Introduction

Ever considered making an interactive movie? Interested in the idea of building a computer game with a strong narrative core? Inspired by the possibilities of interactive media? If the answer to any of these is 'yes' then this article may help in designing such a project. It aims to examine the inter-relationship that can be constructed between narrative and interactivity.

First it helps to the boundaries of the discussion by defining both of these concepts:

Narrative

Noun meaning: A narrated account; a story. The art, technique, or process of narrating.

Interactive

Adj. meaning: Acting or capable of acting on each other.

This sets the important first difference between these two concepts. While narrative is not passive, indeed it does require action from the audience; 'filling in the blanks' using clues, stereotypes and inferences, to fully construct the plot. An example of this would be the famous 'ear cutting scene' from 'Reservoir Dogs' where the actual torture is not shown on screen, only inferred by the camera angles and audio cues. But this process, no matter how complex or subtle the construction clues provided to the audience, is one way. In contrast, Interactivity, by definition is a two-way process. The audience can influence the flow/shape of events and in doing so an audience becomes user, a player.

To further compound the differences, it is worth considering that both can exist independently from one another. Most narrative consumed in society is one-way and non-interactive, this includes most films, books and TV. Interactivity too can exist in this 'pure' from; computer games such as 'Tetris' and 'Tony Hawk's Skateboarding' are example of such an idea - they are pure interactive entertainment, unencumbered by any narrative considerations.

The Overlap of Interactivity and Narrative

Having established that interactivity and narrative are separate concepts, to use them together the creator must search for a territory where the two overlap. In this zone that narrative can be interactive. But if the two are successful independently, why search for overlap? The main reason is because narrative is a poweful tool for interactivity; Script writer Bill Johnson remarked that "...stories promise experiences of life having meaning, a story fills a basic human need that life have purpose. All stories, then, from the simple to the complex, revolve around some issue that arises from the human need to experience that life have a discernible meaning and purpose." In essence stories have the ability to make the interactivity vital, compelling and relevant to us as human-beings.

A good structure to examine this idea further is using the ideas of Joseph Campbell's the 'Masks of God'. Campbell's work examined the primal myths of hundreds of cultures to distil the common myth-patterns of all humanity. He identified a series of important areas that all myths cover. These ideas were popularised when they were used by director George Lucas during the writing of 'Star Wars'.

Separation

First if we consider the idea of 'Separation': "Most stories take place in two worlds, the story will begin in the ordinary world. Here the rules of this ordinary world are established. Also here, the hero/heroine decides or has the decision formed upon him/her that he/she must leave the ordinary world and enter a special world. These two worlds can be physical locations, spiritual or mental states or both!"

This idea lends itself to interactivity in a big way! For example, the creator can treat the 'ordinary world' as a non-interactive one and the 'special world' or movements between different worlds can be a function of interactivity (a technique used to good effect in games such as 'Soul Reaver: The Legend of Cain'). Games such a 'Doom', 'Resident Evil' and 'Quake' literary place the user in another world, while the first-person perspective, the recognisable weapons and so on are remnants of the 'ordinary world', even through the game the player is placed in a 'special world' inhabited by demons and monsters.

Character

Second, and very important is the idea of 'Characters': "When people look to any visual or literature medium, they look for characters they can identify with. This can take the form of feeling akin to them, mapping on to the character traits they wish they possessed or even seeing somebody whom they despise. Either way people see aspect they can recognize within there characters and so are draw into the world you are creating."

Campbell identified the Hero/Heroine as the central and most active character, prepared to sacrifice. Hero/Heroines in games often become the focus of the interactivity and as such, act as an avatar for the player. Skilful use of character can build-in all the human feelings we attribute to the characters of our choice, directly into both the narrative and interaction; the narrative can advance the situations the character is in, while interaction can grow the character in the direction the player wishes to develop. Character is a powerful tool for interaction, in the words of scriptwriter Allen White, "One of the best kinds of traits you can give a character is one that will create the maximum amount of conflict given the circumstances. For example, strictly from a perspective of dramatic conflict, who would you rather see have the very first formal contact with space aliens -- a seasoned diplomat, or a loud-mouthed insensitive jerk? Or who would you rather see try to find the perfect mate via a series of blind dates -- a suave seducer, or a bumbling, slovenly crackpot who constantly spouts theories of government mind-control?"

Games are full of well-known characters, Lara Croft, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario to name but a few. To fully appreciate an interactive work with character and interactivity interwoven beautifully, examine the Dreamcast game 'Shenmue'. This game offers a whole city for the player to explore that id full of everyday details the player can explore and yet has a strong guiding narrative that links the action together; to quote AVault's review: "Shenmue succeeds at creating a breathing world in which the potential for interaction is enormous. Time flows naturally, as Yokosuka's inhabitants go about their daily lives and the weather patterns shift, serving to immerse the player completely in the most accurate representation of an urban landscape ever to grace a home console. Along with breathtaking cityscapes and an inspired direction that reaches new heights of realism and intricate detail, the gripping storyline and unique setting provide for the most compelling game in recent memory."

Conclusion

Narrative and Interactivity are not areas solely confined to computer games, an example of this kind of work can be seen in Mark Amerika's Grammatron or in books such as the 'Chose Your Own Adventure' or 'Fighting Fantasy' series of books where the reader, when prompted, makes a choice then turns to the appropriate page to find out the result of their choice. However, it is the technology of computers that allows a designer, artist of filmmaker to weave much more with interactivity through their technological power. As such the ideas of narrative can consistently be found in computer games, as academic Jesper Juul notes, "But surprisingly, modern action-games like Doom or Unreal - the former famous for its lack of a storyline - have adopted some strategies from the narrative, especially the pause, for creating variations in speed."

Narrative can be interactive, but for the two to work together and not jar, for they are as has been established, different concepts, care must be taken in the design of both the narrative and the interactivity. There are areas where the two overlap comfortably, just as there is areas where the two will conflict - and it is exploring these areas that new areas of creativity will be discovered.