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Fostering Creativity in the Mixed-Initiative Evolutionary Dungeon Designer
Malmö University, Faculty of Technology and Society (TS), Department of Computer Science and Media Technology (DVMT).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7738-1601
Malmö University, Faculty of Technology and Society (TS), Department of Computer Science and Media Technology (DVMT).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2644-2785
Malmö University, Faculty of Technology and Society (TS), Department of Computer Science and Media Technology (DVMT).ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3924-7484
Malmö University, Faculty of Technology and Society (TS), Department of Computer Science and Media Technology (DVMT).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7701-0851
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2018 (English)In: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, ACM Digital Library, 2018, article id 50Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Mixed-initiative systems highlight the collaboration between humans and computers in fostering the generation of more interesting content in game design. In light of the ever-increasing cost of game development, providing mixed-initiative tools can not only significantly reduce the cost but also encourage more creativity amongst game designers. The Evolutionary Dungeon Designer (EDD) [3] is a mixed-initiative tool with a focus on using evolutionary computation to procedurally generate content that adhere to game design patterns. As part of an ongoing project, feedback from a user study on EDD's capabilities as a mixed-initiative design tool pointed out the need for improvement on the tool's functionalities [4]. In this paper we present a review of the principles of the mixed-initiative model, as well as the existing approaches that implement it. The outcome of this analysis allows us to address the appointed needs for improvement by shaping a new version of EDD that we describe here. Finally, we also present the results from a user study carried out with professional game developers, in order to assess EDD's new functionalities. Results show an overall positive evaluation of the tool's intuitiveness and capabilities for empowering game developers' creative skills during the design process of dungeons for adventure games. They also allow us to identify upcoming challenges pattern-based mixed-initiative tools could benefit from.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
ACM Digital Library, 2018. article id 50
Keywords [en]
Mixed-Initiative Design, Procedural Content Generation, Game Design Patterns
National Category
Engineering and Technology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-16793DOI: 10.1145/3235765.3235815Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85055514392Local ID: 27339OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mau-16793DiVA, id: diva2:1420307
Conference
International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, Malmö, Sweden (2018, August 7-10)
Available from: 2020-03-30 Created: 2020-03-30 Last updated: 2024-04-04Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Exploring the Dynamic Properties of Interaction in Mixed-Initiative Procedural Content Generation
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Exploring the Dynamic Properties of Interaction in Mixed-Initiative Procedural Content Generation
2020 (English)Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

As AI develops, grows, and expands, the more benefits we can have from it. AI is used in multiple fields to assist humans, such as object recognition, self-driving cars, or design tools. However, AI could be used for more than assisting humans in their tasks. It could be employed to collaborate with humans as colleagues in shared tasks, which is usually described as Mixed-Initiative (MI) paradigm. This paradigm creates an interactive scenario that leverage on AI and human strengths with an alternating and proactive initiative to approach a task. However, this paradigm introduces several challenges. For instance, there must be an understanding between humans and AI, where autonomy and initiative become negotiation tokens. In addition, control and expressiveness need to be taken into account to reach some goals. Moreover, although this paradigm has a broader application, it is especially interesting for creative tasks such as games, which are mainly created in collaboration. Creating games and their content is a hard and complex task, since games are content-intensive, multi-faceted, and interacted by external users. 

Therefore, this thesis explores MI collaboration between human game designers and AI for the co-creation of games, where the AI's role is that of a colleague with the designer. The main hypothesis is that AI can be incorporated in systems as a collaborator, enhancing design tools, fostering human creativity, reducing their workload, and creating adaptive experiences. Furthermore, This collaboration arises several dynamic properties such as control, expressiveness, and initiative, which are all central to this thesis. Quality-Diversity algorithms combined with control mechanisms and interactions for the designer are proposed to investigate this collaboration and properties. Designer and Player modeling is also explored, and several approaches are proposed to create a better workflow, establish adaptive experiences, and enhance the interaction. Through this, it is demonstrated the potential and benefits of these algorithms and models in the MI paradigm.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Malmö: Malmö universitet, 2020. p. 237
Series
Studies in Computer Science
Keywords
Mixed-Initiative, Procedural Content Generation, Quality Diversity, Computer Games, Evolutionary Algorithms
National Category
Computer Sciences Human Computer Interaction
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-18358 (URN)10.24834/isbn.9789178771400 (DOI)978-91-7877-139-4 (ISBN)978-91-7877-140-0 (ISBN)
Presentation
2020-11-20, OR:D138, Nordenskiöldsgatan 10, Malmö, 13:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2020-09-28 Created: 2020-09-28 Last updated: 2024-02-23Bibliographically approved
2. Exploring Game Design through Human-AI Collaboration
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Exploring Game Design through Human-AI Collaboration
2022 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Game design is a hard and multi-faceted task that intertwines different gameplay mechanics, audio, level, graphic, and narrative facets. Games' facets are developed in conjunction with others with a common goal that makes games coherent and interesting. These combinations result in plenty of games in diverse genres, which usually require a collaboration of a diverse group of designers. Collaborators can take different roles and support each other with their strengths resulting in games with unique characteristics. The multi-faceted nature of games and their collaborative properties and requirements make it an exciting task to use Artificial Intelligence (AI). The generation of these facets together requires a holistic approach, which is one of the most challenging tasks within computational creativity. Given the collaborative aspect of games, this thesis approaches their generation through Human-AI collaboration, specifically using a mixed-initiative co-creative (MI-CC) paradigm. This paradigm creates an interactive and collaborative scenario that leverages AI and human strengths with an alternating and proactive initiative to approach a task. However, this paradigm introduces several challenges, such as Human and AI goal alignment or competing properties.

In this thesis, game design and the generation of game facets by themselves and intertwined are explored through Human-AI collaboration. The AI takes a colleague's role with the designer, arising multiple dynamics, challenges, and opportunities. The main hypothesis is that AI can be incorporated into systems as a collaborator, enhancing design tools, fostering human creativity, and reducing workload. The challenges and opportunities that arise from this are explored, discussed, and approached throughout the thesis. As a result, multiple approaches and methods such as quality-diversity algorithms and designer modeling are proposed to generate game facets in tandem with humans, create a better workflow, enhance the interaction, and establish adaptive experiences.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Malmö: Malmö universitet, 2022. p. 381
Series
Studies in Computer Science ; 20
Keywords
Computer Games, Human-AI Collaboration, Mixed-Initiative, Procedural Content Generation, Quality Diversity, Computational Creativity
National Category
Computer Sciences Human Computer Interaction
Research subject
Interaktionsdesign
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-54586 (URN)10.24834/isbn.9789178773084 (DOI)978-91-7877-307-7 (ISBN)978-91-7877-308-4 (ISBN)
Public defence
2022-09-27, Niagara hörsal C, Nordenskiöldsgatan 1, 21119, Malmö, 14:30 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2022-08-29 Created: 2022-08-27 Last updated: 2022-12-08Bibliographically approved

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Alvarez, AlbertoDahlskog, SteveFont, JoséHolmberg, Johan

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