Researcher: What did you think to the story? This isn't really part of the interview so to speak, just what do you think? Participant 2: I thought it was really fun to read, but sometimes the chronology was really confusing. Researcher: Yeah, it's not the first time we've had that. Participant 1: Yeah, it was just like, sometimes it like, jumped from one place to another I guess. Researcher: yeah, it's cool, that happens, had a few people say that, that's what happens when we do experimental stuff! Researcher: Alright, so when we were going through the story, when did you first notice anything happening with the other player? Participant 2: Oh, well, i could tell when [p1] read the same page as me, but then also when there was dialog, I suspected that you [p1] were controlling what Sarah said. And I was controlling what Todd says, or does. Participant 1: yeah, i'd assume so because it kept saying like, wait for Todd to say something, it was like a ping back, so i guess like, both of us were not making decisions, like Participant 2: yeah. i felt really betrayed when you shot me by the way Participant 1: i'm sorry man! Participant 2: i was like, i was like, getting ready to confront you and then you shot me before i could anything, i was so pissed off, i was like, . couldn't betray her to the boss, so that was all good. Researcher: why were you pissed off? Participant 2: because i felt really loyal to sarah, i was very dedicated in the story that we were a team, because i felt that's what the story was built up to, and all my decisions had been to stay loyal to Sarah, so tell her about the debt on her end, ask her what she was hiding so i could help her out or whatever, or I was also interested in knowing. But yeah like, why did you shoot me? Participant 1: because i wanted to be free. Participant 2: okay Researcher: okay, so, when you made the choice to shoot sarah, or was it the other way around? shoot todd, even. when you made the choice, was it difficult? Participant 1: yeah Researcher: why? Participant 1: because obviously like, throughout the story, todd's always been trying to help me, and then, but at the same time, the whole point, i'd always like, also helped him like, split the money with him, so i thought I'd helped him and then at the end of it i was like, at the end of the day this whole thing was trying to get me to out, like , to escape and he's trying to stop me, so i was just like, although he's really loyal to me, he's now stopping me doing what i want to do, so, he can go. Researcher: When you made that decision, were you thinking about Todd as a character, or were you thinking about the other player at all? Participant 1: as a character Researcher: yeah? Participant 1: i'd completely forgotten there was someone controlling him, to be honest. Researcher: fair enough. what about you, when you saw that popup, and you said you felt betrayed Participant 2: yeah Researcher: did you feel that you were betrayed by sarah? Participant 2: yeah sarah, i completely forgot that it was [p2] because it's kind of, out of character for [p1] to do that Participant 1: is it? Participant 2: shoot me? yeah! you haven't done that yet, so, i was really like "oh sarah, like, how could you do that, like". but then, sarah in this whole story is kind of a dodgy character, stealing money and stuff, so, it sort of made sense. i was like... yeah, i shouldn't have trusted sarah this much Participant 1: i was starting to think like sarah, not like me, to be fair. because it was very, she had a sketchy life, so it seems like something sarah would do like, if you steal money or confront your boss, are a bit weird... shooting someone who's worked for you for a while is just not a bad plan, is it? Researcher: it's just the next logical step... Participant 1: yeah! Participant 2: i was thinking of the, of preserving todd, because it seems like this organisation is kind of, helping him in his life. i wasn't clear how, but like, it seemed like he was depending on them, so i wanted to keep relations good, and that... over sarah, i think. so it did make sense in the end Researcher: okay, so let's go back a bit, you mentioned earlier than you, that it felt like you and [p1] werre reading the same page, you thought that was happening. what made you think that was happening? Participant 2: because it popped up... at the top Participant 1: yup Participant 2: 'the other player read the same page' or something. Participant 1: i just thought i was reading really slowly and that you were ahead of me and i was just like, "read faster!" Participant 2: i got really confused, because i felt like we were taking different routes, and i was maybe reading different things, but in the end it all really tied in together. not really sure how that happened! Researcher: okay, before that appeared, that message, did you notice anything at all, or did you suspect what might be going on before? Participant 2: no, not really. Researcher: okay, that's fair Participant 1: yeah, i thought i was like, in like, my own individual story at the start, like i was just, because it was like, one thing and then continue reading, you only ever had one option... i was like, i guess this is just like the introduction part. i didn't expect like, [p2] to be influencing. Researcher: interesting Researcher: So was that the case during all the memory nodes? Or just specific ones? What do you think? Participant 1: actually i don't know, because i never really thought like, it wasn't until it started to be like, wait for todd to say something, that i started to realise that oh, right, [p2]'s now controlling it, like, the whole of the rest of it i just thought, i was like, i'm in a little thing with myself and the computer. Researcher: interesting Participant 1: not with someone else Researcher: so, did you... when you saw those blue messages [Ed: The 'Todd made a choice' messages], did you.. did you think that was [p2] at the time? Participant 1: no, like, i thought [p2] was reading it, but i thought it was just like, oh, this is the part of the story where both of us have to read the same thing sort of thing, then i was like no, actually, we've had to choose to read them... so maybe me and [p2] just think the same way for storylines. Researcher: interesting, okay, that's a unique take. Participant 1: yeah, well, i'm a bit strange Researcher: no, it's interesting! yeah, cool, okay Participant 2: i was really excited for the interactive part, I think that was my favorite part. Researcher: which was the interactive part? Participant 2: when i had dialog with sarah, and I could choose what was going on. but it was a little bit jarring that i had to wait a little bit, because i'd be invested in the moment and then it's like.. alright, you know, something's happening Participant 1: sorry, i read really, really slowly! Researcher: okay, so, why did you particularly enjoy that then? Participant 2: err, well, the other decisions were like, about, i wasn't as invested in, it looked more like, you know, different plots, but wouldn't actually have an influence on the characters as much, whereas this was, we might get somewhere with this interaction. i thought it was interesting too that before i had time to make a decision, [p1] also made a decision, so i didn't know that was a thing. Researcher: how would you have acted if you had known that was a thing? Participant 2: erm, ooh, i would have responded much quicker. i don't tihnk i would have shot [p1] because i didn't want to do that, because... oh sorry, not [p1], sarah, but erm, i think i would have tried to protect Todd or confront Sarah quickly and get an answer. Researcher: why... why didn't you want to shoot Sarah? Participant 2: i didn't think it would be beneficial to the plot, i wanted to know more about Sarah and if Sarah's dead... it's just boring Researcher: okay, so during that whole finale, during that whole conversation and the final decision, how much do you think or how much do you feel the other player affected your story with their decisions? Participant 2: urggh, sarah, well, yeah, the player affected completely the end of the story, i don't think i had much to do with it. Researcher: interesting, did you feel like that that the time? Participant 2: yeeeaah, i thought i'd get to have more decisions afterwards but.. i didnt, im actually fine with that, it was an interesting twist and it didnt make it predictable, which sometimes when you get to choose the storylines it gets a bit predictable... but this was very unpredictable. Researcher: interesting, what do you think made it unpredictable? Participant 2: i didn't know how much the other player could affect the story, and it was in real time, and i had to act quickly Researcher: okay, which bits... did you feel like the earlier choices at all were in real time as well? Participant 2: noo, it felt like you could go very slowly Participant 1: yeah, i'd agree with that Researcher: so of the... between the, real time choices so to speak you had at the end, and those choices you had earlier in the, earlier, which did you... how to phrase this. which did you think was the more interesting experience? Participant 2: well the ones where it was a bit slower at the beginning, it felt more like i was reading a book, whereas when it was in realtime and a bit faster, it felt like i was actually in the story, so that was more exciting i think Participant 1: yeah agreed, because like, they were shorter mesages and like, because you want, because you read it faster, it felt like you read it faster, it felt like i need to make a decision and like, it wasn't like i thought lots about it, i was just like, oh i will do that, and it became like, a tense situation like, a more tense situation. Researcher: did you enjoy having that extra pessure? Participant 1: yeah... Researcher: how did it affect you? Participant 1: it was just like, it was weird to see what like, you would ord... like, thinking back round now, it's weird to see what i did, ike, it the moment, like iwas just like, lets do this because i want tos ee where the story goes, i want to see what progresses and obviously i killed person, so thereofre i killed the story, but you know. Researcher: so what makes it weird looking back? Participant 1: it's just like... if you were to not think like, it's in a computer game, and like well a computer like simulation thing, and like, in real life, my brain would not be like, "oh, it's just a person, let's kill them", like, "oh, my own happiness is more than someone's life", i wouldn't do that, but because it's a game, it doesn't really exist, you just kind of go with it, which is a bit messed up, but like, it's what happens. Researcher: did you have any moment either during or after the decision, or were there any points where you thought about [p2] and the effect it might have on them? Participant 1: no, i never once thought about to [p2] to be fair Participant 1: it was always just Todd, and like, it was just like a character really, i don't know, because you're not near each other and don't like, see each other making decisions, like, i almost forgot that what she was doing was affecting what i was doing and like, vice versa. Researcher: ah, right okay Participant 1: it was just like, my actions and the story that Researcher: interesting, what would you say on that [p2]? Participant 2: similarly, but i also have the idea that when you're in these kind of stories, you have to act like a hero, so i wouldn't do anything that i didnt feel was morally right, so i'm just always in, friendship is good, loyalty, you know, don't hurt anyone, don't kill anyone, but... Participant 1: ahh... Participant 2: but it is a really.. fun or interesting option to be able to completely divert Participant 1: but in all fairness like, i did it, like i killed todd because i was like i get to escape the organisation. like in the story to me, like, everything i've read was like the organisation was always like Participant 2: bad Participant 1: screwing over sarah, like she was like 70 years old, but like, hated, but seemed to like keep doing menial things but not really be trusted, because they like messed up once and like, there was no real respect and i was like well, if she escapes then she'll be happy, and erm, when i actually got, and after i actually killed todd and got the next part of the story, she wasn't happy and iwas like... oh, maybe i should have stayed in the organisation because now i'm alone, scared, listening to music to be less scared, which was like, not really ideal Participant 2: oh, i didn't know that happened. Participant 1: yeah like, i ended up somewhere distant, figuring out how to keep escaping the organisation Participant 2: oh wow Participant 1: like to stay away from them, but like, i was alone in some secluded space because oobviously i can't live near other people because then i'm easier to find and like, i'm just like... yeah. Participant 2: see, if I knew that i think i would have felt differently because from my end, you just were interested in money and escaping and you just wanted to get the money and drive off... Participant 1: no... Participant 2: i didn't know that... Researcher: Okay, so, what would you think of the idea of going through that again? Participant 2: it loses its appeal Participant 1: because you know where it can go Participant 2: yeah Participant 1: but i kinda would be interested to see if the story, like, if i stayed in the organisation and didn't kill todd, because my option was kill him and escape, or don't kill him and remain working in the organisation... and then, i guess, would have been interesting to see what happened if i'd have stayed in the organisation, but early on i also had the option to tell him... that i was leaving because i was retiring, and i guess if i'd done that then there could have been different outcomes again, because you might have been well i'm retiring, i'll let you go instead of trying to stop me going. Participant 2: yeah Researcher: okay, so, were there any other moments during the narrative, outside of say that conversation, so say some of the earlier nodes, where you reacted strongly to it or particularly thought about a decision? Participant 1: erm, when you like, there was one hole you got into... well, it was one of the like, bank robbery, stealing money from a company, but there were other options, but i didn't care about them, i just wanted to continue with that story Participant 2: yeah Participant 1: like, i never looked into them because i was like no, i really need to know what happens next in this one part and disregarded the other options because i just wanted to know what happened Participant 2: it's true, i did do that, because when you had choices to either continue like, the path you were going on or other digressions, you kind of were invested in what you were doing and don't really care about other options. you wanted to follow a certain chronology, which didn't always happen but... Researcher: that's a really interesting way of reading, yeah i've definitely had people that have read it other ways.. and have gotten more confused. Participant 1: but there was also then, sometimes you followed the story through, but one of the other options remained, and like you got to the end of the story and then you were like, well it's been there the whole time, so i guess I should read it. because it remained, I was really intrigued to know what it was going to say. Participant 2: oh at one point, i was having trouble deciding whether the data on Sarah, whether i should tell her or not, so i'll meet the boss, see if he says anything interesting, or... or dodgy, and because Sarah defends me in that storyline, i'll tell sarah because i trust her now. Participant 1: you went to the boss on me? the boss who scares you? Participant 2: no, i wanted to know what he was going to say, and then... see if that affected my decision, which it did, Researcher: interesting Participant 1: i think if i was wanted to do it, maybe like swap character, because then like you'd see the whole story Participant 2: that'd be so fun. Participant 1: because like, i didn't know like, that todd spoke to the boss Participant 2: yeah but you were there? Participant 1: no but like, i didn't realise that you like, spoke about the information on me Participant 2: no no no, we didn't, it was... we meet the boss, and... i killed someone during the robbery, and you defend me in front of the boss and that made me trust you, and afterwards, when i had to make the decision to tell you that there wass data on you, i was like yeah, i'll tell sarah Participant 1: Researcher: so, why did you choose to defend todd in that scenario? Participant 1: because it's what i do? like, before i got involved as sarah, at the start i kind of thought like me, and i'd always defend someone normally, i wouldn't be like "oh yeah, you can just get shouted at", because i just don't like seeing that, so at that point i was like, as me, i would always choose to defend someone than let them get shouted at by someone, but as it progressed i started to not care, apparently, and just become some person in a game Researcher: at some point you became a psychopath? Participant 1: yeah, basically! Researcher: okay, so we've probably just missed a bit there, i don't know which bit we just missed, probably no more than 20 seconds... hopefully it wasn't an important 20 seconds. Participant 1: hopefully not, probably isn't, might be. Participant 2: were we saying anything important... Participant 1: well, maybe we've missed out the part about saying i'm a bit of a psychopath Researcher: and the bit with [p2] saying that was interesting Participant 1: well i guess there you go! you've got it now Participant 2: there was an evolution, [p1] first felt like she was playign as herself, and then playing as sarah, and i thought that was cool Participant 1: yeah, did you have that? where you like, initially started thinking as yourself and then changed? Participant 2: nah, as soon as I read who Todd was, i was like okay, i'm todd now Participant 1: so the whole time you were just acting as a character? Participant 2: yeah, as a generic male hero Participant 1: oh of course you chose the hero Participant 2: or antihero or whatever Researcher: That's one thing i wanted to ask actually, would you normally choose to be the hero in a story? Participant 2: yeah, i think so Participant 1: no!I wouldn't, i'd just be a villain probably Participant 2: i think if i get given a story, if want to play the role that will make me do the things that i never get to do in real life, like the furthest away, like things i've never seen before or never experienced Participant 1: Participant 2: to be an evil person, to do the things you know and do, you want the evil side Researcher: you can be evil together... Participant 2: or you can try battle me, i'll be evil, you can be good, there you go...sorted. Who can ask why... Participant 1: that could be very fun Participant 2: I'll die... a lot Participant 1: yeah Researcher: okay, so, yeah, when you... during the memory points, when you made a choice, you made a choice of one of two options, when do you think the other player noticed that choice? Participant 1: i wouldnt say i did Participant 2: i didnt notice either Researcher: thats fine then! okay, so lets go straight onto the next one. so before the scenario, before you went through the story, how well did you know each other? Participant 1: we knew each other quite well Participant 2: reasonably well! Researcher: so, how much do you think that knowing each other affected how you played the story? if you had just been partnered up with some random person from the lab? Participant 1: i don't think it would affected it Participant 2: it would have affected me! Participant 1: really? Participant 2: because erm, when... when I got shot by sarah, i was like... at the back on my mind, [p1]'s doing this, why're they doing this? whereas if it was like... if I knew it was just some random person that was playing, i'd be like, why are they doing that... that makes me really angry. it would have been different to betrayal Participant 1: well i guess it's like... i don't know actually, i don't know if it would have made any difference for me, because i honestly fully forgot you were involved, entirely, like i dom't think it mattered to me who was inputting it, like i honestly... it never went through my head honestly like "oh, [p2]'s on the other side. me and [p2] are having a story together", like, that never went through my head. once i sat down it was just like "oh, it's just me and the game". Researcher: Hm, interesting. Participant 2: i think, you know when you're playing online games and you don't know who you're playing again? sometimes you can be a bit more ballsy or do things that are a bit more provocative. so if i didn't know who the other player was, i'd probably be a little less nice i think... Researcher: interesting, okay, so you'd be *less* nice? Participant 2: i'd be less nice, i think Researcher: so why would you choose to be less nice? that's not an accusation, im just curious! Participant 2: yeah yeah, erm, you don't know the person behind the screen... so it's easier to just do... anything that you feel like doing, whatever impulse you have, you just go through with it, whereas here you have to think about it, but also i wanted to have a nice plot Participant 1: yeah, i was going to say, i think if it had been someone different maybe the plot wouldnt have been... like, in your case, you're saying maybe you'd have been less nice, maybe the plot would have ended up differently because you'd have been more meanly. Participant 2: yeah, maybe Researcher: interesting! Okay, so how do you think having the other player affected sort of, your overall experience reading the story? Participant 2: sorry, what was the question? Researcher: how do you think having this, having another player there, reading part of the story alongside you and making decisions, affected your experience reading the story, just in general? Participant 2: well, for a large part of the story, i didn't know [p1] was affecting the story. Participant 1: id agree with that, its only when you think about the conversation part, like the shorter bits, it was when like if you didnt have another player there it obviously wouldnt work in the same way, because you need them to respond, you couldnt ever get a computer to make... well you could, but its just like, less personal, if the computer makes a choice as to whats going to happen, instead of another person Researcher: ah, okay Participant 2: also, [p1] did some risky things, that i probably wouldnt do on my own, so that pushed the story further and i really appreciated that, because i got to see something a bit more exciting Participant 1: what did i do that was risky? Participant 2: killed me? Participant 1: that's not risky, that was very logical! Participant 2: i think you might have influenced some of the robberies or like the heist? Participant 1: oh yeah, i guess, oh yeah, because i was like it seems like a fun thing to do, lets go! Participant 2: yeah, and... i dont know, i seem to keep on getting pushed into these situations im not sure if that was all just because we had a limited amount of decisions or if that was [p1]? Anyway Researcher: okay, so you said [p1] that it seemed... it changed how you felt. more personal, or something like that? Participant 1: yeah because like, if the computer were to make the decision, it would be like a random choice, there wouldn't be any reason behind why they chose the choice, like they wouldnt be looking like, that will progress the story, they'd be like, have a random one from the choices, so sometimes it could make the story equally as good, but sometimes it could like, kill the story, just because it would be trying to randomly change the story each time. Researcher: huh, okay, interesting. so, if i'm understanding this right, its the fact that there's intentionality behind the decision? Participant 1: yeah Researcher: huh, okay, that's cool. Alright, so what else have i got on this wonderful list... okay. So have you experienced many interactive narratives before? Participant 2: yeah, i have once, it was like a movie on Netflix Researcher: Bandersnatch? Participant 2: i don't remember the name... Researcher: relatively recent? Researcher: it's fine, don't worry about it! Participant 2: i wasnt very invested in the story, they made us... like, choose decision... choose between decisions that were kind of boring to me, so i didnt finish the movie. i enjoyed this much more, because there was.. i dont know, another player responding as well? it was just... yeah Participant 1: yeah. im not really like... a computer person, so like, ive never done it. but.. it was like, kind of fun. Researcher: okay, so what difference did it make? you said having the other person there made it more interesting Participant 2: so in the movie, where like, the person who chooses the narratives is an outsider, it's like we're controlling their environment, whereas here we are part of the story, we are a character, we do things, its more fun. Researcher: okay, so... it sort of comes down to that, who's controlling the story? Participant 2: yeah Researcher: so lets say i had made it so.. i dont know, it made all of the same choices as [p1], but it was just the system... Participant 2: hrrm. what do you mean by that? Researcher: so.. lets just say that the... responses that [p1] made were all preprogrammed in, and it was actually.. Participant 2: oh... that would ruin a bit of the fun in how predictable .. oh sorry Participant 1: Sarah, [p1]? Which one!? Participant 2: sorry, i'm getting so confused Participant 1: just combine the names! Participant 2: yeah, how unpredictable her decisions are... i think it would have lost its charm. Researcher: interesting, huh, okay. alright, so this is more directed at [p2] than you [p1], as you've not as much sort of, experience in this area, so just how would say that this differs with Bander... well, the interactive one you played Participant 2: well, i have played with games where like, you make decisions, but like, there is an intended plot you can tell, and there is.. even though you can make decisions, its all mostly going to end up one way or... the system has made it so its going to end certain ways, its limited, whereas here it feels less limited because its [p2] deciding the end, its not sort of.. pre-programmed. Researcher: cool Participant 2: and also, when you sort of play games or watch a movie, people will tell you what the endings are, or what the endings can be, you get spoilers, you can have no spoilers if another person is playing with you. Participant 1: and also we don't know where the story's going either, so that's fun Researcher: alright. so that's the end of sort of... the structured question bit, so to speak. but one thing you said earlier that was quite interseting was that you very mcuh thought that... Sarah's character was... self-interested, or something along those lines. Participant 2: yeah, like, i thought we were a team Participant 1: what, driving for money and stuff, and you just having to come along? Participant 2: hrrm, yeah. Participant 1: i shared the money with you! i had the option to take it all myself and i was like.. Participant 2: i would have been fine if you'd took it all yourself Participant 1: ...we could divide this. okay, ill remember that for next time i wont share my money. Participant 2: you mean you were responsible in a crime against our organisation? Participant 1: mate, you were already responsible Participant 2: you came with me Participant 1: you could have turned it down as well Participant 2: i dont think i could have.. Participant 1: ah, well. Researcher: so what have you thought to sort of talking about the conversatrion now and thinking it over during the interview, what's that been like? Participant 2: i was really really excited to hear [p1]'s perspective, because i didnt know how much.. i had no idea how much thought there was behind sarah's actions, and what she was going through and feeling. i was really like, always shocked when they did something. i was like, "oh, okay this is going here, alright". and now im like "oh, it makes sense now!". I would be really erm.. interested in playing Sarah's role, because she seems like more of a spunky character that gets to like, you know, go off, whereas todd is a bit like... urggh. I don't know, maybe it's the way i played todd Researcher: yeah, i genuinely don't know! But that's really interesting though. One thing that's interesting is, aside from some of the present day nodes, so the ones where for... Sarah, Sarah... i can't remember which ones. Err, For Sarah were in the van, and the present day nodes for Todd which were the ones where he was wandering around the city, going to his apartment, those things, aside from those, you both read... i think more or less the exact same content. and the ending one. so, there were a few little differences. but for example the memories, you saw the exact same content, and for the conversation you saw the exact same content. The decision to shoot Todd, you saw the exact same content. Participant 1: its just that i made the decision at the end? Researcher: mm Participant 1: yeah, because i thought that it might be the same, because of how it was written. like, i thought we were potentially reading the same thing because it was written not like... not written like.. you, will do this, it was always like.. 'Todd/Sarah'. It wasn't like... you/him. Participant 2: i got a bit confused, sorry im being a bit nitpicky, when todd got shot i saw her, instead of "he" at one point. that did confuse me. Researcher: just a typo Participant 2: ah, a typo, yeah, i just wanted to point that out! Researcher: thanks Participant 2: no worries. i was like.. am i sarah now? No! Researcher: sudden role switch? Maybe that's something to play around with in the future. Participant 2: that would be really cool, I think. Participant 1: just swapping roles half way through? Participant 2: yeah, because i was really intrigued by what was going on in Sarah's head. Participant 1: but then you could mess over my storyline! Participant 2: even more fun.. Participant 1: or mess up your storyline I guess, make Todd even more interesting... Participant 2: oh, make him evil you mean? Participant 1: yeah boy! Participant 2: it would be fun actually, because then you find yourself in a situation which you hadn't thought of... because the thing when you start a game, you think to yourself what kind of ending you want, and if someone switches up the roles, you have no control over that any more Researcher: ah, okay. huh. I'll definitely think about playing with that one then. So do you guys have any more thoughts on it, any more comments? Participant 1: how many people shot Todd? its been a genuine question going through my head Participant 2: i feel like noone would do that... Participant 1: did loads of people shoot him? does that make me feel better? Participant 2: i feel like they would shoot sarah Researcher: i'm trying to think... Participant 1: oh, you got the option to shoot me?! Participant 2: yeah! i was , i was like i'm not shooting Participant 1: how many of us are psychopathic killers? on games? Researcher: hang on, i just want to pick up on one thing there, you didn't realise you had the option to shoot each other then? Participant 2: erm, i knew i could shoot you, but i didn't know you could shoot me Participant 1: yeah, i didn't realise, it even said you were holding something but then again it was also like, Todd's only ever held a gun once and that was when he shot a guy! so i was like he's a pansy, he won't kill me/ Researcher: so what would you have done if you'd realised the other person had the ability to shoot each other? Participant 1: shoot them faster! Participant 2: no no no no! if i knew she was going to try to shoot me, i'd have been like "go go go, bye bye!". Participant 2: i don't want to see you any more! Researcher: you'd have rushed to the other decision? Participant 2: yeah, yeah, i would have Participant 1: i think its so much better not knowing we both had the... Participant 2: its so much better! Participant 1: did you have something that was like, erm, he reached for his pocket or she reached for her pocket or something? like, that i had my gun? Participant 2: no, i didn't see you Participant 1: like, i got told that you reached for your pocket which probably means only one thing really Participant 2: yeah, that there's a gun Researcher: maybe there was a little, i don't know, im happy with how it played out. maybe a tad subtler than i would have thought Participant 1: nah, that's good, i like that Participant 2: i have a question? Who wrote everything? Researcher: so, i'll do the how many people shot each other, and then i'll answer that one Participant 2: sorry, sorry Researcher: yeah, so off the top of my head, i'm struggling to remember how many people shot the other person. BUT, or who shot who, but I reckon shooting is about 50% of people, maybe a little bit more. ive had a couple of people do it on accident actually, err, quirk of the interface, soemtimes its possible to do that. but for the most part, id say about 50% of people shot. thinking about it, everybody has either shot or given sarah the keys to leave if they were playing todd Participant 1: wait, you had the opportunity to give me the keys to leave?! Participant 2: i wasn't going to Participant 1: and you didn't do that?! Participant 2: what i was going to do was confront you and be like, "i have all the cards here, tell me what you're doing" Participant 1: nah, tough Participant 2: but then you would have told me maybe that you were running away because you don't like the organisation, and been like "oh, fair enough" Participant 1: you should have noticed from earlier on when i as like, "i don't have to tell you anything!", i aint talking to you! Participant 2: im the nosy one here, i read through your data, come on! Researcher: oh, wow, okay. Yeah, there are also two other options: both characters stay, both characters leave Participant 2: i would have loved that! Researcher: ...and.. you didn't get far enough through the conversation to unlock it Participant 1: nah, i killed her too quickly Researcher: shoot, shoot, keys, stay, leave. yeah, that's the 5. Participant 1: fair, act on instinct; Researcher: noone has taken those options, which is interesting Participant 2: the later ones? Researcher: not a single person has taken both stay or both leave.. i don't *think* Participant 2: aw, too bad. Researcher: everyone has always chosen to either let Sarah leave by themselves or shoot. Participant 2: see, you if you hadn't shot me so quickly Participant 1: both leave would have been the best outcome I think Participant 2: i think so. Researcher: it absolutely is the best outcome. well, i tried to write it so its not the 'best' outcome, but its one of the happiest outcomes Participant 1: yeah, beacuse i was sad and lonely and couldnt stop thinking about the fact i killed you, or no, was alive, but then if you'd let me leave then id also feel bad that i'd let you stay with the organisation when i hated them so much, so that'd also be a bad outcome for me Participant 2: there was a little lack of communication, but its very much like real like, you dont know what the other person is thinking, you can only see their decisions and act accordingly, which is, i think, pretty fun. Researcher: awesome. to answer your question now... when i remember exactly what it was. Participant 2: yes, it was who wrote the story? Researcher: it was mostly myself and two other authors, one of which probably wrote most of the content, so most of the flashbacks... about 50% of the present day nodes, and most of the epilogues. and then i wrote most of the conversation and some of the present day nodes. Participant 2: okay Researcher: so it was very much a collaboration Participant 2: i really enjoyed reading it, because i was thinking to myself if it was badly written, or its too long, im not going to be invested in the story, but i think it was pretty decent. Researcher: you might be interested to know that we could 40% of the content to make it fit in the experimental slot. Participant 2: wow! Researcher: so the conversation at the end, that was all... full, there were twice as many memory nodes. Participant 2: i think its good the amount thats been kept, because otherwise it would have been too confusing Participant 1: and there'd also have been too many decisions to make early on. like having like 4 choices as like the most, was probably right Participant 2: yeah Participant 1: because you can read each one and you're not like, which one do i want to go down, because one always caught my attention more but if there was like more options, like twice as many options, there'd probably be more than 1 to choose, and i guess i'd probably, be stuck. Researcher: right, interesting! Any more thoughts, any more questions? Participant 1: nope Participant 2: nope Researcher: Well, thank you very much both of you!