Contract Story Writer, 5/2022 - 10/2022Live-Service MMOARPG Video Game
The Role: Story Writer
My contract work in this position encompassed a broad array of narrative functions as I designed the foundations of their new proprietary development and database systems.
I designed and implemented a narrative style guide, game design documents for worldbuilding architectures and glossaries of design principle decisions, as well as worldbuilt the setting and themes across 4 Acts of an original MMOARPG setting. My work also included level design breakdowns, dialogue database system, decks of character descriptions for the art team, quest designing, and writing detailed and implementable story and quests.
Design Accomplishments
Designed and wrote the core path arcs for the first four main Acts
Wrote the narrative style guide for Kooapps, building out a full game design documentation system and unifying existing documents into a collected database
Wrote all core path dialogue and character assets, including bios, story, character quests, and illustration and animation art direction
Led weekly design syncs to define vision and ensure alignment between narrative, design, and leadership
Designed the narrative framework for the RPG and economy elements, particularly level progression trees and item/gear design
Details
Wrote strings relating to items and design features
Built style guides for building the understructure of world design, game and narrative development stage projections, and expanded on design approaches for each stage
Built character design rubric and included format approaches for writing main character, side character, location, item, and quest descriptions and bios (where applicable)
Built mood boards and theme decks to present at meetings with designers and management
Design Tools
G-Suite & Slack
articy:draft 3, StudioBinder
Proprietary tooling for managing branching dialogue
CORE COMPETENCIES:
STYLE GUIDE DEVELOPMENT
NARRATIVE DIRECTION
WORLDBUILDING
UI & STORYTELLING APPROACH
CENTRAL CONFLICTS & PLOTS
SETTING
CHARACTERS & MOTIVATIONS
STRINGS AND ITEM INVENTORY
LOCATION & ITEM ART DESCRIPTIONS
LEVEL DESIGN STORYBOARDS
CINEMATIC WRITING
QUEST WRITING