Narrative AI and User Engagement
This project, developed as part of my master’s thesis, explored how generative AI-driven NPCs compare to traditional, hardcoded NPC in gaming environments. The goal was to create a more dynamic, engaging experience by allowing players to communicate freely with AI-driven NPC through a chat interface, generating unique, personalized dialogues. The study focused on player interaction in a small café environment, where players learned about the NPC’s story. Results showed that players preferred the AI-driven NPC, citing greater engagement and deeper immersion compared to traditional NPC, who often led to a quicker loss of interest.
- AI Interaction: Players communicated with NPCs through free text input, resulting in fluid, generative dialogue.
- Dynamic Storytelling: NPC responses were customized and edited to maintain narrative consistency while enhancing player immersion.
- Comparative Study: Experimental groups preferred AI NPCs over traditional NPCs, citing more interesting and evolving conversations.
My Role & Skills Used
As the lead UI/UX designer, I focused on creating a simple, unintrusive chat interface that integrated seamlessly into the game environment. Through multiple iterations and user feedback, I refined the interface to ensure players could easily input and view responses without losing immersion. I also contributed to sound design, adding auditory feedback that enhanced player interaction.
Additionally, I developed parts of the task system and coded interactions to ensure smooth, intuitive communication between the player, the NPC and the environment.
