Difference between revisions of "Own Agenda"

Revision as of 21:27, 31 July 2014

The ability of agents to seem to strive towards personal goals.

Note: This pattern specifically discusses how agents can use their agency to work towards goals of their character. For this reason, the pattern does not have relations to narration patterns.

Examples

The bots used in FPS Games such as Counter-Strike and the Left 4 Dead series can work towards completing the goals of the games the same way players can. While this can be seen that they do have their Own Agenda, the characterization of people in those games in weak so this is a weak example.

The two main characters in Façade, Trip and Grace, are algorithmic agents which by their large repertoire of actions and utterances can express their Own Agendas in the interactive drama players can have with them.

Using the pattern

Own Agenda is a pattern to modify how Algorithmic Agents play their Characters, i.e. Non-Player Characters. Specifically, it relates to how they more clearly can express that they have and work towards the goals of the Characters. Since Companions are Non-Player Characters that players are more likely to interact with in depth, in may be relevant in a design process to prioritize that these can express their Own Agenda before other [Non-Player Characters]] can do so.

The most basic part of supporting Own Agenda is to let the Algorithmic Agents have actions which allow them to try and complete the goals. However, they need to express emotions regarding success, failure, and hope. Context Dependent Reactions, Memory of Important Events, and Others Fortune affects own Mood can all be useful for this. Scripted Information Sequences is another more narrative way to provide Algorithmic Agents with this expressivity, but this may fail in games designed for Replayability since these sequences may then be seen several times and become noticeable patterns.

Diegetic Aspects

Own Agenda is a Diegetic Pattern.

Consequences

The expression of Own Agenda by Algorithmic Agents can provide Thematic Consistency in that Characters have emotional expressions related to their goals and actions. It can arguably also make them engage in Roleplaying but it may be difficult for players to notice the different between Characters doing things in a Game World and Algorithmic Agents enacting what these Characters are doing in that Game World. However, since the Algorithmic Agents can also be trying to reach player goals, the use of this pattern is a way to instantiate AI Players.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Thematic Consistency, Roleplaying

with Algorithmic Agents

AI Players

Can Modulate

Algorithmic Agents, Companions, Non-Player Characters

Can Be Instantiated By

Context Dependent Reactions, Memory of Important Events, Others Fortune affects own Mood, Scripted Information Sequences

Can Be Modulated By

-

Possible Closure Effects

-

Potentially Conflicting With

Scripted Information Sequences in games that are also intended to have Replayability

History

A rewrite of a pattern that was part of the original collection in the paper Gameplay Design Patterns for Believable Non-Player Characters^[1].

References

1. ↑ Lankoski, P. & Björk, S. (2007) Gameplay Design Patterns for Believable Non-Player Characters. Proceedings of DiGRA 2007.

Acknowledgments