Roguelike Radio Episode 104: Procedural Narrative Design
Aug 4, 2015
Tanya Short, co-founder of Kitfox Games and lead on Moon Hunters, explores how procedural design shapes player identity and myth-building. Mark Johnson, developer of Ultima Ratio Regum, discusses creating meaningful procedural narratives and balancing transparency with mystery. David Dunham, known for King of Dragon Pass, emphasizes character-driven storytelling and the importance of immersive history. The trio debates how to craft engaging experiences that remember both player choice and emergent storytelling in game worlds.
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Episode notes
Composed Scenes Build Emergent Epics
- King of Dragon Pass composes short, in-world scenes to create a decades-spanning emergent narrative.
- That composition makes the story feel lived-in and highly replayable.
Layered NPCs Create Believable Advice
- Characters have layered personalities, skills, and religion so advice feels contextual and believable.
- The game avoids cardboard archetypes by blending those traits for nuanced responses.
Write For Branches And Tests
- Provide multiple response branches and skill tests to increase replay value and variation.
- Expect to write substantially more text to cover alternative outcomes and context.
