The document explores interactive storytelling, emphasizing the need for a balance between story and player interaction. It discusses challenges in making interactive narratives, such as non-linearity and player agency, while highlighting key principles for a satisfying user experience. The author poses the question of what it would take to create an immersive storytelling environment, likened to a 'holodeck.'

1. Interactive Storytelling
Gail Carmichael
(www.gailcarmichael.com)

3. The Big Question:
What would it take
to create the
Holodeck?

4. About Me

5. About Me
Bachelor of Computer Science (2002-2007)
Masters of Computer Science (2007-2009)
PhD Computer Science (2009 - now)

6. Why I Care:
I love games with stories

7. What is Interactive Storytelling?
Story + Interaction

8. What is Interactive Storytelling?
Story + Interaction
“A story follows an Stories have a
interesting complex
protagonist structure, are
seeking a clear usually about
goal by addressing people rather than
an ever-escalating things, and
set of difficulties.” involve conflict.
Andrew Glassner Chris Crawford

9. What is Interactive Storytelling?
Story + Interaction
Two or more agents that are
Listening
Thinking
Speaking
Chris Crawford

10. Josiah Lebowitz and Chris Klug

11. Hey! Games are interactive!

12. Think of your favourite game story
How much does the plot change?
How does player action change it?
Are major plot points enforced, or player-driven?

13. Nothing is that simple…

14. Problems With Story and Games
à la Chris Crawford
Stories are not usually puzzles

15. Problems With Story and Games
à la Chris Crawford
Stories are not usually puzzles
… Story – Puzzle – Story – Puzzle …

16. Problems With Story and Games
à la Chris Crawford
Stories are much more than spectacle

17. Problems With Story and Games
à la Chris Crawford
Stories often present events in nonlinear order

18. Problems With Story and Games
à la Chris Crawford
Games are usually focused on violent conflict

20. Problems With Story and Games
à la Chris Crawford
Choice in games comes from players, not
characters

21. Problems With Story and Games
à la Andrew Glassner
Myth of interactivity: More interactivity
makes any experience better.

22. Problems With Story and Games
à la Andrew Glassner
An interactive experience must be fun,
interesting, or both.

23. Problems With Story and Games
à la Andrew Glassner
A player’s time should be respected.

24. Problems With Story and Games
à la Andrew Glassner
Players should not be deceived.

25. Problems With Story and Games
à la Andrew Glassner
A player should have enough information
to make an informed choice.

26. Problems With Story and Games
à la Andrew Glassner
Players should not be required to make
highly improbable connections or embark
on exhaustive searches to collect magic
items.

27. Problems With Story and Games
à la Andrew Glassner
Cut scenes should never show the player’s
character acting in ways that can
contradict the player’s mental model of the
character.

28. What about technology?

29. What about technology?

30. What about technology?

31. So interactive stories are hard…
Does it matter?

32. No preference
Interactive Traditional Storytelling
No story
Highly Player Driven
Storytelling
Branching Path Storytelling
Multiple-Ending Storytelling
Josiah Lebowitz and Chris Klug

33. Josiah Lebowitz and Chris Klug

34. Types of Story Enjoyment
M Pohjola
The Audience
Passive reception of narrative

35. Types of Story Enjoyment
M Pohjola
The Performer
Active performance of a character role
within an unfolding story

36. Types of Story Enjoyment
M Pohjola
The Immersionist
Immersion of the player in the character

38. The Big Question:
What would it take
to create the
Holodeck?

39. www.gailcarmichael.com