Post on 18-Jul-2015
Creating Satisfying Game Experiences with
Coherent Emergent Stories
Gail Carmichael David Mould
Graphics, Imaging, and Games Lab Carleton University
Causal connections Story element development
Noticeable structure
Meaning
Every event and gameplay action has meaning
Coherency
Contributions
A design philosophy for emergent stories based on a low ratio of kernels to satellites.
An algorithm to prioritize scenes outside of the core plot according to measures of story progression and gameplay history, leading to
more satisfying stories.
Techniques to automatically insert threads of commonality between scenes to enhance the coherence of emergent stories.
An approach to visualizing the shape of a story from the
perspective of the development of story elements such as theme, character, setting, and so on.
Contributions
A design philosophy for emergent stories based on a low ratio of kernels to satellites.
An algorithm to prioritize scenes outside of the core plot according to measures of story progression and gameplay history, leading to
more satisfying stories.
Techniques to automatically insert threads of commonality between scenes to enhance the coherence of emergent stories.
An approach to visualizing the shape of a story from the
perspective of the development of story elements such as theme, character, setting, and so on.
Planner-based Causal connections
How to develop story elements? Difficult to author
Transformationalist
Real-world story structures Coherency from rigid structures
Inconsistency in emergent structures Easier to arrange satellites for story development
Structuralist
Planner-based Causal connections
How to develop story elements? Difficult to author
Transformationalist
Real-world story structures Coherency from rigid structures
Inconsistency in emergent structures Easier to arrange satellites for story development
Structuralist
Kernels and satellites
Authorial control over core plot
Each satellite has a function in the story
Structuralist
Contributions
A design philosophy for emergent stories based on a low ratio of kernels to satellites.
An algorithm to prioritize scenes outside of the core plot
according to measures of story progression and gameplay history, leading to more satisfying stories.
Techniques to automatically insert threads of commonality
between scenes to enhance the coherence of emergent stories.
An approach to visualizing the shape of a story from the perspective of the development of story elements such as theme,
character, setting, and so on.
Story State Themes: Finding bravery: 6 Characters: Hero: 4 Enemy: 5 Tension: 7
Scene 1: Player volunteers to stop threat
of a nearby enemy Themes: Finding bravery: 3
Scene 2: Learn that nobody has dared face
this enemy before Prerequisite: Completed scene: 1 Characters: Enemy: 6
Scene 3: Hero previously acquired weapon and is
scared to use it Characters: Hero: 6 Themes: Finding bravery: 5
Story State Themes: Finding bravery: 6 Characters: Hero: 4 Enemy: 5 Tension: 7
Scene 1: Player volunteers to stop threat
of a nearby enemy Themes: Finding bravery: 3
Scene 2: Learn that nobody has dared face
this enemy before Prerequisite: Completed scene: 1 Characters: Enemy: 6
Scene 3: Hero previously acquired weapon and is
scared to use it Characters: Hero: 6 Themes: Finding bravery: 5
Quantifiable Story Elements (QSE)
Story State Themes: Finding bravery: 6 Characters: Hero: 4 Enemy: 5 Tension: 7
Scene 1: Player volunteers to stop threat
of a nearby enemy Themes: Finding bravery: 3
Scene 2: Learn that nobody has dared face
this enemy before Prerequisite: Completed scene: 1 Characters: Enemy: 6
Scene 3: Hero previously acquired weapon and is
scared to use it Characters: Hero: 6 Themes: Finding bravery: 5
Story state: numerical values for each QSE
Story State Themes: Finding bravery: 6 Characters: Hero: 4 Enemy: 5 Tension: 7
Scene 1: Player volunteers to stop threat
of a nearby enemy Themes: Finding bravery: 3
Scene 2: Learn that nobody has dared face
this enemy before Prerequisite: Completed scene: 1 Characters: Enemy: 6
Scene 3: Hero previously acquired weapon and is
scared to use it Characters: Hero: 6 Themes: Finding bravery: 5
Scene state: tag a scene node about how
it functions in story
Story State Themes: Finding bravery: 6 Characters: Hero: 4 Enemy: 5 Tension: 7
Scene 1: Player volunteers to stop threat
of a nearby enemy Themes: Finding bravery: 3
Scene 2: Learn that nobody has dared face
this enemy before Prerequisite: Completed scene: 1 Characters: Enemy: 6
Scene 3: Hero previously acquired weapon and is
scared to use it Characters: Hero: 6 Themes: Finding bravery: 5
Relevance values
Story State Themes: Finding bravery: 6 Characters: Hero: 4 Enemy: 5 Tension: 7
Scene 1: Player volunteers to stop threat
of a nearby enemy Themes: Finding bravery: 3
Scene 2: Learn that nobody has dared face
this enemy before Prerequisite: Completed scene: 1 Characters: Enemy: 6
Scene 3: Hero previously acquired weapon and is
scared to use it Characters: Hero: 6 Themes: Finding bravery: 5
Desire values
Story State Themes: Finding bravery: 6 Characters: Hero: 4 Enemy: 5 Tension: 7
Scene 1: Player volunteers to stop threat
of a nearby enemy Themes: Finding bravery: 3
Scene 2: Learn that nobody has dared face
this enemy before Prerequisite: Completed scene: 1 Characters: Enemy: 6
Scene 3: Hero previously acquired weapon and is
scared to use it Characters: Hero: 6 Themes: Finding bravery: 5
Controls scene availability
(1) Discard nodes that do not meet all prerequisites
(2) Calculate priorities for remaining nodes using modifiers
(3) Offer nodes with the highest priority to player
(4) Present content of node chosen by player
(5) Update the story state
Contributions
A design philosophy for emergent stories based on a low ratio of kernels to satellites.
An algorithm to prioritize scenes outside of the core plot according to measures of story progression and gameplay history, leading to
more satisfying stories.
Techniques to automatically insert threads of commonality between scenes to enhance the coherence of emergent stories.
An approach to visualizing the shape of a story from the
perspective of the development of story elements such as theme, character, setting, and so on.
Contributions
A design philosophy for emergent stories based on a low ratio of kernels to satellites.
An algorithm to prioritize scenes outside of the core plot according to measures of story progression and gameplay history, leading to
more satisfying stories.
Techniques to automatically insert threads of commonality between scenes to enhance the coherence of emergent stories.
An approach to visualizing the shape of a story from the
perspective of the development of story elements such as theme, character, setting, and so on.
Future Work
• Winter 2015 • Evaluate Jason and the Golden Fleece prototype • Experiment with scoring mechanics and prerequisites • Develop content for informal user feedback
• Summer 2015 • Design and develop a prototype game to explore ambiguity (10 weeks) • Begin development of visualization author support tools (3 weeks) • Conduct formal user studies on ambiguity game prototype (3 weeks)
• Fall 2015 / Winter 2016 • Finish development of visualization author support tools • Wrap up user study and data analysis • Produce solutions for user interface issues
• Summer 2016 • Write thesis (16 weeks)