[MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN] Multiplayer interactive fiction

[Mike Rozak]

For while, I've been saying, "The NPCs are the game!". Well, I finally
wrote up what I meant. You can find it at
http://www.mxac.com.au/drt/MIFTheory.htm , as well as attached below
(but it doesn't come out well with just text).
 
It's a bit different than your usual diku play, and I'm not completely
sure it will "work". I'd like to hear what you think. Please feel
free/encouraged to tear the idea apart!
 
PS - I'm also posting this on mudconnect and rec.arts.int-fiction.
 
 
-------
 
 
In this article I will explain what (I think) "multiplayer interactive
fiction" (MIF) is, and how it differs from other game genres.


**A definition of multiplayer interactive fiction**

Multiplayer interactive fiction is an online computer "game" which:

1. Lets you play a character in a virtual world. The world isn't limited
a standard fantasy or science fiction setting, and might take place in
Victorian England, modern-day New York City, or even a dream world.
 
2. The world is centred around a story that your character participates
in, such as a detective solving crimes in Victorian England, a romance
in New York City, or the more familiar "save the world" fantasy and
science fiction stories.
 
3. Your actions affect the story's direction, although this is limited
by current technology and how much time the author had to write in
narrative choices. You can even forgo the story altogether and follow
your own muses, although the game experience may not be as rich.
 
4. The world is filled with sub-games. IF titles aren't limited to the
standard combat sub-game (common to computer role-playing games) and
puzzle
sub-game (common to adventure games). Sub-games, which are customised to
the story, might involve interrogating non-player characters, romancing
them, or trying to run a property-rental empire.
 
5. In (multiplayer) interactive fiction, sub-games are used to enhance
the story, much as music and special effects are used to enhance a
movie's story... instead of the movie's story merely being a vehicle to
show off music and special effects.
 
6. Much of an IF title's experience comes from the "scenery". You might
find yourself spending much of your time in activities that have nothing
to do
with the sub-games, such as listening non-player characters' anecdotes,
exploring the world, or chatting with other players, much like you'd do
on a  real-life vacation.
 
7. Many (but not all) IF titles are multiplayer. You can team up with
other players, just sit around and chat, or stick to yourself. Sometimes
you'll even compete against them.
  
8. (Multiplayer) interactive fiction titles tend to be short, requiring
between two to ten hours to complete. When you finish one, visit the
CircumReality web page [http://www.circumreality.com/] and download a
link to another. (Or for those who like a challenge, write your own.)
 
9. Most IF titles are created by hobbyists, who author the titles for
the fun of it, just like people write blogs. If you enjoy a title, or
even if you
find some problems with it, make sure to tell the author what you
thought; They like to hear that players are enjoying their works of art,
and are always interested in improving their creations. Also, if you
enjoy playing an IF title, make sure to tell your friends. Being
hobbyists, authors don't have an advertising budget!
 
10. IF titles that use CircumReality will tend to be slow-paced and
intellectual due to the way CircumReality uses still scenes and spoken
narration.


**Elements of multiplayer interactive fiction**

Since the previous definition was probably insufficient, let me cover
the elements of MIF:

* Geography - The game takes place in a world that is not that
dissimilar from reality. In my implementation, space is nodal
[http://www.mxac.com.au/drt/Topographies.htm] (room-based), but it could
be 2D, 3D, or whatever.
 
* Devices - The world is filled with various devices that can be
manipulated by the player, such as doors, locks, and machinery. In
development terms, devices are simple pieces of code that are usually
inert until the player manipulates the object.
 
* Quasi-NPCs - Quasi-NPCs are your standard monsters, pions, or pets.
They have some AI that makes them attack, obey orders, etc. In general,
they don't
have individual personalities, don't remember, etc. See NPCs for a
contrast. Pets, especially "The Sims" characters, are half way between
quasi-NPCs and full NPCs, but I thought them more appropriately
categorised as quasi-NPCs.
 
* NPCs - Unlike standard CRPGs, NPCs have a past, present, and several
futures. They have personal stories that players can learn, as well as
historical relationships. They go about their day-to-day business,
working, socialising, having conversations, and perhaps even dinner
parties, regardless of the player. They have goals, and will actively
change the world, although for playability reasons, may only do so based
on a trigger from a player's action, or lack of action. They may have
several possible futures, such as a female NPC who could either elope
with her true love or marry her parent's choice, affected by the
player's actions.
 
NPCs also have likes and dislikes, memories, jobs, hobbies, friends,
enemies, and relatives.
 
* Director AI [http://www.mxac.com.au/drt/PlotVR.htm]- Also known as a
dungeon master, the purpose of a disembodied "Director AI" is to make
sure the player has fun. Some simple techniques are to offer players
hints if they're stuck on certain puzzles, recommend quests that the
players might find fun, implant ideas into the NPCs' heads, or otherwise
manipulate the world. The Director AI isn't always a monolithic entity,
and its code might be scattered throughout the world and its
inhabitants.
 
* PC - The player's character might have a past. Its present and future
are controlled by the player.
 
Due to technological constraints, the player's character may be limited
to being a specialist, such as a hero (killer of monsters), detective,
sanitation engineer, etc. Being a specialist, the player will only be
able to perceive and interact with the world in certain ways.
 
How the player can affect the world and its inhabitants is likewise
limited. As a fantasy-hero specialist, the player might be allowed to
slay the evil overlord, but not invent space travel and transport all
the overlord's oppressed subjects to another planet.
 
* Other players' PCs - In a multiplayer game, the world is also
inhabited by other players. They interact with the world and its AI
inhabitants, as well as other players. They might even use the world's
AIs to fight against other players, perhaps spreading malicious rumors
to NPCs about other PCs. 


**Comparison to other genres**

To understand how MIF differs from other genres, I'll first explain how
other genres use the above elements to create gameplay:

* Platform games - These are some of the earliest computer games. The
core gameplay of a platform is the geography, namely geography that
requires much
leaping and climbing to manoeuvre around. Devices and quasi-NPCs are
weakly implemented. NPCs and a Director AI are non-existent. 
 
* First person shooters (FPS) - First person shooters are platform games
where the core gameplay is killing quasi-NPCs.
 
* Adventure games (and traditional interactive fiction) - Adventure
games rely on devices that are constructed to create puzzles. Quasi-NPCs
and NPCs, if in the game, are weakly implemented. The amount of Director
AI is very small. The player character's specialist role is often
non-violent, such as a detective.
 
* Computer role playing game (CRPG) - CRPG gameplay is centred around
killing monsters (quasi-NPCs). NPCs exist, but they are typically
nothing more than vending machines with a name. The amount of Director
AI is very small.
 
* MMORPGs - Like CRPGs, MMORPGs rely on quasi-NPCs for core gameplay.
Other player's PCs also contribute to the game. In some MMORPGs, game
masters (real people) act as the Director AI.
 
* Pet and god games - Pet and god games, such as The Sims, include
quasi-NPCs that must be indirectly controlled, akin to herding cats.
There is no player character. The amount of Director AI is very small.
 
* Interactive storytelling - I don't profess to completely understand
Chris Crawford's designs, but interactive storytelling emphasises NPCs
and the Director AI. Geography, devices, and quasi-NPCs are practically
non-existent. Interactive stories are intended to be single player, so
other players' PCs don't exist.


**What players do... (a 30,000 ft. view)**

Here's a high level view of what players do in MIF:

* Players can wander around the world's geography.
 
*  Players can do whatever their specialist character allows them to do,
such as slay monsters, solve crimes, or clean up garbage (if they're
playing a sanitary engineer). Devices and quasi-NPCs may come into play.
 
* Players can "people-watch" NPCs, watching them carry out their daily
lives without any interaction from the player.
 
* Players can talk to NPCs. If they ask the right questions, they'll
even learn about the NPCs' past and personalities. They might also hear
about what the NPCs are currently up to.
 
* Players can form limited relationships with NPCs. They might become
friends or enemies, or fishing partners. Players might employ NPCs, or
NPCs might hire players (aka: quests).
 
* Players can interact with NPCs and affect the NPCs' futures. This
might involve convincing NPCs to perform actions, stirring up a rivalry
between two NPCs, etc. Perhaps the player character's specialist skills
come into play. The action might even be as blunt as attacking the NPC.
 
As the player affects NPCs, they "travel" in possibility space. It's
possible to have a one-room world with a couple of NPCs, which is what
Facade does. Chris Crawford's description of Interactive Storytelling
emphasises the small number of rooms (called "stages") in the world, and
the ability for characters to travel instantly/freely between rooms.
Personally, I don't think I'd go that far in eliminating geography, but
it's possible.

* Players will be able to hear/see what happens to NPCs whose lives they
affect. If a player convinces a NPC to elope, several weeks later the
NPC will return and be able to tell a short story about the events. Or,
if the development budget allows, the player may even be able to follow
along.
 
I want to emphasise that, unlike CRPGs and adventure games, PCs are not
the centre of the universe. In a CRPG or adventure game, not only does
nothing happens without the player's instigation, but the player is
almost always given  a heroic "save the world" role.
 
* NPCs can affect the players. The parents of the NPC that eloped won't
be too happy with the player, and may make life difficult. This could
include turning the town against the player, or even be as crude as
combat.
 
* Simply put: "NPCs are the game!" Quasi-NPCs, devices, and geography
are accompaniments that are used to synergistically strengthen the NPC
game.


**MIF's core gameplay loop**

In, The game loop, I described a loop of actions that seems to be common
to every avatar game. For example: In a CRPG, the game loop is to kill
small monsters, to get treasure and experience points, to enable the
character to kill even bigger monsters. In an adventure game, the game
loop is to solve puzzles, to enable the player access to other parts of
the world, allowing them to solve even more puzzles.

In MIF, players wander around a world filled with hundreds (perhaps
thousands) of NPCs. The core gameplay experience comes from interacting
with the NPCs, mostly by talking to them, although combat and other
forms of interaction are possible. In simplistic terms, the game loop
is:

1. Players encounters a NPC somewhere in the world.
 
2. They figure out how to befriend (or defeat) the NPC.
 
3. Players then act on their plan and try to befriend (or defeat) the
NPC.
 
4. Once friendly (or defeated), a NPC may provide material assistance,
information, or contacts that help the player befriend (or defeat) more
NPCs and/or access other parts of the world.
 
5. Repeat until all the content is used.


**What players do... befriending NPCs**

In MIF, non-player characters are (relatively) complex AIs. They have
personalities, relationships with other NPCs, and opinions about the
player character (as well as other NPCs). Just as with real people,
every NPC has a different personality.

To befriend a particular NPC, the player must first figure out "what
makes that NPC tick"...

* The obvious approach is to try every trick in the book and see which
stimulus the NPC responds too. First try offering a gift of a box of
chocolates. If that fails, try a monetary bribe. Failing that, offer to
go fishing or dancing with the NPC. However, just as with real life, a
failed attempt will cause the NPC dislike or mistrust the player
character, making subsequent attempts even more difficult. Thus, trying
every approach on the list won't work.

* With perfect AI, players could spend some time talking to the NPC,
starting out with innocuous topics like the weather, and gradually
working up to politics and religion.
 
Unfortunately, contemporary AI isn't good enough to sustain an
intelligent conversation, so most of the talking comes from the NPC, in
the form of rumors and anecdotes... "Did you hear that Mary is having a
baby?" and "I went fishing last week and caught fish that was this long!
Wanna hear about it?" In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, each pilgrim chose
a story to tell on their trip; The pilgrim's choice of story revealed
much about the pilgrim. The same goes for MIF NPCs; the rumors and
anecdotes the NPCs chooses indicate something about their personality. A
NPC that wants to talk about his fishing trip is obviously into fishing.
 
* Sneaky players might observe the NPC, see what he wears, what he eats,
who he talks to and what he says to them, or where the NPC goes and what
he does when he gets to his destination. Fishermen will wear
fishing-flies attached to their hats and occasionally skip out of work
to go fishing. Members of secret organizations will wear special signet
rings and rendezvous for midnight meetings.
 
* Players can manipulate the NPCs. They could "accidentally" cause a NPC
to run into an old friend and listen in on the "good 'ole days" stories.
Or, players could get a NPC drunk and make him so sad he tells his life
story, revealing any skeletons he might be hiding in his closet.
 
* Alternatively, players could ask (or bribe) the NPC's friends,
co-workers, and family members about personal information they'd never
ask the NPC directly for fear of offending him... "Does Bob like to
fish?" This creates a recursive game loop, since to befriend an
important NPC, a player might need to first befriend his friends.
 
* A virtual library might also be a good source of information. If the
player discovers the NPC is part of a secret organization, researching
and using the organization's secret handshake might improve the NPC's
attitude.
 
* Since "multiplayer interactive fiction" is multiplayer, a player could
always ask the other players. While this makes the NPC portion of the
game less challenging, it introduces the challenge of socialising with
real players.

Once a player learns what makes a NPC "tick", they need to act on this.
Such action might include:

* Doing odd jobs for NPCs is a good start (and a commonly-used device
from CRPGs). Some of the jobs might even be heroic, such as saving the
NPC's kidnapped child... or kidnapping the NPC's enemy's child. Of
course, NPCs won't give out the big jobs until the player has done a few
small jobs (like fetching some coffee and donuts) to prove their
reliability.
 
* Conversation matters: How a player greets the NPC (formal vs.
informal), a funny joke (in the NPC's eyes), a little anecdote about the
player's past adventures, or an intelligent comment about a book the NPC
is reading, might break the ice. In fact, what the player says to the
NPC affects what rumors/anecdotes the NPC replies with.
 
* The clothes and jewellery that the player character wears might be
important. An expensive suit earns points with businessmen, but not with
construction workers, who prefer jeans.
 
* Gifts of chocolate, roses, antique cans, alcohol, or shiny coins might
work.
 
* Some NPCs prefer "gifts" of gossip or information over material
things.
 
* Regular patrons of merchant NPCs will get on their good side.
 
* Knowing the NPC's hobbies and activities is useful: Inviting the NPC
to a dinner party, playing a game of cards with him, or going fishing
might make the NPC friendlier.
 
* Knowing a NPC's skeletons can also get his attention... as well as
knowing his enemy's skeletons.
 
* Befriending the NPC's friends, co-workers, and family is a good way to
get on the NPC's good side.
 
* A forged introductory note from the leader of the NPC's secret
organization might suddenly make the NPC friendlier.
 
* Players might find that improving their own reputation as a hero,
thief, or scholar might help.
 
* Players with the right skills might get further. Spending some time
learning Elvish might impress the Elves. Or, knowing enough accounting
to do the
NPC's books might get the player a job... as well as reveal some of the
NPC's skeletons.
 
* Likewise, organizations and guilds that the player joins will help (or
hurt) relationships with NPCs. The player's race and gender also have an
effect.
 
* The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
 
* Just being willing to sit and listen to all the NPC's incredibly dull
stories might be enough to get on his good side.

Once friendly, what does the NPC do for the the player?

* Financially or materially reward the player character when they
complete jobs for the NPC.
 
* Do odd jobs for the player character... A friendly assassin might come
in handy. Befriending a socialite might also prove useful for a player's
reputation amongst NPCs.
 
* NPC merchants provide discounts to players they like.
 
* NPCs can teach player characters new skills. After all, where does one
learn Elvish, but from an friendly Elf?
 
* Keep the player informed about rumors, particularly when they benefit
(or threaten) the player character's life or finances.
 
* Reveal skeletons about other NPCs.
 
* Introduce the player to other NPCs, either face-to-face, or with
letters of recommendation. (Which is why forging documents comes in
handy.)
 
* Let the player into new regions of the world... You can only get into
the speak-easy if you're a friend of Mickey One-Eye. Once in the
speak-easy, you can meet Jimmy the Rat and befriend him.

**Player vs. player**

I'm not sure if I want to create a player-vs.-player game, but the same
core gameplay could be used for player-vs.-player interactions:

* Players who are friendly with a NPC could slander other players,
reducing the other players' standing with the NPC and whatever groups
the NPC is a member of. Of course, such slander would also hurt the
player's standing with the NPC.
 
* Related to the slander, players could get NPCs to send enemy players
on quests that turn out to be traps.
 
* Players could hire NPCs to do jobs (such as theft or assassination)
for them, against other players.

One problem with including player-vs.-player is that it encourages
players to use game walkthroughs in order to get as influential with
NPCs as possible. Once players start using walkthroughs, puzzles have to
be removed from gameplay because they're trivialised by walkthroughs.
This leaves only "grind"-like gameplay, a condition that I'd rather
avoid.


**Story**

I hate to use the term "story" because it's so overloaded with meaning.
Having said that, one important way that MIF differs from other games is
that the world is filled with stories:

1. Players can partake in larger pre-programmed "story", such as
defeating the evil emperor, figuring out who the murderer is, cleaning
up the city so it wins the "Tidy town" award (as a sanitation engineer),
etc. This is nothing new, since adventure games and CRPGs always include
this form of "story".
 
2. Players can become secondary characters in "stories" between NPCs. A
player might help two lovers elope, then help later when their child
becomes ill. While many adventure games and CRPGs incorporate such
stories, MIF will make greater use of them.
 
3. NPCs have their own stories, regardless of what the player does.
While talking to the village gossip, players might hear short tales
about a villager that just won the lottery, or one that is having an
affair... which might prove to be a useful skeleton to bring up in
conversation with another NPC.
 
4. Being a multiplayer game, players will generate their own gossip (and
stories) about what other players are doing.


**What players do... Sample gameplay**

Since gameplay might still be a little unclear, I thought I'd illustrate
some sample gameplay.

The scenario is one in which an old woman, the local town gossip, knows
a salacious rumour that the player needs in order to boot the town mayor
out of office. Unfortunately, the woman doesn't trust the player at
first, and isn't too eager to give up her prize rumour. She is, however,
an avid collector of snow globes.

To demonstrate the gameplay, I'll also explain how the scenario would be
implemented for adventure games and CRPGs, so you can see the
difference.

* Adventure game - At some point in the game, the player would find a
snow globe object and pick it up. When they got to the room with the old
woman, they'd notice her collection of snow globes in the background,
and then give the snow globe to the woman. The woman would reply by
giving the players a letter with the salacious rumour, which they could
then take to the local newspaper to have printed.
 
* CRPG or MMORPG - The old woman would be standing outside her house
(all day). When clicked on, she'd give the players a quest to seek out a
rare snow globe that's owned by the goblin king. The player would have
to enter the goblin king's lair, kill lots of goblin minions, the goblin
king, and loot the snow globe from the king's treasure chest. When the
players return with the snow globe, the woman takes it and gives the
player a letter with the salacious rumour, which they could then take
the the local newspaper NPC.
 
* Multiplayer interactive fiction - >From other NPCs, the player hears
that the woman knows an important rumour.
 
Trying to make a good impression, the player puts away his weapons and
armour, and dresses in his Sunday best, assuming that the woman is prim
and proper. Of course, snow globes litter the woman's house, but it
isn't obvious that's what she wants.
 
The player approaches the woman, says "Hello", and mentions a rumour
that he has heard, that "Mary [the woman's neighbour] is pregnant." This
peaks the woman's interest (she likes rumors after all) and she mentions
a rumour about someone else in town. The player follows up with another
rumour, or an anecdote that somehow fits with the woman's previous
rumour/anecdote. In some ways, the back-and-forth is like "Magic, the
gathering", with each side pulling out an appropriate rumour/anecdote,
combined with the old "Illuminati" card game, where only certain cards
can be near one another. It wouldn't do for the player to tell a joke
just after the woman related a sad story about her mother's death.
 
At some point, the woman decides she trusts the player enough, and
mentions another anecdote, about how she used to visit the beaches of
Amroth when she was a child, and look through the nearby shops. She
mentions that some of her snow globes came from there. Assuming that the
player doesn't get the hint, then perhaps some more obvious hints are
given in later anecdotes; the woman may discuss various places she's
been, and all the snow globes she's purchased as souvenirs.
 
The player has several possible solutions to the problem: The obvious
one is to search around the stores, buy several snow globes, and give
them to the woman. (By the way, the woman won't accept snow globes from
players that she doesn't already like and trust a little bit. The
conversation is necessary.) A better solution is for the player to
notice that the woman's snow globe from Amroth is broken, go there, and
buy just one snow globe; it's a cheaper solution for the player, but
more valuable to the woman. Another solution might be to buy the old
woman a train ticket to some place, since she obviously likes to
travel... or, the player could always kill the goblin king and take his
snow globe. 
 
Whatever the solution, enough snow globes (or the right one) make the
woman friendly enough that she's willing to gossip about the mayor. When
she tells the player the gossip, it appears on the player's list of
"knowledge". The player can then wander around town telling other NPCs
the gossip. If enough NPCs are told, the mayor will resign in disgrace.
Alternatively, the player can visit the mayor and tell the mayor about
the gossip that the old woman told the player, and who the source was;
the woman mysteriously falls down her stairs that night...

Note: This scenario isn't the only way that multiplayer interactive
fiction can play out. It's just pointing out how the experience can be
very different from an adventure game or CRPG/MMORPG. Multiplayer
interactive fiction often incorporates elements from CRPGs, MMORPGs, and
adventure games, and might require a few goblin kings to be slain too.


**Usurping the term "Interactive fiction"**

The term, "interactive fiction" (IF), was coined in the 1980's to
describe the genre of game that Infocom were creating. Over the past 25
years, Infocom has died and professional "interactive fiction" has been
superseded by "(action) adventure games", but the term, "interactive
fiction", continues to be used by a small group of dedicated hobbyists.
People who write interactive fiction consider their work to be different
than adventure games and CRPGs for
the following reasons:

* Interactive fiction is primarily text-based (with some graphics),
while adventure games and CRPGs are graphical (with some text).
 
Multiplayer CRPGs are also differentiated by text: Text-based ones are
called MUDs, while graphical ones are MMORPGs.
 
* In interactive fiction games, players control their characters by
typing commands, such as "Give the key to Mary". Adventure games and
CRPGs rely
(almost) exclusively on mouse clicks, or using the keyboard as a
button-pad with "i" to show a character's inventory or "space" to jump.
 
* Interactive fiction and adventure games are more puzzle-oriented than
CRPGs.
 
* Underneath the hood, the author (content creator) of an interactive
fiction title creates it largely through programming, but with a small
database. Adventure games, and especially CRPGs, are created by
modifying a database and doing as little programming (scripts) as
possible.
  
When playing an adventure or CRPG game, you get the feeling that you're
"walking through a database" because, putting eye candy aside, what
differentiates one object from another (or one location from another) is
mostly numbers and strings. The difference between an ogre and an orc is
the number of hit points, not the underlying code. Conversely,
interactive fiction games feel more like "walking through a program"
because the difference between objects is much deeper. It comes down to
quality vs. quantity. Coding is expensive, and an IF world has far fewer
objects than a CRPG. 
 
Text MUDs differentiate themselves between code-based and database-based
too. LP-MUDs are highly scripted, while DikuMUDs are database driven.
 
* Some interactive fiction authors have been experimenting with better
NPC conversations. Adventure games and CRPGs, relying heavily on mouse
clicks, still limit themselves to dialogue trees.
 
* Interactive fiction and adventure games are (almost) always
single-player games. CRPGs are single-player, but they have a
multiplayer counterpart called a MUD or MMORPG.

I have adopted the term "multiplayer interactive fiction" (MIF) even
though the beast that I've created doesn't fall neatly into the
traditional interactive fiction definition:

* CircumReality (my implementation of MIF) is both graphical and
text-based. Not having animation, it isn't as graphical as an adventure
game or CRPG. It
has more text than adventure games or CRPGs, spoken using
text-to-speech, but not as much text as IF titles.
 
* In CircumReality, players usually control their avatar using mouse
clicks. Mouse is not the exclusive interface though. Players
occasionally type in commands, and frequently type in dialogue with
NPCs.
 
 MIF is puzzle based, like interactive fiction and adventure games.
 However, the puzzles in IF and adventure games are usually derived from
 machinery
(devices) within the game. In MIF, the puzzles come from the NPCs. MIF
also includes combat, a feature rarely found in IF and adventure games.
 
* Underneath the hood, MIF is code-driven with very little database
component, just like traditional interactive fiction.
 
* MIF expands upon IF's experimentation with better NPC conversations.
Adventure games and CRPGs can't advance their NPC conversation ability
further
because they avoid text (or text-to-speech) and typing.
 
* MIF titles can be single player or multiplayer. Traditional
interactive fiction is only single player.