LCC 6317/4720 Interactive Narrative

Lecture 4

LCC 6317/4720 Interactive Narrative

Lecture 4

January 25, 2005January 25, 2005

The pleasuresThe pleasures

• Immersion – the pleasurable experience of being Immersion – the pleasurable experience of being transported to a represented spacetransported to a represented space

• Agency – the pleasurable experience of taking Agency – the pleasurable experience of taking meaningful action in the worldmeaningful action in the world

• Transformation – the pleasurable experience of being Transformation – the pleasurable experience of being transformed into someone elsetransformed into someone else

Affordances of the medium vs. player experienceAffordances of the medium vs. player experience

Immersion: maintaining the liminal tranceImmersion: maintaining the liminal trance

representation reality

• Must keep virtual space real by keeping it not there• Narrative art forms maintain liminal trance by prohibiting participation

Structuring participation as a visitStructuring participation as a visit

• Control participation by limiting it via the visit Control participation by limiting it via the visit metaphormetaphor• E.g. amusement park ride

““In short, there is almost nothing to distract you in Myst from the In short, there is almost nothing to distract you in Myst from the densely textured visual and aural environment, but this intense densely textured visual and aural environment, but this intense immersion in visiting the place comes at the cost of diminished immersion in visiting the place comes at the cost of diminished immersion in the unfolding story.” immersion in the unfolding story.”

• Participatory immersion makes us want to do Participatory immersion makes us want to do more than travel through a worldmore than travel through a world

Active creation of beliefActive creation of belief

• Borrow the reality of cognitive, social, and Borrow the reality of cognitive, social, and cultural templatescultural templates

• In interactive worlds, provide manipulable In interactive worlds, provide manipulable objectsobjects• They become real through use

• This is a moving target – magical objects This is a moving target – magical objects become naturalized over timebecome naturalized over time

Structuring participation with a mask or roleStructuring participation with a mask or role

• The expressive resources of an avatar The expressive resources of an avatar provide affordances for actionprovide affordances for action

• The avatar (mask) may explicitly code a The avatar (mask) may explicitly code a social role social role • I see role as a kind of mask with an emphasis on

mutual belief creation

Presentation mechanics: regulating arousal Presentation mechanics: regulating arousal

• Arousal must not become excessive, or we Arousal must not become excessive, or we collapse into the realcollapse into the real

• Presentation mechanics creates a Presentation mechanics creates a necessary distancenecessary distance

• Examples: LARP mechanics, actions in Examples: LARP mechanics, actions in MUDsMUDs

AgencyAgency

• Agency Agency is notis not mere interactivity mere interactivity

• MurrayMurray• Actions are autonomous

• Selected from a wide range of options

• Wholly determine course

• Interpretive & intentional affordanceInterpretive & intentional affordance

• Agency most commonly experienced in gamesAgency most commonly experienced in games

The pleasure of navigationThe pleasure of navigation

• Navigating in space is intrinsically Navigating in space is intrinsically pleasurablepleasurable

• The maze story – adventure gamesThe maze story – adventure games

• The rhizome – hypertext The rhizome – hypertext

• The labyrinth – halfway houseThe labyrinth – halfway house

The maze story The maze story

• Zork-like adventure gamesZork-like adventure games

• Physical navigationPhysical navigation

““However, there is a drawback to the maze orientation: it However, there is a drawback to the maze orientation: it moves the interactor towards a single solution, towards moves the interactor towards a single solution, towards a single way out”a single way out”

RhizomeRhizome

• The hypertext novelThe hypertext novel

• Navigation through text (lexia)Navigation through text (lexia)

““In trying to create texts that do not ‘privilege’ any one In trying to create texts that do not ‘privilege’ any one order of reading or interpretive framework, the order of reading or interpretive framework, the postmodernists are privileging confusion itself.”postmodernists are privileging confusion itself.”

LabyrinthLabyrinth

• Also adventure games (IF) and hypertext?Also adventure games (IF) and hypertext?

• Halfway house between the maze and the Halfway house between the maze and the rhizomerhizome

The journey storyThe journey story

• What’s the difference between this and the What’s the difference between this and the maze story?maze story?

• Is the maze story a special case of the journey Is the maze story a special case of the journey story?story?

• Possible distinction: Journey stories Possible distinction: Journey stories emphasize problem solvingemphasize problem solving• But most maze stories have puzzles?

Games into storiesGames into stories

• Some properties of gamesSome properties of games• Mastery of skill

• Goal-based

• Distinct winning/losing configurations

• Games are the canonical representational form Games are the canonical representational form offering agencyoffering agency

• What could story-games look like? How can we What could story-games look like? How can we resolve the tensions?resolve the tensions?

Games as symbolic dramasGames as symbolic dramas

• Some “plots” of gamesSome “plots” of games• I encounter a confusing world and figure it out

• I encounter a challenging skill or strategy and succeed at it

• I encounter a difficult antagonist and triumph over him

• The contest story: e.g. Pacman, Pong, Doom

• Does this expand “narrative” to the point of Does this expand “narrative” to the point of vacuityvacuity

The infamous Tetris exampleThe infamous Tetris example

““The game is a perfect enactment of the overtasked lives The game is a perfect enactment of the overtasked lives of Americans in the 1990s – of the constant of Americans in the 1990s – of the constant bombardment of tasks that demand our attention and bombardment of tasks that demand our attention and that we must somehow fit into our overcrowded that we must somehow fit into our overcrowded schedules and clear off our desks in order to make room schedules and clear off our desks in order to make room for the next onslaught.”for the next onslaught.”

ConstructivismConstructivism

• Increase agency by building objectsIncrease agency by building objects

• MUDs point to a richer repertoire & MUDs point to a richer repertoire & representation of actionrepresentation of action

The interactor as author - NOTThe interactor as author - NOT

• Agency Agency is notis not authorship authorship

• The author still has a privileged roleThe author still has a privileged role

• The ultimate participatory new-media workThe ultimate participatory new-media work

TransformationTransformation

• The pleasure of becoming someone elseThe pleasure of becoming someone else

• Transformation as masquerade – player Transformation as masquerade – player transforms herself into someone elsetransforms herself into someone else

• Transformation as variety – a multitude of Transformation as variety – a multitude of variations on a themevariations on a theme

• Personal transformation – the experience takes Personal transformation – the experience takes the player on a journey of personal the player on a journey of personal transformationtransformation

Kaleidoscopic narrativesKaleidoscopic narratives

• Multiple intersecting plot linesMultiple intersecting plot lines

• What does this have to do with What does this have to do with transformation?transformation?

Transformation through varietyTransformation through variety

• The “morphing” story environmentThe “morphing” story environment

• Constructivist framework providing story piecesConstructivist framework providing story pieces• The Bronte siblings

• Television serials

• Exhaust the formulaic possibilities, and thus Exhaust the formulaic possibilities, and thus move beyond themmove beyond them

Personal transformation through enactmentPersonal transformation through enactment

• Digital environments provide a space in which Digital environments provide a space in which to safely enact rolesto safely enact roles

• Virtual reality therapy – but is this narrative?Virtual reality therapy – but is this narrative?• Not effective when not real enough or too real

• Hypothesis: constructivist environments offer Hypothesis: constructivist environments offer more possibilities for moving beyond more possibilities for moving beyond destructive patterns – but narrative?destructive patterns – but narrative?

Refused closureRefused closure

• Digital story environments often lack a clear, Digital story environments often lack a clear, definitive closuredefinitive closure

• Electronic closure involves understanding Electronic closure involves understanding structure rather than plotstructure rather than plot

• Suicide examples of electronic closureSuicide examples of electronic closure

• What does this have to do with transformation?What does this have to do with transformation?

Simulation narrativesSimulation narratives

• Procedural medium is fundamentally about Procedural medium is fundamentally about processprocess

““Whereas novels allow us to explore character and Whereas novels allow us to explore character and drama allows us to explore action, simulation drama allows us to explore action, simulation narrative can allow us to explore process.”narrative can allow us to explore process.”