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Non-linear game play

T-Xchange designs and develops game based learning solutions for 21st century leadership development. For example, all mayors in the Netherlands are trained with one of our games: the Mayor Game for leadership development in crisis management. The current set of 2D turn-taking game scenarios follow a linear structure in terms of the narrative that unfolds itself during game play. Obviously this has advantages with respect to the debriefing during a training session since all trainees follow the same paths and results can be easily compared. In the Non Linear Game Play project we experimented with branching narratives by allowing the players to influence the storyline; consequently, the player is able to explore various paths in the narrative structure. In addition, we experimented with changing social behaviors of non player characters (NPCs) based on players’ interactions. These social behaviors do not only directly impact the global storyline, but also lead to parallel story lines in order to create a story that is more adaptive and personal to the playing style of the individual player.

ICT Science Question

With the non-linear functionality the story writers and game designers are able to enrich the dilemma games with behavioral aspects on perceptual, cognitive, affective, and motivational levels. This allows the development of new learning and assessment training programs. The results of the first experiments with the newly added functionality are promising: the feedback of trainees; trainers and story writers are very positive. The newly added modules in the Game Development Suite are an impulse for the development of a completely new class of dilemma games as depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1: linear, non-linear and parallel storylines

Application

We have implemented the non linear game scenarios in several dilemma games. In the left picture the game interface is depicted through which players interact. In fact, the make decisions over time regarding series of dilemmas that may occur. Depending on their decisions new sets of dilemmas will be made available and various decision trees are therefore possible. Based on the decisions the resulting narrative is represented in the form of a newspaper article.

Figure 2: the game interface allowing players to make decisions (left), a possible decision tree as the result of the decisions a player took (middle), and the resulting newspaper article based on these decisions (right)

Media

Tubantia, 12-01-2015 - Wat te doen bij Project X. Burgemeester oefent via spel.

Quotes

Wouter Jong (Genootschap voor Burgemeesters): 'Zowel de burgemeesters als locoburgemeesters vinden het een vernieuwende manier van leren.'

More

www.txchange.nl
http://leadershipgame.com/

Partners

T-Xchange, Thales and UTwente

Project, work package

IUALL, Socially Intelligent Agents in Serious Gaming Environments

ID

05

Owners

Johan de Heer and Thomas de Groot