Scribe Authoring Tool

1
Scribe Authoring Tool

• Brian Magerko, Ph.D.
• Ben Medler

2
Overview

• Presenters
• ISAT
• Story Authoring
• Scribe
• Scribe authoring modes
• Future work
• Conclusion/Questions

3
Presenters

• Brian Magerko, PhD
• Assistant Professor, Telecommunication and
  Computer Science
• Co-Director of Games for Entertainment and
  Learning Lab
• Ben Medler
• Graduate student, Michigan State University

4
Interactive Storytelling Architecture for Training

• Director-based story management
• Interactive Drama Architecture (IDA)
• Presented at TIDSE 2003
• Intelligent Tutoring
• Directs environment and NPCs based on
• Story content
• Player action
• Hypothesis of trainee skills
• Selects and instantiates abstract content for
  dramatic and pedagogical reasons

5
High-Level ISAT Architecture
6
Scribe

• How do we put authoring content in the hands of
  non-programmer authors and content experts?
• Scribe authoring tool
• Built for ISAT
• Provides visual connection to underlying story
  logic
• Used by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to produce
  story / scenario content

7
Related Work

• Related work
• ScriptEase
• DraMachine
• Art-E-Fact
• Scenejo
• Redux
• Related Interactive Drama
• Façade
• MIMESIS
• IN-TALE

8
ScriptEase
9
REDUX
10
Guidelines

• Generality
• Re-usable over multiple environments.
• Enables Debugging
• Debugging content inside of the production tool.
• Usability
• Error checking, efficiency, and easy to use by
  non-developers.

11
Guidelines

• Environment Representation
• Standardized way of representing the game
  environment.
• Pacing and Timing
• Timing of events that can be controlled by the
  author.
• Scope
• Expansion and connection to other architectures.

12
Overview of Scribe

• Element Placement
• Interaction with the game environment.

13
Overview of Scribe

• Element Placement
• Interaction with the game environment.
• Story Creation
• Creation of story events that occur as the player
  is inside the game environment.

14
Overview of Scribe

• Element Placement
• Interaction with the game environment.
• Story Creation
• Creation of story events that occur as the player
  is inside the game environment.
• Debugging
• Allows the author to review story content inside
  of Scribe.

15
Element Placement

• Author works with game representation creating
  elements that are used in story

16
Map Representation

• Map
• 2D representation inside of Scribe.

17
Elements

• Elements
• Objects - Items that are represented visually.
• Points - 3D points.
• Zones - Areas with attributes.

18
Element Placement Video

• Link

19
Story Creation

• Author creates story events that utilize elements
  set in Element Placement Mode.

20
Story items

• Story Creation items
• Plot Points - Main story points (i.e. scenes).
• Actions - Make up plot points, hold actions for a
  plot point to perform.
• Skills - Variables representing the tested areas
  of the user.

21
Story Representation

• Plot Point Components
• Preconditions - Actions that are preformed before
  a plot point begins.
• Events - Actions that happen during the plot
  point, the main storytelling actions that the
  user experiences.
• Postconditions - Actions that occur after a plot
  point finishes.

22
Precondition Video

• Link

23
Ordering Example

• Plot Point Planning
• Partial ordering links created using author
  connections and plot point actions.

24
Event Timing

• Plot Point Timing
• Events given temporal attributes.

25
Debugging

• Author communicates with Director Agent while
  stepping through created story content inside of
  Scribe.

26
Future Work

• Connecting other environments and architectures
  to Scribe.
• Future usability testing.
• Finalizing Scribe/Director Agent interactions.
• Test cases and prototype of debugging ability.

27
Questions?

• magerko_at_msu.edu
• medlerbe_at_msu.edu
• http//gel.msu.edu

28

• Other Slides past here

29
Story Authoring

• Standard Authors
• Programmer - Logical Representation and Story
• Artist - Content
• With Scribe
• Content Expert - Story
• Programmer/Artist - Logical Rep./Content

30
Past Authoring Options

• Digital Game Authoring
• RTS
• RPG
• Other Interactive Drama Architectures
• Façade
• MIMESIS
• IN-TALE

31
Element Attributes

• Element Attributes
• Attributes include
• Story Information
• Location Information
• Grouping Elements
• Attributes given to element combinations.

32
Story Creation

• Plot Point Planning
• Author casually connects plot points.
• Ordered links created using author connections
  and plot point actions.
• Plot Point Timing
• Events given temporal attributes.
• Used to pace the story.

33
Story Creation

• Current Skills for ISAT
• Skills used for intelligent tutoring or to
  evaluate users performance.
• Medical skills used for Army medic training.
• Plot Points can be set to test specific skills.

34
Debugging

• Debugging story inside of Scribe.
• Not implemented.
• Communicates with Director Agent.
• Uses Scribes map representation.
• Ability to step through story by
• Plot Points
• Events
• Author given control over skill values of
  artificial player.