NANCY

This was a narrative assignment during FutureGames which purpose was to provide a sense of the type of task that might show up for a Narrative Designer or Game Designer. The assignment had several tasks, and most had a maximum word count or other restriction that shouldn’t be exceeded.

The image used in this assignment is created and owned by Stephane Wootha Richard.

BACKSTORY

Nancy had just moved from her home town, New York, to join the marines when the Omnic Crisis broke out. She found that the life as a marine, with the routines, clear hierarchy, and order suited her well. She quickly turned out to be the ideal soldier, taking orders and executing them without hesitation. She soon rose through the ranks and got to lead dangerous operations with an elite team. 

During one of these operations the team was left behind, and had to fend for themselves. Nancy was the sole survivor. This marked a change in her, as she started to question orders and the way the entire war was conducted. She started to take own initiatives and decisions during operations, pursuing a code of conduct she thought would benefit the war effort the most. As a result she got demoted, and her hate towards Omnics began to grow. It was around this time Overwatch was created. Nancy respected the order for doing what was necessary to win the war. 

Once the crisis was over Nancy left the army, searching for a new meaning in her life. She soon came across the newly formed Sisterhood of Vigil, a monastery order that questioned the Omnics claim of sentiens, since they possibly couldn’t have a soul being artificial lifeforms. The monastery life suited her just as well as the military had, with clear structures, routines and order, and she soon became the abbess.

Now, with a second Omnic Crisis looming in Russia, Nancy have joined with the resurgent Overwatch, to combat the Omnics once again. Nancy hates chaos, and sees the world slipping deeper and deeper into it and wants to prevent that, putting her on opposite sides with Talon as well. That’s the reason why she joined Overwatch.

REASONING

Nuns don’t usually handle guns, so by making Nacy a former military officer who feels comfortable with routine, structure and order she’d naturally be looking for a similar way of life after the crisis. A radical monastery fits that bill quite nicely. As a former officer it also makes sense why she’d want to join Overwatch; she’s fought the Omnics before and are distrustful towards them, maybe even hateful. At the same time she hates chaos, putting her in stark opposition with Talon, whom she sees as agents of chaos and disorder. That’s two strong reasons for her to join the Overwatch organization. Being a former elite soldier also justifies why she’d be accepted into Overwatch; she’s got experience in a time when that’s in dire need. Making her disillusioned with the military at large works well as a reason for her to leave the army behind once the crisis was over, and looking for something else.

TASK

Write at least 5 in-game dialogue character barks that is characterful and fit for purpose for the following actions:

• Character selection screen
• Entry to the playing field
• Attacking
• Failed attack
• Requiring aid
• Please highlight your favorite five barks. Why do these best fit your character? (200 words)

WEAPON:

Heavy Assault Rifle

This was the standard military rifle during the Omnic Crisis, and has been gathering dust under Nancy’s bed for the past few years, but it’s still as deadly as ever. This is a rifle that’s great both up close and from a distance, giving anyone a second thought about taking on Nancy straight on. While it holds quite a lot of ammo, the rather long reload time can be an issue for those who don’t know how to handle the rifle. But Nancy knows exactly how to handle it.

ABILITY:

Force Shield

With old age comes wisdom, but also fragility. Nancy might not be as young and agile as she once were, but she’s compensating by using a Force Shield, negating some of the damage she receives, but not all, for a few seconds. This means that Nancy can stay in the fight for a short while longer, potentially giving her an edge over her foes. And if she can’t outgun her enemies, the Shield just might give her the opportunity to get away from the heat.

TASK

Create an in-game poster and tape record that players might encounter in their game sessions that teases the character:

The character is to be put on a poster which players might see in-game.

• What is the style of the poster? 
• What does it say? 
• How does it fit the character? (100 words)

The character will be teased in a recorded snippet found in-game by pressing play on a tape recorder.

• Please write a script transcript of this recording. (200 words)