Interactive and Game Development Scriptwriting Software - Text 1
Because of their interactive and, in particular, ergodic nature, scripting video games is a challenge. The term ergodicity, derived from the Greek words ergon and hodos, means that one must work to create a path;[1] interactivity in a video game is not merely a question of navigation, as on a website or in a digital encyclopedia. It requires effort in an environment which puts up resistance. In this context, the script, meaning a more or less linear narrative thread of foreseen events, must be part of the ergodic structure and be soluble in its interactivity. Scriptwriting thus becomes a subsection of the work of game design, which can take quite different forms depending on the project. It is not possible to write an exciting chase scene, as justified as it may be from a scriptwriting point of view, if the game does not involve collisions, vehicles and checkpoints in real time. Similarly, a poignant dialogue between two characters arguing will not work if the game has an overhead view with 2D graphics.
For the solitary creator or for scriptwriters developing a project on their own, software for creating video games ranges from the professional and very complex (Unity, Unreal) to the amateur and very accessible (Stencyl, Construct, GameMaker). These general and flexible game engines are often relatively difficult to use. Many scriptwriters prefer software focused on writing and the narrative. Inform and Twine are used to create interactive fictions, a genre based on descriptions and textual narration and which are similar to “books in which you are the hero.”
