Gender-Inclusive Quest Generation in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games Anne Sullivan
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Transcript of Gender-Inclusive Quest Generation in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games Anne Sullivan
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO
Gender-Inclusive Quest Generation in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games
Anne Sullivan
University of California, Santa CruzSchool of [email protected]://.soe.ucsc.edu/~anne/
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO UC SANTA CRUZ
Overview
Research Question
Previous/Related Work
Current Work
Future Work
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO UC SANTA CRUZ
Overview
Research Question
Previous/Related Work
Current Work
Future Work
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO UC SANTA CRUZ
Research Question
How do we increase player agency with an eye towards gender-inclusive design, in quest-driven massively multiplayer gameswhile decreasing authorial burden?
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO UC SANTA CRUZ
Research Question
How do we increase player agency with an eye towards gender-inclusive design, in quest-driven massively multiplayer gameswhile decreasing authorial burden?
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO UC SANTA CRUZ
What is player agency?
Finding a balance
Material affordancesavailable actions
Formal affordancesreasons for actions
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Current player agency
CRPGsshallow material affordances
Table-top RPGsdeep material and formal affordancesco-authorship
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Role of Quests
In CRPGs players are guided through the story using quests.
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What is a Quest?
Currently in CRPGs:
A quest is a story-coated taskbuilt around game mechanics.
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What is a Quest?
In Literature:
A quest is “a goal-oriented search for something of value.”
Jeff Howard in Quests: Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives
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Increasing player agency
Strengthening tie between story and quests balances formal and material affordances increasing player agency.
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO UC SANTA CRUZ
Research Question
How do we increase player agency, with an eye towards gender-inclusive design, in quest-driven massively multiplayer gameswhile decreasing authorial burden?
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What is Gender-Inclusive?
Designing games for women and menwithout alienating either
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What is Gender-Inclusive?
Not labeling females who play games now something other than “real women”
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What is Gender-Inclusive?
Not about overhauling game mechanics to make the game more focused on women
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Gender-Inclusive
Allow for multiple play stylesregardless of gender
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Research Question
How do we increase player agency, with an eye towards gender-inclusive design, in quest-driven massively multiplayer gameswhile decreasing authorial burden?
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO UC SANTA CRUZ
Why MMOs?
Popular already with men and women
Some support for multiple play styles
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Why MMORPGs?
Quest-based structure
Quests supported by game mechanics
movementkilling
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Why MMORPGs?
Quest-based structure
Quests supported by game mechanics
movementkillingsocial
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Why MMORPGs?
Rich resources for questslogged player infountapped game mechanics
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Research Question
How do we increase player agency, with an eye towards gender-inclusive design, in quest-driven massively multiplayer gameswhile decreasing authorial burden?
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO UC SANTA CRUZ
Authorial burden
~8000 quests in World of Warcraft
Star Wars: The Old RepublicOver 12 writers for 2+ years
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Overview
Research Question
Previous/Related Work
Current Work
Future Work
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Previous Work
Drama ManagementStand-in game designer
EMPath – integrated drama management in a real-time game
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Previous Work
Drama Management is about managing an experience based on player history.
Quest generation is about creating an experience based on player history.
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Related Work
Quest PatternsNeverWinter NightsC. Onuczko, et. al.
Charbitatlock and key questsCalvin Ashmore & Michael Nitsche
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Proposed Work
Generating new style of goal-driven quests informed by player history.
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Overview
Research Question
Previous/Related Work
Current Work
Future Work
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Proposed Systems
Quest Browseroffline computer-assisted goal-driven
quest authoring
Quest Generationonline automated player-informed quest generation
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Progression
Create new goal-driven quest style
Quest browser improve domain knowledge
Quest generationmove towards more automation
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New quest style
Move from task-oriented to goal-driven quests
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Howling Fjord
Number of Quests
Kill # enemies15%
Kill named enemy15%
Get drops off killing enemies11%
Collect environmental objects20%
Talk to person13%
Other2%
Use Item8%
Explore5%
Delivery11%
Escort0%
Kill # enemies Kill named enemy Get drops off killing enemies
Collect environmental objects Delivery Explore
Escort Talk to person Other
Use Item
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Howling FjordXP Gained
Other 0%
Talk to person 3%
Escort 0%
Explore 5%
Use Item 9%
Delivery 6%
Collect environmental objects 22% Get drops off killing enemies
14%
Kill named enemy 21%
Kill # enemies 20%
Kill # enemies Kill named enemy Get drops off killing enemies
Collect environmental objects Delivery Explore
Escort Talk to person Other
Use Item
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New quest style
Solution should not be the mysteryhigh material / low formal affordances
"I want something that will attract attention but have no real importance."
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New quest style
Allow multiple solutionsincrease:
gender-inclusivenessplayer agency
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Quest Browser
Help designer brainstorm quest solutions
Reduces time and effort to achievemultiple solutions
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QuestBrowser architecture
QuestDesigner
Quest Browser
ConceptNet
Quest
Game
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ConceptNet
ConceptNet is a common-sense knowledgebase
represented as a semantic network
crowdsourced corpus
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Link types
CapableOfUsedForMadeOfLocationOfConceptuallyRelatedToThematicKLineSuperThematicKLine
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Quest Browser
Underground
light
location
objective
ExportlocationOflink type
usedForlink type
underground
fungusrock water coalsewer
mineral hard breakmoon
skysatellite affect tide light
oremineburn
bioluminescenceedible
environmentquest type5quantity
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Example
Then: Find 5 pieces of coal to light the darkened underground room.
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Example
Now: Light the darkened underground room.
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ConceptNet
underground
fungusrock water coalsewer
mineral hard breakmoon
skysatellite affect tide light
oremineburn
bioluminescenceedible
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO UC SANTA CRUZ
ConceptNet
underground
fungusrock water coalsewer
mineral hard breakmoon
skysatellite affect tide light
oremineburn
bioluminescenceedible
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO UC SANTA CRUZ
ConceptNet
underground
fungusrock water coalsewer
mineral hard breakmoon
skysatellite affect tide light
oremineburn
bioluminescenceedible
EXPRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIO UC SANTA CRUZ
ConceptNet
underground
fungusrock water coalsewer
mineral hard breakmoon
skysatellite affect tide light
oremineburn
bioluminescenceedible
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Output
Collection solution: Collect 5 pieces of coal to burn.Kill solution: Kill grues that collect bioluminescent fungus.Escort solution: Escort priest to safety and be rewarded with a shining moon rock.
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Leveraging mechanics
Future additionsSocialClass-specific
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Evaluation
Prototyped small experiencetask-based questgoal-directed quest
Looking for improved experience for both players and designers.
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Overview
Research Question
Previous/Related Work
Current Work
Future Work
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Quest Generation
Move the tedious quest creation into the game
Leave complex and epic quest creation in the hands of designers
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Move towards automation
Use domain knowledge gained by evaluationto inform generation
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Player-informed quest generation
Player-informed quest generationlooks at player’s previous choices and uses this information to generate quests based on these decisions
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Quest breakdown
Back story
Location
Objective
Reward
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Data Mining
MMORPGs currently log information on each player
Each quest subsection can use this information.
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Back story
Player-informed quest generationallows the player to create the storyabout something they are sure to care about:
Themselves
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Back story
Example “You really did a great job helping Ben the guard yesterday take care of those orcs. Do you think you could help me?”
“You haven’t been in town for a while! Will you be around long enough to help me with a small problem?”
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Location
Information about player’s movement style can be used for quest location.
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Location
Example If a player travels to one location often, give quests situated along the way/near that location.
If the player tends to explore, give quests in a zone they haven’t been.
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Objective
Offer objectives that support known player preference.
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Objective
Example If a player tends to solve quests by collecting items, offer quests that allow for that type of solution.
If a player tends to group with a specific player, offer quests that require grouping to fulfill the solution.
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Rewards
Character inventory and history can be used to generate “good” quest rewards.
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Rewards
Example:Very weak item in one inventory slot compared to all other gear – offer an upgrade.
Uses a lot of healing potions in past – offer as reward.
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Putting it all together
Profile:Player: JoeClass: PriestHas a large collection of non-combat pets.Spends most of his time in the main city chatting and emoting.
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Putting it all together
Quest: “Hi Joe, I’ve seen you around the city a lot lately. Given your knowledge of the area, perhaps you can help me. I have heard there is a secret passage in the city that I’d really like to check out. Do you think you could help me find it? If you do, I’ll give you this little kitten I found recently.”
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Putting it all together
Solutions:Ask other players for information leading to passage.Use /emotes with guards to convince them to tell him where they are.Help in the church infirmary, heal NPCs which give hints about location.
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Putting it all together
Doing this by hand is intractable.
Great place for generation.
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Conclusion
QuestBrowser and player-informed quest generation increases player agency, with an eye towards gender-inclusive design, in quest-driven massively multiplayer gameswhile decreasing authorial burden.
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Thank you!
Questions?
Anne [email protected]://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~anne/