STORY STRUCTURE

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STORY STRUCTURE INTERACTIVE DESIGN for
Military Training Applications
Larry Tuch Screenwriter-Interactive Designer
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Story Structure Interactive Design

• Screenplay Structure Story Arc
• Screenplay Structure Military Reality
• Interactive Story Design Using the Screenplay
  Paradigm
• Interactive Design Principles for military
  training scenarios some basics
• Putting it all together ALTSIM Road to Kandun
  Scenario, Act 1.

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Screenplay Structure Story Arc
ACT 3
ACT 1
ACT 2
Resolution
Crisis
Climax
Progressive Complications
Decision
Inciting Incident The primary cause for all that
follows. Puts the story arc into motion.
Act 2 Climax
Mid-Act Climax
Progressive Complications The protagonist(s) must
struggle and overcome the complications that
threaten his success. The story advances through
conflict.
Inciting Incident
Act 1 Climax
Ref STORY by Robert McKee
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Screenplay Structure Story Arc
ACT 3
ACT 1
ACT 2
Resolution
Crisis
Climax
Progressive Complications
Decision
Crisis A true dilemma that requires a decision.
The protagonist is under maximum pressure. The
decision reveals the storys most important value.
Inciting Incident
Climax A culmination. A crowning major reversal
(success or failure). Full of meaning.
Resolution End state. The place to climax
subplots. Can show the spread of climactic
effects.
Ref STORY by Robert McKee
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Screenplay Structure Military Reality

• Dramatic structure in the screenplay paradigm
• Illuminates the forces that shape events
• Shows the relationship of cause and effect
• Raises lessons to high definition
• Makes all of these elements vivid and memorable
• Example Mapping the Battle of Mogadishu to
  screenplay structure.

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Battle of Mogadishu Main Story Arc
ACT 3
ACT 1
ACT 2
Resolution
Crisis
Climax
Progressive Complications
Decision
Inciting Incident
Act 1 Climax Wolcott BH down
Fighting delays pull out
TF Grabs targets
Launch TF Ranger
Refs. 1) BLACKHAWK DOWN screenplay by Ken Nolan
2) STORY by Robert McKee
Targets (Clan Leaders) Spotted
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Battle of Mogadishu Main Story Arc
ACT 3
ACT 1
ACT 2
Resolution
Crisis
Climax
Progressive Complications
Decision
Mid-Act 2 Climax Durant BH down
U.S. convoy becomes lost
Inciting Incident
Somalis race to crash site
Act 1 Climax Wolcott BH down
Fighting delays pull out
TF Grabs targets
Launch TF Ranger
Ref BLACKHAWK DOWN screenplay by Ken Nolan
STORY by Robt. McKee
Targets (Clan Leaders) Spotted
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The Mid-Act 2 Climax
Soldiers learn to sense when a situation begins
to go sour, when the options start to slip away
and the enemy gains the upper hand The special
operators lost it in Mogadishu when the second
U.S. helicopter went down. Death Ground
Todays American Infantry in Battle, Daniel P.
Bolger
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Battle of Mogadishu Main Story Arc
ACT 3
ACT 1
ACT 2
Resolution
Crisis
Climax
Progressive Complications
Decision
Act 2 Climax TF Ranger trapped
Somalis overrun Durants crash site
Convoys abandon effort to reach Durant
Lost convoy abandons search for 1st downed BH
Mid-Act 2 Climax Durant BH down
U.S. convoy becomes lost
Inciting Incident
Somalis race to crash site
Act 1 Climax Wolcott BH down
Fighting delays pull out
TF Grabs targets
Launch TF Ranger
Ref BLACKHAWK DOWN screenplay by Ken Nolan
STORY by Robt. McKee
Targets (Clan Leaders) Spotted
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Battle of Mogadishu Main Story Arc
ACT 3
ACT 1
ACT 2
Resolution
Crisis
TF safe at Stadium
Climax
Progressive Complications
Decision
TF Rescued
Form/launch rescue convoy
Act 2 Climax TF Ranger trapped
Somalis overrun Durants crash site
Convoys abandon effort to reach Durant
Lost convoy abandons search for 1st downed BH
Mid-Act 2 Climax Durant BH down
U.S. convoy becomes lost
Inciting Incident
Somalis race to crash site
Act 1 Climax Wolcott BH down
Fighting delays pull out
TF Grabs targets
Launch TF Ranger
Ref BLACKHAWK DOWN screenplay by Ken Nolan
STORY by Robt. McKee
Targets (Clan Leaders) Spotted
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Interactive Story Design Using the Screenplay
Paradigm
ACT 3
ACT 1
ACT 2
Resolution
Resolution 1) Define the successful end state
for the mission/training scenario. 2) End state
can be deconstructed into specific conditions
that define a successful end state. 3) Determine
trainee competencies and performance objectives
required to achieve a successful end state.
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Interactive Story Design Using the Screenplay
Paradigm
ACT 3
ACT 1
ACT 2
Resolution
Progressive Complications
4) Complications Translate performance
objectives into events that present challenges
obstacles. 5) Climaxes Create variable
intermediate outcomes determined by trainee
performance.
Act 2 Climax
Mid-Act Climax
Humvee accident MEDEVAC
Refuel rendezvous aborted
Act 1 Climax
Turn performance objectives into challenging
events. These events will function as the
building blocks of the story.
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Interactive Story Design Using the Screenplay
Paradigm
ACT 3
ACT 1
ACT 2
Resolution
Crisis
Act 3 Climax
Progressive Complications
Decision
5) Crisis Determine the pivotal dilemma that
requires a critical decision. 6) Act 3 Climax
Define trainees decision options and the degrees
of success or failure associated with each
option. 7) Inciting Incident Once you know your
story, you can determine the best way to launch
it.
Act 2 Climax
Mid-Act Climax
Inciting Incident
Act 1 Climax
Note This is a suggested order of design steps.
Other approaches may work as well.
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Interactive Story Design Using the Screenplay
Paradigm

• Complications and obstacles that trainees must
  overcome.
• Based on performance objectives.
• Some complications can be added to keep the
  narrative dramatic and the challenge high.
• Complications should grow in magnitude in order
  to maintain the dramatic power of the story line.

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Interactive Story Design Using the Screenplay
Paradigm

• Climaxes
• Climaxes bring the dramatic progress of the story
  to high definition function as intermediate
  outcomes and checks for progress.
• Determine variable climaxes based on a scoring
  system that weighs the level of a challenge and
  the trainees performance.
• Climaxes should be dramatic create an event and
  approach to presenting it that gives a climax
  impact.

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Interactive Design Complex Exercises

• Complex environments (TOC, CP, etc.)
• Focus is on high level problem solving,
  perception and behavior.
• Branching to variable options and outcomes can be
  confined to key points in the scenario.
• In between decision points and branches
• Ongoing stream of incoming information
  scenario events pushes and pulls the team to
  interpret the situation and take action.
• Team members take the ball and run with it,
  driving the process that will produce the next
  story-advancing input and/or decision.

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Interactive Design Keeping the Trainee on a
Productive Path

• Artificial constraints and redirection make the
  story and its world less real.
• Redirection should be real world and grounded
  in the story.
• Direct Trainees to options branching pathways
  with prompts presented by story and characters.
• PULL Offer options, information or opportunities
  that trainees must attend to in order to move
  toward their goal.
• PUSH Command elements, resources (intel, recon)
  can provide directives and info that shut down
  certain pathways options and highlight others.

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Advanced Leadership Training (ALTSIM)
Project Manager Nick Iuppa VP
Mgr. PARAMOUNT SIMULATION GROUP PARAMOUNT
PICTURES
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ALTSIM Hypothesis

• Stress exposure training can inoculate trainees
  against the impact of stress in actual task
  performance situations
• Making Decisions Under Stress - The TADMUS
  project
• Stories are designed to bring participants
  through a series of progressively greater
  complications to a final crisis that presents the
  ultimate challenge to their skill and values
• Robert McKee - STORY - The Principles of
  Screenwriting

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ALTSIM VIDEO
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Designing the ALTSIM Experience

• Story Design
• Building on performance objectives
• Story Arc Applying the Screenplay Paradigm
• Interactive Design
• Building on performance objectives
• Providing interactive tasks and tools
• Characters
• Allowing trainees to read the unfolding story
  and drive it forward

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Building Story on Performance Objectives

• Performance Objectives
• Maintain accurate, balanced situation awareness.
• Make scenario appropriate decisions in the face
  of complex crisis situations.
• Provide accurate, timely information and support
  to units in their area of responsibility.

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Building Story on Performance Objectives

• Performance Objectives
• Maintain accurate, balanced situation awareness.
• Make scenario appropriate decisions in the face
  of complex crisis situations.
• Provide accurate, timely information and support
  to units in their area of responsibility.

• General Story Elements based on objectives
• Enemy forces invade allied nation in Central
  Asia, fragment to conceal positions.
• U.S. Task Force heading toward area of incursion
  needs visualization of the battle space.
• Trainees (TOC Staff) must visualize situation,
  determine OPFOR intent, develop COA for task
  force.

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The Road to Kandun
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N.E. Korastan The Battle Space Act 1
TFs move to Defend Kandun Koramshar
TF Bayonet
1
TF Victory
KDF
KDF
KDF
Legend
TFs Stryker BDE
KDF Korastani Defense Force (Host Nation)
KLF MRB1
KLF Korastani Liberation Front (Motorized
Brigades)
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N.E. Korastan The Battle Space Act 1
TFs move to Defend Kandun Koramshar
TF Bayonet
1
TF Victory
KDF
KDF
3
KDF moves to defend
KDF
Legend
2
TFs Stryker BDE
KDF Korastani Defense Force (Host Nation)
KLF MRB1
KLF Korastani Liberation Front (Motorized
Brigades)
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N.E. Korastan The Battle Space Act 1
TFs move to Defend Kandun Koramshar
TF Bayonet
1
TF Victory
KDF
KDF
3
KDF moves to defend
KDF
FEINT
Legend
2
TFs Stryker BDE
KDF Korastani Defense Force (Host Nation)
KLF MRB1
KLF Korastani Liberation Front (Motorized
Brigades)
KLF MRB2
4
KLF Main Body Crosses border
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N.E. Korastan The Battle Space Act 1
TFs move to Defend Kandun Koramshar
TF Bayonet
1
TF Victory
KDF
KDF
Guerillas ambush TF Victory
AMBUSH
5
3
KDF moves to defend
KLF Guerillas
KDF
FEINT
Legend
2
TFs Stryker BDE
KDF Korastani Defense Force (Host Nation)
KLF MRB1
KLF Korastani Liberation Front (Motorized
Brigades)
KLF MRB2
4
KLF Main Body Crosses border
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ALTSIM Story Arc for Act One
Elements TF Victory (U.S.) Korastani Defense
Force Korastani Liberation Front
Progressive Complications
AMBUSH! TF Victory attacked by KLF guerillas at
Rustakova
Inciting Incident
KLF MRB2 pushes KDF Border Unit into full retreat
KLF MRB2 invades Korastan west of the Domar River
KDF concentrates forces in the east to defend
against KLF MRB1
INVASION! KLF MRB1 invades Korastan east of the
Domar River
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ALTSIM Story Arc for Act One
Elements TF Victory (U.S.) Korastani Defense
Force Korastani Liberation Front
Crisis
Progressive Complications
KLF MB2 fragments disappears into concealing
terrain
AMBUSH! TF Victory attacked by KLF guerillas at
Rustakova
Inciting Incident
KLF MRB2 pushes KDF Border Unit into full retreat
KLF MRB2 invades Korastan west of the Domar River
KDF concentrates forces in the east to defend
against KLF MRB1
INVASION! KLF MRB1 invades Korastan east of the
Domar River
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ALTSIM Story Arc for Act One
Elements TF Victory (U.S.) Korastani Defense
Force Korastani Liberation Front
Act 1Climax
Crisis
TF Victory goes east to defend Kandun
Decision
TF Victory goes south to find engage KLF MRB2
Progressive Complications
(TF Victory breaks through the ambush!)
KLF MB2 fragments disappears into concealing
terrain
Inciting Incident
AMBUSH! TF Victory attacked by KLF guerillas at
Rustakova
KLF MRB2 pushes KDF Border Unit into full retreat
KLF MRB2 invades Korastan west of the Domar River
KDF concentrates forces in the east to defend
against KLF MRB1
INVASION! KLF MRB1 invades Korastan east of the
Domar River
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Designing the ALTSIM Experience

• Story Design
• Building on performance objectives
• Story Arc Applying the Screenplay Paradigm
• Interactive Design
• Building on performance objectives
• Providing interactive tasks and tools
• Characters
• Allowing trainees to read the unfolding story
  and drive it forward

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Interactive Design Based on Performance Objectives

• Performance Objectives
• Maintain accurate, balanced situation awareness.
• Make scenario appropriate decisions in the face
  of complex crisis situations.
• Provide accurate, timely information and support
  to units in their area of responsibility.

• Interactive Trainee Tasks
• Build Situation Awareness visualization.
  Interpret OPFOR intent.
• Develop COA.
• Issue FRAGO.

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Interactive Trainee Tasks and Tools

• TASKS
• BUILD SITUATION AWARENESS
• Check latest updates
• Tap info channels
• Launch RECON
• INTERPRET OPFOR INTENT
• DEVELOP COA
• ISSUE FRAGO

• INTERACTIVE TOOLS
• TOOLS INFORMATION SOURCES
• SIGACTS, MAP TOOL
• Intel reports, SITREPS
• Simplified Reporting Tool (SRT)
• MAP TOOL OPFOR status intent CIA Profile of
  OPFOR CDR
• COA Template
• FRAGO Template (input device)

The System Reads FRAGO input and advances the
story
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Characters

• Characters
• Brigade Commander (Virtual)
• Host Nation District Military Commander
• Task Force Commander (Virtual)
• ZNN Field News Correspondent

• Functions
• Prompts Guidance
• Challenges
• Prompts Challenges
• Updates situation, reports outcomes end state

Characters are created with an eye to
facilitating interactivity and the advancement of
the story.
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Characters in Conflict

• RED HUNTER, TF Victory CDR to BDE TOC
  (Bulldog)
• See possible opportunity to change mission from
  Kandun to focus on OPFOR moving vicinity
  Rostava.
• Request analysis by Bulldog element.
• Can we head south and take the fight to the
  enemy? Need your decision ASAP
• COL. OZUMAN KURGAT, CDR, Korastani Defense Force,
  N.E. Military Dist.
• Kandun must be protected at all costs.
• Going south to find the enemy is a dangerous
  gamble.
• I cannot send any additional resources.

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TF VICTORY CDR MAJ. REDMOND RED HUNTER, U.S.A.

• Prompts TOC for change of mission requiring good
  visualization and aggressive COA
• Prefer to take the fight to the enemy
• Can protect Kandun by catching enemy in the
  open.
• In my book it says break the bastards legs
  before he gets near his objective.

Virtual Character Photo-Real animation Programmed
interaction
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The TOCs Dilemma
Window of Opportunity TOC must commit to a COA
before TF Victory reaches the crossroads at Dorana
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The Essence of the Story-Driven Training
Experience

• Stories are designed to bring participants
• - through a series of progressively greater
  complications
• - to a final crisis
• - that presents the ultimate challenge to their
  skill and values.
• Robert McKee - STORY - The Principles of
  Screenwriting

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MOMENT OF TRUTH

• Send Task Force
• east to protect Kandun?
• south to engage the enemy?

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Climax Variable Outcomes

• If COA is to send TF Victory to defend Kandun
• KLF Motorized Brigade 2 attacks border towns,
  sabotages elements of Koristani infrastructure.
• If COA is to send TF Victory south to engage KLF
  forces and
• COA is based on good visualization, TF Victory
  finds, fixes and destroys most of the KLF force.
• COA is based on poor visualization, KLF elements
  outflank TF Victory and push north to Kandun.

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ALTSIM Appendix Content Advisors Sources

• Text Research
• Brigade Battle Captain Prototype Training
  (ARI-Ft. Benning)
• Army Leadership Field Manual
• 66 Stories of Battle Command
• On-Site Observation
• Military Exercises, Ft. Knox Battle Lab
• Subject Matter Experts Scenario Development
• James (Pat) ONeal, General Officer (ret.)
• WM. Forrest Crane, Col. (ret.)
• Battle Captain Greg D. Robertson, HHC, 3rd ID. G3
  Operations In Bosnia transferred to G3 Ops Ft.
  Seward Ga.