Programming narrative

With the introduction of the computer, narrative experiences can be found in new media applications as diverse as MUDs, arcade games and 3D immersive environments-and new applications are being created all the time. The form these narrative experiences take are as diverse as their mediums: from the experiential stories of MUDs to the intricate branching plot paths of adventure games. But as with the introduction of television after decades of radio, a new medium calls for a new aesthetic, a new method of writing for that medium. Good functional models are needed to help define this aesthetic and specialized tools required to help build the work. The writing tool described, Agent Stories, is software currently under development for visually designing nonlinear cinematic stories for new digital media.