Extract from an interview with Emily Short about Interactive Fiction (ie. adventure games): and the impact of the narrative is heightened by the fact that you''re participating in it. Those of us who discuss IF a lot refer to this phenomenon as the effect of complicity: a story that would affect you only slightly if you were reading it on the printed page comes to have a much stronger and more personal power if your own actions have somehow contributed to bringing it about. http://www.brasslantern.org/community/interviews/pcgamer-emily.html Just thought I''d highlight this term. Since it is such an important aspect of computer games.

quote: Original post by Ketchaval
Extract from an interview with Emily Short about Interactive Fiction (ie. adventure games):

and the impact of the narrative is heightened by the fact that you're participating in it.

Those of us who discuss IF a lot refer to this phenomenon as the effect of complicity: a story that would affect you only slightly if you were reading it on the printed page comes to have a much stronger and more personal power if your own actions have somehow contributed to bringing it about.

http://www.brasslantern.org/community/interviews/pcgamer-emily.html

Just thought I'd highlight this term. Since it is such an important aspect of computer games.

Wow, brasslantern is still going on. Nice. Isn't this just another definition for interactive play? If not, how is it different?

Adventuredesign



[edited by - adventuredesign on June 28, 2003 8:19:40 PM]

Well, I don''t think that the term ''complicity'' in and of itself is particularly important. But the effect that of the player being involved in decisions and actions (ie. interactivity) is one of the features that, dunno...

It kinda depends. Just because you are participating does not add to the complicity. In fact, due to all the extra stuff that is going on it can actually draw away from the depth of the game. This is the same with movies that blow the special effects budgets in the firsy 10 minutes, but have no story. When the seat is shaking and your ears are about to explode, you are still going to walk out thinking ''meh''. Same with games. All the control and graphics and complicity dosnt mean sqaut if the backbone story is a dud. Its eye-candy for the mind.