Expressive processing, NMT Utrecht
- 1. Expressive Processing Bridging the gap between the visible and the invisible
- 2. Theoretical field Software studies “I think that software studies has to both investigate the role of software in contemporary culture-and to investigate cultural, social, and economic forces which are shaping development of software itself” (Manovich) Critical theory Max Horkheimer described a theory as critical insofar as it seeks "to liberate human beings from the circumstances that enslave them."
- 3. Defining Expressive Processing The ‘being a means of expression’ of computer processes. Bridging the gap between: 1. The observation of the output through the perspective of media, games and fiction and 2. The actual process that make digital media work, the computational machines that make digital media possible.
- 4. Use of the concept “Computational processes are an increasing significant means or expression for authors.” “I use the term to talk about what processes express in their design - which may not be visible to audiences.” “(...) key to the history of process-oriented innovation in fiction and games. (...) A history almost never told.”
- 5. Etymology: Expression - From latin Ex- (out) -Pressare (to press, push) “The model of a machine expresses the machine itself and a plain drawing in perspective expresses a body in three dimensions, a proposition expresses a thought, a sign a number, an algebraic equation a circle or another
- 6. Etymology: Process From Latin Procedo (to proceed, move on) Pro (to, towards, in front of) Cedo (go, pass, withdraw, retire, leave) “ (...) an effective process connotes an idea of absolute necessity; it is an inferential chain which in every case must lead from appropriate initial data to the corresponding answer or solution. Moreover, an algorithm is a rote process, which, once set in motion, requires no further intervention, no reflection, and no thought in its relentless progression from data to solution. That is why it seems, in retrospect, so natural to embody it in a machine, as Turing did.” - Robert Rosen
- 7. First uses and traditions - Noah Wardrip-Fruin, 2006, “expressive processing” in his dissertation Expressive Processing: On Process-Intensive Literature and Digital Media - John Cayley, 1996, poet “we are increasingly experiencing media that not only say things and show things — but also operate. These media have internally-defined procedures that allow them to respond to their audiences, recombine their elements, and transform in ways that result in many different possibilities. These human-designed processes separate such media from fixed media, which have only one possible configuration. ” - in “cyber discussions” about the role of code with Raley, and Cramer
- 8. Associations - MDA framework, Zubek, LeBlanc, Hunicke Operational logics <-> Mechanics - Mark Marino’s Critical Code Studies (CCS) - Bogost Procedural rhetorics as the “tropes” of operational logics Unit operations and system operations
- 9. Associations - Knuth Algorithms <-> operational logics Relationships between algorithms efficiency <-> critically, aesthetically - Michael Mateas - Lev Manovich, Software theory
- 10. Methods associated Textual analysis Process as text Research through design - Analytical Game Design. Waern & Back, Zimmerman
- 11. Operationalization - Eliza Effect - Talespin Effect - SimCity Effect
- 12. Insights To identify operational logics, to define from a designer perspective which processes are used in which ways. Operational logics provide strategies of computational representation. Understanding structure of games and deepening understanding of the field Mapping space of possibilities Example: representation of “moral choice making” in Fable Ian Bogost, Procedural tropes
- 13. Operational logics in Darkest Dungeon Operational logics provide strategies of computational representation. What are operational logics for “moral choice making” in Darkest Dungeon? How does it relate to common tropes of operational logics for moral choice making in video games in general? - through analyzing abstract process, domain, representational strategy and specified audience Find procedural tropes to elucidate the structures and developing strategies and processes in video games.
- 14. Moral Choice Making in Abstract process: Party member gain stress points for being in the active party while encountering various events, such as traps and battle. Some members have higher resistance points than others. All have stress bars counting from 0 to 200. When stress level of 100 is met, that particular member has a 25% chance to become virtuous. During battle, event is triggered that this member will disobey orders. When stress bar level become 200, this member will have a 100% chance of dying. Reducing stress levels cost resources (gold). Party members can be sold and buy through the same resources. Domain: The representation of human stress within a fictional world that impacts (moral) choice making.
- 15. Representational Strategy: In order to represent moral dilemma, stress levels go up gradually through play. These stress levels become a problem through threatening successful progression through the game. Lowering stress levels costs gold; this resource is also needed for weapons and other crucial items/abilities. Party members can be sold for money, often triggering the dilemma of taking care of “people” or using them, to later ditch them for money. A negative moral choice often comes with positive economic benefits. Negative effects represented by words Carrying negative emotional associations. Specified audience: On the consumer’s side: the players of rogue-like dungeon crawlers, within the culture carrying the represented morality in Dark Dungeon. (Using and ditching people & letting people mentally ill+die = bad moral)
- 16. - Research question: The notions of Expressive Processing and Operational Logics has been applied to Fiction and Games. Is it possible to apply these notions to a different kind of simulation, such as databases? Case of study: Bitcoin. Which kind of operational logics are we able to identify? What is the simulation associated to those? - Hypothesis: Processes such as SHA2-based Proof-of-Work allows the simulation of a public ledger of transactions and ownership. The separation of mechanics, processes and code allows to trace the history of these processes and their design.
- 17. Proof-of-Work as resource management logic. Abstract Process: Proof of Work, a process who has been developed to prevent DoS and email spam in 1993. Domain: The domain is the representation of a ledger (book of account). Representational Strategy PoW is a resource management logic which allows the simulation of a public ledger of ownership, the Blockchain. Blockchain can be understood as the simulation of a notary proof of ownership. To represent this, computational power is required in order to solve an arbitrary mathematical problem which allows the signing and verification of transactions and ownership and the emission of money in a predictable amount without the need of a trusted third party. Every 10 minutes bitcoins are created, in a descending amount until a fixed limit is reached... Specified Audience Users who wants to hoard value and make transactions within a decentralized, trustless environment.