Researcher: lets start with you [p1], when did you first notice the other player? Participant 1: when it came up with a little blue thing that said "the other player chose this" Researcher: okay, what about you [p2]? Participant 2: well, you mean like, the fact that she was the other player? Researcher: i mean, when did you first notice, that the other player was in any way involved in your story. Participant 2: when i had to decide whether to tell them about... what was it? i cant remember what it was. the bit where it was like, 'tell todd the truth', and i was like, 'noo'. Researcher: i know the bit! so what is it that made you realise that the other player was involved? Participant 2: erm. i don't know Researcher: alright, that's fine! let's move on to the next bit. so, first things first, is there any part of the story that particularly stuck out in your mind? Participant 1: there was a lot of interaction, err, while they were trying to decide about, whether sarah was leaving at the car. Researcher: interesting, so what made that stand out in your mind? was it the... well? Participant 1: it was... you could tell more that the other player was actively making decisions at the same time that you were Researcher: interesting, so what gave you the impression that that was the case? Participant 1: because it said 'please wait for Sarah to finish thinking' Researcher: alright, that is fair enough. okay, so Participant 2: well it was like, it gave me two options and i was like, noo, i dont want one of those options, give me another option. no, im going to do something else Researcher: interesting, which were those two options? Participant 2: it was like, shoot todd... Participant 1: I had that one! Participant 2: ...or stay, and i was like, i don't want to do either! so, i just like, talked to todd. please change your mind todd! Researcher: interesting, okay, so, you didn't want to make... what made it hard to make either of those decisions? Participant 2: because i didn't want to kill him Researcher: why didn't you want to kill him? Participant 2: because there was all these like, sad bits where she started thinking about him, and i was like 'oh, she must like todd', i dont want to kill todd Participant 1: i didn't get that impression at all Researcher: what impression did you get then? Participant 1: todd was largely oblivious to anything like that, sarah seemed like a bit of a bitch! Researcher: okay Participant 2: but she's a veteran, she knows what she's doing Participant 1: i didnt know that, oh wait, no, i knew that she'd been... i thought you meant like a military veteran! Participant 2: no Researcher: so, you said sarah's a bit of a bitch. why do you think sarahs a bit of a bitch? Participant 1: because she wouldn't tell me what was going on! Participant 2: it's for your own good! Researcher: so, were you thinking, when you were thinking, 'ah, sarah's not telling me shit', what were you thinking? were you thinking about sarah as a character? Participant 1: mmm, yeah Researcher: ..or did you think about the other player at all? Participant 1: nope, it's fine, you're not, i swear! no it was, initially she gave that impression before i realised the other player was actually making the decisions, and it kinda stuck with me after that because she still wasn't helping! Researcher: interesting, so if you look back on that now, now that you know that was a decision made by the other player, how do you feel about it? Participant 1: i still wanted her to say something! Researcher: okay Participant 1: you did stick up for me though! Participant 2: oh yeah, i didn't shoot you! Participant 1: i didn't shoot you either! Participant 2: it was so easy to do i could have just clicked and you'd have been dead Participant 1: i could've clicked i could've made you take me with you! Participant 2: could you?! Participant 1: i could! Participant 2: don't think you could Researcher: so, why didn't you choose to shoot? Participant 1: to shoot sarah? Participant 2: because you thought i was a bitch Participant 1: because i thought you were, but you weren't that bad, and you hadn't done anything wrong either and it was like a thing, wasn't it, we were like partners in the thing, and it seems like a bit of an arse, dick move to try and Participant 2: i stuck up for you as well Participant 1: see, because we were partners Participant 2: exactly! Researcher: interesting, okay, so, when you were choosing not to shoot, did you think about the other player at all? how much did you think about the other player? or... Participant 1: i kinda wondered what would happen if I did shoot them, if the game would finish Researcher: okay, so, did you think the game would finish as a result? Participant 1: i wasn't sure because it said try to shoot them, so Participant 2: oh yeah! i thought that was well! oh no, he's going to shoot me first if I try and shoot him Participant 1: yeah Researcher: so, did you think that, at the time where you were having the finale, act 3, did you realise the other player had a shoot you option? Participant 1: no Participant 2: no Participant 2: i thought it was all my control Participant 1: i didn't realise they had a gun Participant 2: i thought i was like, because todd's young, he doesn't know what he's doing, so he's like waiting for me to do something basically Researcher: interesting, what do you think would have happened if you had realised? Participant 2: that he was going to possibly shoot? Participant 1: that he had a gun Researcher: let's say for a second that you both knew Participant 2: i would have been like, "oh yeah, I'll stay" Participant 1: i don't know, i would probably have talked a bit longer and then if she (seemed like it) i probably would have shot her Participant 1: SORRY! Participant 2: i'm old it's fine Researcher: why would you have shot her? Participant 1: i didn't want her to shoot me, if i knew that she had a gun then it would have made me much more inclined to shoot Researcher: okay, that's cool Participant 2: but then you were only going to shoot me because I was leaving, so i could have just.. just stayed, and then you wouldn't have shot me Participant 1: that's true Participant 2: whereas you didn't really know what i was doing Participant 1: i didn't know you intended to stay at all, i thought you would be dead set on leaving it Participant 2: yup, i was Researcher: so how much do you think the other player controlled the final outcome of the story Participant 2: quite a lot? Participant 1: i think it was probably 50/50 Researcher: why do you say quite a lot Participant 2: because i was waiting for him to be like "okay, you can go", i was trying to convince, like, "come on". Researcher: okay, so, when you were doing that, did you think that Todd here, had the ability to let you? Participant 2: yeah, because, well, i didn't want to shoot him, so, like, i guess like, i could have gone if i'd shot him but i didn't want to, so i was like, i can't go, can i. because... otherwise... the only options were to like, shoot todd or stay and i was like "but i want to go!" Researcher: so why didn't you choose to stay? Participant 2: because sarah didn't want to stay Researcher: okay, makes sense Participant 1: i was pretty sure that was going to kill you anyway, so Researcher: so, hrm. so, during the flashbacks, let's think about the memories for a second, which is the first memory that sort of comes to mind? Participant 2: the data one Researcher: okay Participant 2: and probably the money one equally, actually, both of those two Researcher: so, when you were making that choice Participant 2: the choice to see the memory? Researcher: when you were making the choice to decide about the data Participant 2: okay, yeah Researcher: actually, sorry, you were playing sarah, right? Participant 2: yeah Researcher: interesting, so, what made that seem... why does that seem prominent in your mind? Participant 2: i wanted to know what was going on? . i don't know, just like, what does the data say? Participant 1: what did it say, do you know? Participant 2: i don't know Participant 1: do you know? okay Researcher: okay, so, were you motivated by curiosity then? Participant 2: yeah? don't know Researcher: it's okay, that's fine, that's fair enough Participant 2: i don't remember everything that happened Researcher: alright, what about, any other bits of the story that, where you particularly noticed the other player? particualrly such as in the flashbacks at all? Participant 1: yes, it's only in hindsight, but the player must have been there, the first time that we were talkign to the boss, the other player. but there were no decisions that i made in that one, but it looks like you made the decision. Participant 2: to stick up for you, yeah Participant 1: mm, yeah that Participant 2: yeah Participant 1: i hadn't realised that you were playing actively against me, or with me at that point Participant 2: neither had i, even when i did that decision. i didn't realise then, until a bit later on, i think Researcher: how do you feel about that choice, knowing now that sarah chose to stick up for you? Participant 1: i feel very happy! i'm curious as to what would have if i was thrown under the bus, what would have actually happened Researcher: so what if I told you that, that was just single player? how would that change how you feel? Participant 1: it feel like... more rigid in the storyline if it had been just single player, there would have been less possibilities that it could happened, that it could have ended up, it's not as interesting Researcher: interesting, okay. so, before we ran through the story, how well did you know each other? Participant 2: me and [p1]? Researcher: yeah Participant 2: pretty well? Participant 1: yeah Researcher: okay, so, when you were playing through the story, how often did you think about the other player? Participant 2: quite a lot where it was the bit where I had to shoot todd, because i was like, "come on [p1], let me go!" i'm waiting for her to reply, and like come on, give me the option where i can actually go without shooting you Participant 1: i kinda wish i kept talking more just to annoy you then Participant 2: and i was like, i knew if i did one of the harsher options for that, and like, was annoyed at todd, that she'd... ... and I was like, "I've got to convince [p1]/Todd". Researcher: okay, so, were you trying to convince Todd or [p1]?: Participant 2: maybe like, as it went on, more [p1], because I was like, picking, she'd probably want a less violent outcome, which maybe is wrong, but. Researcher: okay, so, when you were, if you'd been in that finale situation, and it was just... it wasn't [p1], it was a just player, someone else, in another country, portgual. You don't know them. do you think you'd have chosen differently? or how would that have affected how you chose? Participant 2: i think if they'd taken as long to reply as [p1]... at one point i was just like, i'm just going to shoot Todd. Participant 1: i forgot to press continue! Participant 2: i was like, waiting, but yeah, i probably would have shot Todd. yeah Researcher: did you find yourself waiting around a lot? Participant 2: yeah, like, towards the end, yeah Researcher: what did you think about that? Participant 2: just... [p1]'s a slow reader Participant 1: eh, there you have to be true Participant 2: or that you're quite indecisive, so i was like, "go on, make the right decision" Participant 1: also true Researcher: overall, how much do you think... actually, let's flip the question: [p1], how much do you think knowing [p2] affected how you played? Participant 1: quite a bit. it was more fun because I knew that it was someone i knew making these decisions as someone else, it was just kinda like, "ah, that's what you're thinking". but then if it was a different person, it would still be like, playing another person but it would be more similar to playing against the computer Participant 2: i think that erm, when i first made the decision not to tell todd, i was more thinking about todd, and i was like, "well, todd doesn't know what he's doing", he's not got, he's young, he doesn't know what's going on. but towards the end, when i was realising i was playing against [p1], i was like, "they're smart, they know how to make this story go the way it should go, and have a good outcome, then i was more like "okay, i'll actually talk to Todd for a while", and like, wait for him to convince me Participant 1: aww Participant 2: whereas if i hadn't realised it was [p1], i would probably just have shot todd Participant 1: i think that's a sweet thing to say? Researcher: were there any parts of the story, early on, that influenced your decisions later? Participant 2: just knowing that sarah's like, a veteran, i was thinking oh, i should probably just keep stuff to myself a bit, because todd's not as experienced Participant 1: i think its'... if you hadn't kept things to yourself, i probably would have left with you, rather than let you go on your own. but i don't know that would have influenced the final page Researcher: what did [p2] keeping things to themselves, or Sarah keeping things to herself, what did that make you think? Participant 1: it made it feel like, like she says, like she's thinking that i'm young and inexperienced and not an equal Participant 2: and also i didn't want to put todd at risk, i was like, this organisation seem spretty sketchy Participant 1: i know Participant 2: the less he knows, the better Participant 1: it's a very sketchy organisation Researcher: of that there's no doubt! okay, so, how do you think having the other player in your story, i'll ask each of you this in turn, or answer however you want, how do you think having the other player affected your just, overall experience with this? Participant 1: i thought it was pretty cool, it made it more interesting Participant 2: yeah, it definitely got more fun when i just realised [p2]'s playing the other person and i'm sarah Researcher: why's that? can you elaborate any more than that? Participant 2: because then like, we're like, working together to get a good outcome Participant 2: say the question again Researcher: so you were saying how the other player there made the experience more interesting. and i was wondering in what ways it made it more interesting? Participant 1: don't look at me! i already said sometthing, it's your turn Participant 2: because it's less... predictable, i don't like really playing computer games... well, I don't really play computer games, but like, the ones i've tried it just seems like the ones i've tried it always seems like they're going to come out the same, but if like, it's an actual person, then, it's more... unpredictable. but then also predictable, because i know [p1] Participant 1: i'm not that predictable, am I? Participant 2: there's more options, though, if someone else is deciding things as well, than if it's just the computer going through Researcher: okay, so, last question now, this is basically a bookkeeping question, have you experienced many interactive narratives before? things like twine, or telltale games, hypertext fiction, or just general video games, things like the witcher Participant 2: literally never Participant 1: not even a video game, but when i was at school we used to do stories that were similar Researcher: choose your own adventure books? Participant 1: Yup! and they made us write them Researcher: ah, okay Participant 1: yeah, that's as familiar as I've got Participant 2: i've seen them playing dungeons and dragons on Big Bang, but that's about it! Participant 1: i always wanted to play, it looks fun! Participant 2: i don't get it! Researcher: have you guys got any more thoughts on the story in general? Participant 1: i think it would be a really cool game, obviously it would need to be longer, but it would be like, a really cool game to play with like, your mates, but even liek, an interactive, across the world type thing Participant 2: i don't know Researcher: fair enough! we'll call it a day there then.