Barks
Objective: To create VO ‘barks’ for three groups of NPCs at three points in an example game narrative. The barks should make each of the types of character (villagers, refugees, and soldiers) feel distinct and differentiated from each other and should provide the player with context as to what is happening in the game world at each moment.
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Game Setting: The game is set in medieval France during the 100 Years' War. It’s a loosely historical, action-adventure game where the player takes on the role of a Scottish longbowman who works as a mercenary for both sides of the conflict while attempting to travel back to their home in the Highlands.
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Writing Approach: My approach was to focus on three specific moments in which the player will encounter these characters, and to use them to provide context about the overall world in which the village exists.
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Design Process: I wanted to imagine the lives of the non-playable characters in these moments, and to examine the emotions they would be feeling. The language design is dependent on what the player is doing in the village to ensure the barks are appropriate for the player’s current actions (e.g. exploring, fighting, selling loot).
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The full writing sample is available to view here. It's composed of barks for three different character types: villagers, refugees and soldiers. Each character is shown in three different settings, which are detailed below.
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01
Arrival at the village
The player has just discovered the village after completing a story moment along the main quest. They have completed a series of difficult combat situations, and are looking to explore, decompress, and restock / sell loot that they have accumulated in the previous game moments. This presents the opportunity for more expansive and descriptive dialogue.
02
The village is under attack
The player has been called back from exploring the surrounding area by a messenger asking them to provide support because the village is under attack. They arrive as the village is already burning and are tasked with fighting off the last few raiders from the English army. This is a combat situation. Dialogue is limited as the player is focusing on the game play. So narrative and world building takes a back seat.
03
Aftermath of the attack
The attack is just finished. The player is now exploring the destroyed village, collecting any remaining loot and looking for their next quest or direction. Here the objective is to magnify the change between before and after the attack, and to encourage the player to continue in search of a new gameplay or story moment.