Interactive Narrative Design- Project 1

21/04/2025 - 25/07/2025 | Week 1 - Week 6
Huang jiaqi| 0373820
Interactive Narrative Design | Bachelor of Design in Creative Media

PROJECT 1: INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

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Table of Content 

    1. Module Information

    2. Lecture

    3. Project 

    4. Feedback 

    5. Reflection 

    6. Further Reading 

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Module Information

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 Lecture

Week 2 | Topic 2: Interactive Storytelling (Action, Decision and Emotion)

Interactive Storytelling:

- Transforms audiences from passive viewers to active participants.

- Involves user choices, dynamic content, and non-linear narrative paths.

- Encourages deeper emotional engagement and personal story outcomes.

Verbs vs. Actions in Game Design:

- Verbs: Player inputs (e.g., pressing a button, clicking).

- Actions: In-game responses (e.g., jumping, triggering dialogue).

- Verbs are the inputs; actions are the results.

Game Mechanics:

- Core systems and rules that shape gameplay.

- Define how players interact, face challenges, and achieve goals.

Examples: resource management, stealth systems, combat mechanics.

Player Agency:

- The player’s ability to shape the story and outcomes.

- More agency = greater emotional investment.

- Found in games like Detroit: Become Human and Mass Effect.

Choice and Consequences:

- Decisions lead to different story paths, endings, and relationships.

- Creates branching narratives with lasting impact.

Game Emotion:

- Emotions experienced during gameplay (e.g., joy, fear, frustration).

- Influenced by mechanics, narrative, visuals, and sound.

- Key to creating an engaging game experience.

Ludology vs. Narratology:

- Ludology: Focuses on gameplay mechanics and player interaction.

- Narratology: Focuses on storytelling, characters, and emotion.

- Both help us analyse and understand how games work.

Notes

Figure 1.1 Note #1

Figure 1.2 Note #2

Week 3 | Topic 3 - Linear Storytelling 

1. The Art of Storytelling

The Power of Storytelling:

- Storytelling is powerful because it connects with people on an emotional level.

- Pixar emphasizes the idea of “writing what you know” — using your personal experiences to make stories feel real and relatable.

- Stories go through many retellings and revisions before they become great.

- Pixar hopes to inspire others to tell their own stories through this creative process.

Your Unique Perspective

- Pixar storytellers share how they first expressed creativity through drawing, comics, and childhood experiences.

- Everyone has a unique point of view shaped by their life.

- You're encouraged to reflect on a vivid memory and express it in multiple ways (drawing, writing, etc.).

- These personal perspectives make your stories stronger and more meaningful.

 The Power of “What If”

- Imagination begins with asking “What if…” questions (e.g., What if toys had feelings?).

- “What if” opens the door to creativity by letting you bypass logic and explore possibilities.

- It’s a key tool at Pixar to communicate ideas simply and spark new story ideas.

Example: “What if a boy’s dad interrupted his superhero cartoon with meditation?” led to Sanjay’s Super Team.

World and Character

- Character and world are the foundation of a good story.

- The world can reflect deeper themes (like growing up in Toy Story), but strong characters keep the audience engaged.

- Some Pixar artists start with a strong world, others start with a unique character.

- The best stories happen when the world and character intersect naturally.

Advice from Storytellers

(Youtube Link: Video 5: Advice for storytellers)

- Start with your truth: Use your real thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

- Don’t be afraid to fail and try again—storytelling is a process.

- Draw from your culture, childhood, family, and personal identity—those are rich sources of inspiration.

- Everyone has a story worth telling, and the key is to be honest and authentic.

- Pixar encourages young creators to be brave, explore ideas, and express their personal voice.

Pixar teaches us that storytelling isn’t just about creating fantasy worlds—it’s about expressing something real and human through imagination. Your life, your experiences, and your voice all matter in creating stories that truly connect with others.

Notes

Figure 2.1 Note #1_1

Figure 2.2 Note #1_2

Figure 2.3 Note #1_3

2. Creating Character

Character Development Basics

- Character development is about making audiences care by showing how characters react in tough situations.

- A good way to test this is the Elevator Test – imagine your character stuck in an elevator. How do they react? This reveals personality quickly.

- Characters should be flawed but engaging—flaws make them relatable and human.

- Characters guide the audience through the story by sharing their emotions, lessons, and growth.

External vs. Internal Features

- External features include a character’s design, clothing, and appearance.

- Internal features include emotions, personality traits, and insecurities (e.g., fear, jealousy, bravery).

- Both are important to build believable, unique, and relatable characters.

- Drawing inspiration from real life can help create deeper, more personal characters.

- Understanding a character’s core desire is key—it motivates their journey.

Wants vs. Needs

- A character’s want is what they think will make them happy.

- Their need is what they must discover or learn to truly grow.

- Good stories explore how a character’s wants often conflict with what they actually need.

Obstacles

- Obstacles create tension and force characters to change.

- They can be external (enemies, environment) or internal (self-doubt, fear).

- Facing obstacles leads to growth—characters must make choices and change direction.

- The best obstacles challenge a character’s flaws, making them confront their limits.

Character Arc

- A character arc is the emotional and personal journey a character goes through.

- It’s defined by how they respond to obstacles and how they change over time.

- Without struggle, there is no growth—and no arc.

- In The Incredibles, Mr. Incredible learns to value family over personal glory. In Inside Out, Riley learns to embrace sadness as part of emotional balance.

Stakes

- Stakes answer the question: Why should the audience care?

Stakes can be:

- External (What’s at risk physically?)

- Internal (What’s at risk emotionally?)

- Philosophical (What values or beliefs are at risk?)

- High, clear stakes make the story exciting and keep the audience invested.

Great characters aren’t just about how they look or sound—they’re about what they want, what stops them, and how they change. Pixar's storytelling process reminds us that characters need to struggle, grow, and earn their transformation to truly connect with the audience.

Notes

Figure 2.4 Note #2_1

Figure 2.5 Note #2_2

Link: 

- Carl Jung’s 4 Personality Types – The Truth About Who You Are

- What Are the 12 Archetypes and Which One Dominates Your Personality

- DISC personality profile

Figure 2.6 Note #2_3

Figure 2.7 Note #2_4

Week 5 | Topic 4 - Non-Linear Storytelling 

Story Structure 

- A way events are organized to guide how the audience feels.

Youtube Link: Pixar in a Box: Story Structure - YouTube

Story Spine

- Provides a simple structure to guide key moments in a story

Youtube Link: Story spine

Theme

- Reveals its deeper meaning, often evolving as the characters grow.

Youtube Link: Story structure: Theme

Act

Youtube Link: Story Structure: Act 1

Youtube Link: Story Structure: Act 2

Youtube Link: Story Structure: Act 3

Notes

Figure 3.1 Note #1

Figure 3.2 Note #2

Figure 3.3 Note #3

Figure 3.4 Note #4

Week 6 | Topic 5 - Script Writing for Interactive Narrative 

Notes

Figure 4.1 Note #1

Figure 4.2 Note #2

Figure 4.3 Note #3

Figure 4.4 Note #4

Figure 4.5 Note #5

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Class Activity

Class Activity #1

Figure 5.1 Class Activity #1

Team Name: No Tomatoes  

Assigned Verbs: Avoid, persuade

Our Scene:

"The player takes on the role of a high-ranking official secretly infiltrating an enemy base, with the mission to rescue a captive comrade before being detected by the enemy."

Action:  

As a high-ranking official, the player must use their position to navigate through the enemy base’s secure zones, avoiding suspicion and finding a hidden path to the prison chamber. 

Once inside, the player can either persuade the guards to leave or sabotage the surveillance system, creating chaos to help the comrade escape. If detected, the enemy will raise their alert level, increasing the difficulty of the escape and the pursuit that follows.

Story Impact:  

- Stealth: The player must use their intelligence and authority to cleverly avoid enemy detection.  

- Decision-making: Whether to reveal their identity, engage in direct confrontation, or find a clever solution will directly influence the difficulty of the escape and the progression of the story.  

- Consequences: If the player successfully rescues the comrade without triggering an alarm, they will gain more information and uncover the secrets of the enemy base. If caught, the enemy 

Class Activity #2

Figure 5.2 Class Activity #2

Team Name: No Tomatoes

Starting Event:

A high-ranking official infiltrates an enemy base and discovers a hidden chamber where a comrade is being held captive.

Player Choices: 

- Choice A: Use the official’s authority to persuade the guards to release the captive.  

- Choice B: Sabotage the surveillance system to create chaos and rescue the comrade.

Immediate Consequences: 

- Immediate result for choice A: The guards are temporarily distracted, but if the persuasion fails, the player risks exposure.  

- Immediate result for choice B: The sabotage works, causing chaos, but enemies nearby become alert, increasing the risk of detection.

Long-Term Consequences: 

- Long-term result for choice A: The player successfully rescues the comrade without triggering an alarm, gaining critical intelligence for future missions.  

- Long-term result for choice B: The escape becomes more complicated due to heightened security, but the player may gain unexpected allies amidst the chaos who could assist in later tasks.

Bonus Emotional Impact:

- Emotional Impact for choice A: A sense of relief and trust-building, but also anxiety over the potential for being caught.  

- Emotional Impact for choice B: A rush of adrenaline and danger, followed by guilt for risking exposure, but also a sense of accomplishment from creating chaos.

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Project name: 

Project 1 - Interactive Narrative Proposal Development

Current Progress:

Week 3, 20% weighting 

Project Objective

To develop a creative proposal for an interactive narrative using the five elements of storytelling - character, setting, conflict, plot and theme.

You will start with a linear story idea and transform it into a non-linear interactive narrative where the audience's choices can influence the development and ending of the story.

Proposal Content Requirements

1. Title and Concept Overview 

Propose a working title 

Write a 3-5 sentence synopsis of the original linear story 

Explain how it can be transformed into a non-linear structure (e.g., multi-branching, multiple endings, etc.) 

2. Refinement of the Five Elements of Storytelling 

Character: personality of the protagonist, motivations, and changes in the role in the different paths of action 

Setting: when and where the story takes place, and the possible changes in the different paths of the story Setting: when and where the story takes place, and the environment that may change in different paths 

Plot: the main plot + at least two key decision points, the plot diverges after the user's choice 

Theme: the core theme of the story; how the user's choices lead to different interpretations 

Conflict: the main conflicts and contradictions; how the conflicts in different paths may be resolved 

3. Interaction 

How the user interacts with the story (e.g. choosing a branch, choosing an ending, etc.) story (e.g., choosing branches, exploring scenes, dialogue options, switching perspectives) 

Potential forms of distribution (e.g., interactive film, web narrative, interactive fiction, VR experience) 

4. Visual/Ambient References 

Provide at least 2-3 images, hand-drawn sketches, or mood boards that represent the style, tone, or worldview of the story 

5 Submission Requirements

Format: PDF document 

Type: written proposal (may be accompanied by images)

 Project title

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This week's task is to write and structure initial ideas for our upcoming Project 1 - Interactive Narrative Proposal. This project will account for 20% of the overall grade and is an important exercise that combines creativity, writing and logic.

Title: “The Dreamwalker: Arcana of the Soul”

Story concept：

Dreamwalker is a traveller lost in a dream world who awakens in the Tower of Tarot and must go through each tarot card, entering the dreams of others and making key decisions in order to gradually piece together her true identity.

These dreams are not only projections of other people's lives, but also mirrors of the dreamwalker's heart. Each choice carries a moral weight and ultimately leads to three different destinies.

The core of this work is not about ‘predicting the future’, but about using the dreams of others to guide the player to ‘know himself’.

Story Elements：

Characters ：

Protagonist: Dreamwalker - a wandering spirit who has lost his memory but has the ability to enter other people's dreams)

Motivation: To complete the entire tarot deck, to find himself, and to leave the dream world 

Spur Characters (Tarot Card Representatives): 

The Lovers card: a painter struggling between love and art 

The Hermit card: a hermit who lives in an airy The Philosopher in the Library 

The Fool card: a teenager who repeats his first step over and over again, unable to move forward

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Setting ：

The central space - the Tower of Tarot: the hub of the dream world with the glowing tarot cards suspended in it. 

Dream Worlds: 

Snowy Shore (Lovers) 

Inverted Library (Hermit) 

Floating Island in the Sky (Fool) 

The state of the Tower changes according to the player's choices: brightened, shattered, or stabilised. 

The plot structure (Plot) 

The player is free to enter any of the 3-5 dream worlds of their choosing. Tarot Dreams 

Each dream contains an important decision that affects the direction of the story and the inner growth of the dreamwalker. 

Sample Decision Points: 

Stay in love or choose the ideal (The Lovers) 

Bravely step out into the unknown or stay put (The Fool) 

Accumulated choices determine the final outcome (3 possibilities) 

Themes ：

Choices and Consequences 

Self-Discovery 

Meaning of Life and Beliefs 

Each player's choice of paths reflects the player's subconscious values, and the ending shifts accordingly. Theme Choice and Consequences

Conflict ：

The Dreamwalker faces not battles, but choices. Helping others with their problems is often the very part she herself avoids.

Each dream is a psychological reflection.

Interactive Mechanism Design：

Tarot card selection: free to choose the order of exploration 

Branching paths: multiple choice points and shifting endings for each dream 

Memory fragment system: unlocking hidden information about the dreamwalker's identity 

Three main types of endings: 

Ascension (free to be free) 

Retrospection (to face the truth) 

Cycle (to be lost again)

Realisation platform scenarios：

Web-based interactive novel 

Graphic visual novel 

Immersive VR experience

Visual & Atmospheric References：

fig 3.1 visual references

fig 3.2 visual references

fig 3.3 visual references

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 Completion and submission

Week 6 was the submission week for Project 1, Dreamwalker: The Soul's Arcane Spread of Cards, and my main task was to formally summarise the content I had collected and collated over the previous weeks into a complete, clear, visually styled interactive narrative proposal PDF. This process has allowed me to revisit the creative structure and gain a lot from the typography and narrative logic.

I started by organising the order of the chapters of the PDF in an outline fashion, including:

Title Page 

Introduction to the Concept 

Linear and Non-Linear Narrative Transitions 

The Five Elements of Story (Character, Setting, Plot, Theme, Conflict) 

Interaction Mechanisms 

Platform Ideas 

Visual Reference Diagrams 

Conclusion and Reflections 

This structure helped me to ensure that the content was complete and not left out, and it also allowed for more organisation when laying out the chapters.

 submission PDF：

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 Feedback 

Feedback from the tutor: 

The overall concept is deep and imaginative, and the setting of ‘dream + tarot’ is intriguing and philosophical.

It is recommended to strengthen the emotional tension of the characters, especially in the branching decisions, adding more inner struggles and dialogues will make the player feel more immersed in the game.

Peer Feedback: 

Someone mentioned that ‘Dreamwalker's lack of a specific name or identity as a protagonist’ is very interesting, but it was also suggested that consideration be given to adding a bit more clues to her past to give the player a sense of purpose.

Everyone liked the variety of dream settings, but thought it would be richer to offer more different styles of dreams (e.g. brighter/geekier/futuristic).

One student suggested adding a ‘memory puzzle’ mechanic to make exploration more interesting, e.g. different choices would unlock different memory pieces to make a complete history.

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Reflection 

Through the completion of this interactive narrative proposal, I have the following gains and reflections:

1. The complexity and fascination of a non-linear structure coexist 

During the design process, I deeply appreciated that interactive narrative is not only about splitting the story into multiple endings, but also about constructing a multi-path structure that is internally logically unified and thematically consistent. Each dream branch needs to be able to stand on its own, but also serve the core of the main line of ‘self-discovery’, which is an intense thinking training for me. 2.

2. Every choice needs ‘emotional weight’ 

I realised that interactivity is not just about ‘clicking options’, but about ‘emotional involvement’. Therefore, when revising the story, I tried to make each choice carry an emotional conflict or philosophical dilemma, e.g., ‘freedom vs. stability,’ ‘love vs. ideals,’ "loneliness vs. connection. ". These decisions not only drive the plot, but also allow the player to shine a light on themselves.

3. Narrative and visuals must advance in tandem 

While the story comes first, I find that the visual style is just as important as the form of interaction. Visual uniformity (colour palette, style, fonts) can help tell a more compelling story. I also hope that the next stages of production will allow the visuals, interaction and text to work together to create an immersive experience.

4. Receiving feedback is a growing process 

I gained a lot of valuable suggestions from the lecturers and students, especially in character deepening and mechanism visualisation. I realised that I could have been more subtle in my handling of the characters' emotions and more intuitive and clear in my expression of the logical illustrations of the story.

Directions for future improvement:

Enhance the character dialogue and psychological description to improve the sense of empathy 

Create an interaction flow chart to show the branching structure more intuitively 

Further expand the diversity of dream styles to enhance the sense of immersion