Player agency in interactive narrative: audience, actor & author

The question motivating this review paper is, how can computer-based interactive narrative be used as a constructivist learn- ing activity? The paper proposes that player agency can be used to link interactive narrative to learner agency in constructivist theory, and to classify approaches to interactive narrative. The traditional question driving research in interactive narrative is, ‘how can an in- teractive narrative deal with a high degree of player agency, while maintaining a coherent and well-formed narrative?’ This question derives from an Aristotelian approach to interactive narrative that, as the question shows, is inherently antagonistic to player agency. Within this approach, player agency must be restricted and manip- ulated to maintain the narrative. Two alternative approaches based on Brecht’s Epic Theatre and Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed are reviewed. If a Boalian approach to interactive narrative is taken the conflict between narrative and player agency dissolves. The question that emerges from this approach is quite different from the traditional question above, and presents a more useful approach to applying in- teractive narrative as a constructivist learning activity

Character-driven Narrative Engine. Storytelling System for building interactive narrative experiences

This paper discusses a design methodology for developing interactive storytelling projects based on character-driven stories. Shaped as a three-year research through design, it was applied in the educational context of Politecnico di Milano, School of Design, from 2015 to 2017. To open up the issue of the degree of interactiveness and agency that different media allow toward the story, we merged knowledge from cultural, media and game studies. Aiming at building brave, fresh interactive narratives for contemporary media (analogue, digital or hybrid), each year we experimented the implications of initiating the design activity from a different starting point: 1) archetypal characters, 2) thick and compelling storyworlds, and 3) real testimonies shaped as short stories and fragments of memories. We discuss the different tools and methods employed, and the reasons why behind their evolution through time. Then, we conclude with a critical analysis of the results obtained, looking at the consequences and potentialities of how this narrative process has been applied to the game design field

Exploration Games:Can Game-Guided Systems Support Users in Automated Exhibition Sites?

This article delves into the potential of incorporating elements fromadventure games into museum exhibitions, with a particular focus on automatedexhibition sites. We advocate that principles derived from adventure games canadeptly bridge the two primary expectations of exhibitions: enlightenment andexperience. Exploration-based games, such as Explore the Redoubt (XTR)crafted for automated venues, enable users to fulfill both these objectives. XTR,conceived to address the prevailing research voids, integrates game mechanicsinto the automated exhibition environment, enhancing visitor motivation andengagement. It harnesses interactive digital mediums to present cultural heritagein a relaxed, informal manner.Existing research scarcely touches upon the design of experiential learninggames developed for automated sites, which encompass both indoor and outdoordisplays. Our methodology contemplates the transformation of visitor conduct atexhibitions, morphing them into avid knowledge seekers. We challenge theadequacy of current user experience models in portraying exhibitions striving toprovide both enlightenment and an immersive experience. Consequently, weintroduce a framework for museum interactions that deeply engages users, urgingthem to define their exploration trajectories, seamlessly fusing enlightenment,and engagement. Our study is set in a 17th-century redoubt where initialobservations indicated greater outdoor engagement compared to indoor spaces.This observation fueled our initiative to amplify indoor visitor participation.After testing XTR with 30 participants and employing a combination ofobservations and interviews, we derived key insights on designing digitalexploration games that seamlessly combine enlightenment and engagement. Weconclude with three design strategies to enhance visitor curiosity and exploration

Interactive drama in real and virtual worlds.

How do we resolve the paradox of computer-supported interactive drama - that the human participant requires the very freedom to interact that the authored narrative structure denies them? This paper reports work around the concept of Emergent Narrative - the development of narrative structure through interaction itself. We cover both systems using a virtual world and those using a virtually-augmented real world, exploring how far reworking narrative structure as a loop between the causal (plot) and affective (character) can produce engaging experiences for participants. We discuss the key role of a cognitive-affective architecture for charac-ters and the process of cognitive appraisal as an engine for both in-character and in-role dramatic action

Interactive drama in real and virtual worlds.

How do we resolve the paradox of computer-supported interactive drama - that the human participant requires the very freedom to interact that the authored narrative structure denies them? This paper reports work around the concept of Emergent Narrative - the development of narrative structure through interaction itself. We cover both systems using a virtual world and those using a virtually-augmented real world, exploring how far reworking narrative structure as a loop between the causal (plot) and affective (character) can produce engaging experiences for participants. We discuss the key role of a cognitive-affective architecture for charac-ters and the process of cognitive appraisal as an engine for both in-character and in-role dramatic action

Capturing the Visitor Profile for a Personalized Mobile Museum Experience: an Indirect Approach

An increasing number of museums and cultural institutions around the world use personalized, mostly mobile, museum guides to enhance visitor experiences. However since a typical museum visit may last a few minutes and visitors might only visit once, the personalization processes need to be quick and efficient, ensuring the engagement of the visitor. In this paper we investigate the use of indirect profiling methods through a visitor quiz, in order to provide the visitor with specific museum content. Building on our experience of a first study aimed at the design, implementation and user testing of a short quiz version at the Acropolis Museum, a second parallel study was devised. This paper introduces this research, which collected and analyzed data from two environments: the Acropolis Museum and social media (i.e. Facebook). Key profiling issues are identified, results are presented, and guidelines towards a generalized approach for the profiling needs of cultural institutions are discussed

The Gameful Museum: Developing a Location-Based Game Design Framework for Engagement and Motivation

The popularity of location-based games, which blend digital and physical gameplay in specific real-world locations, has been rising in recent years. Research in museum studies looking into these games as engagement tools has so far been limited to individual case studies or sporadic overviews of play and games that do not explore the relationship between game design, location, gameplay and the museum experience. This practice-led thesis addresses this gap through the development of a game design framework and guidelines to create location-based games in museums, combined with a study of the impact of the designed experiences on audiences’ motivation to visit and engage with museum content. The findings and framework proposed are relevant for museum professionals and game designers who are interested in developing this practice while benefiting from guidance grounded in real-world research. Methodologically, I supplemented a study of past experiences with a first-person gameplay analysis, the results of which informed the design and examination of case studies of games for Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) developed in collaboration with the museum staff and external game designers. Findings suggest that location-based games benefit museums by creating added motivation to visit, attracting new and existing audiences, increasing and diversifying engagement with the museum content, and to a lesser degree, supporting knowledge acquisition. Structuring visits into games limits the possible actions of players while offering agency within those limitations, making the players part of a story and giving them challenges to complete, encouraging visitors to become more active and invested in exploring the space and the content displayed. I conclude this thesis by proposing the concept of the gameful museum as a possible path for museums as institutions of learning and entertainment, offering the location-based game design framework as an instrument to work towards audience development and engagement and highlighting the field’s future potential