Tides of Tomorrow proposes a narrative adventure where every player choice has consequences. The central premise is that our decisions not only affect our own story, but also modify the plots of other characters in real time. This system aims to create an experience where player agency echoes throughout the game world, generating intertwined narratives and diverse outcomes.
The Data Architecture for Intertwined Narratives ðŸ§
The technical development focuses on a database of character states and events that updates dynamically. Each important decision activates flags that modify variables in non-playable character profiles, altering their future dialogues and actions. The challenge lies in managing these dependencies without creating narrative inconsistencies. They use an event graph with coherence checks to prevent stories from breaking.
Saving the World, Ruining an NPC's Day 😅
It's funny to think that, while your character makes an epic decision to save the city, somewhere else an NPC baker suddenly receives the flag that his redemption story can no longer happen. Your great heroic moment has the side effect of a secondary character losing their story arc. The next time you play, consider that you might inadvertently be destroying the development of a character you don't even know.