IntroducingIntroducing PNFGPNFG FFéélixlix MMaarrttinineeaauu PPNNFFGG IInn aa nnuuttsshheell:ll: – A layer on top of Narrative Flow Graphs PNFG – Programming Language – Compile to get the NFG NFG PPNNFFGG TThhee GGooaall – Make it easy to produce NFGs for complex narratives PNFG NFG OOvveerrvvieieww FFeeaattuurreess ooff tthhee PPNNFFGG lalanngguuaaggee IImmpprroovveemmeennttss WWhhyy itit isis imimppoorrttaanntt OOtthheerr aapppprrooaacchheess – Inform – TADS PPoossssibibilitilitieiess ffoorr tthhee ffuuttuurree PPNNFFGG SSyysstteemm OOvveerrvvieieww PNFG Graphic nfg File Representation Play the narrative NFG Interpreter PPNNFFGG –– TThhee FFeeaattuurreess TThhee uusseerr ccaann uussee ddififffeerreenntt ccoonnssttrruuccttss ttoo ccrreeaattee tthheeirir nnaarrrraattiviveess – A) Rooms – B) Objects – C) States – D) Actions PPNNFFGG –– TThhee FFeeaattuurreess TThhee uusseerr ccaann uussee ddififffeerreenntt ccoonnssttrruuccttss ttoo ccrreeaattee tthheeirir nnaarrrraattiviveess – A) Rooms . Represents the physical locations in our narrative . Act as containers for the objects . We define actions inside rooms PPNNFFGG –– TThhee FFeeaattuurreess TThhee uusseerr ccaann uussee ddififffeerreenntt ccoonnssttrruuccttss ttoo ccrreeaattee tthheeirir nnaarrrraattiviveess – A) Rooms . Represents the physical locations in our narrative . Act as containers for the objects . We define actions inside rooms – The Player is also a room RRoooomm:: PPNNFFGG –– TThhee FFeeaattuurreess TThhee uusseerr ccaann uussee ddififffeerreenntt ccoonnssttrruuccttss ttoo ccrreeaattee tthheeirir nnaarrrraattiviveess – B) Objects . The entities that the player can interact with PPNNFFGG –– TThhee FFeeaattuurreess TThhee uusseerr ccaann uussee ddififffeerreenntt ccoonnssttrruuccttss ttoo ccrreeaattee tthheeirir nnaarrrraattiviveess – C) States (binary) . Can be associated with either rooms or objects . Room Example : A bedroom is lit or unlit . Object Example : A door is locked or unlocked PPNNFFGG –– TThhee FFeeaattuurreess TThhee uusseerr ccaann uussee ddififffeerreenntt ccoonnssttrruuccttss ttoo ccrreeaattee tthheeirir nnaarrrraattiviveess – D) Actions . Used to make the narrative progress . We move stuff around . We set states PPNNFFGG –– TThhee FFeeaattuurreess MMoovveemmeenntt aaccttioionnss :: PPNNFFGG –– TThhee FFeeaattuurreess SSttaattee--aaltlteerriningg aaccttioionnss :: PPNNFFGG UUssiningg PPNNFFGG – 1) To generate a graphical representation of the narrative flow graph . PPNNFFGG Output for a trivial narrative PPNNFFGG UUssiningg PPNNFFGG – 2) To generate the corresponding nfg file PPNNFFGG RRuunn inintteerrpprreetteerr wwitithh tthhee ggeenneerraatteedd ffileile ttoo ““pplalayy”” tthhee nnaarrrraattivivee PPNNFFGG PPNNFFGG TTooddaayy – Allows do define simple narratives . First part of “Return to Zork” – Limitations . The inconveniences of the language . The NFG explodes rapidly IImmpprroovviningg PPNNFFGG LLaanngguuaaggee eennhhaanncceemmeennttss – An explicit move hierarchy – Having a “hint” action – Adding counters – Automatic message generation for rooms . “You enter room x” . “You leave room x” IImmppoorrttaannccee ooff PPNNFFGG MMaakkeess itit eeaassyy ttoo ccrreeaattee nneeww nnaarrrraattiviveess SSeerrvveess aass aa vvaalidlidaattioionn ffoorr tthhee eennttiriree nnaarrrraattivivee ffloloww ggrraapphh aapppprrooaacchh OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess 11)) IInnffoorrmm – “A Design System for Interactive Fiction” – Created in 1993 – Need the following to create works: . Compiler . Library OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess 11)) IInnffoorrmm – Hundreds of “interactive fictions” are available – Uses the Z-Machine to run games . Virtual Machine created in 1979 . The inform games are made for the Z-Machine . Also runs games from Infocom . So, you need a Z-Machine interpreter OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess 11)) IInnffoorrmm – Features a customizable parser . Resolves ambiguities . Can ask for clarification on inputs ("Which key do you mean...?") . Deals with pronouns . Deals with vagueness . Deals with conversation . Supports five languages OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess 11)) IInnffoorrmm – Full object orientation – Message passing – Data encapsulation – Creation / Deletion of objects at run-time OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess 11)) IInnffoorrmm – Rooms are defined as classes A room in Inform OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess 11)) IInnffoorrmm – Object is a construct – You define how an object react to actions OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess 11)) IInnffoorrmm – Obviously a tried and tested approach – User Manual has 572 pages and is available on Amazon OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess 22)) TTAADDSS – Text Adventure Development System – Created in 2001 – Object-oriented – Latest version uses HTML for formatting – Compiler / Library / Interpreter Combo OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess 22)) TTAADDSS – Room is a class Sample room in TADS OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess 22)) TTAADDSS – Objects extend library classes Objects in TADS OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess IInnffoorrmm aanndd TTAADDSS aarree oobbvvioiouusslyly ttwwoo vveerryy ggoooodd ssyysstteemmss ttoo ccrreeaattee nnaarrrraattiviveess WWhhyy ddoo wwee nneeeedd PPNNFFGG ?? OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess NNeeitithheerr IInnffoorrmm oorr TTAADDSS wweerree ccrreeaatteedd wwitithh tthhee rreeqquuirireemmeenntt ooff aannaalylyzziningg nnaarrrraattiviveess TThhisis isis oouurr uultltimimaattee ggooaall !! OOtthheerr AApppprrooaacchheess WWoouuldld bbee vveerryy nnicicee ttoo bbee aabblele ttoo ccoonnvveerrtt IInnffoorrmm oorr TTAADDSS ttoo ppnnffgg ffileiless BBeeffoorree wwee ccaann aatttteemmpptt tthhisis,, tthhee lalanngguuaaggee nneeeeddss ttoo mmaattuurree FFuuttuurree WWoorrkk AAdddd aannootthheerr lalayyeerr ttoo aannaalylyzzee tthhee nnaarrrraattivivee ffloloww PNFG ggrraapphhss wwee pprroodduuccee – Find dead ends in narrative – Derive properties NFG . Complexity of narrative – Find the steps that leads to the solution ? ANALYZER PPoossssibibilitilitieiess -- PPNNFFGG IIDDEE PPoossssibibilitilitieiess -- PPooppuulalarritityy TThhee tteexxtt bbaasseedd aaddvveennttuurree ggaammee sseeeemmss ddeeaadd inin AAmmeerricicaa NNoo tthhee ccaassee eevveerryywwhheerree eelslsee !! PPoossssibibilitilitieiess -- PPooppuulalarritityy AA SSyysstteemm tthhaatt ooffffeerrss sseerrioiouuss vvaalidlidaattioionn aanndd aannaalylyssisis oonn tthhee nnaarrrraattivivee mmigighhtt bbee vveerryy uusseeffuull ffoorr ddeevveeloloppmmeenntt …… ……aanndd vveerryy ppooppuulalarr !! PPNNFFGG PPrrooggrraammmminingg lalanngguuaaggee ffoorr tteexxtt bbaasseedd ggaammeess IItt isis wwoorrkkiningg rrigighhtt nnooww WWee uussee itit ttoo pprroodduuccee – A graphical representation – A “playable” nfg file PPNNFFGG MMyy ggooaalsls oonn sshhoorrtt tteerrmm :: – Implement new improvements – Think of other improvements RReeffeerreenncceess The Inform home page http://www.inform-fiction.org/ The TADS homepage http://tela.bc.ca/tads/.