Narrative Generation Methods for Games

• How can we generate branching quest structures that maintain narrative coherence across multiple possible player paths?
• What methods can effectively handle nondeterministic events in dynamic game worlds while preserving story quality?
• How can character-based approaches be integrated with plot-based methods to create compelling interactive narratives?
• What role can player modeling play in adapting quest content to individual player preferences and behaviors?
• How can we develop authoring tools that support narrative designers without requiring programming expertise?

This research investigates multiple approaches to procedural quest generation, each addressing different aspects of the narrative generation challenge. The work explores how automated planning can be combined with evolutionary algorithms to generate quest structures that follow specific narrative arcs and dramatic patterns.

A key direction examines character-based narrative generation, where multi-agent planning is integrated with drama management strategies to handle complex character interactions and emergent storytelling. This approach supports the generation of narratives where character goals and motivations drive the plot forward, creating more dynamic and responsive story experiences.

The research also investigates player modeling techniques to personalize quest content. By assessing player personality traits using models such as the Big Five factors and predicting player behaviors through machine learning, the methods can adapt quest structures, difficulty, and narrative content to individual players. This enables the generation of individualized interactive narratives that respond to player preferences and playstyles.

Additionally, the project develops authoring tools that allow narrative designers to create and manage interactive quest structures using intuitive graphical interfaces, without requiring programming knowledge. These tools support the specification of character goals, narrative structures, and dramatic constraints that guide the generation process.

Hierarchical Generation of Dynamic and Nondeterministic Quests

Example of dynamic quest plans generated by a planner while the player is performing actions and progressing through a quest called "Save family"

Nondeterministic Quest Outcomes

Sequence of actions to complete the quest "Save wife" in the prototype RPG

Watch a demonstration of the prototype that combines multi-agent planning with drama management strategies to generate and control character-based interactive narratives in interactive game environments: