Comments on: The Experience of Narrative http://www.heroine-sheik.com/2006/08/30/the-experience-of-narrative/ Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:40:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Bonnie http://www.heroine-sheik.com/2006/08/30/the-experience-of-narrative/#comment-17938 Bonnie Mon, 11 Sep 2006 02:15:57 +0000 http://www.heroine-sheik.com/2006/08/30/the-experience-of-narrative/#comment-17938 <b>Yes, I know, long time no see, been somewhat ill again, been working a lot also. Hope you, your dearest and the dwellers around are doing ok.</b> Welcome back, MD^2! Thanks for your happy wishes and hopes you're feeling better :). Yes, I know, long time no see, been somewhat ill again, been working a lot also. Hope you, your dearest and the dwellers around are doing ok.
Welcome back, MD^2! Thanks for your happy wishes and hopes you’re feeling better :).

]]> By: MD² http://www.heroine-sheik.com/2006/08/30/the-experience-of-narrative/#comment-17623 MD² Thu, 07 Sep 2006 01:54:36 +0000 http://www.heroine-sheik.com/2006/08/30/the-experience-of-narrative/#comment-17623 Hello. Yes, I know, long time no see, been somewhat ill again, been working a lot also. Hope you, your dearest and the dwellers around are doing ok. Been reworking all my theories around narrative/video-games and critic theory, and I now would say narrative is a necessary structural development in video games, one they couldn't have done without if they had to evolve, and one that has thus with time emerged naturally and organically around the game components. Story and play occupy two totally distinct planes, it doesn't matter that the gaming experience will always be different as long as the story can be kept unconflicting with it <i>were it matters</i>. This is when/where and how autorial control and game/level design meet. Hello. Yes, I know, long time no see, been somewhat ill again, been working a lot also. Hope you, your dearest and the dwellers around are doing ok.

Been reworking all my theories around narrative/video-games and critic theory, and I now would say narrative is a necessary structural development in video games, one they couldn’t have done without if they had to evolve, and one that has thus with time emerged naturally and organically around the game components.
Story and play occupy two totally distinct planes, it doesn’t matter that the gaming experience will always be different as long as the story can be kept unconflicting with it were it matters. This is when/where and how autorial control and game/level design meet.

]]> By: FerrousBuller http://www.heroine-sheik.com/2006/08/30/the-experience-of-narrative/#comment-17509 FerrousBuller Tue, 05 Sep 2006 16:24:46 +0000 http://www.heroine-sheik.com/2006/08/30/the-experience-of-narrative/#comment-17509 Bonnie: my point was simply that any defense of the narrative or artistic merits of games which rests <i>solely</i> on the subjective perceptions of the audience is an inherently weak and poor defense. It's the "blind men and the elephant" argument: no matter how the blind men's perceptions differ, the elephant is still an elephant; it's better to focus on the elephant, not the blind men. Wasn't suggesting that was the only argument you were making. :-) Bonnie: my point was simply that any defense of the narrative or artistic merits of games which rests solely on the subjective perceptions of the audience is an inherently weak and poor defense. It’s the “blind men and the elephant” argument: no matter how the blind men’s perceptions differ, the elephant is still an elephant; it’s better to focus on the elephant, not the blind men. Wasn’t suggesting that was the only argument you were making. :-)

]]> By: Bonnie http://www.heroine-sheik.com/2006/08/30/the-experience-of-narrative/#comment-17345 Bonnie Fri, 01 Sep 2006 14:24:02 +0000 http://www.heroine-sheik.com/2006/08/30/the-experience-of-narrative/#comment-17345 <b>To my mind, a narrative-based game is kinda like a play</b> That's cool; a play is still considered both narrative and art. <b>It just sorta misses the point, IMHO.</b> I can see how it would miss the point if I said this is the only way to define/understand games ever. But it's <i>one</i> way to explain things, within the context of one argument. Therefore, for me at least, it seems to fit. To my mind, a narrative-based game is kinda like a play
That’s cool; a play is still considered both narrative and art.

It just sorta misses the point, IMHO.
I can see how it would miss the point if I said this is the only way to define/understand games ever. But it’s one way to explain things, within the context of one argument. Therefore, for me at least, it seems to fit.

]]> By: FerrousBuller http://www.heroine-sheik.com/2006/08/30/the-experience-of-narrative/#comment-17258 FerrousBuller Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:10:03 +0000 http://www.heroine-sheik.com/2006/08/30/the-experience-of-narrative/#comment-17258 To my mind, a narrative-based game is kinda like a play: the text of a play is fixed, but each time the play is performed, it takes on different meanings and nuances, depending on who performs it and how. Parts of the play may be dropped or rearranged, even rewritten; some scenes may be skipped while others are given more significance. The core of the play remains constant, but there can be wildly different interpretations by those performing it. Likewise, the "text" of a game is fixed - i.e., the game world and its mechanics are hard-coded - but each playthru yields a distinct experience, if only in subtle ways. The difference is that in a game, the player is both audience and actor: they are both watching the story as it unfolds even as they influence its outcome, moving towards the (usually pre-determined) end. With the advent of cheat codes, mod tools, etc., the player can also take on the role of author, reshaping (to some extent) the "text" of the game. To my mind, using the "but the story is different in 'regular' media for every reader / viewer!" argument is a specious one: yes, it's true, but it does nothing to defend the narratives of games when you use the "all human experience is subjective and open to interpretation" argument. It just sorta misses the point, IMHO. To my mind, a narrative-based game is kinda like a play: the text of a play is fixed, but each time the play is performed, it takes on different meanings and nuances, depending on who performs it and how. Parts of the play may be dropped or rearranged, even rewritten; some scenes may be skipped while others are given more significance. The core of the play remains constant, but there can be wildly different interpretations by those performing it.

Likewise, the “text” of a game is fixed - i.e., the game world and its mechanics are hard-coded - but each playthru yields a distinct experience, if only in subtle ways. The difference is that in a game, the player is both audience and actor: they are both watching the story as it unfolds even as they influence its outcome, moving towards the (usually pre-determined) end. With the advent of cheat codes, mod tools, etc., the player can also take on the role of author, reshaping (to some extent) the “text” of the game.

To my mind, using the “but the story is different in ‘regular’ media for every reader / viewer!” argument is a specious one: yes, it’s true, but it does nothing to defend the narratives of games when you use the “all human experience is subjective and open to interpretation” argument. It just sorta misses the point, IMHO.

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