Creating Emotion in Games: The Craft and Art of Emotioneering

Remember how Princess Leia had mixed emotions toward Han Solo?

• She thought he was selfish and arrogant.

• She was attracted to his headstrong manner and his resourcefulness.

• She begrudgingly admired his heroic deeds.

• She was repulsed by his desire to help himself, instead of those who were oppressed by the Empire.

This is an example of a technique called Layer Cakes, which I described in Chapter 2.8. It means giving one character layers of feelings toward another. It's a Deepening Technique because layers equal depth.

What if you're playing a game and have taken on a role like Han Solo's, and there is an NPC like Princess Leia?