Convert a narrative premise into playable authored activity.
Use this model:
Motivation → Player verb → Objective → Resistance → Complication → Decision → Resolution → State change → Reward/aftermath
The player should participate in the narrative through meaningful verbs rather than merely travel between exposition scenes.
Inputs
Use available:
- quest premise
- player's role/fantasy
- available game mechanics
- locations
- characters/factions
- progression/reward systems
- desired duration
- production constraints
- required story state changes
Define the Player Motivation
Why should the player care now?
Possible motivations:
- survival
- relationship
- curiosity
- duty
- greed
- revenge
- progression/resource
- faction commitment
- moral concern
Narrative motivation and systemic reward can coexist.
Define Player Verbs
List what the player actually does:
- investigate
- observe
- question
- compare
- persuade
- trade
- sneak
- protect
- chase
- fight
- sabotage
- choose
- craft
- navigate
Avoid describing passive story consumption as a verb.
Objective Grammar
Objectives should express understandable actions and progression.
Common structures:
- Discover → Investigate → Confront → Resolve
- Request → Acquire → Complication → Deliver/Choose
- Infiltrate → Learn → Decide → Escape
- Protect → Failure/escalation → Recover → Counterattack
- Explore → Find evidence → Reinterpret → Reveal
Do not apply a grammar mechanically; use it to expose repetitive structures.
Complications
A complication should alter at least one of:
- objective
- information
- stakes
- available strategy
- relationship
- resource pressure
- moral interpretation
A second group of enemies is usually escalation, not a narrative complication.
Choice and State
Where meaningful, define:
- decision question
- player intentions
- immediate feedback
- persistent state
- later callback
Use $design-player-choice for deep choice work.
Quest Resolution
Define:
- success states
- partial success/failure where supported
- aftermath
- changed world/relationship state
- reward
- follow-up availability
Production Scope
Track unique requirements:
- locations
- NPCs
- combat encounters
- cinematics
- VO
- animation
- bespoke mechanics
- branching
- QA paths
Interactive Procedure
- State the quest fantasy and motivation.
- List available player verbs.
- Choose a structural grammar.
- Define objectives and transitions.
- Add a complication that changes meaning or strategy.
- Add decision/state where useful.
- Define resolution and aftermath.
- Check verb variety and pacing.
- Check dependency/state requirements.
- Estimate production scope.
Output
Quest fantasy
Player motivation
Primary verbs
Quest flow
| Beat | Objective | Player verb | Resistance | Information/state change | Assets |
|---|
Complication
Choice/state changes
Resolution and aftermath
Reward
Dependencies
Production scope
Failure Modes
Avoid:
- cutscene → walk → cutscene disguised as quest design
- every objective using the same verb
- complication that only adds more enemies
- reward unrelated to motivation/fantasy
- quest outcome that changes nothing
- requiring knowledge or state the player may not possess
- unique production assets for low-value beats
- branching whose consequence is immediately forgotten
Final Quality Check
Ask: What did the player do that made this story happen? If the answer is mostly “watched,” redesign the playable structure.