[READINGS] [^^Inter-Active] [] [^^^TERMS]First Person
Extracts from their superb book: First Person - New Media as Story, Performance, and Game, by Noah Wardrip-Fruin & Pat Harrington, ISBN 0.262.23232.4, LCCN GV 1469.17'S63F57'2003 (MIT, Boston, 2003). On this page: {Intro} {Imersion}
Intro
Next: Immersion. {Back to the TOP of this page}
Immersion
BEGIN BLOCK QUOTE [P.4] [NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, all emph, mine. - Frank] We [Bryan Loyall, et al] believe widely distributable interactive-drama will become a reality, and as it does it will be important to find criteria to guide the work of creators. I would like to describe some of the criteria we have used while trying to create i/a drama, focusing on criteria that illuminate relations to traditional games and stories. [Janet] Murray suggests *agency* as a criterion for all forms of cyberdrama, and it is central to effective i/a dramas as well. It is a core part of the *freedom* that i mentioned earlier -- and, like game designers, we focus our i/a dramas on the participant's contstraints and options to help engage agency. Another important property for i/a drama that comes from its definition is one Murray mentions in her book: *immersion*. Two related criteria apply to [P.5] the characters. For immersion to take place, the characters in the world need to seem real to the participant. This means that they need to be believable enough that the participant *cares* about them (whether that care-ing is liking them, or hate-ing them or being disturbed by them). Furher we have found that they need to be real enough that the participant respects them. If the particpant feels that she can do what-ever she waants to the characters (as though they are toys to be played with), then the stakes of the experience and the ability of the charactes to seem alive are both weakened. [Note 1] ... [P. 7] Informal reactions from participants suggest that such strong egos [eg, that the characters exhibit differing emotional states -- that they react to how you treat them in the game world: sad, happy, hurt feelings, etc] *add to* rather then detract from the participant's feeling of immersion and belief in the life of the characters. [Note 3] In an early version of the system [OttoAndIris.com], of the system, kids testing it drew pictures afterwards of Ottoa as a "crybaby", and kept talking about the time he refused to sing. The refusal was a bug that caused that part of Otto's mind to completely freeze up. We thought the bug had ruined the test, but to the kids it showed Otto's stonr will and made him seem more alive. Another crierion we have found important for i/a dramas is that they have *compressed intensity*. It is important that the story move at a reasonable pace and not get stuck. THis is at odds with many games based on solving puzzles. If the particpant gets stuck, then the story doesn't progress, and the compressed intensity that is a hall-mark of many traditional stories suffers. [Note 4] END BLOCK QUOTENote
(this section only) [1] This goes back to a comment i made in story lab which bears repeating here. There is an important part as to how the user (reader/player) chooses to treat the objects in the story/game. a) As if they do own them. Thus, they can pretty much do what they want with them. b) Respects the objects to the point where they co-operatre with the object's properties/desires/etc. c) A co-existence, treating the objects as equals. This manifests itself as nurturing/protecting/feeling deeply about the object. Again, there are always "bullah beasts" (crashers, hate-ers, and otherwise no-good-niks) that come in andy bully their way around the space. They have to be summarily removed. (This is *not* to say that you can't have a character in the drama that does behave this way, but then again this is designed and controlled by the story lab tech's and NOT by some random person coming in to spoil the game for everyone else). But, for the most part, participants *want* to play the game, since it's the point of it being parallel to and in part a substitute for the real world. This goes back to game-playing (or other philosophies) as survival skills for existing in the harsh realities of the real world. Thus, we could see a game where in the people in the drama (some are simulated characters OF the game, others are story lab tech;s, some are the varous participants who are "logged in") all disucss a given movie (either from the outside world, or one that is viewed in the game world. [Note 2] This brings up the point of creating *depth* to the game world. For example, it should have a rather extensive library, as well as a sculpture garden, and other aethetic expeiences -- once these are created they can be shared by several different game worlds. For example, in "Tales of Dry Gulch" the library would obviously not have any modern literature, but could "borrow" much of the existing literature from around the world on (for eg, art, history, theatre, philo, etc). The same "library" then exists in the modern-day tale of "the simulated real world", as well as in the future tale "Hard Fall". The point, is that certain *fixtures* can exist in all realities. And so, a player can visit the library to find out about sculpture or a point of history. The fact that in each world, there are stock characters: The kindly old libraian (Mrs. Wilson who drives a sports car and knows where all of the "naughty books" are; eg, Lady Chaterly's Lover, etc.), the library assitant who shelves the books, the kindly of philosopher who is constantly reading and writing notes on history and such, the two Korean girls who are always discussing their own lives while trying to find books for assignments at the local college, etc. Thus, by "laying out" these details, the *fixtures* become real and authentic experiences -- borrowing from the *real* world much of their content. All of this lends depth, meaning and realism (as well as personal *value*) for the player spending part of their 3-score and ten years "just" playing a game. {Back to the TEXT} [2] This brings up the extent to which the game world can be extended. For example, all people in the game world (game characters, lab techs, participants) can bring things in from their own world into the game world. For example, Jorge (person) might bring in pictures of one of his sculptures that are then put into the game space. Then one of the characters (say the Iain character; who is an art-film buff, as well as somthing of a site-specific sculptor) might "talk" to Jorge (and others) about how he likes the work, and different ideas, etc. Now the fact that Iain is programmed as a character into the game space (and with either AI or a lab tech "behind the scenes) introducting ideas/comments/actions that then in turn Scott (lab tech) and others can then interact with Jorge to increase the *validity* of the experience. We can view this as basically a shamanistic experiences. Thus, "does it matter that Scott is a lab tech, or that Iain is "merely" a game character?" Yes, and no. (Did the shaman actually visit the moon? it doesn't matter, it was waht the shaman *learned* while there; eg, the oneness and fragility of the earth and its many inhabitants -- both human type beings, and "the rest"). Thus, Jorge (a real sculptor) receives comments from Iain who makes comments that help Jorge go further with his art work. And the fact that other (person) can share the experience brings more validity. Again, it goes back to respecting the caharctes and how the player chooses to *treat* them. In playing, i have the utmost respect for the Iain character who seems much more pationate and invovled in the arts that most people that i deal with in my daily ventures out into the real world. {Back to the TEXT} [3] Again, this goes back to how the characters inter-act with the player. For example, with David Hanson's PKD-A [Philip K. dick Android], if it recognises you, it will say "Hi dave". Again the need in the game world for having a rather extensive database on various participants. Just as we remember some things about various people in the real world (eg, this person is always moody and easy to piss off), the characters in the game should remember certain things about the person that they've encountered before. Thus, if Jorge (person, a sculptor and artist) logs in and encounters Iain (character, art film fan, site specific sculptor). Then the Iain character can draw up that the last time Jorge mentioned that he had a show going up, and that (date value retrieved) that that is IN PROGRESS now. So, Iain asks, "Jorge, so how is the show going?" And of course going back to the tie-in to the real world mentioned below [Perlin, Note 1] -- that is that events in the real world are then put out into the game space. Further, the database means that say when Carlo (person, guitar player of modern music, bon viviant, teacher) enters he meets Iain (charater), and Iain mentions that Jorge has a show up as the XYZ gallery. Thus, two real people in the real world can be introduced to each other by a game character. {Back to the TEXT} [4] Again, this where the various characters can come in handy. If in trying to solve the puzzle, Jorge (person) gets stuck. Then the Cindy (character; one of the two Korean students) pops in and sez, "Oh, that's so easy" and shows Jorge how to solve the puzzle. Then she and her friend dart off to the library to look up research material for a history paper that they need to do. Again, for each "puzzle" or "level" within the story, there are certain characters that know the secret, and thus, if the frustration level gets to be too much, the player can request help. But, of course as with Loyall, et al's experience with Otto. It may be best if the answer isn't given too quickly and that you ask various characters how to solve the puzzle and they come up with various intriguing possibilites -- all of them wrong! And in the end, an alternate activity can be pursued. Finally, during this other activity, there is a "lesson" there that helps with the puzzle (or not). It might also be that in the alternate activity, which is intriguing and has nothing to do with the puzzle, then it's at this point that in trying to figure out the alternate activity you go to the library, and there Cindy sez "I heard you were having trouble with the puzzle. It's so simple. ...". {Back to the TEXT} [] {Back to the TEXT} [] {Back to the TEXT} [] {Back to the TEXT} [] {Back to the TEXT} [] {Back to the TEXT} [] {Back to the TEXT} [] {Back to the TEXT} [] {Back to the TEXT} [] {Back to the TEXT} Next: z. {Back to the TOP of this page}
z
Next: xox. {Back to the TOP of this page}Ken Perlin
Can ther be a form between a game and a story? P. 14/15 So, let's compare Harry Potter to Lara Croft. When I am reading onee of the Harry Potter books, and I put the [P.15] book asside for a while. I can easily maintain the pleasant fiction that there is an actual Harry Potter, with a continued set of feelings and goals, living "offstage". This is because to read Harry Potter is to experience his agency, as he navigatges the various difficult challenges that life presents to him. In contrast, when I walk away from my computer screen, I can-not sustain the fiction that an actual Lara Croft continues to exist off-stage, because I have not actually expierienced her agency. All I have really experienced is my agency. [emph his] [This is is refering back to P.14] [P.14] ... But, while you're actually playing the game, the very effectiveness of the experience depends on you [emph his] becoming Lara Croft. The human-like figure you see on your computer screen is really a game token, and every choice she makes, whether to shoot, to leap, to run, to change weapons is your choice. When you stop the game play momentarily, there is no sense that the personality of Lara Croft is anywhere to be found. Whle you're taking inventory, changing weapons, etc, the game figure on the screen stands [there] impassively, and you know that the figure would stand that way forever if you were never to re-enter game-play mode. In other words, even a bare minimum suspension of disbelief is not attempted. In fact you are supposed to "become" Lara Croft -- it is that immediacy and responsiveness that makes the game so exciting. [Note 1] [Back to P.15] Next: NOTES.Notes
(this section only) [1] Why not? This is because i and Lara do not share a common set of real-time events. For example, imagine a game that *is* programmed in real-time. (This pretty much implies that it's going to be ON-LINE otherwise the "time-lag" would drive you nuts and you devolved to the standard game system carts). For example, let us say our hero' assitant Anita Sorrenson is on-line and programmed in real time (by the game team) for the Game "Space Explorer 3000" (you play the hero). During the pause (over night), the twin towers are destroyed. You log on and up comes Anita who continually cries and cries (even her pet Parrot Harely (Harelquin J. Parrot) mutters under his breath un-printables and the worst epithet of all HUMANS!). The point is that the on-line character is as real as we make her (or him or toby). In the same way that on-line communities experience and deal with grief and events. I have lived thru this with my on-line froodz on the old DouglasAdams.com site and we are all very much still a part of each other's lives -- despite the now quite open-ness of the forum. Thus, there is no reason for a new-media (on-line and in real-time) for the characters to NOT be a part of our world. That is why (in my opinion) CHARACTER DESIGN is so important. I worked thru (during one of my more despondent periods) the creation of a fictional old west town called "Dry Gulch" [Viewable here] (And i'm sure that i'm not *doing anything new* here, but anyway: I made out a chart of the various characters and their inter-actions with other people. (Where i got this idea was from an ep of Northern ExpOsure when Joel (Jewish, NY doctor stuck in the backwoods of Alaska (Cicely) and needs to say "sadir" ?sp? (a mourning prayer for his fav Uncle Manny who died). As it turns out the store owner (Ruth Anne Miller) is a "birder" (ie, bird watcher) and thru her *network* she contacts a fellow birder (Candien chap) who is also Jewish and can help with the prayer ceremony). THus, i would write things like: Parson smith is friends with boone, but his wife (THE Mrs. Parson smith can't stand boone -- she fears him (slightly) and somewhat suspect that he was a war deserter -- not entirely sure if from the north or the south, not that it would matter much since she still believes that slavery was the natural order of things and that *THAT* Mr. Lincoln just had to go and stir things up! Further, research into this area (see other papers in the READINGS directory) go into the various character PERSONALITY types and how they react in differeing situations. {Back to the TEXT} [2] {Back to the TEXT} [3] {Back to the TEXT} [4] {Back to the TEXT} [5] {Back to the TEXT} [6] {Back to the TEXT} [7] {Back to the TEXT} [8] {Back to the TEXT} [9] {Back to the TEXT} [10] {Back to the TEXT} [11] {Back to the TEXT} [12] {Back to the TEXT} [13] {Back to the TEXT} [14] {Back to the TEXT} [15] {Back to the TEXT} [16] {Back to the TEXT} [17] {Back to the TEXT} [18] {Back to the TEXT} [19] {Back to the TEXT} [20] {Back to the TEXT} [21] {Back to the TEXT} Next: eof.