GDC 2016: Learn to write great NPCs from 80 Days scribe Meg Jayanth

As we get closer to the 2016 Game Developers Conference in March, organizers are excited to highlight a great new talk from 80 Days writer Meg Jayanth that will be taking place at the conference's Game Narrative Summit.

This session is intriguing because it offers a fresh perspective on how to design, write and empower non-player characters, who typically take a back seat to protagonists in game industry conversations about storytelling in games.

In her GDC 2016 talk "Forget Protagonists: Writing NPCs with Agency for '80 Days' and Beyond," Jayanth will draw on her experience writing 80 Days (as well as lots of relevant examples from other games) to explore how game makers can best write three-dimensional, engaging NPCs.

When NPCs have agency, drive and motivation, argues Jayanth, your game world is more vibrant and engaging. Come out to her session and learn how you can apply those principles to your own work.

There are lots of other great talks about narrative design in games at GDC 2016, including Failbetter Games' Alexis Kennedy's talk on "Choice, Consequence and Complicity," Australian game maker Liam Esler's talk on "Finding the Right Branching Narrative Structure for your RPG" and the "Dragon Age Inquisition: Trespasser - Building To An Emotional Theme" session from BioWare's own John Epler and Patrick Weekes.

And of course, more great sessions will be announced for GDC 2016 in the coming months. Stay tuned, and don't miss the opportunity to save money by registering for the conference early -- the deadline to register for passes at a discounted rate is Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016.

GDC 2016 itself will take place March 14-18th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. For more information on GDC 2016, visit the show's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.

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