coherent emergent stories - ghc13

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Crafting satisfying narratives while preserving player freedom is a longstanding challenge for computer games. Many games use a quest structure, allowing players to experience content nonlinearly. However, this risks creating disjointed stories when side quests only minimally integrate with the main story. This talk introduces the problem of nonlinear storytelling in games and discusses our flexible, scene-based story system that reacts dynamically to the player’s actions. Learn more at http://gailcarmichael.com/research/projects/emergentstories

TRANSCRIPT

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Coherent Emergent

Stories

Gail Carmichael

Thursday October 3

#GHC13

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women in tech poster design copy.pdf 1 3/11/13 1:17 PM

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Goal: Good videogame stories that react to the player.

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What is a Story?

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ACTORS perform actions

THE WORLD changes

EVENTS relate to each other

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About people, not things STORIES:

conflict

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Interactivity

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Two or more agents

Understand each other

Respond properly

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Game + Story: Why is it Hard?

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STORIES: Linear

GAMES: Non-Linear

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“Divergence from a story's path is likely to make for a less satisfying

story; restricting a player's freedom of action is likely to make

for a less satisfying game.”

Greg Costikyan

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What should we do?

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Complete freedom? No freedom?

Somewhere in the middle.

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1 2 3 4 5

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Available based on player action. Allow player to choose consumption.

Dynamically modified to fit story.

Satellite Scenes

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Availability via Modifiers

…space, motivation, goals, knowledge, heroism, mood,

tension, relationships, theme, character, setting, story

progression…

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Result:

A strong core story with additional flexible but relevant nodes that react to gameplay.

In other words, a coherent emergent story.

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Gail Carmichael Instructor / PhD Student,

Carleton University www.gailcarmichael.com

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