a brief research overview 2009-12-16

1. Research Overview
December 2009
Mirjam Palosaari Eladhari
Gotland University, Sweden

2. Thesis
Mirjam P Eladhari
• Title: Characterising Action Potential in
Virtual Game Worlds Applied with the Mind
Module
• Teesside University and Gotland University
• Supervisors: Michael Mateas, Clive Fencott,
Paul Van Schaik
• Visiting Scholar: Georgia Tech (2005),
Tokyo Tech (2006), University of California
SC (2007-2008)

3. Research Questions
Mirjam P Eladhari
How can virtual game worlds (VGWs) support story
construction where each player is the ‘main’
character?
How can the player characters (avatars) in VGWs be
designed and implemented to be more
interesting?

4. Fields
Mirjam P Eladhari
Game Design Virtual game world
design
Artificial Intelligence Believable agents
Synthetic Humans
Expressive AI
Psychology Personality theory
Affect Theory

5. Approach:
AI driven game design
Mirjam P Eladhari
Design and implementation of experimental prototypes
Play-testing
Analysis and interpretation of play test data -> informs the
design of the next prototype

6. Mind Module
Mirjam P Eladhari
Spreading Activation Network of Affect nodes
Semiautonomous agent architecture.
Semiautonomous agents are partly controlled by their
players, and partly controlled by context-sensitive action
potential and expression possibilities, as well as by varying
degrees of autonomous reactions to in-game situations
specific to the VGW the agents inhabits.
Gives avatars virtual minds in addition to
virtual bodies.

7. Affect Nodes of MM

8. Player might realise it is
a good idea to RUN!

10. Prototypes
Mirjam P Eladhari
Ouroboros (2003, Zero Game Studio)
Garden of Earthly Delights (2004, 2005, IPERG
project, wp Massively Multiplayer Reaching Out)
Mind Music (2006, Georgia Tech)
World of Minds (2007, 2008, Tokyo Tech, UC Santa
Cruz)
Pataphysic Institute 2009

11. Pataphysic Institute
Mirjam P Eladhari
Prototype virtual game world where the
personalities of the inhabitants are the base for
the game mechanics.
When interacting with other characters, the action
potential depends upon the player character's
current mood and personality

12. Pataphysic Institute
Mirjam P Eladhari
Players need to defeat physical manifestations of
negative mental states by using
Spells
Affective actions
The spells available to characters depends on their
personality and current mood.
The affective actions available to a character
depend on the current mood.

13. Pataphysic Institute
Mirjam P Eladhari

15. Dissemination
Mirjam P Eladhari
(2003, 2005, 2009) DIGRA Conference (digital
games research association)
(2006, 2008) ACE Conference (Advances in
Computer Entertainment)
(2009) DAC Conference (Digital Arts and
Culture)
(2008) FuturePlay Conference
(2006) DIME Conference
(2002) Computers and Games Conference

16. Future Work
Mirjam P Eladhari
Play test of PI prototype focussing on players’
attitudes towards CAP in PI for for role-play
Play test of PI for use of sentiments for story
construction
Play test of PI: semi-autonomy – balance of
player-control.
Autonomous agents - CAP for NPCs equipped
with MMs.

17. Thank you for
listening!
December 2009
Mirjam Palosaari Eladhari
Gotland University, Sweden