Automated Storytelling

One of the things that always fascinated me about AI was Automated Storytelling, or Emergent Narrative.  This is the idea that a computer can tell a compelling story.  There are a couple of approaches to this:

1. Fill in the blanks on a template-story; Think of this option as the Mad-Libs approach.  A lot of webpages use a simplified version of this for automatic plot generators, etc... Very hit-or-miss and the computer has no real understanding of the story it is creating.

2. Using grammar-type rules construct a legitimate story the same way you would construct a sentence; pick a hero, pick a compatible mission, pick a compatible obstacle, etc...

2. Create a world and characters to inhabit the world, set things loose and look for an interesting story to develop.  Think of this option as a Soap-Opera, or a Reality TV Show.  Things are very open-ended.

3. Create a world and characters, pick compelling plot-arcs and then force the characters into situations to fulfill the plot requirements.  This option can use sub-plots and back-seeding (changing previous portions of the story to support changes in the plot).  An AI construct known as fate can be used to keep the story on track, while another AI construct works on making the story dramatic, or funny, or whatever the theme of the story is.  I like to think of this option as a card game between two players (at least that's the way I'd implement it).

I've thought a lot about this topic over the years and I think I am ready to start trying a few things out.  I have started by looking over my notes and simplifying the ideas, one thing I've learned from working on Decision Aid Systems, Expert Systems, Natural Language Recognition, and doing Automatic Report Generation is that complexity rarely leads to a better result.

So, I am consolidating my 46 traits in seven spheres:
MIND: crazy romantic sensitive clever creative funny logical critical
ACTS: lazy trusting careful perceptive secretive suspicious controlling sleazy BODY: weak klutz lazy strong tense abusive
TALK: quiet follower gossip charismatic 
WORK: reckless selfish ambitious honest careful sacrificing  
LOVE: unselfish-love friends-love logical-love game-love posessive-love romantic-love 
LOOK: overweight dowdy plain athletic cute sexy glamorous exotic
into this:
MIND: ambitious, honest, romantic, player, possessive, planning
BODY: lazy, sexy, sleazy, reckless, abusive, addict
SOUL: crazy, leader, follower, gossip

I think that this offers sufficient variety, this also means Actors will have a limit of (up to) three traits each.

I'm narrowing in on a theme too, I'm going to go with deserted island (think Lost or Gilligans' Island) since it provides an easy sand-box (limited number of locations, don't have to worry about outside actors if we don't want to).

There are a number of other simplifications I'm making as well.  My hope is that this will simplify the rules engine that guides behavior.

PS - Here is an old-style set of Actors, there are some Stats that are hidden behind them as well:
Name: ____________   Sex: female
DOB: 21 JUN    AGE: YOUNG   JOB: judge (second-job)   Income: comfortable
     lucky sensitive perceptive tense
     healthy     dowdy        LOVE-STYLE: logical-love

Name: ____________   Sex: female
DOB: 21 JAN    AGE: OLD   JOB: accountant (cold-as-ice)   Income: average
      logical secretive strong quiet
     healthy     cute        LOVE-STYLE: logical-love

Name: ____________   Sex: male
DOB: 21 AUG    AGE: YOUNG   JOB: bar-tender (ugly-betty)   Income: comfortable
      sensitive careful  quiet
     healthy     plain        LOVE-STYLE: friends-love

And, here is the new version:
Name: _____________  Sex: female   Job: Engineer
Planning, Gossip

I'll post when I get a little further.
David