Researcher: Alright, so we'll start out with a pretty straightforward question on your story experience. So, when did you first, playing through the story, notice ther other player? Participant 1: Probably at the beginning of Act two, I think. Researcher: Okay, so what caused you to notice them. Participant 1: Oh, I think when I was choosing options there was, some, some bits where it said look, the other person chose this as well. Researcher: Okay, what about you [P2]? Participant 2: Yeah, I think I made a few decisions until I'd run out, and it said there was nothing then something popped up, because she had chosen the other optino in the memory. Researcher: Awesome, okay, so er, open to either of you. Was there any part of the story which you raected strongly to, or which sticks out in your mind? Participant 1: Shooting you. Participant 2: I said, I said that I had five options which is the msot options I'd ever had, obviously up to that point. As I was sitting there thinking, ooh, I could ask the question nicely, you could swear, or just straight shoot. I was unaware it was a quicktime event. . [Muffled words]. Yeah, that stands out quite a bit. Researcher: Okay, so, when P1 shot you Participant 2: Yeah Researcher: what did you think? Participant 2: '[P1]'s shot me!'. Because [P1]'s taken up Sarah in this. Researcher: okay, so, were you focused on the story, were you think, y'know, sarah has shot you? Participant 2: Er, yeah. Yeah, Iw as thinking er, as soon as I hit act three, as soon as I see that we're each making decisions on what to say, the story progresses into, it must have this last sort of turning point and I was thinking carefully about the five optyions whereas [they] just shot me. Researcher: Did you, er, did you immedaitely realise that [P1] shot you? Participant 2: yeah, pretty much, instantly. Researcher: how did you feel about [P1] in that moment? Did you? Did you think about her? Participant 2: i thought that, that was a rpetty quick decision, pretty quick on the draw, compare to me, because I was thinking about what to say. Researcher: so if I was, if I were to ask about this for a second and say, well actually, [P1] didn't make the decision, that was just the system. How would you feel about that? Participant 2: I considered that as well slightly after the game had finished, I thought, maybe it'd just a short timer and eventually she shoots you, regardless. Erm. And yeah, I was thinking, either, it makes me feel that way or [P1] has actually done it and I thought, either way, I was too slow. That was basically it. Researcher: Was there much difference ebtween the two? Participant 2: Not a huge amount, really. I was thinking either you were very quick to shoot me, or, the system gives you a certain amount of time and I was simply too slow, but n both cases, personally, I should have made rhe decision faster the at least prolong the covnersation or asomething. Researcher: Okay, so, [P1], how difficult was it to make that decision? Participant 1: I mean, i think, I thought about, and then I thought well, my character needs to get away, so shoot him. very selfish. Researcher: okay, so, when you were making that choice, did you think much about [P2] and how it might affect him? Participant 1: No. No. Researcher: interesting, why not? Participant 1: i don't know, I think i was just into the story, so, yeah, I was thinking more about my character tgan, like, the whole thing. Like, i wasn't thinking about two players playing it, i was just thinking about a story, and i thought it would be more intersting. because i probably wouldn't do that in real life. Researcher: Interesting, so, hrm. So, how much do you think you controlled the outcome of the story. Participant 1: erm, in the first two acts, i don't think, but by much, but towards the end definitely, like, a lot, so it changes as it, as the story progressed Researcher: Okay, so how. How do I phrase this? How much do you think that [P2] changed the story? Changed your story. Participant 1: erm, i don't think, hrm. I don't think he er, changed it that much, because, i don't know, it hink, I feel like in the first twoa cts, we were going through diferent stories, separate stories, if you know what I mean? like, just going through separate stories with each other and like, I don't know how to explain it, but like, hrm, we still go through different, because you know there's like, story arcs? Researcher: mm. Participant 1: i feel like we'd go through story arcs, I didn't feel like it made much difference which one we chose. Participant 2: At the beginning of the first two acts, it feels like, erm, it's just sort of, exploring, if one of you didn't choose the option the other one does, then it can progress, or something along those lines. Participant 1: Researcher: okay, so let's erm, focus on that then, those early stages of the story. Did you think much, what did you think the other player was doing? How did you think the other player was affecting your story Participant 2: in act 1, not at all, in act 1, I thought either its the same story, from Todd's perspective as well, on, [P1]'s end, or, er, that there is minimal impact on what she chooses, and, either way, it'll get to the next act, or finish through that part of the story regardless of whatever we choose. And then in act 2, because I got held up and [P1] made decisions that allowed me to continue, I thought it was, y'know, if one of us reaches the end of one timeline sort of thing, then the other one catches up, and then, sort of, take steps. Researcher: Okay, what did you think about that? Participant 2: Errrr. Not a lot at the time, I guess, I thought that it was a very interesting concept, but I didn't really think of its consequences until act 3. Researcher: Okay. Was there any part of the story that amde you particlarly think or feel something about the other player? Participant 1: No. not about the other player, I think was definitely thinking more about the characters at that time. Participant 2: yeah, I thought if I, that... because in act 2, when I realise that [their] decisions also impacting where we both moved in the story, I thought that, erm, you know, it's very possible, I had been playing a kind todd, whereas it's possible, yeah, because I was choosing the sort of, kind, decision for Todd in Act 1 and 2, I realised that if she's playing from Sarah's perspective it might be very different, depending on, it might be I'm giving her opportunities, and, I haven't realised when she's closed choices for me to make. Researcher: Interesting, so, what, what was it in act 2 that really made you realise that [P1] was affecting you at all? Participant 2: The fact that the story continued after she made a decision, as well as, it said 'The other player's made this decision', and, I couldn't, really, I can't really remember but I'm not too sure how reading through the sort of cards, how, what her decision would have been to lead to that point. But I realised she'd made a decision that meant that I couldn't... yeah. Researcher: Okay, alright, so. . Before the scenario, how well did you know each other? Participant 1: pretty well. Participant 2: pretty well. Researcher: how much do you think, or do you think you would have chosen differently, or do you think you would have chosen the same things, or how much do you think you knowing [P2] affected the way you played. Participant 1: i don't think it affected it... because, er, I saw that, in act 2, 'another player chose this', I thought that oh okay, he's going through, like, he's following a story and then, I was trying to do that as well, but sometimes it didn't give you the option to follow the same like, story arc, I don't think, but I think I was definitely more into the story than thinking about, what [P2] would, would be doing. Researcher: Ah, okay Participant 2: I think I played it pretty much the same as if I didn't know [P1], I'm not really too sure, I think especially towards the end I played it as if it's anotherp person on the internet for example Researcher: Okay, alright, so, erm. I think we've covered most of this to be honest. So, when you were making... you were making decisions early on, both you were making decisions for yourselves, and the other person waas making decisions as well that, particularly during act 2, changed the story you saw. So, how do you think those decisions that both you and the other person made affected the decisions you made later in the story during act 3? Participant 1: i don't think it made that much difference , but I can't really, yeah, I don't think it made that much difference, towards the end fo the story I was just looking at like, as it said, I didn't get it at the start, but, erm, the female character, she was like, she was older, towards the end she highlighted and then, the program said, "Oh, she needs to get away", so I just thought about, I guess, what that character would want. I'm not sure if that makes sense? Researcher: Yeah, that makes sense. Participant 2: yeah, yeah, that was the same. after making the first few decisions in act 1 and 2 from being a nice Todd, sharing the money, listening to Sarah as well, I thought I was focus on, or I thought it would be, I've already chosen that route so in act 3, not being the first to shoot, you know, and also being the one that was laid into by the boss and sort of, rookie, so, probably shouldn't be taking on, but realising sort of act 3 is, them acting independnetly, or feeling like they're acting independently, err, yeah, so I was very focused on the story not too much on what I'd made, the decisions I'd made in acts 1 and 2, was mainly that it's a nice Todd, or, you know, yeah. Researcher: Ah, okay. So, how much do you think the other player there, affected your experience of the story overall? Anything you can think of. Participant 1: i think i do like the interactiveness of it, especially like, towards the end where it's like a conversational think, I liked that bit. Researcher: interesting, what did you like about that then. Participant 1: like, you could change the story, i feel like, in the first two acts I couldn't change it immediately, or i couldn't see the changes as apparently as in the third act, where you could do, where it was more conversational. Researcher: interesting Participant 2: yeah, i was the same, i thought act 1 and 2 you couldn't really run too far astray of the story design, but in act 3 it was step by step, you choose when you say and you choose each action Researcher: okay, so, for bookkeeping reasons, have either of you experienced many interactive narratives, many interactive stories before? things like choose your own adventue books, twine games, hypertext fiction, or even things like some video games Participant 2: telltale games? Researcher: yeah, telltale games, perfect example there Participant 2: yeah, I played a few of those and plenty of decision books, choose your own adventure Researcher: ah, okay, what about you [P1]? Participant 1: i think at one point I downloaded like, this app, I think it's called episode? you choose like, your dialog and that. that's as much as i've done, ever. Researcher: interesting cool. So, this one is more directed at you I guess patrick. How did your experience with the, story you just read, sort of differ to the experiences you've had in the past with like, the telltale games. Participant 2: i mean, with those games, it's like a book, turned into a game, because it's been designed with all the branches in mind, whereas as soon as I realised that this one is a multiplayer thing, i realised it's very different to, have someone else make decisions that count towards you, instead of you constantly making decision and then thinking back and saying oh yeah, next time I go through this again, i would choose differently to see what outcomes I can get to. in this case, it's if both of you are independent, then there's no way, or there's very little way without communicating with one another that you'll find all the different outcomes the next time you played and it, the story that you've chosen is much more unique, because it's decided by two people, and I think there's a new, the makers of 'Until Dawn' did a new thing with the, Researcher: Man of Medan? Participant 2: man of medan, yeah. Researcher: interesting, you were nodding along with that [P1]? Participant 1: like, yeah, the erm, i like how the, having the two people there, makes the story more unique because I fell like if you play a game where there's only you choosing the options, there's sort of, a main storyline and there's just little branches, like, that you can choose. but with another person, you can really change it quite a lot, like, a lot more. Researcher: intersting, that's us done, thank you very much. It's been really useful, I hope you've enjoyed it!