SHATTERED MEMORIES
NOTE: This page presents a thesis project that is still in-progress. The page will be continually updated.
Full Video Walkthrough (pre-Aesthetics)
DEVELOPMENT INFO
GAME: Fallout 4
GENRE: First-Person Action RPG
TOOL: Creation Kit
DEV TIME: ~80 hours
RESPONSIBILITIES
-
Initial concept
-
LDD
-
Whitebox layout
-
Scenario planning
-
Gameplay scripting
-
Dialogue
-
Modkit implementation
Download Postmortem Document
Level Summary
“Shattered Memories” is a singleplayer quest in Fallout 4 where the player encounters the lone survivor of a caravan attack and helps her recover a valuable piece of cargo stolen from the ruined caravan. The quest features the player working together with an NPC as they fight through enemies and open paths for each other.
Project Info
This level is an artifact designed to supplement my thesis topic titled: Using Level Design Strategies to Create Useful NPC Companions That Provide Effective Gameplay Value to the Player.
The main goal is to create a companion character that synergizes well with the player through designed level scenarios, leading to an emotional connection between the player and companion character.
The quest makes use of the Self-Determination Theory to create guidelines that explain practices on how to establish an effective bond between the player and the NPC through gameplay.
Here's a chart
Briefly going through the chart:
​
1) Competence
Competence refers to the individual’s desire to feel powerful and impactful in their goals.
Player Competence is the idea that players want to feel powerful, that they can accomplish tasks at a high level. Players desire the feeling of accomplishment and want to feel that their skills lead to the successful execution of tasks and goals.
​
NPC Competence refers to how powerful the player’s companion is in relation to the world and situation. An effective companion should be competent enough to complete tasks on their own, but not interfere with the player’s own sense of competence. Thus, a balance needs to be achieved between Player Competence and NPC Competence to create the ideal player experience.
​
2) Relatedness/Communication
Relatedness is the idea that the elements of a world belong in the world. In the case of the player and their companion, I have interpreted relatedness to be the interactions and resulting relationship between the player and the NPC companion character. An effective NPC companion constantly interacts with the player character in a positive or helpful manner, augmenting the other tenets of player motivations (competence and autonomy for both the player and NPC). Likewise, the player discovers how they and the NPC both fit into the world.
​
3) Autonomy
Autonomy refers mainly to the individual’s desire for freedom, to leave an impact on the world and be acknowledged. Players want to feel like they are in control of their own choices and their own destiny. In the artifact, Player Autonomy refers to the player’s control over the pacing, progression, and outcome of the level.
​
NPC Autonomy is the illusion of choice perpetuated by the NPC character in the context of the world. Choices made by the NPC in reaction to the player’s actions and level events all contribute to the idea that the NPC is interacting with the world and making decisions along the way as well. This need relies on the player perceiving the NPC’s actions as autonomous, making it reliant on a player’s situational awareness.
​
4) Player Perception
Player Perception ties everything together. Even if a companion displays traits of effectiveness, the player needs to recognize these traits during the flow of gameplay for the companion to be truly effective. Level conveyance and pacing are key to communicating effectiveness to the player.
Screenshots
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
Maps
Top-down map w/ scenario numbers
In-editor perspective view of map
What I Learned
Over the course of the project, I became familiar with many different ways of implementing level scenarios that augment the effectiveness of an NPC companion character. I also came to realize the importance of level conveyance to successfully convey everything to the player. After all, an effective character is not effective if the player is unable to interpret the scenarios happening around them.
When interacting with a companion character, players had a strong desire to interact with the companion character on their own terms through communication and dialogue.
​
To create a memorable companion character that players feel emotionally attached to, gameplay effectiveness is a strong factor towards achieving that goal. However, other factors (including character motivation, player expectations, character personality, and similar traits) are also important to have.