Immersive Story

Immersive story is real time narrative in virtual worlds.

Real time implies two things:

1. It’s not static in its presentation
2. It has some form of interactivity

If the player’s actions significantly affect the storyline and its outcome, the player has agency and the immersive story can also be called an interactive story. The differentiation between immersive story and interactive story is the requirement of agency. Interactive story requires it, immersive story does not. That isn’t to say that immersive story doesn’t involve interactivity, it just doesn’t have to significantly affect the storyline.

Immersive story as an analogy

Perhaps it is easier to understand immersive story by seeing it as an analogy.

Immersive story is a play in a virtual world where the characters are computer controlled bots (NPCs) and instead of sitting in the audience a viewer takes on the role of the protagonist, the story emerging as they interact with the other characters.

Overlap with games

Games also employ NPCs and many story elements, but they’re not driven by the story. If a player fails to complete a task the story typically ends. A game is challenged or tasked based, where as immersive story is story based. Another way to think of it is using Ernest Adams, author and consultant on game design, three main categories of immersion.

Tactical immersion

Tactical immersion is experienced when performing tactile operations that involve skill. Players feel “in the zone” while perfecting actions that result in success.

Strategic immersion

Strategic immersion is more cerebral, and is associated with mental challenge. Chess players experience strategic immersion when choosing a correct solution among a broad array of possibilities.

Narrative immersion

Narrative immersion occurs when players become invested in a story, and is similar to what is experienced while reading a book or watching a movie.

Games play mostly to tactical immersion where as immersive story plays to of course, narrative immersion. Obviously there is a lot of overlap, but it’s best not to get caught up in the details and just think of immersive story and games as different genres. A horror movie attracts it’s audience with a different promise than a romantic comedy. An immersive story promises a drama where as a game promises a challenge.

Need an engine

For immersive story to work it will need an engine to coordinate everything - assets, NPCs, other players, etc. Many of these tasks can be found in the typical game engine and may also be present in virtual world platforms. Beyond that an immersive story engine will also need to coordinate story elements, what is more commonly associated with a gamemaster.