The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook Writing for Live Service Games with Destiny 2 Narrative Director, Alison Lührs
Sep 30, 2024
In this engaging discussion, Alison Lührs, the Narrative Director at Bungie, shares her journey from writing for Dungeons & Dragons to crafting stories for Destiny 2. She dives into the unique challenges of live service games, emphasizing collaboration and improvisation in narrative design. Alison explores the art of character failure and the necessity of conflict for compelling storytelling. Listeners will enjoy her insights on balancing gameplay and narrative, the impact of player feedback, and the complexities of evolving narratives.
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Unexpected Path From Theater To Games
- Alison describes moving from theater to community management at Wizards and then transitioning into writing after pitching a sample story.
- She used her theater portfolio and practice to get a writing shot and changed careers within about a year and a half.
Theater Skills Map To Game Writing
- Alison says theater training is integral and directly transferable to game writing and collaboration.
- Devising and group work taught her to create collaboratively without a fixed script, which maps to game design processes.
Use Improv To Build Team Creativity
- Do practice improv listening skills to collaborate effectively and respond without judgment in writer rooms.
- Share half-formed or 'garbage' ideas because they can be turned into great ones by the team.