Proof Theory for Narrative Structure

10 min talk on representing narrative structure for FDG doctoral consortium.

Transcript

1. Proof Theory for Narrative Structure Chris Martens Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science Department ! Foundations of Digital Games 2015 Doctoral Consortium, Sunday, June 21
2. Proof Theory for Narrative Structure Chris Martens Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science Department ! Foundations of Digital Games 2015 Doctoral Consortium, Sunday, June 21
3. Research Goal Bridge narrative theory with systems understanding via conceptual and computational tools. 3
4. resource flow physics puzzles emergent behavior strategic choices characters backstory plot dialogue moral choices System and Narrative 4
5. resource flow physics puzzles emergent behavior strategic choices characters backstory plot dialogue moral choices System and Narrative 5
6. Important research subquestion: How do we understand narrative structure? 6 If narratives have several parts, what are they, and how do they connect to one another?
7. Important research subquestion: How do we understand narrative structure? 7 If narratives have several parts, what are they, and how do they connect to one another?
8. Important research subquestion: How do we understand narrative structure? 8 If narratives have several parts, what are they, and how do they connect to one another?
9. Take 1: Potential Narratives Twine node map 9
10. Example: Three Little Pigs There are three little pigs and a big bad wolf. ! One pig builds a house out of straw, one builds a house out of sticks and one builds a house out of bricks. ! The big bad wolf visits the straw house, blows the house down, and eats the pig. ! The big bad wolf visits the stick house, blows the house down, and eats the pig. ! The big bad wolf visits the brick house and fails to blow it down. 10
11. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE Twine node map 11
12. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE Twine node map 12
13. One of three little pigs builds a house out of straw. ! A wolf appears at the door... ! "Little pig, little Pig, let me come in." "No, no, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin." "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in.." ! And she does, and she eats the little pig! One of three little pigs builds a house out of bricks. ! A wolf appears at the door... ! "Little pig, little Pig, let me come in." "No, no, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin." "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in.." ! But she can’t! One of three little pigs builds a house out of sticks. ! A wolf appears at the door... ! "Little pig, little Pig, let me come in." "No, no, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin." "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in.." ! And she does, and she eats the little pig! 13
14. Take 2: Timelines xkcd.com/657 14
16. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE Twine nodemap expands to many possible stories = simultaneous representation of multiple narratives 16
17. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE LOTR graph expands to multiple “tellings”/directorial choices = representation of multiple simultaneous narratives 17
18. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE choice vs. simultaneity 18
19. Linear Logic: A logic of choice & simultaneity - A is simultaneous with B ! - choice between A and B 19
20. Linear Logic - it is possible to transform A into B 20
21. Potential Narrative version of Three Little Pigs 21 Possible to prove:
22. Multiple Timelines version of Three Little Pigs 22
23. Multiple Timelines version of Three Little Pigs 23 Possible to prove
24. Simultaneity in Three Little Pigs 24 RKI RKI RKI YQNH UVTCY DTKEMU UVKEMU UVTCYAJQWUG UVKEMAJQWUG DTKEMAJQWUG T DWKNFUVTCY JQWUG T DWKNFUVKEM JQWUG T YQNHXUDTKEMU T DWKNFDTKEM JQWUG T YQNHXUUVKEMU T YQNHXUUVTCY YQNH YQNH DTKEMAJQWUG
25. Reed/Garbe “combinatorial narrative” — Jacob Garbe, Gamasutra post “The Narrative Engine Driving Ice-Bound: A Novel of Reconfiguration” 25
26. monolithic story state vs composable story components 26
27. Proof theory makes a useful unifying formalism for narrative structure and interactive systems. 27 Research Hypothesis:
28. narrative generation [Martens et al., INT 2014] ! prototyping language for interactive narrative mechanics [Ceptre, publication in progress] ! analysis tools (discovering possible stories and state invariants) [work in progress] Evidence of usefulness: 28
29. Thesis Statement Linear logic and its theory of proof are a useful conceptual and computational framework for bridging narrative theory with systems understanding. 29
30. CYO Discussion Works of interactive fiction with compositional state (slide 31) ! Turning these ideas into a programming language (slide 33) ! Related work in story validation (slide 36) ! Related work in game description languages (slide 38) ! How does a proof represent a story? (slide 42) 30
31. Discussion Slides 31
32. Other IF with multiplicative state 32
33. Other IF with multiplicative state 33
34. Ceptre 34 stage = set of rules r : A -o B ! program = set of stages + stage control flow + initial state 6 6¶ 6R6¶  U6R6¶    Q  /RJLF3URJUDP LQLWLDOVWDWH
35. Ceptre 35
36. 36 Ceptre
37. Related Work 37
38. Related Work 38
39. Related Work 39
40. Related Work 40
41. Related Work 41
42. Related Work 42
43. Story Derivation for Choice-Based Three Little Pigs 43
44. Story Derivation of Simultaneity in Three Little Pigs 44
45. Thanks! Ceptre language: github.com/chrisamaphone/interactive-lp ! Me (web): http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~cmartens ! Me (Twitter): @chrisamaphone 45
46. other discussion points? Other IS concerns: Drama Management Narrative Drive Reactive Planning ! Tellings informed by player/reader knowledge state (stuff like “Memento” or scenes told out-of-causal-order) 46