Meet Nata Pokrovskaya: Crafting Stories in the Gaming World
Story Time
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a professional writer in game development? What exactly do they do, and why is their role crucial? Do all writers have unconventional backgrounds, or is it unique to our team? We sat down with our talented Narrative Designer, Nata, to uncover the answers we’ve all been curious about. Let’s dive into her perspective:
Who Is Nata?
- Name: Nata Pokrovskaya
- Role: Narrative Designer on Project CW
- Tenure: Just celebrated my first year at Wargaming Belgrade
- Journey: My path to gamedev includes fashion magazines, advertising, tech startups, and even running my own film studio. I also co-wrote and published a book on interactive storytelling across film, VR, and immersive theatre (currently in Russian, but an English edition is in the works!).
Fun Facts About Me:
- Forest Upbringing: I grew up surrounded by forests, immersed in sci-fi literature.
- Arctic Adventure: I traveled to the North Pole aboard an atomic icebreaker.
- Photobooks: I’ve created two photobooks, capturing unique moments.
What Does a Narrative Designer Do?
- Metaphor: Think of a film director—my role involves collaborating with various departments (screenwriters, cinematographers, actors, composers, sound engineers, artists, and SFX teams) to weave a compelling story. In our case, the game designer takes center stage.
- Story Creation: I shape the narrative (avoiding the term “lore,” which feels like a dusty tome) and design how players experience it—from setting and characters to voiceovers, UI copy, and challenges. Essentially, I’m a game writer on Project CW.
- Character-Driven Approach: Whether the game is story-driven or not, characters remain pivotal. I focus on character development, relationships, and creating relatable experiences.
Favorite Aspects of the Job:
- Dialogue Writing: It feels like cheating—I get paid to have fun!
- Designing Experiences: I explore game mechanics and features to enhance storytelling. How can I convey more through player actions and emotions?
Challenges:
- Herding Cats: Coordinating across departments isn’t always straightforward.
- Engine Yearnings: I’d love to dive deeper into the engine, but for now, I focus on my strengths.
Go-To Agents:
- Jäger: Stealthy crits and subtle insults (not included in the VO pack) make for satisfying gameplay.
- Blitz: His introverted, tech-bro-on-the-way-to-redemption persona resonates with me.
Outro
Thank you for getting acquainted with Nata! We’re excited to share more insights soon. Let us know your thoughts and suggest the next discipline you’d like us to interview in the 💬│cw-discussion channel. And don’t forget to assign yourself the @News role in roles to stay updated—we’ve got exciting things coming your way!
source – projectcw discord
