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Figure 10: Flowchart-style interface.
This led to the first iteration of the AI system based on urges and triggers. The user
interface was revised to require the player to select and interact with one ant at a time, with the
results of these interactions spreading to all of the ants of the same caste. While informal user
testing suggested that this design gave players a stronger sense that the ants were alive, it also
introduced some confusion since players were, in fact, affecting all similar types of ants when
apparently interacting with one. Also, while this user interface worked with small numbers of
ants, it became prohibitively difficult to use with large swarms.
30
Object Description
| Title | Leafcutters: life simulation gameplay designed to evoke engagement with real-world subject matter |
| Author | Graner, William B. |
| Author email | granerw@gmail.com; bill@bgraner.com |
| Degree | Master of Fine Arts |
| Document type | Thesis |
| Degree program | Interactive Media |
| School | School of Cinematic Arts |
| Date defended/completed | 2011-05-05 |
| Date submitted | 2011 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2011-05-05 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Gibson, Jeremy |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Fullerton, Tracy Anderson, Steven F. |
| Abstract | Leafcutters is a life simulation game about leafcutting ants which is designed to evoke engagement with real world subject matter. In this game, players shape the behaviors of a colony of ants in order to establish complex behaviors such as foraging and fungus farming. The game system in Leafcutters is adapted from existing biological research on ants, with an emphasis on the accurate adaptation of a natural system into a game system. This project draws on previous works in artificial life, life simulation games, swarm games, virtual pets, and virtual ants. Leafcutters is a work of expressive AI, an evocative knowledge object, and an educational game. |
| Keyword | simulation game; evocative knowledge object; educational game; video game |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m3919 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Graner, William B. |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Graner-4578 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume40/etd-Graner-4578.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 35 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | Figure 10: Flowchart-style interface. This led to the first iteration of the AI system based on urges and triggers. The user interface was revised to require the player to select and interact with one ant at a time, with the results of these interactions spreading to all of the ants of the same caste. While informal user testing suggested that this design gave players a stronger sense that the ants were alive, it also introduced some confusion since players were, in fact, affecting all similar types of ants when apparently interacting with one. Also, while this user interface worked with small numbers of ants, it became prohibitively difficult to use with large swarms. 30 |
