Interactions:
Lessons Learned
Our Interactions
Scene 1
For every
other heartbeat a tulip would bloom. Volunteers had
their own tulip color.
Touching would cause the sky to darken and the rain
to increase.
Scene
2
The brightness
of the painting would pulse with each heartbeat.
Touching caused the center of the painting to bulge outwards.
Scene
3
Every fourth
heartbeat would cause the water to ripple out in
rings on their side of the screen.
Touching changed the brightness
of the moon.
Goals for
players in an interactive play:
-
Experiment
Players
may want to explore an interactive piece through experimentation if
they are
not sure exactly how they will affect the world. VM#1 was mainly this
type of interaction.
-
Control static elements in the production
Players,
knowing how their interactions work, are motivated to effect non-script
elements
in the play, such as sound and virtual sets. VM#1 had some of this
type of interaction.
-
Change the dramatic story
Players
want to reshape the story based on their interactions and their own
internal goals.
VM#1 had none of this type of interaction.
How players
learn to interact in a meaningful way:
-
Metaphors
These
interactions are very natural and intuitive, because they relate interactions
to past
real world experience.
-
Direct Teaching
Complex
and unituitive interactions sometimes need to be tought through instruction.
-
Practice
Complex
interactions are easier to perform with a greater degree of success
through
practice. VM#1 had a "rehearsal" period at the beginning
of each play, so the players could
become comfortable with their interactions.
Virtual Mediation
#1 Interaction Summary
-
Great interaction interfaces, but poor metaphors
- Reliance on "Direct Teaching" and "Practice" for
players to interact in a fulfilling way
- Interaction feedback was too subtle for the player
- Players
embraced the interactivity and had a fulfilling experience
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