Why Subjective Avatars?
I want the user to step into the shoes of a character, experiencing a story from this new perspective. In this manner the user gains an empathic understanding of a character by being this character. In non-interactive drama (movies, theater), an audience is able to gain insights into the subjective experience of characters precisely because the experience is non-interactive; the characters in the drama make decisions different from those that audience members might make. In an interactive story, how will a user gain insight into the character she is playing when she is controlling this character s actions? If she were to immediately begin acting out of character, she will derail the story, effectively preventing any insight. With a subjective avatar, the hope is that if the user s avatar filters and interprets the world in a manner consistent with the character, the user will begin to feel like their character, gaining a deeper understanding of the message the author wants to convey. T
