concepts.markdown

layout	title	date	categories	topics
default	Concepts	2017-08-28	galley	linearheavy branchheavy rhizomatic branchnodes mergenodes branchmerge identical almostidentical shortcuts loopbacks convergent choiceorder interactive falseendings fragments reference caveoftime snowman vampire ufo dreamtrips tenopia images image_path 13-56B Survivor -- Thailand.txt.gv.png image_path 10-52 Zork 03 Cavern of Doom, The.txt.gv.png image_path 10-72 Explorer 01 Journey to the Center of the Atom.txt.gv.png image_path 14-05 Turning Points 01 Friends Forever.txt.gv.png image_path 14-06 Turning Points 02 Kerry's Dance.txt.gv.png images image_path 07-13 Lifegames 01 Woman Up the Corporate Ladder (192).txt.gv.png image_path 13-61 Troll AA -- Target Earth (116).txt.gv.png image_path 07-11 Nightmares -- Castle of Horror (126).txt.gv.png images image_path 13-73 Troll FF -- Forbidden Towers (124).txt.gv.png image_path 07-01 Give Yourself Goosebumps Special Edition 01 Into the Jaws of Doom (238).txt.gv.png images image_path 07-09 Nightmares -- Cave of Fear (126) --labeled.txt.gv.png image_path 03-07 CYOA -- You Are a Superstar.txt.gv.png image_path 13-60 Troll AA -- Cosmic Kidnappers (116) remediates computer functions.txt.gv.png images image_path 01-52 CYOA -- Hyperspace.txt.gv.png image_path 01-53 CYOA -- Space Patrol.txt.gv.png images image_path 01-31 CYOA -- Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey.txt.gv.png images image_path 07-13 Lifegames 01 Woman Up the Corporate Ladder (192).txt.gv.png image_path 07-14 Lifegames 03 Starstruck (192).txt.gv.png image_path 07-15 Lifegames 04 Woman in Power Politics (192).txt.gv.png image_path 07-16 Lifegames 06 Matchpoint (192).txt.gv.png images image_path 11-01 Star Challenge 01 Planets in Peril.txt.gv.png image_path 11-02 Star Challenge 02 Android Invasion, The.txt.gv.png image_path 11-03 Star Challenge 03 Cosmic Funhouse, The.txt.gv.png image_path 11-04 Star Challenge 05 Galactic Raiders.txt.gv.png image_path 11-05 Star Challenge 06 Weird Zone, The.txt.gv.png image_path 11-07 Star Challenge 07 Dimension of Doom.txt.gv.png image_path 11-08 Star Challenge 08 Lost Planet, The.txt.gv.png image_path 11-09 Star Challenge 09 Moons of Mystery.txt.gv.png image_path 11-10 Star Challenge 10 Haunted Planet, The.txt.gv.png images image_path 03-13 CYOA -- Through the Black Hole.txt.gv.png image_path 03-19 CYOA -- Grave Robbers.txt.gv.png image_path 10-23 Nintendo Adventures 01 Double Trouble.txt.gv.png image_path 10-25 Nintendo Adventures 02 Leaping Lizards.txt.gv.png images image_path 01-48 CYOA -- Race Forever, The.txt.gv.png image_path 13-60 Troll AA -- Cosmic Kidnappers (116) remediates computer functions.txt.gv.png image_path 13-71 Troll FF -- Master of Mazes.txt.gv.png images image_path 11-01 Star Challenge 01 Planets in Peril.txt.gv.png image_path 10-03 WWY 02 Siege of the Dragonriders, The.txt.gv.png image_path 13-28 Powerpuff Girls -- Career-Day Blossom (64).txt.gv.png image_path 13-10 PIYAS -- Star Trek III (117) one ending.txt.gv.png images image_path 03-17 CYOA -- Alien, Go Home.txt.gv.png image_path 10-73 Explorer 02 Destination Brain.txt.gv.png image_path 13-76 Troll SIY -- Missing Rock Star Caper (117).txt.gv.png images image_path 10-04 WWY 03 Who Kidnapped Princess Saralinda.txt.gv.png images image_path 13-70 Troll FF -- War of the Wizards.txt.gv.png image_path 13-72 Troll FF -- Magicians Ring.txt.gv.png images image_path 01-65v3 CYOA -- Vampire Express (broken).txt.gv.png image_path 01-39 CYOA -- Inside UFO 54-40.txt.gv.png images image_path caption 10-01 WWY 01 Forest of Twisted Dreams, The.txt.gv.png image_path caption 10-06 WWY 04 Ghost Knights of Camelot.txt.gv.png For examples of reference pages, see nodes 97 and 101 images image_path 01-01 CYOA -- Cave of Time, The.txt.gv.png image_path 01-05 CYOA -- Cave of Time, The.txt.gv.png image_path 01-07 CYOA -- Cave of Time, The (115).txt.gv.png image_path 01-07v2 CYOA -- Cave of Time, The (115).txt.gv.png images image_path 01-42 CYOA -- Abominable Snowman, The. (new edition from Jeremy collection).txt.gv.png image_path 01-42 CYOA -- Abominable Snowman, The. (old edition from Katz collection).txt.gv.png image_path 01-42 CYOA -- Abominable Snowman, The (corrected).txt.gv.png images image_path 01-65 CYOA -- Vampire Express.txt.gv.png image_path 01-65v2 CYOA -- Vampire Express (printing-error).txt.gv.png image_path 01-65v3 CYOA -- Vampire Express (broken).txt.gv.png images image_path 01-39 CYOA -- Inside UFO 54-40.txt.gv.png image_path 01-39v2 CYOA -- Inside UFO 54-40 (labeled).txt.gv.png images image_path 05-22 CYOA-YR -- Dream Trips (Go to any Page Version).txt.gv.png image_path 05-22 CYOA-YR -- Dream Trips.txt.gv.png images image_path 11-11 EFT 01 Tenopia Island.txt.gv.png image_path 11-11v2 EFT 01 Tenopia Island (no maps).txt.gv.png image_path 11-11v3 EFT 01 Tenopia Island (no maps, simplified).txt.gv.png

Concepts

Overall Shape

Linear vs. Branching

Some works have lots of choices at almost every turn -- they are more game-like. Others involve long series of passages with few or occassional choices -- they are more novel-like.

"Wide" vs. "Tall": With a left-to-right graph flow, linear-heavy works will have very wide graphs, while branch-heavy works will be very tall.

Linear-heavy (wide)

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.linearheavy.images break=true scale="1" %}

Branch-heavy (tall)

"Arboreal," or tree-like -- most of the nodes are choices, and there are many choices, generally leading to many endings.

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.branchheavy.images scale="1" %}

Hierarchical vs. Web

(Arboreal vs Rhizomatic -- fern-like vs. stringy, spaghetti-looking)

Many works (whether the branch or are linear) tend to proceed in order -- shallow pages are reached first, deep pages are reached later. The train may switch tracks, but all the rails are running in the same direction. Such story networks tend to produce branching tree structures with perhaps a few extra edges jumping across and between them.

Other works are more web-like. For example they may be organized narratively not around the passage of time, but around movement through a series of interconnected spaces which can be visited in any order.

When web-like story networks are laid out heirarchically they tend to produce large quantities of loops that move around the main network in every direction. Sometimes taking such networks into yEd and laying them out with another algorithm (e.g. Organic or Radial) can better reveal how the story network works.

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.rhizomatic.images scale="1" %}

(See Exploring section for Yed representation below)

Local Features

Branch Nodes and Merge Nodes

branch node -- the elevator (7 buttons). Graph vocab: "outdegree"

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.branchnodes.images scale="1" %}

Merge nodes -- a local funnel (see also convergent endings) Graph vocab: "indegree"

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.mergenodes.images scale="1" %}

Branch-merge -- Very high degree node. See log for "interesting" nodes listed from any given graph, they will be branches or merges.

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.branchmerge.images scale="1" %}

Computing Fake Nodes

Interactive Nodes

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.interactive.images scale="1" %}

False Endings

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.falseendings.images scale="1" %}

Reference Page

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.reference.images scale="1" %}

Shortcuts and Loopbacks

(Long arrows jumping forward or back)

…

Shortcuts

(Long forward arrows)

Most noticible in linear works. Multiple shortcuts create an optimal shortest path to the end -- the work may have a story 50 lexias deep, but one can reach the finish by only reading 6 lexias. (see log: "diameter")

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.shortcuts.images scale="1" %}

Loopbacks

(Long reverse arrows)

• starting over
• it was all a dream
• try again, this time as the wizard?

For the first example, see node 4. For the second example, see node sequence 88->18->1.

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.loopbacks.images scale="1" %}

Convergent Endings

Some convergent ending patterns funnel together many "lose" endings, leaving a separate "win" ending.

Other stories only have a single end, often a scoring system or total assessment -- or a public service announcement / moral message.

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.convergent.images scale="1" %}

Choice Ordering

Ordered vs. Disordered Choices

Second Choice always moves the reader further into the narrative

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.choiceorder.images scale="1" %}

Fragments and Floating Nodes

(disconnected parts of the graph)

"Orphans"

What's the difference between these two graphs?

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.fragments.images scale="1" %}

Approaches to analysis

Identical Graphs

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.identical.images scale="1" %}

Almost Identical Graphs

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.almostidentical.images scale="1" %}

Comparative examples

CYOA (The Cave of Time)

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.caveoftime.images scale="1" %}

CYOA (Abominable Snowman)

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.snowman.images scale="1" %}

CYOA (Vampire Express)

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.vampire.images scale="1" %}

CYOA (Inside UFO 54-40)

Node 117 choices are flipped

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.ufo.images scale="1" %}

Dream Trips

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.dreamtrips.images scale="1" %}

EFT (Tenopia Island)

{% include graph-set.html imagelist=page.topics.tenopia.images scale="1" %}

Inspecting and Exploring

Exploring

Inspecting