Its the experiences Its the immersion Its the feelings Its the memories The paper story is only part of video game storytelling

Slide 7

www.idsoftware.com So what are the other elements of good video game storytelling? Information relayed through experiences What the player brings with them Choices and consequences Player skill Replayability Who they play with

Slide 8

www.idsoftware.com Storytelling through EXPERIENCES is the cornerstone of id Software game design Its the key when developing new technologies It isnt an excuse its the challenge There is nothing worse than a boring game with a great story

Slide 9

www.idsoftware.com How id Software approaches storytelling along side changing technology Solid straight forward plot Dynamic story Writer choice Dont commit everything to the story Concentrate on the experiences Lighting-Effects-Design Music-Choices-Immersion

Slide 10

www.idsoftware.com The goals for RAGE The story is a larger component in RAGE than previous id Software titles The technology was designed from the ground up to support greater storytelling More experiences through gameplay variety, environments, characters, AI, etc, etc Proper pacing of gameplay experiences

Slide 11

www.idsoftware.com Technology Challenges for RAGE Media size Media streaming Compression Wasteland & level size Development time Asset development AI & Animation Physics NPC interaction system

Slide 12

The future of RAGE.

Slide 13

www.idsoftware.com Take Away The story in a video game, if done correctly, can be as great as any novel or movie When faced with changing technology focus on the experiences Create your story in such a way that you can push or pull it to accommodate the changes to the game or technology Create modular story elements

Slide 14

www.idsoftware.com Questions