Tyranny Narrative Design Interview

We’re not the only ones who had the opportunity to conduct an interview regarding Obsidian Entertainment’s forthcoming RPG Tyranny, as Game Revolution has wrangled up a Q&A with narrative designers Matt Maclean, Megan Starks, Paul Kirsch, and Robert Land about the game’s narrative structure and penchant for player choice. An excerpt:

GR: The short stories suggest there’s more to these factions than just burning and pillaging. Will we learn their backstories in the game? And is this indicative of how the narrative and role-playing will run in Tyranny?

Kirsch: If you want to understand the armies of Kyros, there’s no better entry point than the soldiers and Archons. Talk to everyone, take the time to ask questions and figure out who these people are. Even the Chorus understand that their way of life is unsustainable, and that someday the survivors will have to pick up pitchforks and boat oars for their intended purposes. If you’ve explored every dialogue option, we’ll know that we’ve done our job.

GR: Will the stories also touch upon the choices available to players regarding the type of tyrant they can be?

MacLean: We don’t plan to spoil any of the quests in the short stories, but hopefully the short stories give you a better sense of the world, its characters, and its oddities.

Starks: A lot of our stories focus on different characters and groups within the world of Tyranny. As a writer, my hope is that in giving a glimpse into these characters, we’re also providing readers with insight into how different people handle the amount of power they have—or don’t have—in their daily lives on Terratus.

Everyone has their own motivations which, in turn, informs their actions in the face of both conflict and opportunity. Some people are only out for themselves, while others might operate on moral ideals or have a person they want to protect or avenge. Players, too, I think will choose motivations for their character which will then influence the way they progress through their path to power in the Tiers.