Solving the narrative paradox in ves - lessons from rpgs

The consideration of the narrative question within Virtual Environments (VEs) is a compromise regarding to the conflict between pre-authored narrative structures and user freedom both in terms of interaction and physical movement. By presenting the results of a recent investigation on the narrative structures and mechanisms of Role Playing Games (RPGs), this paper aims at assessing the potential of non-conventional narrative forms for computer implementation and addresses the potential benefits of such consideration on the research currently undertaken by the AI community in terms of storytelling and interactive storytelling. 1