ABSTRACT Is the wolf angry or... just hungry Inspecting, modifying and sharing characters.pdf

Is the wolf angry or ... just hungry? Inspecting, modifying and sharing characters’ minds Isabel Machado INESC and CBLU - University of Leeds Rua Alves Redol, 9 1000 Lisboa, Portugal isabel.machado@inesc.pt Ana Paiva IST-Technical University of Lisbon and INESC Rua Alves Redol, 9 1000 Lisboa, Portugal ana.paiva@inesc.pt Rui Prada IST-Technical University of Lisbon and INESC Rua Alves Redol, 9 1000 Lisboa, Portugal rui.prada@gaiva.inesc.pt ABSTRACT In this paper we will discuss different types of control over synthetic characters in interactive stories. We will argue that, to attain a deeper and more engaging control, in cer- tain conditions, users should be able to inspect, disclose, and modify the characters minds. To illustrate this idea, we will present a collaborative virtual environment called Teatrix, designed for children to build their own stories - fairy tales. In Teatrix, virtual actors play roles (such as: vil- lain, hero, etc.) and may be controlled either by children or by the system. Teatrix allows children to go into the minds of the characters through a special tool named ”hot seat- ing”. Teatrix is already in use by children ages between 7 and 9 in the context of a Computer-Integrated Classroom scenario installed in a school. The initial evaluations show that the use of the ”Hot Seating” tool is a fundamental el- ement for children to feel in control of their characters and thus stay in character for their virtual performances. Keywords Believability, life-like qualities, synthetic agents. 1. INTRODUCTION ”Stories and storytelling are vital to children themselves and to their development”[5]. Stories are part of our lives and they shape what we experience and what we are. So, it is not surprising to see that recent research on virtual envi- ronments is now faced with the challenge of creating story- telling environments. Stories are now being told on virtual stages and users become part of the stories by controlling the virtual actors (see for examp