Implementation..............................
My first game,Odyssey: The Legend of Nemesis, is without doubt the most relent-
lessly non-linear game design I have ever done, and includes examples of all the types
of non-linearity described above.Odysseyis an RPG and takes place on an archipelago
that includes seven primary islands for players to explore. Though players are required
to complete at least one quest on the first island before moving on to the rest of the
game, there are two quests, each with multiple solutions from which players may
choose. Indeed, clever players can skip the quests entirely if they figure out how to rob
a particular townsperson. (In fact, this was an emergent behavior that I had not antici-
pated, but which fortunately made sense and did not derail the game significantly.)
From there, players are able to move freely about the next five islands, picking which
ones they want to explore and which they prefer to just pass through. Indeed, all that is
required for players to reach the seventh island and the end-game is successful naviga-
tion of each island, killing the monsters that get in their way. Of course, killing those
creatures is made significantly easier if players receive the rewards for completing the
quests. But if players so choose, they can skip the entire middle of the game. Of course,
few players have done this, preferring instead to explore the different quests and situa-
tions they encounter there. Nearly every one of these quests has multiple ways for
players to solve it, with their actions having a direct impact on how each of the island’s
mini-stories resolves. Finally, the game itself has multiple endings for players to
explore, endings that suit the different overall goals players may have: survival,
revenge, or a sort of justice and harmony. Though the game had a very definite story, I
am happy to say that I doubt very much that any two players ever experienced it in
exactly the same way.
Overall, my gameThe Sufferingwas significantly less non-linear thanOdyssey, but
still I applied many of the same non-linear storytelling techniques in order to give the
game’s story depth.The Sufferingmakes each player’s experience unique through its
morality system, which assesses how the game is being played and then determines
Chapter 7: The Elements of Gameplay 121
Odysseyis an extremely
non-linear game,
allowing the player to
solve puzzles in whatever
order he chooses and to
select which quests he
wants to go on. The
game almost always
provides more than one
solution to any given
puzzle.