Rules of engagement: moving beyond combat-based quests

  • Authors:
  • Anne Sullivan;Michael Mateas;Noah Wardrip-Fruin

  • Affiliations:
  • University of California, Santa Cruz;University of California, Santa Cruz;University of California, Santa Cruz

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the Intelligent Narrative Technologies III Workshop
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

Computer role-playing games (CRPGs) are known for their strong narrative structure. Over time, quests have become one of the main mechanics for leading a player through the story. Quests are given to the player in the form of a set of tasks to complete with few, if any, options. The options given to the player instead often revolve around combat-oriented actions -- requiring the player to engage in combat to progress through the storyline, despite player preference or game story that hints otherwise. We address this issue with the GrailGM, a run-time game master which offers quests and actions to the player based on their history and current world state.