For my project, I plan to build an interactive, text-based narrative where the text and the plot is generated through machine learning methods. At each stage in the narrative,  the user will be prompted to choose the next step at various stages in the story.

The content of the game will be driven by a machine learning tool that takes image files and generates sequential stories from the images.

Here’s the storyboard / user flow for the game:

storyboard-gaze-01 storyboard-gaze-02 storyboard-gaze-03 storyboard-gaze-04 storyboard-gaze-05 storyboard-gaze-06 storyboard-gaze-07 storyboard-gaze-08 storyboard-gaze-09 storyboard-gaze-10

In terms of the technical details, I need to train my own data set on a specific genre of literature (horror? detective stories? thriller? choose your own adventure books) using the neural storyteller tool. Neural storyteller makes use of several different deep learning frameworks and tools, including skip thoughts, caffe, theanos, numpy, and scikit. Here’s an overflow of how the text in the game will be generated:

preso-001

Here is the tentative schedule for the work:

Week 1: Nov. 2 – 8

  • Get the example encoder/trainer/models up and running (2-3 days).
  • Start training the same program on my own genre of literature (2-3 days).
  • Start building the website where the game will live (2 hrs).

Week 2: Nov. 9 – 15

  • After getting the machine learning framework working as I did with my solitaire app, start thinking about ways to structure the generative stories into the narrative arc (2-3 days).
  • Start building the front end of the game – upload buttons, submit forms. (1 day).

Week 3: Nov. 16 – 29

  • Start establishing the rules of game play & build the decision tree (2 days).
  • Continue building the website and tweaking the narrative (2 days).

Week 4: Nov. 30 – Dec. 7

  • User testing. Keep revising the game. Get feedback.