Article:Interactive narrative, plot types, and interpersonal relations
From unthinkMedia
Contents |
Types of Plot
epic plot
focus: the struggle of the individual to survive in a hostile world
This plot focus on a solitary hero that successfully accomplished the feats that he/she is presented, This model allows it to be easily expandable by adding additional feats for the "hero" to face.
Some common features:
- These narratives focus on physical actions.
- The hero is a faithful servant of the dispatcher
- opposes the villain till the conclusion of the story
- nobody changes sides
- everyone lives happily ever after
Interactivity:
- The defacto genre for First Person Shooters
- Also found in adventure games, and in the quests of MMORPGs
- allows players tp move the body of their avatar, which fulfills the "physical" requirement of epic plot
dramatic plot
focus: the evolution of a network of human relations
Some common features:
- action is mental rather than physical
- most events consist of acts of verbal communication between the characters
- significance of these actions resides in what they reveal about the mind of the agent and in how they affect interpersonal relations
- present a closed pattern of exposition, complication, crisis and resolution (also known as the Freytag triangle) that defies expansion.
Example from reading: "in the beginning, x is allied with y; then x betrays y and sides with z, and in the end x and y are mortal enemies; in the beginning x has always been faithful to y; then x falls in love with z; y becomes jealous and kills x and z; in the beginning x and y are friends, then y insults x and they are enemies; but in the end x redeems himself, y pardons x and they are friends again."
epistemic plot
focus: the desire to solve a mystery.
- the mystery story standard
- challenges the reader to find the solution before it is given out by the narrative
- self-pacing affords this
Article Example: "The trademark of the epistemic plot is the superposition of two stories: one constituted by the events that took place in the past, and the other by the investigation that leads to their discovery."
Interactivity:
- sends the player on a search for clues scattered in the storyworld
- moving across the world
- picking objects, examining them for clues, finding documents
- interrogating non-playing characters, ideally through a dialogue system but, more efficiently, through a menu of canned questions
Temporal immersion includes three narrative effects:
- curiosity
- surprise
- suspense.
Goals
Natural interface
- interact with computer-generated worlds in exactly the same way they interact with the real world
- for practical reasons, interactive narrative must often settle for less naturall, but more efficient interfaces
Integration of user actions within the story
- use is accountable for all of their actions which contribute to their life story,
- should be more than a mean to unlock the next episode in a story, should be meaningful relation between the tasks offered to the user and the plot of the story
Frequent interaction
- "should make interactive moments the rule and passive moments the exception"
- should NOT limit agency to a few decision points separated by long stretches of passive watching
Dynamic creation of the story
- although pre-scripted, the plot should be as realtime as possible.
- Should allow for a reasonable number of different variations
Type of immersion
ludic
These typically take the shape of playable stories, in which the production of an aesthetically rewarding story is a goal in itself.
narrative
an engagement of the imagination in the mental construction and contemplation of a storyworld. pursues a specific goal associated with winning
- spatial (a sense of place and pleasure taken in exploring the storyworld)
- temporal (a burning desire to know what will happen next)
- emotional (affective reactions to the story and to the characters)
