Modeling Interactive Narrative Systems: A Formal Approach

TL;DR

This paper presents a formal framework for modeling Interactive Narrative Systems to unify their representation, improve analysis, and facilitate comparison, validated through experiments on a classic storytelling scenario.

Contribution

It introduces a novel formal representation framework for INS, enhancing consistency, analysis, and comparison across different systems.

Findings

Formalism improves INS evaluation

Framework aids in system comparison

Experimental validation on storytelling scenario

Abstract

Interactive Narrative Systems (INS) have revolutionized digital experiences by empowering users to actively shape their stories, diverging from traditional passive storytelling. However, the field faces challenges due to fragmented research efforts and diverse system representations. This paper introduces a formal representation framework for INS, inspired by diverse approaches from the state of the art. By providing a consistent vocabulary and modeling structure, the framework facilitates the analysis, the description and comparison of INS properties. Experimental validations on the "Little Red Riding Hood" scenario highlight the usefulness of the proposed formalism and its impact on improving the evaluation of INS. This work aims to foster collaboration and coherence within the INS research community by proposing a methodology for formally representing these systems.