Behavioural modelling is an important part of NPC development for games. Should emotive modelling be part of that development?

Incorporating real human behaviour into NPCs through human data has led to them seeming more believable and engaging, and give a larger range of outcomes than say, a decision tree. To introduce real human emotions into the mix would take up a huge amount of resources, as there are just so many different possibilities that would need to be accounted for. For example, parts of military training is often done in strategic multiplayer or single player games, where NPCs must be realistic and have to adapt to different environments and situations for the training to be effective. Even with behaviour modelling, NPCs still cannot act like a real-life enemy, but they can come close. Emotive modelling would require NPCs to act based on their mood and their attitude as a person; for example, a fearful person would not be likely to run in guns blazing. NPCs in these training exercises are not assigned a personality, and while this would be extremely challenging to implement, I believe it would add a new layer of realism to the exercise and make people think more carefully about how to approach a situation.

Consider your favourite video game. If it contains AI controlled agents how individualistic are they and their behaviours, and, how might you set about improving them?

My favourite game is Dishonored, a linear 3D stealth game developed by Arcane Studios, with many open areas involving guards and chief commanders you can take out, either by using stealth or attacking them head on. The guards are programmed to react based on your actions; if you make a loud noise they will typically question it and turn towards the sound. More impressive behaviours include the AI never forgetting that they saw you, noticing when their fellow guards aren’t at their post, and reactions to specific events, like deactivating barriers, which they will discuss with their friends.

However, in terms of individualism, the game falls flat, as almost all the guards sound, look and act the same. Killing one guard after another doesn’t feel like you’re taking on different people; it feels like you’re taking on an army of the same people. There is also a lack in variety of conversations you overhear between guards; many times, you will hear the uttering of, “Should we gather for whiskey and cigars tonight?”. Because you could hear this from any guard, it essentially removes any thought that they could have a personality.

If I were to improve them, the first thing I would do would be to create varying reactions to the same situation. For example, when a guard sees you, instead of saying the typical, “There you are!”, some guards could react in disbelief, as they are not used to anything of interest happening, or some could jump aback as if it has startled them. I feel as if this would add more of a personality to the guards and thus creating a more immersive world.

http://iieng.org/images/proceedings_pdf/3408E0314005.pdf

Spraragen, M. (n.d.). Modeling of Emotional Effects on Decision-making by Game Agents. Retirved from Science Direct: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050914001513

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/4797516/?reload=true

https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/636040-dishonored/64490816

https://www.reddit.com/r/dishonored/comments/1ay5e4/shall_we_gather_for_whisky_and_cigars_tonight/?st=jauhbfxh&sh=5e4aa07e

Image 1: https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/m7-IluUbDF3OxnmCpn5V6twLY4k=/0x0:1919×1079/1600×900/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/1507329/dishonored-polygon-hero-test-1.0.jpg

Select one game of your interest and explain why does it have a good/bad game UI

A game I play very regularly is Hearthstone, a digital card game published by Blizzard. The UI in this game is some of the best I have ever seen; it is fluid and satisfying, and makes interactions in the game feel like a joy. The entire UI is based around a box you play inside, with wooden panelling and layers that make up the buttons; the reason for this was to ensure players would not find the UI distracting or immersion breaking. The game is set up so everything you need to see is always in view, with everything positioned right where it should be; your cards and hero power are always right in front of you, with other things like card history and your deck positioned to the side as not to interrupt the flow of the game.

Senior UI designer Derek Sakamoto explained at GDC 2015 how “the game is UI”, stating how it is not a game with a huge amount of action or monsters running around, so it would make sense to invest heavily into the UI design. He also mentions that many game designers fail to see the importance of UI, and don’t give it enough thought when designing a game. He points out when making a game, these designers create their mechanics and just “slap” a UI onto it. By having dedicated UI designers, they have managed to make their game so much more accessible and fun to play.

Discuss how technology augments human abilities. Reflect upon the implications of the future of HCI.

Augmented humanity has become more and more prevalent over time, with new technology being developed every year. We are more connected with our cars, TVs and phones because of technology such as speech recognition, touch screens, heartbeat sensors and so on. This comes with an increasing reliance on technology, as there are increasingly more tasks that our devices can accomplish for us. For example, Google Glass allows you to take a photo by winking, and mobile phones can now be unlocked in multiple ways, through a fingerprint scanner or through face recognition.

As for the future, this trend suggests that technological interfaces will become more natural and instinctive, increasing the connection to be stronger and more emotional between human and computer. The future of augmented humanity certainly seems to show promise for video games, with VR giving the potential for increased immersion, especially with the addition of equipment that can simulate your arm and leg movements in game. Also with VR comes a an improvement for health, for example autism therapy; rather than looking at toys on a table, kids can see virtual environments that can be tailored to their specific needs through sensory complexity. It has been reported that so far VR has had a calming effect on children with autism. This means that therapy could be delivered at home through VR headsets, rather than having to take trips to the doctors.

https://hearthstone.gamepedia.com/Design_and_development_of_Hearthstone

http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1022036/Hearthstone-How-to-Create-an

http://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/12/05/2018-will-be-the-year-augmented-humanity-isobars-new-report-says

Nagubandi, A. (2016). The age of augmented humanity. Retrieved from The Hindu: http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/The-age-of-augmented-humanity/article14010133.ece

Park, M. (2017). 3 practical ways that VR is improving health care. Retrieved from Venturebeat: https://venturebeat.com/2017/12/04/3-practical-ways-that-vr-is-improving-healthcare/

Image 1: http://puu.sh/yA9vt/345d80a3c7.jpg

Image 2: http://puu.sh/yA9ZA/0ae3fb5ba4.jpg

Choose one of the indie designers / developers and outline why their work and approach is of interest to you.

One indie developer I have enormous respect for is Playdead, both for their outlook on making games but also the sheer quality of their games. I am a huge fan of 2D platformers and I find Limbo and INSIDE to be two of the best, for their incredible atmospheres and attention to detail. INSIDE was in development for six years, a very long time for an indie company to make a game, but it does show. Even the smallest details have thought and time poured into them, especially the sound design; a real human skull was used to create haunting echoes and ambient sounds, and real breathing audio data was used to match the protagonist’s interactive movements to make his character seem more realistic. These considerations add up to make the game experience that much more enjoyable; I really admire that they only released the game when they knew they were fully happy with it. This shows that they like to create experiences that people will enjoy the most, rather than focusing on what could be the most profitable idea.

What do you think could be the most exciting indie projects that are in development?

An indie game I’ve very excited for is The Last Night which is in development by Odd Tales, and slated to release in 2018. The art style looks very impressive, with a combination of 2D pixel art and 3D environments. It is also very reminiscent of Blade Runner, full of neon signs and flying cars. While only a small trailer has been released so far, the unique art style and gorgeous animations sees it as already one of the most ambitious indie games of next year. As far as gameplay goes there isn’t much known about, although from the trailer it seems there could be a lot of interacting with other people. Any game that can show evidence of having fresh and innovative ideas is worthy of being on my watchlist I believe, and this is no exception.

Another indie project I’ve been keeping my eye on is Hello Neighbour, developed by Dynamic Pixels, which comes out of early access in early December and is a stealth horror game centred around trying to break into your neighbour’s house to find out what he’s hiding in his basement. I think the concept sounds intriguing, and from the beta footage I’ve seen it seems like it has a lot of potential, with an advanced AI that counters your moves and evolves based on what you do. It has promised a variety of gameplay too, with many different ways to attempt to break into the house and objects to interact with. Because the developers chose to go down the Early Access route, they have been working closely with the community and have tweaked the game continuously based on feedback. Because of this and positive reception from beta players I think there’s a high chance this could be a great game.

Lucas, D. (2017). The best upcoming Xbox One indie games heading your way. Retrieved from Gamesradar: http://www.gamesradar.com/the-best-upcoming-xbox-one-indie-games-heading-your-way/

Broomhall, J. (2017). Heard About: How Playdead used a real human skull for Inside’s audio. Retrieved from Develop-online:http://www.develop-online.net/interview/heard-about-how-playdead-used-a-real-human-skull-for-inside-s-audio/0209170

Tinybuild. (2017). Hello Neighbour. Retrived from Tinybuild: http://www.tinybuild.com/helloneighbor

Robertson, A. (2017). The Last Night was one of E3’s most dazzling games — and also its most frustrating. Retrieved from The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/16/15802708/the-last-night-hands-on-gamergate-cyberpunk-e3-2017

Image 1: https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/16/15802708/the-last-night-hands-on-gamergate-cyberpunk-e3-2017

Select one example to outline the key concepts of the interactive narrative genre:

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is a Choose Your Own Adventure book released in 1982 and written by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson. The book is centred around 3 attributes assigned to the player: Skill, stamina and luck, which are related to swordsmanship, determination and overall fitness, and how lucky you are as a player, respectively. You use these attributes to fight enemies (or flee) and try to make the correct decisions to get the best ending possible. After making decisions you are told to turn to a specific page to continue that narrative, and eventually you will reach an ending, which may be bad or good depending on your actions. While typical fiction books are one-sided, as you can only watch a story unfold, in interactive narrative games such as these you are responsible for the character’s journey, making these very engaging books to follow along with. While there may be limits to the story you can create, the uncertainty that comes with making a decision means the story is never predictable.

Does the interactive narrative still have a role to play in video games today? Give exemplary examples

Yes absolutely, and I would argue that the role they play in video games is greater than ever, as the possibility for more immersive stories and worlds only increases as technology advances. Games such as Telltale’s The Walking Dead: Season One and Life Is Strange offer impressive and believable worlds for players to create their own story in; you feel like your choices make a difference. While often gameplay must be sacrificed for story, as game developers usually don’t have enough resources to focus fully on both, more recent games such as Life as Strange have a brilliantly structured interactive narrative but also fun mechanics, such as being able to turn back time. This balance has helped to keep the genre fresh at a time where gaming is at its most ambitious; recent open world games are bigger and denser than ever, but engaging games like Life is Strange are equally as appealing.

Another way that Life is Strange has revitalised the genre is through your choices actually seeming to make an impact. While Telltale’s The Walking Dead may make it seem like there are a string of different directions you can take the game in, inevitably they all lead to the same ending, and this is typical with all Telltale games. However, in Life is Strange, even the smallest decisions seems to have a weight on how the story will go, which eventually help to shape your decision at the end of the game. While the structure of the two games are very similar, Life Is Strange is different in that your story can feel very different to someone else’s because of how you choose the behaviour of the protagonist. I believe interactive narrative is still evolving in games and certainly has a big role to play.

Cyoa. (n.d.). One Book, Many Readings. Retrieved from Cyoa: http://samizdat.cc/cyoa

Green, J. (2014). You Are The Hero. UK: Snowbooks.

Nicholson, R. (1982). The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

Dale North. (2015). Even the smallest choices matter in Life is Strange (preview). Retrieved from Venturebeat: https://venturebeat.com/2015/01/26/even-the-smallest-choices-matter-in-life-is-strange-preview/

Image 1: https://venturebeat.com/2015/01/26/even-the-smallest-choices-matter-in-life-is-strange-preview/