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Xinyu “ Layne ” Zhang
Level Design
Best Practices : Enhancing Narrative Communication Through Environmental Shifts
My research combines traditional storytelling techniques with environmental shifts to assess their effectiveness in enhancing player immersion and narrative communication . I aimed to provide fresh , engaging game experiences by using environmental changes , which constantly motivate players to explore . I developed a custom single-player level in Fallout 4 that tasks players with solving a mystery and uncovering the truth of the quest ’ s narrative through environmental shifts . Storytelling is a potent form of narrative communication that can effectively convey contextual information to players based solely on the construction of the environment . However , environmental storytelling in video games has limitations . Elements are often fragmented , potentially confusing players who may not connect these fragments to form a complete story , and because these fragments are integrated into the environment , players might overlook important details as they progress through the game . Moreover , while environmental
storytelling excels at conveying static stories , it struggles to effectively communicate ongoing changes or complex , layered contexts that are difficult to grasp through a fixed scene .
I explored various methods to improve environmental storytelling through “ shifts ” that occur when players transition between environments or when aspects of the environment itself changes . I used these to guide players , connect story fragments , and introduce variations in scenes to maintain interest in exploration and enrich narrative depth . This research enhanced my understanding of how dynamic environments and layouts can be leveraged to improve level design , making the exploration and narrative experiences much more compelling . By applying this project to future game design , exploration and narrative can be more effectively integrated with level design , creating a more immersive experience overall .
52 LEVEL DESIGN