The Performance of a Lifetime
Creation Kit // Fallout 4
Narrative Design, Technical Design, Hub-and-Spokes Design
Level Summary
“The Performance of a Lifetime” is a standalone single-player quest for the Fallout 4 base game. When a murder plot threatens to ruin an aspiring actor’s big performance, the Sole Survivor is tasked with subtly rooting out the killer with a once-in-a-lifetime monologue.
This level was completed following rapid iterative development practices. Level parameters include:
A focused, highly-polished experience
A unique but cohesive twist on Fallout 4
Roughly 15-30 minutes of gameplay
Design Goals
Unique “Directing” Mechanic
Players put their theories to the test by directing a Mister Handy in a stage play
Player Choice
Players have multiple ways to investigate & test every suspect
Adaptive Characters & Environs
The world is always responding to player actions & decisions
Implementation Details
Unique “Directing” Mechanic
While developing another Fallout 4 level, “Lost Love”, I action blocked a system where the player directs a Mister Handy around a stage and feeds them lines, helping the robot give a performance like no other. I was excited to flesh out this mechanic to create a fun and quirky murder mystery!
After gathering evidence for four different suspects, players put their theories to the test in a performance. Players can guide the Mister Handy to interact with different objects throughout the monologue and see how different suspects react, leading to the suspect being arrested.
Adaptive Characters & Environs
With over 1,100 lines of dialogue and x ending combinations, I put a lot of emphasis in creating dynamic systems that are always responding to players.
Player Choice
Coming soon!
Design Process & Iteration
While this was not my first rodeo creating a level for Fallout 4 / in Creation Kit, it was helpful to refresh myself on the various systems in the base game. You have to know the rules in order to break them!
Coming soon!
action block
before/after
tracking system (table vs. GVs)
adding gameplay
Post-Mortem
What Went Well
Planning
Well-planned complex dialogue system that allowed me to iterate quickly
Execution
Executed all three of my major design goals
Rapid Iteration
Made quick and efficient changes to level throughout development in conversation with stakeholder
What Went Wrong
Scope
Scope began to expand after core experience was implemented in an effort to add gameplay
What I Learned
Dialogue Needs Support
Unless you are in a dialogue-based game (like a virtual novel), dialogue needs associated gameplay for a balanced experience
Plan Well, but Adapt
I had a very solid implementation plan during my LDD phase, but when I jumped in the engine, I discovered more efficient ways to handle systems
Gallery
