Name: Boudreau, Kelly

Year: 2007

Country: Canada

Degree: M.A.

Institution: Concordia University

Department: Sociology

Abstract: How do patterns of digital gameplay influence the functional and social roles, personal identity, and the relationship between a player and their avatar? From Turkle to today, existing theories of online identity seem to suggest that these identities are fragmented bits of the self, cycled through and discarded with ease. In Game Studies, focus has often been on the creation of the digital persona and its representation, the avatar. Through auto-ethnographic research and informed by the literature culled from Game Studies, Sociology (Symbolic Interactionism, Stuctural Functionalism) and Social Psychology, I explicate the way actions, tasks and goals create interwoven patterns of play that structure multi-layered digital identities within social and functional roles of the game. Within the construct of character creation, gameplay, and role identities, relationships between the player, avatar, physical environment and other players develop and redefine perceptions and meanings, which shape and harmonize identities. Far from being fixed internally in the player, these identities are interwoven through internal and external interactions, creating perceptions and performances of play that emerge as complex negotiated selves, interacting between spaces in the self and the social.

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Name: Carvelho, Tristan

Year: 2007

Country: Canada

Degree: M.Sc.

Institution: York University

Department: Computer Science and Engineering

Abstract: Convergence insufficiency is characterized by an inability to maintain effortless alignment of the two eyes (binocular convergence) while performing near tasks. Conventional rehabilitative vision therapy for the condition is monotonous and dull, leading to low levels of compliance. If the therapy is not performed then improvements in the condition are unlikely. The most effective therapy for the condition is expensive and requires the constant supervision of a therapist. This thesis looks at the use of computer games as a new delivery paradigm for vision therapy, specifically at how they can be used in the treatment of convergence insufficiency while at home. A game was created and tested in a small scale clinical trial. Results show clinical improvements, as well as high levels of compliance and motivation. Additionally, the game was able to objectively track patient progress and compliance.

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Name: Khan, Nadeem

Year: 2007

Country: Canada

Degree: M.Sc.

Institution: McGill University

Department: School of Computer Science

Abstract: There has been a tremendous growth in the popularity of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (or MMOGs) with millions of players interacting in their virtual game space at the same time. However, the centralized server architecture of most modern day MMOGs is unable to cope with this increase in the number of participating players. Hence, there is a need for a scalable network architecture which can support these large number of players without affecting the overall gaming experience for each player. In this thesis we propose a scalable distributed server architecture which divides the virtual game space in smaller sub spaces and assigns them across a cluster of server nodes thereby reducing the overall load per server. It is based on a distributed publish/subscribe architecture which takes care of client-server as well as server-server communication. We discuss the implementation of this architecture in a real MMOG and experimentally prove that it shows better scalability than the centralized server architecture.

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Name: Onuczko, Curtis Aaron

Year: 2007

Country: Canada

Degree: M.Sc.

Institution: University of Alberta

Department: Department of Computing Science

Abstract: Specifying the plot in Computer Role-Playing Games (CRPGs) requires a large number of scripts that are difficult to program, track and maintain. This work introduces quest patterns, a high level and intuitive way to structure the plot in CRPGs. Quest patterns are recurring themes (patterns) that can be adapted to suit the game author's needs. Quest patterns have been added to ScriptEase, a generative design pattern tool that can automatically turn pattern specifications into scripts. CRPGs often include simple plots, called side-quests, that are independent from the main plot. Side-quests are important, as they add value to the open-world appeal of the game. This work introduces a tool to aid in the rapid creation of side-quests. Using objects from the CRPG, the tool creates outlines of side-quests that can be used in the game.

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Name: Sailer, Frantisek

Year: 2007

Country: Canada

Degree: M.Sc.

Institution: University of Alberta

Department: Department of Computing Science

Abstract: Adversarial planning in complex decision domains, such as modern video games, has not yet received much attention from AI researchers. This thesis presents a planning framework (RTSplan) that uses simulation combined with Nash-equilibrium strategy approximation to choose the best policy from a given policy set. We apply this framework to an army deployment problem in an abstract real-time strategy game setting. Experimental results indicate a performance gain over individual policies in our policy set. Furthermore, we show that adding basic opponent modelling drastically increases the performance of RTSplan against these policies, and that RTSplan can also play well against unknown policies. We also present a method for the 'fast-forwarding ' of simulations which greatly reduces computation times. RTSplan is an automated way of increasing the decision quality of scripted AI systems in real-time. It is suited for complex systems that have real-time constraints, simultaneous moves, and currently rely on scripted solutions.

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Name: Siegel, Jeffrey D

Year: 2007

Country: Canada

Degree: M.Sc.

Institution: University of Alberta

Department: Department of Computing Science

Abstract: Today's computer role-playing games (CRPGs) have ever increasing sophisticated and complex elements, including rich and dynamic character conversations. CRPGs such as Neverwinter Nights use manual scripting to control the flow of these conversations. These scripts can be confusing and time consuming to game designers with no programming experience. This dissertation presents a new dialogue pattern model to construct conversations in the Neverwinter Nights CRPG. This model uses a more compact and concise representation than the model used by the Neverwinter Nights Aurora conversation editor. The scripts used to create dynamic conversations in the Aurora conversation model are replaced with generative design patterns. These design patterns generate the scripting code automatically, preventing the game designer from making any scripting mistakes. A case study analyzes the effectiveness of both models by using five metrics which compare the models against several criteria. The dialogue pattern model is shown tobe easier to use.

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Year: 2007

Country: Canada

Degree: Ph.D.

Institution: Simon Fraser University

Department: School of Interactive Arts & Technology

Abstract: This dissertation presents a new outlook on children's early experience of print narrative as they develop their narrative perceptions. It positions this experience as an important element in their positive engagement with narrative gameplay. Narratives help children shape their experience and develop a worldview. Books have long brought children the best of past and present understandings. Today, digital media, particularly video games, play a significant part in children's lives. Though games have the same potential as books to bring world experience to children, the breadth of stories they currently provide is small. To encourage narrative development in games, this dissertation examines the narrative perception children bring with them to gameplay, and identifies similarities between early print narrative and game narrative experience. Young children's earliest encounters with print narrative are based in a multimodality that includes orality, visual literacy, performance, and interactivity, and embracea range of experiences that are socially constructed. The perception young children construct of narrative privileges these rich experiences, rather than the conventional forms of narrative they are introduced to formally when they enter school, but which adults consider the norm. This perception forms the gestalt children bring with them to gameplay. Narrative in games encompasses the multimodal and interactive nature of digital media. The result falls outside traditional narrative forms but shares characteristics with early print narrative experience. Both experiences are social, interactive, engaging, multimodal, and spatial. They also provide for agency and transformation. This similarity allows children to embrace the new digital medium readily. Knowing these connections provides children's authors and game developers with an understanding they can share, and from which children can benefit. Children's authors gain a new perspective about writing in interactive environments, and a possible direction for their future work. Game developers gain a better understanding of the characteristics of narrative experiences that engage children, and an affirmation of the relevance of narrative for games. This common understanding provides a stepping-stone for the collaborative design of more diverse narrative game experiences for children.

URL: http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/handle/1892/9751