While writing this video game development diary, I realized that definitions are an essential building block to help keep my thinking on track. Below is my second batch of definitions (which are also available here). I was inspired by the examples at LiteraryDevices.net and Frictional Games.
1) Plot
The pathway from beginning to end of a game; these are the facts of a Story and can be as simple as an instruction set or an elaborate multiple-sequence of events. The Plot is part of the Motif layer of video game play.
2) Story
This is subjective reporting of the Plot. This ranges from a Player recounting their experience to a NPC’s retelling of a Plot event.
3) Setting
This is the backdrop for the Plot and Story and can range from the abstract of no place/time to an elaborate, complex multiverse.
4) Aesthetics
These are the graphics, animation, music, sound, and writing elements that sets the video game’s mood and feeling. Aesthetics are part of the Motif layer of video game play.
5) Genres
The synthesis of Motifs, Fundamentals, and Mechanics that gets marketed as a product (CRPG, FPS, RTS, MMO, MOBA, 4X, retro, etc).