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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


  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 expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  2. The Big Picture Games can tell stories. expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  3. The Big Picture They can do things other media cannot. expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  4. The Big Picture We don’t understand this very well. expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  5. The Big Picture Meaning in Games expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  6. The Big Picture Choice Poetics expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  7. The Big Picture Choice Poetics (explicit discrete choices) expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  8. Outline ◮ Introduction ◮ Background & Motivation ◮ Example choice ◮ Choice poetics ◮ Modes of engagement ◮ Choice idioms ◮ Dimensions of player experience expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  9. Story Games expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  10. Story Games expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  11. Related Work Aristotle Bogost Meaning in Narrative Meaning in Games circa 335 B.C. 20XX expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  12. 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

  13. Outline ◮ Introduction ◮ Background & Motivation ◮ Example choice ◮ Choice poetics ◮ Modes of engagement ◮ Choice idioms ◮ Dimensions of player experience expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  14. Example Choice expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  15. Example Choice Some observations... ◮ Binary (Yes/No) ◮ Low-information ◮ High-stakes ◮ Outcomes aligned with narrative expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  16. Example Choice Dramatic effect... ◮ Transition between narrative arcs ◮ Contextualizes play going forwards ◮ Feelings of uncertainty and/or regret expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  17. Choice Poetics: Overview ◮ Modes of Engagement ◮ Choice Idioms ◮ Dimensions of Experience expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  18. Choice Poetics: Overview ◮ Modes of Engagement–How players approach choices ◮ Choice Idioms ◮ Dimensions of Experience expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  19. Choice Poetics: Overview ◮ Modes of Engagement–How players approach choices ◮ Choice Idioms–Specific choice structures and their effects ◮ Dimensions of Experience expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  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 expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  21. Example: Modes of Engagement Dramatic effect... ◮ Transition between narrative arcs ◮ Contextualizes play going forwards ◮ Feelings of uncertainty and/or regret expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  22. Modes of Engagement: Avatar Play expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  23. Modes of Engagement: Role Play expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  24. Modes of Engagement: Power Play expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  25. Example: Modes of Engagement Dramatic effect... ◮ Transition between narrative arcs ◮ Contextualizes play going forwards ◮ Feelings of uncertainty and/or regret expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  26. Example: Choice Idioms Some observations... ◮ Binary (Yes/No) ◮ Low-information ◮ High-stakes ◮ Outcomes aligned with narrative expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  27. Choice Idioms: Blind Choice expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  28. 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

  29. Example: Choice Idioms Some observations... ◮ Binary (Yes/No) ◮ Low-information ◮ High-stakes ◮ Outcomes aligned with narrative expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  30. Example: Dimensions of Player Experience Some observations... ◮ Binary (Yes/No) ◮ Low-information ◮ High-stakes ◮ Outcomes aligned with narrative expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  31. Dimensions of Experience: Regret expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  32. Example: Dimensions of Player Experience Some observations... ◮ Binary (Yes/No) ◮ Low-information ◮ High-stakes ◮ Outcomes aligned with narrative expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  33. Choice Poetics → An approach to understanding the narrative effects of choices by asking: expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  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)? expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  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

  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

  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) expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  38. Questions? ◮ Choice poetics ◮ Modes of engagement ◮ Choice idioms ◮ Dimensions of player experience expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

  39. Example Choice expressiveintelligencestudio UC Santa Cruz

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