Narrative Design Overview: Style Diaries
Style Diaries is a choice- based lifestyle story game for Gen Z women gamers in North America and Europe. It is a mobile game based on the "freemium" revenue model.
This was a pilot project to test and optimize various parameters that would ultimately contribute to a fashion gaming metaverse known as "Influenzer" by Gamestacy Inc (selected by Google Accelerator 2021).
The project featured 7 interactable NPCs (among many others) with deep character building, unique personality types and choice based interactions leading to over a billion unique player stories.
From character description and appearance to dialogues and linguistic tendencies, we carefully researched every aspect of the character to enhance the target player's suspension of disbelief.
Story optimizations were made while considering the current issues and concerns affecting the target community at large.
A real time modifiable 5 emotion system was created for each NPC which would respond to the players choices. These values would in turn affect the types of dialogues and interactions accessible to the player in the next encounter.
Mathematical modelling based approaches were used to graphically plot the perceived tension/ conflict through the course of the story.
The graph above charts different types of percieved plot tension against the passage of time in the game (dialogues in this case).
By using tools such as these, we can sync situations and dialogue with the game flow with higher precision.
For instance, in the graph shown above, we observe a sharp drop in all types of conflict around dialogue 40. This is followed by a noticable rise in exclusively one type of conflict. This falling and rising trend corresponds to the points in the story where we place a hook for the next gameplay session and disengage the player for a cooldown period.
SELECTED CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
Javier Rodriguez - The meticulous artist
NAME : JAVIER RODRIGUEZ
Age : 25
Country : Mexico
Profession : FASHION AFICIANADO AND PROLIFIC Makeup Artist
"Behold my work, the perfect blend of artistic grace with scientific rigor.”
Being a gay man is generally associated with a degree of flamboyance in pop culture. A somewhat intense, funny, exaggerated and often loud character.
While this cliché may have some roots in reality, there exists an equally real group of gay men who are calm, composed and may even come off as cold to the unknown bystander. These are usually men of greater than usual depth and clarity coming from a lifetime of ostracization by virtue of who they are.
Javier, the social media prodigy and leader of the prolific “Fashion Queens” content house, is one blessed with the wisdom that comes out of such pain.
Born to an academic couple, his parents were extremely rational people, at times to the point of absurdity. Javier was brought up in a very strict yet inclusive environment and was taught to value intellect and a person’s merit above all else. He understood the advantage of a “John Wick” like rigor to life at an early age.
His ability to quickly observe key aspects of a problem, analyze his findings and solve the problem based on his observations sets him apart from the other influencers to date.
Given his upbringing and household environment, his sexuality was never an issue with his family. They understood that it is a natural part of the world and that irrespective of their views, Javier’s reality would not change.
They preferred that he could be honest with them and more importantly, himself (this in itself had been a long struggle for him and they didn’t want to add to the baggage). They did however have an uncomfortable conversation with him where they explained the reality of how the average cis-straight person views such issues and warned him of the challenges he would have to face until the world learned how to be more tolerant.
Javier realized it was wiser to leave such matters to ambiguity; so he could avoid lying on a day-to-day basis. This often manifests as a cold exterior where he is reluctant to discuss personal matters and evades questions in imaginative ways.
Javier was an astute student from an early age and topped his class on a regular basis in all subjects across the board. He always wanted the acknowledgment of his peers but his overtly rational outlook on life and some so called "effeminate" habits made him a regular target for school bullies.
The first time Javier truly made a friend whom he could trust was after he went to university, where Jake became his flatmate after his previous one abruptly moved out. The reason was that the previous flatmate came back to his room- found Javier making out with a guy and got so uncomfortable that he left.
Javier always had the caliber to be one of the finest research minds to come out of his country, a vision his mother strongly encouraged. However, he was also very drawn to visual arts and creative work.
He spent his teens tinkering around with formulations of cosmetics and self-care products in his father’s makeshift garage laboratory. Over time, his experiments granted him an insight into the use of beauty products that were almost at par with experienced professionals. He began to upload close-up, silent videos demonstrating his exceptional skills.
He was midway through his Bachelors when his profile was noticed online and he suddenly hit mini- stardom with small LA stars and musicians. He started regularly gettingrecieving high profile contracts to consult on shoots for shorts and music videos.
Given his interests in cosmetics and aesthetics, he was slowly distracted from his coursework and his grades plummeted within the semester.
This is when the falling out between Javier and his parents began.
Javier’s parents could accept his sexuality, personality, everything, but they felt wasting so much intellectual potential on a field as trivial as cosmetics was a bit much.
In their opinion, a face was the least important part of a meat suit that aged poorly, and the skin nothing more than a preserving wrap. It was the person within that truly mattered.
However, Javier knew what he wanted to do for a living. His art had become an international hit, being famous mostly for his makeup videos. He didn’t need to listen to anyone anymore. It was his turn to finally shine and show the world what he truly had to offer.
The problem was that he was slowly becoming a workaholic to escape the personal troubles plaguing his life.
Becoming the best at his craft consumed his passion and energy, giving him a one-track mind for work.
It was not that he wasn’t open to a relationship, he simply didn’t have time for the nonsense that came along with it. Some may say that he “doesn’t have enough fun for his age”, but he doesn’t care about that noise.
He has his eyes on the prize, and there is nothing that will stop him now.
Javier looks like the typical sigma male; well built with a heavy voice and calm (almost cold) demeanor.
He is not one for very flamboyant, colorful clothes. He prefers muted colors with clean modern cuts and has a flawless skincare routine.
He speaks in a low voice most of the time but tends to shout in a mix of English peppered with Spanish insults when someone tries his patience.
Ty - The Sporty Extrovert
Name : Ty
Age : 21
Country : USA
Profession : Model and Presenter
"Heyyy… Can we just get this shoot started? I have a match soon”
Have you ever wondered what Will Smith would have been like, had he been born a Zoomer? Well, Ty answers that question by his very existence. An exceptional young man coming out of the projects in Philadelphia, Ty has had to work hard to get here.
He is a bright student who secured a sports scholarship allowing him to attend a private high school. Following this, he got into a good school for higher studies through varsity basketball.
He currently part time models for the professional gigs that are commissioned to Influenzer Content House and is a young anchor/ presenter intern for the local news station. His delicate features and pretty eyes are enough to make anyone weak in the knees, and a perfectly chiseled body from years of playing sports is only the icing on the cake.
Ty grew up with his mother and his grandmother. When Ty was only a toddler, his father, a dedicated family man who worked hard to ensure their survival, was killed while returning home one evening just because he passed the wrong street at the wrong time. As a result Ty hates guns and gang- violence. He is also a big supporter of gun control laws as well as the unity walks.
His mother was a strong woman who drove Ty to stay on the right track, get a scholarship to a fancy school and motivated him to complete college before starting work. In her opinion, she felt that if Ty got his graduate degree, she would have already succeeded as a good mother.
She believed Ty had been her blessing and shortly after Ty’s father passed away, she would regularly invite her mother out to stay with them and help bring Ty up. She spent years doing double shifts everyday to support Ty and his dreams.
She missed Ty’s father, but it was his years of motivation and relentless efforts to make something out of nothing that gave her the strength to carry on long after he was gone from their lives.
Ty himself had a rather eventful life, almost veering off the golden road to a college education several times. Each time, it was as if he had a guardian angel watching over him, ready to stop him at the right time and try to talk sense into him. The most striking and most recent time this happened was during the start of high school.
He had just made some new friends, and he was finally kind of accepted by the cool kids in school. They had invited him down to the park to have a few beers and some smoke. He didn't used to drink or smoke but he was ready to go along just to get some form of acceptance in a world where he was always an outsider.
As they were leaving, the school guard caught the kids trying to sneak out of campus and sent them to the principal's office. However the guard had a soft spot for Ty because his drive to make something of his life reminded the guard of his youth.
Instead of sending Ty to the principal's office, he sat him down in the security office and explained a few things to him. Firstly, the kids he was rolling with were all rich entitled brats who had big businesses to inherit. They could afford to be mediocre, but he had to shine a little harder than them to get the same opportunities.
When Ty tried acting tough and saying whatever, the guard walked him through his life if he made this choice. If he went out that afternoon, he would start missing afternoon practice more regularly, which would lose his spot on the team which would then lose his sports scholarship and end up without a job; because of which he would have to join the Army. Eventually he would end up a veteran on the street with no legs who can’t play basketball anymore, just because he wanted to cut classes to fit in with a couple of rich spoiled kids who could never understand where he came from.
Finally the guard said,“ Don’t forget your roots kid… And try not to make your mama cry. You are all that she has.”
The last words felt like a kick in the chest as his eyes welled up with tears. He didn’t want to fit in anymore, he wanted to make something of his life so he could make “mama” proud.
After that day, he never really hung out with the cool kids anymore but that in no way made him less popular. His outgoing nature and patient demeanor are too endearing and he has a way of winning people over with words alone.
Ty was noticed due to modeling in a collaboration which was considered one of the most successful amateur pieces created.
He hopes to get a good endorsement deal from a big brand soon so he can have enough money to buy his “dear mama” a house and a car.
He openly declares that his mother has made him the man he is today and wishes to give something back in whatever small way.
His biggest aspiration is to start an acting and modeling school in his old neighborhood so he can teach the local kids and help them build a promising future in the field.
Ivy - The Asperger’s Genius
NAME : IVY
Age : 22
Country : USA
Profession : Fashion Designer and Make Up Artist
"Um... no thanks"
A no- nonsense, slightly mean looking NPC, Ivy is a fashion genius with Asperger’s syndrome. Her approach to design and make up is highly systematic and exceptionally well planned. She likes to think about each detail right down to the ambient temperature and humidity on site while designing spectacular looks with exotic and difficult to use materials.
Ivy was brought up in a working household, where both her parents were high flying professionals with very little time to spend with her. Instead she was parented by a string of nannies who looked after her through the day and put her to bed before her parents were home.
Breakfast was the only time she got to see her parents and it remains a majorly significant meal of the day for her. In fact, she is the kind of person who will always be dressed and ready for the day prior to breakfast. Ivy’s father, also a bike enthusiast, had a tradition with her where once a month he would take 3 days off and spend that entire time working on his personal projects with Ivy playing his assistant. These are some of her best memories from childhood. She ended up inheriting the love for lean, mean riding machines.
Ivy always had trouble fitting in with her peers and more than often, well intended gestures were misinterpreted by those around her. This led to her being bullied through school and ultimately becoming a somewhat reclusive character. Her escape from her personal piece of daily hell was the world of glamor and fashion. Everyone loved celebrities. The idea that it was because of their good looks and fashion sense played on her mind till she became singularly obsessed with the idea of creating the ultimate look - something relevant and beautiful for all of time. She systematically studied a number of famous magazines and began to sketch her own ideas.
Her first truly spectacular fashion project with unique materials was in high school, but another character we already met was integral to this process. A new kid had just joined her class in the first year. Although he spent the first few months hanging out with the cool kids, something happened one afternoon. She was going to her car with her nanny when she saw the guard at the gate having an animated conversation with the new kid from her class. She tried to crane her neck in a vain attempt to eavesdrop but her nanny quickly yanked her back and reprimanded her for poor behavior.
When she went to school the next day, even though the new kid had never really talked to her, she felt a pang of concern. He had seemed really upset the day earlier. She found him sitting away from the cool kids today but he seemed oddly happy about the change. Ivy introduced herself and asked him how he was. He seemed taken aback by the question but quickly regained his composure, responding with a quick "fine, thanks" and a big grin.
She began to feel awkward and out of place thinking perhaps she had offended someone again. However, the boy suddenly said, ”Nice to meet ya Ivy, I’m Ty.” From that day forward, the two were inseparable and quickly became the best of friends with complementing talents. Ty always pushed Ivy to get out of her comfort zone and explore more, both socially and professionally.
Ty originally gave Ivy the idea to tap into her experience fixing motorcycles with her dad when designing her next piece and told her he’d help her with getting traction online.
Ivy designed a spectacular piece. She then asked Ty to be the model for the dress, doing his makeup and preparing a set for the photoshoot. Ty was reluctant at first but when Ivy dangled the possibility and big bucks of the modeling world in front of him, he couldn’t help but consider how it might help him, and more importantly, how it could make his mother’s life easier.
Her fashion genius and his good looks got them noticed online - the post quickly went viral. Next they were invited by different content houses to help them with design and modeling assignments.
They chose INF because it has the most inclusive and diverse team among the content houses.
