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Appendix 2: Reincorporation in Demeter: Blood in the Sky

One of the goals of the game Demeter was to test whether the technique of reincorporation leads to better-formed stories and greater user agency. Therefore, it is handy to know exactly how the behavior of Demeter scenes changes when reincorporation is turned on. These changes include both what previous events the scene may optionally hook into the story, as well as the resuling changes in the scene's narration.

Scenes

A_Long_Night - Hooks a previous NPC_Wooed, if that lover NPC is still active with a high affinity for the PC and the PC is not in the Zeppelin. The lover will visit the PC during the night (possibly freeing him from the Observation Deck).

Discussion_Starts - Refers back to the last Discussion_Interrupted if that discussion has not yet been concluded. Provides a bridge comment that the NPC speaker is resuming the earlier discussion.

Discussion_Continues - Each major speaker refers back to the last speaker in either agreement or disagreement, thus connecting the different arguments of a discussion.

Discussion_Curtailed - Refers back to the formation of the current GoParty, whether formed by discussion including the PC or in direct response to the PC's actions. Suggests that since the PC was instrumental in forming the GoParty, he should know that the time for discussion has passed.

Discussion_Offscreen - Refers back to any Discussion_Interrupted, as per Discussion_Starts. This hook may be silent (unnarrated) if the PC refuses to move to join the discussion.

Evidence_Revealed - Will only play to have an NPC comment on another's attempt to open the locked hatch to the command gondola if reincorporation is on.

Ending Hooks - These are all used in various ways by the two ending scenes, Landfall and PC_Dies.
1) Any attacks directed at the PC (from NPCs or Revenant)
2) Any killings of NPCs or revenant by the PC
3) Any killings of NPCs by the Revenant
4) The death of the revenant
5) Successful NPC_Wooeds (each with no NPC_Rebuffs sub-events)
6) All Evidence_Revealed scenes that provided evidence that is >= the PC's current evidence level
7) The most recent PC_Unconsious
8) Any GoParty_Reentry that lead to a betrayal of the GoParty.
9) Any subsequent GoParty_Returns that would have ended that betrayal.

GoParty_Departs - The end of the last GoParty. The NPC that calls for the GoParty to pause for a farewell will instead wish them better luck than the named members of the last GoParty (or, if the departing actor was part of the previous GoParty, better luck than she did on the previous trip).

GoParty_Eviction - This scene only plays if reincorporation is on; otherwise, only the normal NPCs_React is used to reply to the prerequisite anti-social behavior. A PC that is violent to other passengers will be dropped from the GoParty by its other upset members. A harassing PC is simply warned and will then be evicted on a second offense.

GoParty_Moves_Along - If the PC leads the GoParty into a cul-de-sac room in the gondola, the other members will question why.

GoParty_Reentry - 1) A previous GoParty_Reentry betrayal that doesn't have a GoParty end state after it. This means the same GoParty is still betrayed, so the locked out GoParty will be more verbally insistent about opening the hatch. (Only produces this narration if the PC is present.) If PC is present, will also mention any death of the revenant (in narration only).
2) If PC is on the gondola side of the hatch and the NPCs there tie on the vote to open the hatch, will preface asking PC for a decision by referring to the PC's previous stance on leaving the gondola, on the revenant, and any harassment or assault of one of the locked out NPCs. (Due to hacky work-around, these hooks are not included from canPlay() but are reincorporated at play time.)

GoParty_Reports (as a component of GoParty_Returns) - Reports references to the following:
1) All Evidence_Revealed events
2) Drop of any members from the GoParty, including disregard by the PC of GoParty requests to follow.
3) Any violence to the Revenant, including by the PC. If the PC slew the revenant, the reporting actor will thank the PC explicitly.
4) Additional actual sightings or attacks by the revenant beyond the Evidence_Revealed events
5) PC violence (Assault or Battery) to NPCs, excluding to the revenant (only if PC is still in the GoParty, though).
These hooks may not be narrated if the PC is not present at the GoParty's return. (Without reincorporation, this scene is little more than a vague "We're back, and things are bad.")

GoParty_Returns - Refers to a non-betrayal GoParty_Reentry (someone opened the hatch), though this is only narrated if PC is already in the gondola stairwell as the GoParty returns.

Landfall - In addition to the general Ending Hooks:
1) PC damage to one or both engines.
2) PC damage to one of the gas bags.
3) Any acquisition of food by the PC (if the PC still has the food).
Works all these references into the Landfall narration in subtle ways.

PC_Dies - Includes all Ending Hooks, generally narrated as reflective last thoughts of the PC as he dies.

Revenant_Acts - If the revenant decides to attack, it will choose to attack whoever assaulted it last (if that person is still alive and present).

Waiting_through_the_Day - Hooks the acquisition of food for all characters that possess food. If characters have food, they will share if. If PC has some, the player will be asked whether he wants to share.

Reactions

Most of the reincorporation changes in NPC reactions involve giving and then enforcing an interdiction. This allows NPCs to grow increasingly agitated with the PC's behavior. Without reincorporation, NPCs tend to react the same way to repeated affronts--as if each one were the first time.

NPC_Annoyed - If this is the second Annoyed reaction by the same NPC to the same sort of deed, will issue an interdiction against a third instance of the behavior.

NPC_Defends_Other - The defended NPC will thank the defender. Also, if a defender issues an interdiction against such behavior, will actually set the appropriate recast triggers to enforce the recasting of a violation into a DEFY action.

NPC_Defied - If this is not the first time this NPC has been defied, she will refer back to the earlier NPC_Defied.

NPC_Rebuffs - Actually sets the appropriate recast triggers to enforce the recasting of a violation of the rebuff interdiction into a DEFY.

Casts and Recasts

These triggers are only active when reincorporation are on as they provide greater levels of response to the player's actions.

DT_PCStartsDiscussion - A Tell to all present will start a full discussion state, prompting a greater level of response from present NPCs.

DT_PC_Leads_GoParty_Departure - If a PC leads the GoParty from the gondola, the motion will be cast to an ATTEMPT and GoParty_Departs played to see the party off.

Silent Hooks

These hooks provide silent structural reincorporations but do not actually change the narration of the game.

Discussion_Starts - Hooks the most recent end of a GoParty.

NPC_Rebuffs - Hooks any previous rebuff by the same NPC of the same suitor in order to form a rebuff thread.

NPC_Wooed - Hooks any previous rebuff by the same NPC of the same suitor in order to form a wooing thread.

Narration-only Hooks

This "hook: provides additional narration when reincorpration is on, but doesn't change the story structure or any reincorporation connections. This can be seen as intra-scene reincorporation.

Discussion_Concludes - When a DST_GoParty is formed, one of the newly assigned party members (if different from the concluding speaker), will agree with the party formation. If there is another member of the party, this agreeing NPC will then prod the party to start exploring.