Towards a Theory of Choice Poetics Peter Mawhorter Michael Mateas - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Towards a Theory of Choice Poetics Peter Mawhorter Michael Mateas Noah Wardrip-Fruin Arnav Jhala Department of Computer Science University of California Santa Cruz April 4th, 2014 expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz The Big Picture

SLIDE 1

Towards a Theory of Choice Poetics

Peter Mawhorter Michael Mateas Noah Wardrip-Fruin Arnav Jhala

Department of Computer Science University of California Santa Cruz

April 4th, 2014

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The Big Picture

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Games can tell stories.

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The Big Picture

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They can do things other media cannot.

SLIDE 4

The Big Picture

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We don’t understand this very well.

SLIDE 5

The Big Picture

Meaning in Games

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SLIDE 6

The Big Picture

Choice Poetics

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SLIDE 7

The Big Picture

Choice Poetics (explicit discrete choices)

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SLIDE 8

Outline

◮ Introduction ◮ Background & Motivation ◮ Example choice ◮ Choice poetics

◮ Modes of engagement ◮ Choice idioms ◮ Dimensions of player experience expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

SLIDE 9

Story Games

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SLIDE 10

Story Games

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Related Work

Aristotle Bogost Meaning in Narrative Meaning in Games circa 335 B.C. 20XX

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Practical Advice

From the Choice of Games game design blog cateogry∗:

◮ 4 Common Mistakes in Interactive Novels ◮ 5 Rules for Writing Interesting Choices in Multiple-Choice Games ◮ Make a “Choice of” Game Your Own: Authorial Intent in IF ◮ By the Numbers: How to Write a Long Interactive Novel

That Doesn’t Suck

∗http://www.choiceofgames.com/category/blog/game-design/ expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

SLIDE 13

Outline

◮ Introduction ◮ Background & Motivation ◮ Example choice ◮ Choice poetics

◮ Modes of engagement ◮ Choice idioms ◮ Dimensions of player experience expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

SLIDE 14

Example Choice

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Example Choice

Some observations...

◮ Binary (Yes/No) ◮ Low-information ◮ High-stakes ◮ Outcomes aligned

with narrative

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Example Choice

Dramatic effect...

◮ Transition between

narrative arcs

◮ Contextualizes play

going forwards

◮ Feelings of

uncertainty and/or regret

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SLIDE 17

Choice Poetics: Overview

◮ Modes of Engagement ◮ Choice Idioms ◮ Dimensions of Experience

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SLIDE 18

Choice Poetics: Overview

◮ Modes of Engagement–How players approach choices ◮ Choice Idioms ◮ Dimensions of Experience

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SLIDE 19

Choice Poetics: Overview

◮ Modes of Engagement–How players approach choices ◮ Choice Idioms–Specific choice structures and their effects ◮ Dimensions of Experience

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SLIDE 20

Choice Poetics: Overview

◮ Modes of Engagement–How players approach choices ◮ Choice Idioms–Specific choice structures and their effects ◮ Dimensions of Experience–Things that choice structures affect

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SLIDE 21

Example: Modes of Engagement

Dramatic effect...

◮ Transition between

narrative arcs

◮ Contextualizes play

going forwards

◮ Feelings of

uncertainty and/or regret

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SLIDE 22

Modes of Engagement: Avatar Play

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Modes of Engagement: Role Play

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Modes of Engagement: Power Play

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Example: Modes of Engagement

Dramatic effect...

◮ Transition between

narrative arcs

◮ Contextualizes play

going forwards

◮ Feelings of

uncertainty and/or regret

expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

SLIDE 26

Example: Choice Idioms

Some observations...

◮ Binary (Yes/No) ◮ Low-information ◮ High-stakes ◮ Outcomes aligned

with narrative

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SLIDE 27

Choice Idioms: Blind Choice

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Choice Idiom

◮ Blind choice

◮ May appear more important than it really is. ◮ May lead to regret or frustration. ◮ May encourage exploratory play. expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

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Example: Choice Idioms

Some observations...

◮ Binary (Yes/No) ◮ Low-information ◮ High-stakes ◮ Outcomes aligned

with narrative

expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

SLIDE 30

Example: Dimensions of Player Experience

Some observations...

◮ Binary (Yes/No) ◮ Low-information ◮ High-stakes ◮ Outcomes aligned

with narrative

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SLIDE 31

Dimensions of Experience: Regret

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Example: Dimensions of Player Experience

Some observations...

◮ Binary (Yes/No) ◮ Low-information ◮ High-stakes ◮ Outcomes aligned

with narrative

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Choice Poetics

→ An approach to understanding the narrative effects of choices by asking:

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SLIDE 34

Choice Poetics

→ An approach to understanding the narrative effects of choices by asking:

1. How do players engage with games (and how do games

encourage/discourage certain modes of engagement)?

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SLIDE 35

Choice Poetics

→ An approach to understanding the narrative effects of choices by asking:

1. How do players engage with games (and how do games

encourage/discourage certain modes of engagement)?

2. What idiomatic choice structures appear in games?

expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

SLIDE 36

Choice Poetics

→ An approach to understanding the narrative effects of choices by asking:

1. How do players engage with games (and how do games

encourage/discourage certain modes of engagement)?

2. What idiomatic choice structures appear in games?
3. What qualities of the player’s experience are affected by

choice structures?

expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

SLIDE 37

Choice Poetics

→ An approach to understanding the narrative effects of choices by asking:

1. How do players engage with games (and how do games

encourage/discourage certain modes of engagement)?

2. What idiomatic choice structures appear in games?
3. What qualities of the player’s experience are affected by

choice structures? (this work is only a beginning)

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SLIDE 38

Questions?

◮ Choice poetics

◮ Modes of engagement ◮ Choice idioms ◮ Dimensions of player experience expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

SLIDE 39

Example Choice

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