LCC 6317 Interactive NarrativeLecture 3

LCC 6317 Interactive NarrativeLecture 3

January 18, 2005January 18, 2005

Additive formsAdditive forms

• Additive forms mimic an earlier mediumAdditive forms mimic an earlier medium• Early movies as photo-plays

• Multimedia (computer as a playback device)

• Can you think of examples of additive Can you think of examples of additive approaches in interactive narrative?approaches in interactive narrative?

The properties of digital environmentsThe properties of digital environments

• Procedural Procedural Digital environments are fundamentally processes. They are composed of Digital environments are fundamentally processes. They are composed of algorithms, heuristics and data structures bearing complex relations to each algorithms, heuristics and data structures bearing complex relations to each other.other.

• ParticipatoryParticipatoryThe actions of a user induce the behaviors (the procedural potential) of digital The actions of a user induce the behaviors (the procedural potential) of digital environments.environments.

• SpatialSpatialInteraction with a digital environment is structured as navigation through a Interaction with a digital environment is structured as navigation through a space. space.

• EncyclopedicEncyclopedicDigital environments have huge data capacities.Digital environments have huge data capacities.

Examples of properties in interactive narrativeExamples of properties in interactive narrative

• ProceduralProcedural

• ParticipatoryParticipatory

• SpatialSpatial

• EncyclopedicEncyclopedic

Process IntensityProcess Intensity

• Process intensity - term coined by Chris CrawfordProcess intensity - term coined by Chris Crawford

• Refers to the “crunch per bit” ratioRefers to the “crunch per bit” ratio• How much processing does the computer do on the data?

• Instantial assets – data displayed by computer Instantial assets – data displayed by computer • Sound files

• Bitmaps

• Text

• Animations

• …

Instantial assets: a temptationInstantial assets: a temptation

• When first learning to program, instantial assets When first learning to program, instantial assets provide immediate rewardprovide immediate reward• For art and humanities students, might feel more “safe”

• But, instantial assetsBut, instantial assets• Don’t make use of the unique properties of computational

media

• Limit possibilities for interaction

• Create an authorial bottleneck

• Are computationally “opaque”

The essence of the mediumThe essence of the medium

• The essence of the computer as a representational medium The essence of the computer as a representational medium is notis not• Intervention in the production or display of 3 dimensional forms or

visual imagery (tools)

• Interaction with a participant/observer (interactivity)

• Control of electro-mechanical devices (installation)

• Mediation of signals from distant locations (communication)

• The essence of the computer as a medium is…The essence of the computer as a medium is…Computation, processes of mechanical manipulation to which Computation, processes of mechanical manipulation to which

observers can ascribe meaningobservers can ascribe meaning

Instantial assets limit interactionInstantial assets limit interaction

• More degrees of interactive freedom require more complexity of More degrees of interactive freedom require more complexity of responseresponse• As the interactor can do more, the program needs to do more

• Responses generated from instantial assets…Responses generated from instantial assets…• Limit response to combinations of assets

• Require more assets as the range of response grows

• Can be an authorial bottleneck

• Instantial design tends to limit interaction or collapse response Instantial design tends to limit interaction or collapse response

Computational opacityComputational opacity

• The meaning of instantial assets are opaque to The meaning of instantial assets are opaque to codecode• Example: code that triggers video clips can’t reason about or

manipulate the meaning of the clips

• This opacity limits the code’s ability to This opacity limits the code’s ability to resequence these assets in meaningful and resequence these assets in meaningful and interesting waysinteresting ways• Assets must be designed for sequencibility or…

• Assets must be “opened-up” to the code

But instantial assets aren’t “bad” But instantial assets aren’t “bad”

• Can tap into rich meaning systemsCan tap into rich meaning systems• Complex connotations, emotional flavor…

• We don’t know how to procedurally generate rich instantial We don’t know how to procedurally generate rich instantial assetsassets• This can quickly become an AI complete problem

• Purely procedural work may be overly abstracy

• Need to appropriately balance the use of instantial assets Need to appropriately balance the use of instantial assets and procedurality and procedurality • Develop strategies for manipulation of instantial assets

Geeks vs. freaks: why IN doesn’t existGeeks vs. freaks: why IN doesn’t exist

Here are a few gross generalizationsHere are a few gross generalizations

• Geeks (techies)Geeks (techies)• Limited range of cultural experiences – only pay attention to a small

subset of books, movies, etc.

• View interactive narrative as an engineering problem

• Art reserved for the chrome (e.g. to pretty up a game)

• Freaks (arts and humanities)Freaks (arts and humanities)• Constitutionally unable to learn programming (how should programming

be taught/enabled for this group?)

• View interactive narrative as a design problem

• Write a lot of useless theory (what is the relationship of theory to practice?)

Disciplinary challengesDisciplinary challenges

• Development of the medium will require Development of the medium will require artist/programmersartist/programmers• Won’t happen on the large, specialized teams that build AAA

titles

• Interdisciplinarity in one head will always beat Interdisciplinarity in one head will always beat interdisciplinarity across headsinterdisciplinarity across heads

• It It isis possible to be comfortable in multiple possible to be comfortable in multiple intellectual culturesintellectual cultures

Electronic literatureElectronic literature

• Interactive fiction (IF)Interactive fiction (IF)• Segmentation: places and objects

• Major trope: the puzzle

• HypertextHypertext• Segmentation: links and lexia

• Major trope: association

Defining properties of interactive fictionDefining properties of interactive fiction

• Textual representation of the worldTextual representation of the world

• Natural language understandingNatural language understanding

• Simulated settingSimulated setting

ZorkZork

Elements of IFElements of IF

• LocationsLocations

• ObjectsObjects

• Player characterPlayer character

• Non-player charactersNon-player characters

IF: Design dimensionsIF: Design dimensions

• SegmentationSegmentationPlaces and objects

• NarrativityNarrativityHeroic quest organized around puzzle obstacles

• InteractionInteractionFirst-person – identification between PC and player

• RepresentationRepresentationDescriptive prose

IF: Digital AffordancesIF: Digital Affordances

• ProceduralProcedural

• ParticipatoryParticipatory

• Spatial Spatial

• Encyclopedic Encyclopedic

PhotopiaPhotopia

ShrapnelShrapnel

For a ChangeFor a Change

Hypertext vs. IFHypertext vs. IF

Digital narratives primarily follow the trajectory of Adventure, a work considered venerable only by the techies who first played it in the 1970s, cybergaming geeks, and the writers, theorists, and practitioners who deal with interactivity. Hypertext fiction, on the other hand, follows and furthers and trajectory of hallowed touchstones of print culture, especially the avant-garde novel. – J. Yellowlees Douglas

The End of Books — Or Books Without End?: Reading Interactive Narratives

AfternoonAfternoon

Hypertext: Design dimensionsHypertext: Design dimensions

• SegmentationSegmentationLexia and links

• NarrativityNarrativityFinding/untangling the narrative

• InteractionInteractionThird-person – exploring a text

• RepresentationRepresentationProse

Hypertext: Digital AffordancesHypertext: Digital Affordances

• ProceduralProcedural

• ParticipatoryParticipatory

• Spatial Spatial

• Encyclopedic Encyclopedic

Fair-e-talesFair-e-tales

Diagrams Series 5Diagrams Series 5