Sex, lies, and video games::An interactive storytelling prototype

The authors describe a first prototype of an Interactive Storytelling system, whose objective is to allow user intervention within a pre-defined storyline. The system is character-based rather than plot-based, each character’s role being dynamically computed using HTN planning. The interaction between characters creates various instantiations of the baseline narrative, with which the user can interfere at any time. After introducing the basic AI techniques used in the prototype, the authors discuss the modalities of user intervention and present an example story produced by the system

Planning formalisms and authoring in interactive storytelling

Interacting Storytelling systems integrate AI techniques such as planning with narrative representations to generate stories. In this paper, we discuss the use of planning formalisms in Interactive Storytelling from the perspective of story generation and authoring. We compare two different planning formalisms, Hierarchical Task Network (HTN) planning and Heuristic Search Planning (HSP). While HTN provide a strong basis for narrative coherence in the context of interactivity, HSP offer additional flexibility and the generation of stories and the mechanisms for generating comic situations

The IRIS Network of Excellence:: Integrating Research in Interactive Storytelling

Abstract. Interactive Storytelling is a major endeavour to develop new media which could offer a radically new user experience, with a potential to revolutionise digital entertainment. European research in Interactive Storytelling has played a leading role in the development of the field, and this creates a unique opportunity to strengthen its position even further by structuring collaboration between some of its main actors. IRIS (Integrating Research in Interactive Storytelling) aims at creating a virtual centre of excellence that will be able to progress the understanding of fundamental aspects of Interactive Storytelling and the development of corresponding technologies

Under the influence::Using natural language in interactive storytelling

Interacting in natural language with virtual actors is an important aspect of the development of future Interactive Storytelling systems. We describe a paradigm for speech interfaces in interactive storytelling based on the notion of influence. In this paradigm, the user is mainly a spectator who is however able to interfere with the course of action by issuing advice to the characters. This is achieved by recognising corresponding speech acts and mapping them to the plans which implement characters' behaviours in the story. We discuss some examples based on a preliminary, yet fully implemented, prototype

Emergent situations in interactive storytelling

Interactive storytelling can either be based on explicit plot representations or on the autonomous behaviour of artificial characters. In such a character-based approach, the dynamic interaction between characters generates the actual plot from a generic storyline. Characters' behaviours are implemented through real-time search-based planning techniques. However, the top-down planning systems that control artificial actors need to be complemented with appropriate mechanisms dealing with emerging ("bottom-up") situations of narrative relevance. After discussing the determinants of plot variability and the mechanisms that account for the emergence of narrative situations, we introduce additional mechanisms for coping with these situations. Thes

CB-POCL: A Choice-Based Algorithm for Character Personality in Planning-based Narrative Generation

The quality and believability of a story can be significantly enhanced by the presence of compelling characters. Characters can be made more compelling by the portrayal of a distinguishable personality. This paper presents an algorithm that formalizes an approach previously described for the incorporation of character personality in narrative that is automatically generated. The approach is based on a computational model that operationalizes personality as behavior that results from the choices made by characters in the course of a story. This operationalization is based on the Big Five personality structure and results from behavioral psychology studies that link behavior to personality traits

Charting a New Aesthetics for History: 3D, Scenarios, and the Future of the Historian’s Craft

Innovations in computing are presenting historians with access to new forms of expression with the potential to enhance scholars’ capacities and to support novel methods for analysis, expression, and teaching. Computer-generated form can change the way we generate, appropriate, and disseminate content. If these benefits are to be realized, however, the discipline must make room for a new domain of practice-based research. The practices we have for knowledge generation were devised in association with print technology, and historians must now acquire and develop practices that can inform our use of digital forms of representation, as well as the platforms that sustain them. Les innovations informatiques donnent aux historiens l’accès à de nouvelles formes d’expression et offrent la possibilité d’accroître les capacités des universitaires et de favoriser l’émergence de nouvelles méthodes d’analyse, d’expression et d’enseignement. L’ordinateur peut changer notre façon de générer, de nous approprier et de diffuser le contenu. Pour récolter de tels fruits, la discipline doit toutefois faire place à un nouveau domaine de la recherche fondée sur la pratique. Nos pratiques de génération du savoir sont fonction de la technologie de l’imprimé, et les historiens doivent maintenant acquérir et développer des pratiques qui pourront nous aider à maîtriser les formes numériques de la représentation de même que les plateformes qui leur servent d’assise

Experimental Analysis of Spatial Sound for Storytelling in Virtual Reality

Spatial sound is useful in enhancing immersion and presence of the user in a virtual world. This audio design allows the game designer to place audio cues that appropriately match with the visual cues in a virtual game environment. These localized audio cues placed in a story based game environment also help to evoke an emotional response from the user and construct the narrative of the game by capturing the user’s attention towards the guiding action events in the game. Our thesis explores the usefulness of spatial sound for improving the performance and experience of a user in a virtual game environment. Additionally, with the help of the relevant subjective and objective inferences collected from a user study conducted on three different evaluation models, the thesis also analyzes and establishes the potential of spatial sound as a powerful storytelling tool in a virtual game environment designed for Virtual Reality

Interactive storytelling engines

Writing a good story requires immense patience, creativity and work from the author, and the practice of writing a story requires a good grasp of the readers' psychology to create suspense and thrills and to merge the readers' world with that of the story. In the digital writing space, authors can still adhere to these rules of thumb while being aware of the disappearance of certain constraints due to the added possibility of narrating in a nonlinear fashion. There are many overlapping approaches to interactive storytelling or authoring, but each of the approaches has its own strengths and weaknesses. The motivation for this research arises from the perceived need for a new hybrid approach that coalesces and extends existing approaches. Since each of the approaches empowers certain aspects of the storytelling and narration process, the result forces a new research direction which eliminates certain weaknesses exhibited by a single approach, due to the synergistic nature of the various approaches. We have developed: 1) a Hybrid Evolutionary-Fuzzy Time-based Interactive (HEFTI) storytellling engine that generates dynamic stories from a set of authored story constructs given by human authors; 2) a set of authoring tools that allow authors to generate the needed story constructs; and, 3) a storytelling environment for them to orchestrate a digital stage play with computer agents and scripts. We have conducted a usability study and system evaluation to evaluate the performance of the engine. Our experiments and usability study have shown that the authoring environment abstracted the complexity of authoring an interactive, dynamic story from the authors with the use of windows-based interfaces to help them visualize various aspects of a story. This reduces the amount of learning and knowledge required to start having the pleasure of authoring dynamic stories. The studies also revealed certain features and tools that may be reflected by authoring tools in the future to automate various aspects of the authoring process so that the authors may spend more time thinking rather than writing (or programming) their stories

The Subjective Response of People Living with HIV to Illness Narratives in VR

This dissertation reports on the results on an exploratory investigation into the potential efficacy of VR as both a support mechanism to people living with HIV/AIDS, as well its capabilities as an emotive medium. Two hypothesis were presented viz. (1) VR will be a form of social support and (2) VR will have an emotional impact on participants. The research builds up on findings which demonstrate the therapeutic effectiveness of telling personal and collective narratives in an HIV/AIDS support group. This fact, together with the tested ability of VR as a therapeutic medium, let to the development of a virtual support group with an aim to test its therapeutic efficacy. A low cost, deployable desktop PC based system using custom software was developed. The system implemented a VR walkthrough experience of a tranquil campfire in a forest. The scene contained four interactive avatars who related narratives compiled from HIV/AIDS patients. These narratives covered the aspects of receiving an HIV+ diagnosis, intervention, and coping with living with HIV+ status. To evaluate the system, seven computer semi-literate HIV+ volunteers from townships around Cape Town used the system under the supervision of a clinical psychologist. The participants were interviewed about their experiences with their system, and the data was analyzed qualitatively using grounded theory. The group experiment showed extensive qualitative support for the potential efficacy of the VR system as both a support mechanism and an emotive medium. The comments received by the participants suggested that the VR medium would be effective as a source of social support, and could augment real counselling sessions, rather than replace them. The categories which emerged from the analysis of the interview data were emotional impact, emotional support, informational support, technology considerations, comparison with other forms of support, timing considerations and emotional presence. The categories can be grouped according to the research questions viz. + The efficacy of VR as an emotive medium (Presence, Emotional Impact, Computer Considerations) + The efficacy of the VR simulation as a source of social support (Emotional and Informational Support) Other themes not anticipated by the data included the following: Timing considerations and Comparison with other forms of counselling. The interviews suggested that both hypothesis 1 and 2 are correct viz. that the VR system provided a source of social support, and has an emotional impact on the participants