Text and dialogue.
WHAT GAME WRITING INCLUDES
Dialogue Item and ability descriptions Interface text Tutorial and guidance Environmental text Marketing copy
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM PROSE
It is read in fragments, during activity, frequently under pressure.
WHAT THAT DEMANDS
Brevity Clarity above style Information front-loaded
WHAT DIALOGUE MUST DO
Convey character and information simultaneously, in few words.
WHAT TO AVOID
Long passages that cannot be skipped Dialogue repeating what the player just did Text the player must read to proceed but will not
WHAT BRANCHING DIALOGUE REQUIRES
Tooling to author and visualise it Tracking of state affecting availability Testing of every path
WHY THAT LAST POINT IS EXPENSIVE
Paths multiply, and untested ones break.
WHAT TO LIMIT
Branch depth, deliberately.
WHAT ITEM DESCRIPTIONS SHOULD DO
State the mechanical effect plainly, then add character.
WHY IN THAT ORDER
Players need the effect; the flavour is a bonus.
WHAT TO KEEP CONSISTENT
Terminology, throughout.
WHY
Two words for one concept confuses every player.
WHAT TO PREPARE FOR
Translation, by keeping text separate and avoiding fragments.
