How the Nemesis System Creates Stories

Published 2021-01-28
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The Nemesis System in Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a unique villain generator. But in the sequel, Shadow of War, it's a full on story generator. Here's how it makes narratives that are interesting, meaningful, and memorable.

=== Before you watch ===

Content warning: Blood, Gore, Violence

=== Sources ===

[1] 2015 D.I.C.E. Summit - Middle-Earth Shadow of Mordor's Michael de Plater | YouTube
   • 2015 D.I.C.E. Summit - Middle-Earth S...  

[2] Helping Players Hate (or Love) Their Nemesis | YouTube
   • Helping Players Hate (or Love) Their ...  

[3] Upgrading the Nemesis system for Middle-earth: Shadow of War | Gamasutra
www.gamasutra.com/view/news/305601/Upgrading_the_N…

[4] Nemesis Characters, Nemesis Forts, Social Vendettas And Followers In Computer Games | Justia Patents
patents.justia.com/patent/20160279522

[5] SEGA Sues Fox, EA over Simpsons Road Rage | IGN
www.ign.com/articles/2003/12/05/sega-sues-fox-ea-o…

[6] New Batman Game From WB Montreal To Feature Nemesis System With Multiple Factions – Rumor | WCCF Tech
wccftech.com/new-batman-game-nemesis-system/

[7] Rumor: Harry Potter RPG Gets ‘Dark,’ Uses a ‘Nemesis’ Rival System | The Escapist
www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/rumor-harry-potter-rpg…

=== Chapters ===

00:00 - Intro
01:40 - Orcs Build on Player Actions
03:29 - Going Beyond Death
07:19 - Hierarchies and Relationships
11:15 - Narrative Brickwork
12:13 - Iconic Enemies
14:09 - Strong Emotional Connections
16:30 - More Storytelling Secrets
18:32 - Creating a Story
19:24 - Why isn't the Nemesis System Used More?
20:59 - Conclusion
21:59 - Patreon Credits

=== Games Shown ===

Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017)
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014)
RimWorld (2013)
Crusader Kings III (2020)
Spec Ops: The Line (2012)
Hades (2020)
Burnout Revenge (2005)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
The Walking Dead: Season One (2012)
Mass Effect 3 (2012)
The Simpsons: Road Rage (2001)
Crazy Taxi (1999)
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (2018)
Watch Dogs: Legion (2020)

=== Credits ===

Music from Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War OSTs, property of Warner Bros.

The Simpsons: Road Rage footage from    • Simpsons Road Rage on GameCube in 4K  

Some images from thenounproject.com/

== Subtitles ==

Contribute translated subtitles - amara.org/en-gb/videos/Q5XZRdGV29zy/