Integrating Narrative into Game Design: A Portal Post-Mortem

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

1:03:13 "I'm a game writer but I'm not even 100% convinced that games are the best medium for telling epic long stories. I kind of think of what I do as more of providing a film score. You know, movies aren't about the music but the music is definitely an important part that enhances the experience of watching the movie. So, the writing is something that enhances the experience of why you're there, which is playing the game." This really is a nugget of game-making gold.

[@KuyruksuzSatyr]

Only content that makes me listen to a low quality sound for an hour is Portal.

[@chrismuskha]

Erik Wolpaw is a goddamn legend. He went from being a trailblazer for crass, video game related internet comedy in Old Man Murray to pulling off one of the best written games of all times without losing a bit of his characteristic sense of humor. Really speaks a lot but it's not surprising considering he's one of the guys behind the start-to-crate rating system.

[@danmoar94]

It's awesome to watch this back, but also quite sad because it makes me really miss the time when Valve was first and foremost a leading, and actually ground-breaking GAMES studio

[@davidkonevky7372]

Also the old school memes are so charming 😅

[@jessicobra7]

great video but why are they speaking into megaphones

[@ZeroZ30o]

Because it's 2008 xd

[@Mixppmix]

Buddy, just lower your volume. You are welcome.

[@prudentibus]

@@Mixppmix Didn't fix quality sound :o

[@MopeyN]

Sorry I cannot hear you?

[@marielcarey4288]

Guy at 0:28 was listening to this talk

[@Lunareon]

This talk was a triumph. I'm making a note here; "Great questions". It's hard to overstate my satisfaction. ^__^

[@Rejinx]

Why did this talk take 12 years to get on KZbin?

[@jacobshirley3457]

They didn't want to risk spoiling the game for those who haven't played it. :P

[@DelusionalLogic]

It's Valve

[@voltcorp]

To make those tickets count I guess?

[@heyjakeay]

Cool to see they brought back the laser idea for Portal 2

[@hhhsp951]

i imagine the dude with the leg tattoos is also holding a beer in each hand and wearing really bad sunglasses

[@OinkyEnterprises]

I'm a very simple person. I see portal? I click.

[@Roguecellmedia]

I remember thinking "??!! Glados is singing?!... THE CAKE IS REAL!!!"

[@XOR-lith]

Oohh, a fresh one (I mean on the channel). And it's about ludonarrative synthesis! That's awesome.

[@frostyfingers9282]

you just wanted a chance to say ludonarrative synthesis didn't you

[@hashtagskipperjames]

@@frostyfingers9282 who doesn't want a chance to say ludonarrative synthesis?

[@dichebach]

Interesting how much of this is psychology.

[@Julian_H]

Most of game development is psychology. To make a good experience, you need to know what people enjoy and how they react to things.

[@ArtofLevelDesign]

As in level storytelling example was interesting the scene with those scribbles on the walls.

[@dheatlyblaze2846]

The fire pit is really good! I have watched multiple portal playthrough and is a bit familiar with it before playing it for the first time but despite vaguely knowing the fire pit, it still feels satisfying to solve it!

[@DGArtifact]

the Darth vader picture is a performance by an artist named Daniel Bozhkov

[@zatramander]

Well that was amazingly interesting. What a treasure.

[@jakesyoutubezone9808]

Around the 58 minute mark when Kim says adding portals to death match was “surprisingly frustrating” is very funny to hear now that everybody has played splitgate.

[@OmniversalInsect]

Funny how they describe the original Portal as a comedic and wacky game when that description fits Portal 2 much better. The original had an almost horror-like feel to it.

[@ultralooca]

Pure gold here buddies

[@bittersweetvictory8541]

oh that's interesting. "unless it's in ... voice recorders" which is exactly what they ended up doing in the sequel.

[@mrpuddingpop1]

It still works through intercom not a player activated “note”

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

3:40 this is why doom eternal works. Story: angry man kills demons Gameplay:angry man kills demons

[@skjelm6363]

"Integrating bad audio quality to struck the audiences nerves: The Silence Post-click-away"

[@Roguecellmedia]

Shell isn't a cyborg? then why does the curiosity core say "What happened to your legs?!"

[@themindfulmoron3790]

I think the core is just referring to the long fall braces on her feet.

[@Muguetsu]

1:05:36 manipulating and looking at space in a new perspective

[@Fabelaz]

Oh, but I want to know what animal portal is :(

[@bobvella7228]

glados kind of reminds me of that quantum computer hanging like a bat like that.

[@ELFanatic]

This is the exact opposite of FF7. "Add more filler!" "But we just added two filler dungeons without any story in between." "ADD IT!!!" "This narrative detracts from the gameplay story and detracts from the over all flow of the game." "ADD IT!!!" "We don't need new characters, fleshing out existing characters is testing well, we should focus on that" "ADD THREE NEW CHARACTERS!"

[@rosly_yt]

And, oddly, both games are on plenty of "best games of all time" lists. I think it's a genre difference, puzzle levels benefit from being short, as too many elements can lead to the player being overwhelmed, confused, or just bored. Wheras rpgs, where stories are generally about long journeys with a small core cast, benefit from longer levels, so you have more chances to interact with stuff, in FFVII's case, charge up your limit break meter, and learn about the world. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom both lean into quantity over quality - there's over 100 shrines (basically mini, easy, portal test chambers), and over 500 koroks, which are environmental micropuzzles you can find. RPG buyers want 100 hour games, and game-makers give it to them, even at the cost of the game being repetitive, or sections being underbaked. Puzzle game buyers don't care about game length in hours, they just want good puzzles. I personally prefer the all killer no filler philosophy, but I've enjoyed enough long, rambly games. And one person's filler is another person's fun - dying in roguelikes is a great example of this.

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

@@rosly_ytdo you think there’s a good example of a game that’s story epic but tightly written in line with the gameplay?

[@rosly_yt]

I'll be honest, I don't play a ton of games in that genre. I've heard good things (mostly) about the Mass Effect series, and about a lot of 90s CRPGs

[@anmuloced8673]

The painting type would be alla prima. Wet on wet.

[@antdude]

Again?

[@MrSongbird]

you know

[@romsthe]

1 minute in and I have to stop, sound quality is hurting :(

[@lilbud2188]

come back to it! you get used to it and its a GREAT talk!!!!

[@jacobshirley3457]

It's a Valve talk. It's probably worth it.

[@OmniversalInsect]

It really wasn't that bad.