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Beyond The Timeline a Data-Driven Interface For Interactive Documentary
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In this paper, we present work on the data-driven interface for The Industry, an interactive documentary in development about the Dutch illicit drug industry. The motivation for the work was to provide a more complete overview of a highly complex matter using a form of interactive digital narratives (IDN). As it is with many complex issues, news reports on illegal drugs in the Netherlands are mostly fragmented and reactive, which makes it difficult for audiences to gain a good understanding of the topic. The approach starts by obtaining big-data sets from police and media. On this foundation, a narrative interface will be designed. This paper reports on the iterative design approach, and interface metaphors, on the lessons learned and the current state of affairs. Our intent with this paper is to fuel a discussion on narrative representations of complexity.
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Many virtual and alternate reality projects create narrative experiences in the digital medium. These are Interactive Digital Narratives (IDN), a form of expression at the intersection of different artistic approaches, research fields (humanities, computer science), and emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, virtual reality, generative content), with a wide potential for different applications. A key element towards fulfilling this potential is the creation of a satisfying user experience. In this paper we present a toolbox for the evaluation of the user experience that connects which enables the systematic and quantitative study of IDN user experiences. This approach connects research in psychology [27] based on Entertainment Theory [5] with a humanities-based perspective. Specifically, we map Murray's influential theoretical framework [22] to Roth's empirical dimensions and thus connect an analytical framework to empirical research.
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.
Abstract Interactive storytelling (IS) is a promising new entertainment technology synthesizing preauthored narrative with dynamic user interaction. Existing IS prototypes employ different modes to involve users in a story, ranging from individual avatar control to comprehensive control over the virtual environment. The current experiment tested whether different player modes (exerting local vs. global influence) yield different user experiences (e.g., senses of immersion vs. control). A within-subject design involved 34 participants playing the cinematic IS drama "Emo Emma"( 1 ) both in the local (actor) and in global (ghost) mode. The latter mode allowed free movement in the virtual environment and hidden influence on characters, objects, and story development. As expected, control-related experiential qualities (effectance, autonomy, flow, and pride) were more intense for players in the global (ghost) mode. Immersion-related experiences did not differ over modes. Additionally, men preferred the sense of command facilitated by the ghost mode, whereas women preferred the sense of involvement facilitated by the actor mode.
This paper reports results from a study which examined viewers? cognitive and affective responses to an interactive TV drama. Ten participants were videoed interacting with "Our World War" [1], and then interviewed about their experience using the video playback as a retrospective prompt. An interpretative framework was designed to guide analysis by probing themes of narrative engagement identified in previous literature. We report findings relating to five themes of engagement: cognitive, affective, perspective taking, competence and autonomy, and transportation. Our data adds to the existing literature on interactive stories by highlighting the pivotal role of the self in engaging with interactive drama, with self-reflection emerging within each theme. We conclude that two experiential states drive engagement: a transported experience; and one in which self-reflection limits transportation.
Full text available at: http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2932218
The essence of the computer as a representational m edium is procedurality - the ability of the computer to enga ge in arbitrary mechanical processes to which observers can ascribe meaning. Taking full representational advantage of the compu ter thus requires procedurally literate authorship, that is, artists and writers who are able to think about and work within computational frameworks; in the extreme case of developing new modes of computational expression, authors must be highly pr oficient in the use of general purpose programming languages. We examine issues of procedural authorship using the interacti ve drama Façade as a case study. Façade's explicit design goal is to provide the player with local and global agency ove r the evolution of the dramatic experience; this requires a level o f procedurality previously not implemented in interactive narrative .
The paper describes lessons learned about the design of a form for interactive narrative. The lessons are based on an initial prototype and have ramifications for both a next-step implementation and for broader understanding of the form. Key lessons pertain to pacing, narrative structure, giving feedback through the interface, and contexts for use.
Obra que analiza las propiedades, ventajas, reacciones y significados que ofrece la narrativa interactiva frente a la narrativa lineal para entender cómo las historias median nuestra forma de pensar el mundo.