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One issue facing scenario designers is how to make a scenario interactive. There are many ways to do this, of course. This article will focus on aspects of giving the players choices that result in branching paths through a scenario. There are basically four ways to introduce branching into a scenario:
Subtle Branching with Minor Consequences The most subtle way to give players a choice is to place them in a situation where their unprompted actions make the decision for them. This branch in the path is usually minor, and the path comes back together fairly soon, as demonstrated in Figure 1. For example, in the scenario Destiny of the Spheres, Spak’s Fort is approachable from two different directions — a frontal assault, and a sneaky rear entrance via a crumbling wall. Different situations arise in the fort, depending on what path the player chose, although this has no effect on the rest of the scenario. In this example, the player is probably not aware that an alternative action would have resulted in an alternative turn of events. Destiny was riddled with this type of unprompted choice. Another example is the woman willing to sell food to the party in the Rebel cave. If the party were to inform Jared (the rebel leader) of this, the woman would mysteriously disappear shortly thereafter. This doesn’t really affect the scenario that much either, but it does add an element of realism — the environment reacts to the player’s input. The Hut of Baba Yaga is another scenario where subtle branching with minor consequences often takes place. This most subtle of path choices will probably go unnoticed by most players, and thus will not be acknowledged them or by reviewers of your scenario. As a designer, you must decide if the return in increased interaction is worth it. Subtle Branching with Major Consequences This type of branching again occurs by a player’s unprompted actions, but the results have a major impact on the player. The different paths may or may not come back together at a later point. For example, in The Lost Expedition, the party has several ways of physically reaching the final goal, and of returning to the portal home. These choices are made by the party on their own, without prompting from the scenario itself. In this scenario, the different paths eventually merge back together — you always end up at the same final goal, and the same starting point. Figure 2 illustrates this type of branching. A variation on this type of branching is when the paths do not merge back together again. Figure 3 illustrates this type of branching. Overt Branching With Minor Consequences This occurs when the party is given an overt choice — usually via a dialog where they must choose a course of action — that has little impact on the scenario. In the scenario River and Leaf, at one point you have the choice of slaying an individual or not. In either case, you end up in the same place shortly thereafter. This is a case where the party’s choice really doesn’t make a difference in the scenario, but it does add an element of interaction to it. Overt Branching With Major Consequences This occurs when the party is given an overt choice — usually via a dialog where they must choose a course of action — that has major impact on the scenario. The scenarios A Small Rebellion, Tatterdemalion, The Election, and The Fog are all examples of this type of overt branching. In all cases, the party is prompted to make a decision or set of decisions that permanently affect the rest of the scenario play. This type of branching seems to receive the most positive remarks from both players and critics alike. Summary The categorization of branching types offered here is of course artificial; most scenarios that utilize branching may use several types or blend the types together in unique ways. Which way is best? That depends on your story, in this author’s opinion. If you are looking to build a praised scenario, overt branching with major consequences seems to be the most popular, and perhaps the most challenging. Subtle branching with minor consequences can make your scenario truly come alive to the individual playing it, for it offers transparent interactivity that matches the player’s unprompted actions. Just don’t expect players to appreciate it a great deal! In any case, keep in mind that more branching you add, the longer it will take you to design and develop your scenario. |
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