(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2023-01-18)
Kar, Soham
Narrative plays an important role in video games by acting as a means through which the player can develop an emotional connection to a game. Visual novels are a unique genre of video games that are characterized by limited player interactivity and an explicit focus on conveying narrative through various forms of visual storytelling. In this paper, I present five prominent visual mediums through which the narrative of a visual novel manifests, and I analyze each of their contributions to the storytelling of the narrative. Based on my findings, I outline several design principles to be considered during the design phase of a visual novel that are best suited for ensuring that the narrative is emotionally resonant, immersive, and appealing to the player. This work provides valuable insight into the design of visual novels that can be utilized to design better visual novels in the future.
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2022-05)
Perez, Germain
This research, following an iterative approach, explores the viability of digital 360° imagery as a narrative device for river settings, while the artifact produced in the final iteration has potential as an educational and wellness tool. The literature review section of this paper examines useful concepts and methods from early works in this arena. The methodology section presents the production details of a 360° virtual guide to the Chattahoochee River through points of interest. Video and static-image VR presentations are fleshed out and contrasted for their strengths and weaknesses. These presentations are offered within responsive, Javascript-driven web apps and make use of the ThreeJS graphical framework to extend functionality to both desktop and mobile devices.
One conclusion, reached after iterating through the design process, finds the video presentation to be most engaging as a narrative device, while the static-image presentation is more useful for record-keeping and data capture. Extensions to this work might include embedding graphics inside the virtual scene to identify gaze highlights and provide additional context.