HKU Professorship Interactive Narrative Design

Design Conventions Project: Example convention "Scripting Intro text"

1. Text view

2. Table view

  1. Proposer(s)

Hartmut Koenitz, Christian Roth, HKU University of the Arts Utrecht

  1. Convention name

Scripting Intro text

  1. Design concept (overarching category)

Scripting the Interactor

  1. Primary function

Alert the interactor to areas  and extent of  the interactor’s agency within the narrative

  1. General description

A sentence or two of text in the beginning of an IDN that alerts the interactor of her ability to change to course of the narrative.

  1. Examples

The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Game of Thrones: "This game series adapts to the choices you make. The story is tailored by the way you play.”
Life is Strange: “Life is Strange is a story-based game that features player choice, the consequences of all your in-game actions and decisions will impact the past, presence and future. Choose wisely…”.
Banner Sagat: “The story in the Banner Saga changes based on the choices you make. You will occasionally switch between lead characters, witnessing the story unfold from different perspectives.”
The Witcher 3: “The fate of individual characters, and sometimes even entire alliances, depends on your decisions.”
The trailer for Heavy Rain: “Make choices. Face the consequences.”
Until Dawn: “The smallest decision can dramatically change the future”.

  1. Design Intention
    1. Guidance

           X

    1. Goal setting

           -

    1. Challenge
      -
    1. Reward

           -

    1. Distraction

           -

  1. Intended Effects
    1. Effect on user interaction

Indirectly - interaction might become slower, as the interactor puts more thought into decisions

    1. Effect on user experience (Roth’s MT)
      1. Immersion

Increased immersion

      1. Agency

Expectation setting and focuses interactor on dramatically productive actions

      1. Transformation

indirectly, as interactor is scripted into thinking that her choices change to course of the narrative

  1. Production impact
    1. Cost

Minimal (one or two sentences in the beginning)

    1. Professional requirements
      1. Writing skills

           X

      1. Modelling/animation skills

                       -

      1. Programming skills

-

  1. Manifestation
    1. Primary (sense level)
      1. Visual

           X

      1. Auditory

Possible also as audio

      1. Olfactory

                       -

      1. Gustatory

                       -      

      1. Tactile (touch & pressure [haptics], temperature, pain)

                       -

    1. Secondary (implementations)
      1. Text

                       X

      1. Graphics

                       -

      1. TUI Elements

                       -

    1. Tertiary (relationships)
      1. Mechanics

                                   -

      1. Rules

                                   -

  1. Application
    1. Form (e.g. games, interactive novels, interactive documentaries, independent),

independent, however for non-fiction forms, emphasis should be on perspective change, not narrative change

    1. Genre: (e.g. RPG, thriller, comedy, interactive novels, serious games, independent)

                       independent

    1. Visual representation: 2D, 3D, 2.5 D, independent

           independent

    1. Physical representation: Screen-based, installation, Goggle-based, Mobile, AR, MR, Audio-based, independent

independent

    1. Platform: Console, PC, platform independent
      1. Brand: Oculus, Vive, Xbox, PlayStation, PC

independent

    1. User Input Type: keyboard, mouse, touch screen, standard controller (?), motion controller, 2D camera, depth sensor (Kinect etc.), microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope…

N/A

  1. Interdependence/Relationship with other conventions

Indirectly, Interactor expects choices afterwards

  1. Cultural dependency/relevance
    1. Societal context

Works in western cultural context, others need investigation

    1. Historical context

                       Contemporary

  1. Research status
    1. Verfified)

           Early results: https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3133942

    1. currently Investigated by
    2. not yet investigated
  1. Additional comments

e.g. from practitioners

 

 

No.

1st Order Category

content

2nd Order category

content

3rd Order category

content

0.

Proposer(s)

Hartmut Koenitz, Christian Roth, HKU University of the Arts Utrecht

 

 

 

 

1.

Convention name

Scripting Intro text

 

 

 

 

2.

Design concept

Scripting the Interactor

 

 

 

 

3.

Primary Function

Alert the interactor to areas and extent of the interactor’s agency within the narrative

 

 

 

 

4.

General description

A sentence or two of text in the beginning that alerts the interactor of her ability to change to course of the narrative.

 

 

 

 

5.

Examples

The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Game of Thrones: "This game series adapts to the choices you make. The story is tailored by the way you play.”

 

 

 

 

3.

Design intention

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a. Guidance

X

 

 

 

 

 

b. Goal setting

-

 

 

 

 

 

c. Challenge

-

 

 

 

 

 

d. Reward

-

 

 

 

 

 

e. Distraction

-

 

 

7.

Intended Effects

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a. Effect on user interaction

indirectly - interaction might become slower, as the interactor puts more thought into decisions

 

 

 

 

 

b. Effect on user experience

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i. Immersion

Increased immersion

 

 

 

 

 

ii. Agency

expectation setting and focuses interactor on dramatically productive actions

 

 

 

 

 

iii.Transformation

indirectly, as interactor is scripted into thinking that her choices change the course of the narrative

8.

Production impact

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a. Cost

Minimal (one or two sentences in the beginning)

 

 

 

 

 

b. Professional requirements

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i. Writing skills

X

 

 

 

 

 

ii. Modelling/animation skills

-

 

 

 

 

 

iii. Programming skills

-

9.

Manifestation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a. Primary (sense level)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i. Visual

X

 

 

 

 

 

ii. Auditory

Possible also as audio

 

 

 

 

 

iii. Olfactory

-

 

 

 

 

 

iv. Gustatory

-

 

 

 

 

 

v. Tactile (touch & pressure temperature, pain)

-

 

 

 

b. Secondary (implementations)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i. Text

X

 

 

 

 

 

ii. Graphics

-

 

 

 

 

 

iii. TUI Elements

-

 

 

 

c. Tertiary (relationships)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i. Mechanics

-

 

 

 

 

 

ii. Rules

-

10

Application

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a. Form: (e.g. games, interactive novels, interactive documentaries, independent)

independent, however for non-fiction forms, emphasis should be on perspective change, not narrative change

 

 

 

 

 

b. Genre: (e.g. RPG, thriller, comedy, interactive novels, Serious games, independent)

independent

 

 

 

 

 

c. Visual representation :

2D, 3D, 2.5 D, independent

 

 

 

 

 

d. Physical representation:

Screen-based, installation, Goggle-based, Mobile, AR, MR, Audio-based, independent

 

 

 

 

 

e. Platform:

Console, PC, platform independent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i. Brand:

Oculus, Vive, Xbox, PlayStation, PC, Independent

 

 

 

f. User Input Types

keyboard, mouse, touch screen, motion controller, 2D camera, depth sensor (Kinect etc.), microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope. N/A

 

 

11

Interdependence/Relationship with other conventions

Indirectly, Interactor expects choices afterwards

 

 

 

 

12

Cultural dependency

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a. Societal context

Works in western cultural context, others need investigation

 

 

 

 

 

b. Historical context

Contemporary

 

 

13.

Research status

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a. Verified

Early results: https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3133942

 

 

 

 

 

b. currently Investigated by

 

 

 

 

 

 

c. not yet investigated

 

 

 

14

Additional comments

e.g. from practitioners