Thesis (M.S. in Electrical Engineering and M.S. in Systems Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): Xiaoping Yun. Includes bibliographical references (p. 61-63). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2005. Graduate Programme in Communication and Culture. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-130). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR19676

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-130).

No description available.

As a universal element of human nature, the experience, expression, and perception of emotions permeate our daily lives. Many emotions are thought to be basic and common to all humanity, irrespective of social or cultural background. Of these emotions, the corresponding facial expressions of a select few are known to be truly universal, in that they can be identified by most observers without the need for training. Facial expressions of emotion are subsequently used as a method of communication, whether through close face-to-face contact, or the use of emoticons online and in mobile texting. Facial expressions are fundamental to acting for stage and screen, and to animation for film and computer games. Expressions of emotion have been the subject of intense experimentation in psychology and computer science research, both in terms of their naturalistic appearance and the virtual replication of facial movements. From this work much is known about expression universality, anatomy, psychology, and synthesis. Beyond the realm of scientific research, animation practitioners have scrutinised facial expressions and developed an artistic understanding of movement and performance. However, despite the ubiquitous quality of facial expressions in life and research, our understanding of how to produce synthetic, dynamic imitations of emotional expressions which are perceptually valid remains somewhat limited. The research covered in this thesis sought to unite an artistic understanding of expression animation with scientific approaches to facial expression assessment. Acting as both an animation practitioner and as a scientific researcher, the author set out to investigate emotional facial expression dynamics, with the particular aim of identifying spatio-temporal configurations of animated expressions that not only satisfied artistic judgement, but which also stood up to empirical assessment. These configurations became known as emotional expression choreographies. The final work presented in this thesis covers the performative, practice-led research into emotional expression choreography, the results of empirical experimentation (where choreographed animations were assessed by observers), and the findings of qualitative studies (which painted a more detailed picture of the potential context of choreographed expressions). The holistic evaluation of expression animation from these three epistemological perspectives indicated that emotional expressions can indeed be choreographed in order to create refined performances which have empirically measurable effects on observers, and which may be contextualised by the phenomenological interpretations of both student animators and general audiences.

Because games set in persistent virtual game worlds (VGWs) have massive numbers of players, these games need methods of characterisation for playable characters (PCs) that differ from the methods used in traditional narrative media. VGWs have a number of particularly interesting qualities. Firstly, VGWs are places where players interact with and create elements carrying narrative potential. Secondly, players add goals, motives and driving forces to the narrative potential of a VGW, which sometimes originates from the ordinary world. Thirdly, the protagonists of the world are real people, and when acting in the world their characterisation is not carried out by an author, but expressed by players characterising their PCs. How they can express themselves in ways that characterise them depend on what they can do, and how they can do it, and this characterising action potential (CAP) is defined by the game design of particular VGWs. In this thesis, two main questions are explored. Firstly, how can CAP be designed to support players in expressing consistent characters in VGWs? Secondly, how can VGWs support role-play in their rule-systems? By using iterative design, I explore the design space of CAP by building a semiautonomous agent structure, the Mind Module (MM) and apply it in five experimental prototypes where the design of CAP and other game features is derived from the MM. The term semiautonomy is used because the agent structure is designed to be used by a PC, and is thus partly controlled by the system and partly by the player. The MM models a PC’s personality as a collection of traits, maintains dynamic emotional state as a function of interactions with objects in the environment, and summarises a PC’s current emotional state in terms of ‘mood’. The MM consists of a spreading-activation network of affect nodes that are interconnected by weighted relationships. There are four types of affect node: personality trait nodes, emotion nodes, mood nodes, and sentiment nodes. The values of the nodes defining the personality traits of characters govern an individual PC’s state of mind through these weighted relationships, resulting in values characterising for a PC’s personality. The sentiment nodes constitute emotionally valenced connections between entities. For example, a PC can ‘feel’ anger toward another PC. This thesis also describes a guided paper-prototype play-test of the VGW prototype World of Minds, in which the game mechanics build upon the MM’s model of personality and emotion. In a case study of AI-based game design, lessons learned from the test are presented. The participants in the test were able to form and communicate mental models of the MM and game mechanics, validating the design and giving valuable feedback for further development. Despite the constrained scenarios presented to test players, they discovered interesting, alternative strategies, indicating that for game design the ‘mental physics’ of the MM may open up new possibilities. The results of the play-test influenced the further development of the MM as it was used in the digital VGW prototype the Pataphysic Institute. In the Pataphysic Institute the CAP of PCs is largely governed by their mood. Depending on which mood PCs are in they can cast different ‘spells’, which affect values such as mental energy, resistance and emotion in their targets. The mood also governs which ‘affective actions’ they can perform toward other PCs and what affective actions they are receptive to. By performing affective actions on each other PCs can affect each others’ emotions, which - if they are strong - may result in sentiments toward each other. PCs’ personalities govern the individual fluctuations of mood and emotions, and define which types of spell PCs can cast. Formalised social relationships such as friendships affect CAP, giving players more energy, resistance, and other benefits. PCs’ states of mind are reflected in the VGW in the form of physical manifestations that emerge if an emotion is very strong. These manifestations are entities which cast different spells on PCs in close proximity, depending on the emotions that the manifestations represent. PCs can also partake in authoring manifestations that become part of the world and the game-play in it. In the Pataphysic Institute potential story structures are governed by the relations the sentiment nodes constitute between entities.

Essa dissertação traz como problema de pesquisa o modo como jogadores de jogos eletrônicos constroem sentidos sobre gênero e sexualidade através dos avatares. Para atender esse questionamento, partimos para uma abordagem teórico-empírica. Os eixos teóricos se concentram nas discussões sobre as diferenças entre os termos mais utilizados para denominar as imagens controladas pelos jogadores, ou seja, entre avatares e personagens, de acordo com os estudos de jogos. E os empréstimos teóricos dos estudos de gênero e sexualidade desenvolvidos em outras áreas, que são aplicados aos jogos eletrônicos. Para o desenvolvimento empírico do trabalho temos experimentos que combinam as técnicas de sessões de gameplay, dinâmica de imagens e entrevistas semiestruturadas. Além da autoobservação da pesquisadora. Para esses experimentos foi escolhido como objeto empírico o jogo massivo online de sobrevivência Rust (Facepunch Studios) disponível para PCs pela Steam. Os experimentos foram realizados com 9 participantes distribuídos em dois grupos: avatarjogador com gênero correspondente e avatar-jogador com gênero não correspondente. O gênero era a variável de controle da pesquisa em Rust e os participantes foram distribuídos aleatoriamente nos grupos. Foram criadas duas contas no jogo, sendo uma com gênero feminino e outra com masculino. Os resultados dessa pesquisa indicam a predominância da heteronormatividade na construção e na percepção de gênero e sexualidade dos participantes nos jogos eletrônicos. Os participantes que se identificam com o gênero masculino são mais restritos a identificar-se com imagens de gênero correspondente, enquanto as participantes mulheres são mais disponíveis para controlar imagens de gênero distinto. Ambos os grupos demonstraram incômodo com a nudez do corpo dos avatares que controlaram em Rust. A possibilidade de seus avatares serem vistos nus por outros jogadores foi um dos motivos de desconforto mencionados, principalmente quando os avatares eram masculinos. Embora já o tivessem feito, os participantes não estavam conscientes de ter praticado gender swap (ou cross gender play) em jogos eletrônicos. A representação da sexualidade presente nos jogos eletrônicos foi considerada pouco inclusiva e algumas estratégias para melhor representá-la foram sugeridas pelos participantes. / This dissertation questions the construction of gender and sexuality by players through their avatars in electronic games. The research was based on a theoretical-empirical framework. The first theoretical axe focused on the differences between the terms most commonly used to describe the images controlled by the players, especially avatars and characters, as presented in the games studies’ literature. A second theoretical line approached gender studies and sexuality in game studies as well as in other disciplines. The empirical research was composed by experiments combining self-observation, observation of gameplay sessions, dynamics of images and semistructured interviews. These experiments were based on the massive online survival game Rust (Facepunch Studios). Nine volunteers were distributed in two groups: avatar-player with corresponding gender (femalefemale or male-male) and avatar-player with non-corresponding gender (female-male and male-female). Thus, gender was the control variable and the participants were randomly assigned to the first or second group. The results suggest that heteronormativity is predominant in the construction and perception of gender and sexuality of videogame players. Participants who identified as male were more restricted to images that correspond to this identification, while female participants were more less resistant to control images with a different gender. Both groups showed discomfort with their avatar’s naked body in Rust. The possibility of being seen naked by other players was one of the reasons for discomfort, especially when the avatars were male. Participants had practiced gender swap (or cross gender play) in electronic games, but were not aware of having done it. The representation of the sexuality in electronic games was not considered inclusive and some strategies to better represent it were suggested by the participants.

Cette thèse s'intéresse à l'utilisation des représentations intermédiaires, durant les phases d'évaluation de produits. Les décisions prises durant ces phases importantes, orientent les choix de conception. Cependant, ces évaluations interviennent souvent tardivement, après la validation des concepts, ce qui peut entraîner des modifications coûteuses et un allongement du temps de mise sur le marché. Il est donc souhaitable de pouvoir évaluer, dès les phases amont de conception, les caractéristiques et les fonctionnalités du futur produit.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 124 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 76).