Exploring the Influence of Database Story Elements on Independent Agent Story Creation

The central purpose of this paper is to explore how the introduction of a database consisting of pre-selected items, characters, and attributes will affect a story environment in which people are playing as independent story agents. A combination of observation and interview techniques will be used to analyze and interpret this effect. Although the prototype test conducted was beneficial in testing the workings of the database system, no useable information could be gathered regarding the effect of the database on the story environment. Since several of the participants in the audience were professional performers and the majority of the participants had previously either played or worked in the interactive filed, it is impossible to determine if their playing behavior was influenced by the database, their previous performance experience, or how they may have been trained to play. Furthermore, even participants who had not had previous experience in interactive were most likely affected by the behaviors of those trained performers. Again, it is impossible to determine which behaviors were influenced by the database and which were influenced by the behaviors of other participants.