Archive | October, 2010

Exploring Interactive Narrative – Parallel Paths

Parallel paths overcome some of the production challenges of a strict branching narrative by reducing the total number of tracks down to just two.  This limits the options even further than the constrained branching narrative model but still allowing a level of user choice. Parallel paths offer the user two distinct paths and ‘junctions’ where […]

Exploring Interactive Narrative – Branching

This instalment of my series on interactive narrative focuses on branching. In many respects, branching narratives represent the opposite end of the spectrum to traditional linear narratives.  Branching narratives are the most common attempt at truly unconstrained and interactive drama where the player’s behaviour materially influences the conclusion. Instead of a single continuing storyline, branching […]

Exploring Interactive Narrative – Traditional storytelling

In an increasingly multiplatform, multiformat world, the way we combine activity with storytelling fascinates me.  Although usually associated with video games, I think the principle of ‘interactive narrative’ applies to all the domains where we punctuate presentation with participation. [To clarify, I’m using the following definitions: ‘story’ describes characters, events and plot; ‘narrative’ describes how […]