GDC Online 2011 Speaker Spotlight: Telltale's Dave Grossman On Authorial Control

Oct 01 2011 07:00 AM | Events For Gamers in GDC Next

Gamasutra: How do you balance the control of the authorial voice with player autonomy?

DG: Carefully, I hope. We’re talking about interactive media, so both the author and the player (or players) need to take control of some aspects of the experience. The challenge for the designer is to figure out which things to control strongly, and which not to. Some of the tools available are inherently subtle, some are not, but all are useful in various contexts.

The balance is probably not unlike being a parent, where you typically want to establish some clear rules, provide opportunities and context, and intervene where necessary, but if you try to manage your child’s actions too closely, you’ll both go nuts.

Read the rest of the interview at Gamasutra!