A Functional Perspective on Narrative in Computer Games - Wolf Maul

information and number of responses required proved unmanageable in real-time. I had to
pause the game frequently in order to sort through the actions characters were taking, what was
happening to them, and how I needed to respond. Interpreting the icons and understanding the
required sequence of commands took my full attention.
The interface was an important bridge between the game and world frame requirements on
me as a player and my ability to successfully focus on the action (or the perception of action)
within the virtual world. The level of engrossment within the fiction frame, and therefore the
relative strength of the frame was, however, more critically based on my perception of agency.
The term ‘agency’ refers to the ability of the player-character (agent) to act within the
game environment. The degree of agency in a game – or in any given moment of a game – can
be expressed in terms of granularity and range.
The range of agency refers to the number of different aspects of the player character under
the player’s control. Riven for example, offers a limited range of options: moving around,
manipulating selected objects in specific ways (pulling, pushing, twisting), and reading books.
Baldur’s Gate allows a much greater range of agency including, among others, the ability to
move, fight, talk, sleep, examine objects, read books, cast spells, and heal other characters.
In Baldur’s Gate, although the characters were fairly simply rendered, I felt a sense of
control and ownership because I was able to customize their appearance, clothing, and voices.
By contrast, I felt much less ownership of the beautifully rendered (and more complexly
written) April character over whose appearance, voice, and temperament I had essentially no
control.
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