A New Method of Delivering Backstory in Games: Curiosity Structured Quest Design

Huskey, Hilary N.

Savannah, Georgia: Savannah College of Art and Design

2015-11

Thesis (M.F.A.) -- Interactive Design and Game Development

Savannah College of Art and Design -- Department of Interactive Design and Game Development

Includes bibliographical references (pages 100-101).

"This thesis focuses on how to improve the delivery of backstory in games by using principles of curiosity to design quests that aid in learning. Backstory is important for strengthening the story in games today. It provides context about things, places, and characters within the game world. There are many ways game designers currently deliver backstory; however, these methods present unique learning challenges to players. By pinpointing four overarching commonalties displayed by all the current methods (interactivity, information provided, time span, and delivery method), one can see that they typically exist on the extremes, thus creating inconsistencies and challenges to learning. This paper explores designing a quest structure based upon the visceral concept of curiosity. The goal is to provide a balanced approach at conveying backstory to players in order to foster a more successful learning environment and ultimately enhance the experience in games."

Keywords: curiosity, backstory, learning, quest structure, video games

CHAIR: Johnson, Greg

Delao, Gustavo

Shami, Charles

English

Interactive Design and Game Development

Text

PDF (102 pages): illustrations (chiefly color)

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