Creating Emotion in Games: The Craft and Art of Emotioneering
| (begin gameplay) EXT. DIRT ROAD THROUGH THE FOREST - NIGHT You're driving a stagecoach at night on a muddy dirt road lined by dense trees. You're moving at top speed because you heard Helena is in danger. You need to steer the stagecoach to avoid fallen logs, pits in the road, etc., that could overturn the coach. (cinematic) FOUR HIGHWAYMEN step out from the trees. They block your path. The horses stop and rear up. The Highwaymen pull out pistols. HIGHWAYMAN #1 (to you; coolly threatening) Sweet night for a ride. Suddenly, the end of a WHIP wraps around a high branch, and Luther SWINGS OUT onto the road, holding onto the handle of the whip. In his swing, he KNOCKS OVER Highwayman #1. HIGHWAY MAN #2 (to LUTHER) You! LUTHER (to you) They all know me. But they never get the name right (to Highwayman #2) It's not "you," it's Luther. (resume gameplay) You and Luther together fight the four Highwaymen. He's extremely fast and fluid in his movements. (cinematic) Your sword is knocked from your hand. (scripted sequence)[1] When your sword is knocked from your hand by one of the Highwaymen, Luther TOSSES you his and pulls out a dagger. You try to catch his sword. If you don't, you need to pick it up, but this exposes you to attack from the Highwaymen. (resume gameplay) The two of you eventually defeat the Highwaymen. (cinematic) You climb up on the carriage seat. Luther, like a cat, jumps up next to you, his dagger still drawn. Will he kill you? (resume gameplay) IF YOU DRAW YOUR SWORD [CHOICE 4a-1]:[2] (NOTE: Choice 4a-1 mandates Cinematic 13c-2 in Mission 13.) Then you two fight on the stagecoach for 45 seconds. (cinematic) He then jumps off the stagecoach. LUTHER (disappointed) Betrayal -- it doesn't suit you. And it's far too familiar to me. He SLAPS the rump of the lead horse, and the carriage VAULTS FORWARD. IF YOU DON'T DRAW YOUR SWORD [CHOICE4a-2]: (NOTE: Choice 4a-2 mandates Cinematic 13c-3 in Mission 13.) Luther waits for a moment. (cinematic) LUTHER (small smile) My sword? You hand him back the sword he had tossed you earlier. LUTHER (serious) Helena is too pure. She'll crack under his torture. Godspeed. He LEAPS off the carriage. LUTHER I have my burden. Helena is yours. He SLAPS the rump of the lead horse, and the carriage VAULTS FORWARD. (resume gameplay) NO MATTER WHICH OF THE PRECEDING CHOICES IS MADE BY THE PLAYER: You must continue to steer the carriage around various obstacles without tipping it over. This time, your task is made more difficult, because other HIGHWAYMEN occasionally shoot at you from between the trees. If you're hit or if you don't kill at least one of them with your pistol, then you won't make it to Helena in time. Normally, I don't go out of my way to put every corner of a character's Diamond in every sequence. I did it this time just as an illustration. Let's look at the sequence again, picking out Luther's Diamond corners. Remember that he's:
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