Towards a Specific Theory of Interactive Digital Narrative
10 Apr 2015-pp 91-105
TL;DR: In this article, a theoretical framework for the application of narrative theory to interactive digital narratives (IDNs) is presented. But the theoretical framework does not cover all aspects of interactive digital drama.
Abstract: This chapter explains several broad trajectories that exist in the application of narrative theory to interactive digital narratives (IDNs). An initial milestone was set by Brenda Laurel who adopted Aristotle's Poetics to explain interactive drama. The chapter analyses several existing theoretical perspectives to foreground the scope and focus of earlier contributions and investigate which aspects are not fully covered yet. It then describes the theoretical framework that overcomes the limitations inherent in approaches that adapt and redefine existing theories of narrative grounded in legacy media. Finally, the chapter discusses narrative design to describe the structure within a protostory that describes a flexible presentation of a narrative. The protostory in Facade contains the space of possible stories described by the contents of the narrative units, the drama manager's goals and preconditions. Together with the terms protostory, narrative design, and narrative vectors the theoretical framework captures specific aspects of IDN.
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05 Dec 2018
TL;DR: The fourth layer of narrative in Interactive Narrative Systems (INS), such as games, is the players’ re-tellings of the stories they have experienced when playing and the Story Construction model is described.
Abstract: The fourth layer of narrative in Interactive Narrative Systems (INS), such as games, is the players’ re-tellings of the stories they have experienced when playing. The occurrence of re-tellings can be considered as an indicator for a well designed INS and as an instrument of critique - the experiences of play are important and memorable to such a degree to the players that they find them worthy to tell others about. The notion of the fourth layer is added to the structural model of IN Systems having (1) a base architectural layer giving conditions for a (2) second layer of narrative design, while a (3) third layer is the narrative discourse - eg. the unique, session-specific played or traversed sequences of events. In relation to this, the Story Construction model is described.
37 citations
15 Nov 2016
TL;DR: The paper aims to disclose how narrative game mechanics invite game agents, including the player, to perform actions that support the construction of engaging stories and fictional worlds in the embodied mind of the player.
Abstract: This paper explores the notion of narrative game mechanics by apposing theories from the field of cognitive narratology with design theories on game mechanics. The paper aims to disclose how narrative game mechanics invite game agents, including the player, to perform actions that support the construction of engaging stories and fictional worlds in the embodied mind of the player. The theoretical argument is supported by three case studies. The paper discusses examples of games that employ mechanics and rules to create engaging story events, focusing on: building tension through spatial conflict, evoking empathy through characterization and creating moral dilemmas through player choices.
31 citations
30 Nov 2015
TL;DR: This paper investigates the state of affairs and identifies several broad trajectories in the scholarly treatment of interactive narrative authoring and proposes a process and a set of design heuristics developed in the practice of teaching interactive digital narrative.
Abstract: While authoring has long been a concern for researchers engaged in interactive narrative, generalized design approaches have been less of a focus. At the same time, the need for design conventions to aid in the creation of artifacts has long been recognized, starting with Murray’s 1997 Hamlet on the Holodeck. However, unlike in the related field of game design, widely accepted, generalized conventions are still elusive. In this paper I investigate the state of affairs and identify several broad trajectories in the scholarly treatment of interactive narrative authoring. I propose a process and a set of design heuristics developed in my practice of teaching interactive digital narrative.
29 citations
05 Dec 2018
TL;DR: The notion of a ‘hermeneutic strip’ is introduced, extending Koenitz’ SPP model to locate and describe the involved processes of narrative cognition in IDN work, and is used to more clearly understand player responses to unsatisfying IDN design.
Abstract: The practice of designing Interactive Digital Narratives [IDN] is often described as a challenge facing issues such as the “narrative paradox” and avoiding the unintentional creation of “ludonarrative dissonance”. These terms are expressions of a perspective that takes narrative and interactivity as dichotomic ends of a design trajectory, mirroring an enduring discussion in game studies between positions often cast as ludologists and narratologists. The dichotomy of ludo versus narrative is, in itself, problematic and is often the source of the very conflict it describes. In this paper, we investigate this issue through the example of the cooperative game A Way Out, in which two players team up to break out of prison. The game is designed with a narrative twist, involving the escalation and final resolution of the game’s competitive motif in the final scene. To understand the user experiences of this reveal, and the concomitant consequences, we engage in a discursive analysis of “Let’s Play” videos as a largely untapped resource for research. By analyzing the interactions and performances in these videos, we can more clearly understand player responses to unsatisfying IDN design. As a result we introduce the notion of a ‘hermeneutic strip’, extending Koenitz’ SPP model to locate and describe the involved processes of narrative cognition in IDN work.
24 citations
04 Jun 2019
TL;DR: A critical analysis of the work itself, including audience reactions and an initial user study using Roth's measurement toolbox, finds out what are the factors driving user's enjoyment and what factors might mitigate the experience.
Abstract: The Netflix production Bandersnatch represents a potentially crucial step for interactive digital narrative videos, due to the platform's reach, popularity, and ability to finance costly experimental productions. Indeed, Netflix has announced that it will invest more into interactive narratives – moving into romance and other genres – which makes Bandersnatch even more important as first step and harbinger of things yet to come. For us, the question was therefore how audiences react to Bandersnatch. What are the factors driving user's enjoyment and what factors might mitigate the experience. For example, novelty value of an interactive experience on Netflix might be a crucial aspect or the combination with the successful series Black Mirror. We approach these questions from two angels – with a critical analysis of the work itself, including audience reactions and an initial user study using Roth's measurement toolbox (N = 32).
23 citations
Cites background from "Towards a Specific Theory of Intera..."
...Interactive Digital Narrative (IDN), is an emerging expressive form of narrative in the digital medium, implemented as computational system which allows users to participate in the experience, and influence the unfolding of one narrative out of a space many potential narratives (for explication see [5] and [9], further developed in [8]) This understanding builds on David Herman’s definition of narrative as cognitive function, which can be evoked by a variety of forms, a “forgiving, flexible cognitive frame for constructing, communicating, and reconstructing mentally projected worlds” [3]....
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06 Aug 1997TL;DR: In this paper, Ricoeur argues that o texto como um todo singular se pode comparar a object, visto de varios lados mas nunca de todos, simultaneamente.
Abstract: Perspectivas e o que temos, quer se discuta o texto quer se discuta o cibertexto. Dizia Ricoeur que o texto como um todo singular se pode comparar a um objecto, visto de varios lados mas nunca de todos, simultaneamente. Decidimos sempre olhar de um certo modo. Ora, estamos num tempo em que do dia para a noite varias propostas, novas perspectivas, novas formas de textualidade emergem. Necessita-se para isso de uma terminologia mais consistente do que as formas que ocorrem.
1,509 citations