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Daniel Willborn
Level Design
Best Practices for Using Props and Embedded Narrative to Guide the Player
“ Greentech ’ s Secrets ” is an add-on modification for Fallout 4 that seeks to identify usage for props and other small objects in conjunction with Embedded Narrative to guide a player and communicate a story . The mod consists of an interior for an underground facility where the player is tasked with retrieving a powerful artifact . Different techniques for props were used based on a selection of best practices and evaluated through playtesting .
By designing with the narrative in mind early , environment set pieces could be ideated and made with consideration to how they would guide the player . For example , if a room had a small battle occur within it according to the narrative , specific props would be needed to best convey that narrative , and then thought could be put toward how those battle props could be utilized to guide the player .
I chose this topic to learn more about how props can be used to convey a narrative , and how to use that narrative with those props to guide the player . As such , creating the story behind the space was an early and integral part of the development process .
48 LEVEL DESIGN