jamie crabb interactive narrative report

7/29/2019 Jamie Crabb Interactive Narrative Report

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Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None

Author/DeveloperDeveloped by Lee Sheldon and AWE Productions, published by The AdventureCompany

Date of publicationPublished 2005

GenresDetective/Mystery Game

FormatPoint-and-Click Computer Video Game

Platform

PC, adapted for WiiSummary:

Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None is a point and click mysterygame based on the novel of the same name. Ten mysterious guests areinvited to a remote island, where they are initially trapped and accused of murder. One by one, the characters in the game die in the fashion of anursery rhyme The Ten Little Sailor Boys, which is present on themansion. The killer must be on the island, so the guests grow more andmore suspicious and paranoid throughout the story. Though the plot of the game follows the original story very closely, the game can beconsidered an interactive narrative because of the inclusion of a playablecharacter, an explorable world and choice-based alternate endings. Thecharacter enters the story as Patrick Narracott, a character not from theoriginal book, with his own backstory. He is stranded on the island aswell, and, because he is not named as a murderer, he becomes thedetective of the group. The player is allowed to wander the island asPatrick, asking questions, gathering clues and solving puzzles. Thealternate endings branch at the end of a largely linear story. This givesthe player a chance for replay in order to get a more satisfying endingwith the most information revealed about the murders and characters.

Story Structures

Plot Churn

This is only applicable to the nal alternate ending, in which the originalending to the book is discovered. This ending uses the existingcharacters.

Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None Jamie Crabb


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Variant Points of View

N/A; the player plays as Patrick Narracott.

Variant Events

The ending varies based on decisions that the player makes in the nalscene.

Conversational Structure with Variant Dialog

The player may choose the order in which Patrick asks the questions.Depending on the suspiciousness of the players actions, for example, if they rie through a character's things in front of them, the dialoguechanges and the character reveals less information about themselves.This is referred to by the creators as the "suspicion meter".

Multisequential

The major plot events occur unisequentially.

Time Travel

N/A

Cut Scenes

The beginning scene shows each of the characters arriving to the island.In one instance, the player as Narracott is not allowed to join the dinnerparty, but instead listens through the door. As he listens, we see a scenein which the dinner guests talk, mostly about the absent Owen couple.

First person and third person camera

The camera is shows a third-person view primarily. In most cases, theangle of the camera shows the player what is important, or changes fordramatic e f ect. When you look at an item more closely, the item isgenerally shown in the rst person view. For example, you are in the thirdperson view when you enter a room, but cut to rst person when youwant to look more closely at a nightstand where a newspaper clipping isplaced.



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Interaction Structures

Unisequential viewing with no interaction, but depiction of multisequentialworld

N/AReplay

Replay of the nal chapters would allow the player to make di f erentchoices and see the consequences. Replay of the whole game might allowthe player to accomplish side-quests and learn the complete backstory of all of the characters.

Navigation of landscape, exploration of story world

The mansion and surrounding island is explorable. The world is complex,and you only have a map of the grounds, which makes it very easy for theplayer to get lost in the mansion, and accidentally re-enter rooms.

Navigation of story threads

The game is strictly sequential according to time.

Interlocutor in Conversation

Dialogue is primarily directed at Narracott, the player character, or to acharacter directed by the player. However, dialogue does occur between

non-player characters, especially in plot-essential scenes.Strategist (set up story world, motives, character traits)

The story world is taken directly from Agatha Christie's novel And ThenThere Were None. The motives and character traits of the principlecharacters are directly adapted for the game. Some side-plots and back-stories are given more weight in the game, compared to the book,depending on the player's ending. The character traits of the game-onlyplayer character,

Character operation (real time decision making or action taking)

Players actions occur through the point-and-click navigation, use of objects and inventory tools and dialogue options.

Multiple character or single character operation?

Single



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Camera control or automated camera?

The camera is automated by the game. In many cases, the camera makescertain clues more obvious or gives hints about the chapter. Also, duringcut scenes the camera is automated.

Game Levels

The game levels are the chapters of the book, with a bonus puzzle tounlock the original story ending.

Enacting events through avatar and/or virtual objects

The player has access to an inventory and a notebook. Items can berewritten into the notebook from the inventory. Collecting clues andobjects is the chief interaction in the story. In the nal climactic scene,

you can use a rock to knock the gun from the killers hand and save Vera.Puzzle Solving

Puzzle-solving is an important part of games of this genre. In the game,puzzles take the form of combining clues to make new objects that canbe used within the story, for example to to sweeten information out of acharacter. In another example, the player as Narracott combines a codedmessage, cypher and a King James Bible to decode a message whichreveals background information about a character.

Contests with human or automated opponents

There are no direct contests with the other players based on skill. Duringthe climax, Naraccott is able to use a rock to knock the gun out of thekillers hand, saving Vera, and then there is a cut scene in which theNaraccott and the killer are locked into a struggle. Whether or not yousave Vera, the aftermath is automated, so the only moment of interactivecompetition is when you are able to throw the rock at the killer.

Evaluation

Segmentation for replay or variation

The chapter-based segmentation allows for the player to easily locatemoments within the game to replay. It is mostly clear which sequencesyou must replay to gain an alternate ending.



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Are contrasts readable?

Contrasts are somewhat readable. If the player replays to complete all of side-quests for more information, they cannot change the ending.However, if the player is able to change the ending sequence, thecontrast is highly readable.

Is it enticing to compare one version with another?

It is enticing to compare versions because the player could gain amore complete picture of the truth behind the mystery of theisland. It is also enticing to compare versions, because one ending(the ending in which you save Vera and Phillip) is clearly the "best",most satisfying ending.

Is it easy to compare versions without confusion orunnecessary repetition?

If you save both Vera and Phillip, truths about their backstories arerevealed and you marry Vera. If you save only Phillip, he puts you ina car and your brother turns himself in. If you fail to save both of them, you and your brother turn yourselves in.

Causality: Is it clear or confused?

Causality is clear in terms of basic interaction and the linear progression;if you nd the clues, copy down the letters and messages, and solvepuzzles, you can move on to the next chapter. However, the causality toplot-essential interactions is confused. The interface is limited, and doesnot make the choices and resulting actions clear. In the climax, the playermust gure out that they need to go straight to the bonre within acertain time in order to save Phillip. There is no countdown to let youknow, and when you get there and he is dead, it may be hard tounderstand that you were supposed to arrive there sooner. The hidden"suspicion meter" is not clear. A player may not know that there was an

option to gain the whole story.

Dramatic expectations: Are they aroused and satised?

Dramatic expectations are inherited from the genre. We expect to ndout the identity of the murderer, as well as understand his or her motivesand how they conducted the murders. These are aroused by the linearprogression of the story which systematically eliminates characters to



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build suspense. This is satised by the climax, and is interestingly alsosatised by the alternate ending given in the nal puzzle.

Dramatic Agency: Do the actions of the interactor arise from dramaticexpectations and result in dramatic satisfaction? Are they coherent and

learnable? The interactions allow for dramatic agency. The interactor is actively

searching for clues and extracting information from other charactersthrough dialogue in order to solve the mystery. However, some of thepuzzles are not crucial to the story, and feel superuous, which reducesthe feeling of dramatic agency.

Expressivity of story elements: Do the visual elements and dramaticevents capture felt experience in a way that encourages empathy anddramatic engagement? Are they consistent with the genre elements?

Do they add new elements to the genre? Do they increaseunderstanding of the human condition?

This game immerses the player into the story world of Agatha Christie.The visuals and dramatic scenes immerse you into the story, especiallyduring the cut scenes. This game includes the spooky music, inventoryand choice-based dialogue that are standard to the genre. The addedelement of branching endings would have been a new element for thegenre at the time of release. One visual e f ect that I found new was theinclusion of each chapter screen, which foreshadowed the rest of the

chapter and built suspense for the next death. This game explores theemotions of guilt and paranoia and the pathology of a murderer.

Expressivity of interaction: Do the actions of the interactor feelarbitrary and routine or do they reinforce dramatic immersion withthe story elements?

The actions start to feel arbitrary and routine once you realize that someof the side quests do not a f ect the plot at all. For example, the order inwhich you ask questions is superuous to the plot. Also, the nalchoices of going straight to the bonre and throwing the rock to saveVera are based on if you have the rock in your inventory or if you get thehint in the opening chapter, rather than being based on morals orhypotheses of who the murderer is.



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Story Diagram



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Above: Discussion Interface Below: Map of the explorable island.



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Copying clues into Narracott's notebook.

Spoiler: Choosing an item to throw at the murderer



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Videos of the alternate endings:

Ending 1: Neither is savedChapter 10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txz7GcwVqFs

Ending 2: Vera is savedChapter 10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjs-XidjMTM

Ending 3: Phillip is savedChapter 9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AOq-9ts0bYChapter 10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOHG0C2gOxU

Ending 4: Both are savedChapter 9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AOq-9ts0bYChapter 10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZuUUH9YG-0

Bonus Original Story Ending: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUKMiRSU3HQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUKMiRSU3HQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUKMiRSU3HQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZuUUH9YG-0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZuUUH9YG-0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AOq-9ts0bYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AOq-9ts0bYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOHG0C2gOxUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOHG0C2gOxUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AOq-9ts0bYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AOq-9ts0bYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjs-XidjMTMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjs-XidjMTMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txz7GcwVqFshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txz7GcwVqFs

jamie crabb interactive narrative report

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