Interactive Narrative - Jason Rohrer and the Authorial Role

Jason Rohrer and Chris CrawfordExamples of Interactive Narrative

Today’s session will look at two interactive narratives by two artists/designers and we will investigate how they structure an interactive narrative.

We will look at 3 examples, 2 examples from the game developer Jason Rohrer (Passage and Gravitation) and one by acclaimed developer Chris Crawford built in his Storytron engine (Balance of Power 2K) (if we have time)

Interactive Narrative by Example

We will play through these games in our play session, discuss and review our feelings.

We will then watch sections of Durch die Nacht mit... (Into the Night)

We will then discuss our feelings on the game after the “authors” inputs.

Interactive Narrative by Example

Passage

“Your interpretation of the game is more important than my intentions.”

Rohrer J. http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/statement.html

Gravitation

“Know that there are no "accidents" in this game design.”

Rohrer J. http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/gravitation/statement.html

We will focus on Rohrer’s work Passage and Gravitation with Crawford’s Storytron Engine and Balance of Power 2K as further informative readings.

Let’s Play...

Links...

Rohrer J. (2007) PassageRohrer J. (2008) Gravitation

Crawford C. (2008) Balance of Power 2k

What do we think...

• (How) do Passage and Gravitation construct a narrative?

• Is this narrative inherently interactive?

• Is this narrative a game or a story?

• What affect do Passage and Gravitation have?

Passage

“At the beginning of the game, you can see your entire life out in front of you, albeit in rather hazy form, but you can't see anything that's behind you, because you have no past to speak of.”

Rohrer J. http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/statement.html

Passage

“[...] There’s no right way to play this game. Part of the goal, in fact, is to get you to reflect on the choices that you make while playing. The rewards in Passage come in the form of points added to your score, and you have two options for scoring points: treasure chests, which give 100 points for each hit, and exploration, which gives double-points if you walk with your spouse. There's a pretty tight balance between these two options---there's no optimal choice between the two.”

Rohrer J. http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/statement.html

Memento Mori (remember you must die)

“Passage is meant to be a memento mori game. It presents an entire life, from young adulthood through old age and death, in the span of five minutes. Of course, it's a game, not a painting or a film, so the choices that you make as the player are crucial.”

Rohrer J. http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/statement.html

“Latin phrase meaning remember you must die. A memento mori painting or sculpture is one designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the brevity and fragility of human life in the face of God and nature.”

http://www.tate.org.uk/collections/glossary/definition.jsp?entryId=162

“a video game about mania, melancholia, and the creative process”

Rohrer J. http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/jason-rohrer

“To be heartbroken by a game this slight, this simple, in its 100 square pixel area, is quite something”

Armitage T. Favourite Games of 2008, http://infovore.org/archives/2008/12/24/favourite-games-of-2008/

“The mechanics themselves are relatively simple, but the emergent behavior harbors a lot of texture.”

“Everything you notice about the game, and every subtle interaction that you experience, is intentionally packed with meaning. Gravitation explores how a particular corner of my life feels, as only a game can. ”

Rohrer J. http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/gravitation/statement.html

In reference to the games visual style Rohrer states

“I now see ultra-low-res pixel art as a kind of digital cartooning. It stands right on the line between the symbolic and the representational, leaving plenty room for viewer interpretation. Why draw sideburns when the viewers can imagine sideburns on their own? You just need to give them something to pin their imagination on, something to guide them a bit---cartoons are perfect for that.”

Rohrer J. http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/gravitation/statement.html

Into The Night

10:3801:30

14:23 17:53

Jason Rohrer

Interactive Storytelling

Into The Night

24:0121:12

27:32 31:30

Chris Crawford’s Early Work

Chris Crawford’s Storytron

Into The Night

35:1934:16

37:10 42:28

“The Entertainment lies in the Interaction”

On Current Games