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 Non-Player Character (NPC) Questionnaire

Penny Drennan, School of ITEE, University of Queensland

This questionnaire is designed to gather opinions about the behaviour of non-player characters (NPCs) that lessens player engagement in games. Engagement is the feeling of being deeply involved in a game, to the point that you may not notice time passing. Engagement means enjoyment, being challenged at a level you are comfortable with, being emotionally involved in the plot of the game as well as feeling a need to win. Disengagement occurs when elements of the game frustrate or annoy you, drawing you out of the game experience and lessening your emotional involvement. This study is part of my PhD research and the results of this questionnaire will be used to design NPCs that increase player engagement in a game. For the purposes of this questionnaire, an NPC is any character (or AI) in a game that is not controlled by the player.

 

The people who will find this questionnaire the most relevant to their gameplay are those who have frequent encounters with NPCs, such as those who prefer First Person Shooters, Role Playing Games and Real Time Strategy games. While people who prefer other genres of games are encouraged to submit their responses, please be aware that there may not be many questions here that address your interests.

 

Participation in this study is both voluntary and anonymous. You are not asked to provide any information that could identify you, nor will any record be kept of information that could identify you. This study adheres to the Guidelines of the ethical review process of The University of Queensland. Whilst you are free to discuss your participation in this study with project staff (contactable on (07) 3365 1634), if you would like to speak to an officer of the University not involved in the study, you may contact the Ethics Officer on (07) 3365 3924.

 

If you would like to know the results of this study, they will be available on my website in a few weeks or you can email me if you would like to find out more details.

 

Thank you for taking the time to fill out this questionnaire. It should take you 10 to 15 minutes.

 

Age:
Gender:
How often do you play computer games?
On average, how long would your game session last?
Typically, how many of these game sessions would you have per week?
How experienced at playing computer games are you?
What is your favourite type of computer game?
If you have selected Other, please specify the type of game:
What is your favourite game?
On average, how often do you play a single player computer game?
On average, how often do you play computer games on the internet?
On average, how often do you play computer games on a Local Area Network (LAN)?
How strong is your preference for single player computer games compared to multi-player computer games? Strongly Prefer Single Player     Neutral (I like them both equally)     Strongly Prefer Multi-Player
Please briefly give the main reason for your preference (e.g. Do/ Don't like NPCs, Don't have internet, Can't afford multi-player subscriptions):
How strong is your preference for playing against human opponents compared to non-player character (NPC) opponents? Strongly Prefer Human Opponents     Neutral (I like them both equally)     Strongly Prefer NPC Opponents
How strong is your preference for human players as your allies compared to non-player character (NPC) allies? Strongly Prefer Human Allies     Neutral (I like them both equally)     Strongly Prefer NPC Allies

 

For the following questions, please answer them in regards to your favourite type of game, as you indicated above.

The forty one questions following are divided into three sections: (1) questions regarding NPCs who are your allies or team mates in a game, (2) questions regarding NPCs who are your opponents in a game, and (3) questions regarding the behaviour of all NPCs in a game (team mate, opponent, any other character you encounter such as shopkeepers etc). Finally, there is an open-ended question where you can add any NPC behaviour that you feel needs to be addressed, that hasn't been mentioned here. If you don't notice any of these behaviours while you are playing a computer game, please choose "not at all" as your response.

PART 1


How much does it affect your engagement in a computer game if an NPC who is your team mate: Not at all           Very Much
1 attacks someone stronger than them without support?
2 repeatedly makes the same mistake?
3 doesn't provide you with protection (e.g. cover-fire or watching your back) during combat?
4 doesn't seek cover during a fire-fight?
5 doesn't attempt to get out of the line of fire?
6 doesn't have a similar level of skill to you?
7 engages in "friendly fire" (i.e. whether by accident or lack of skill, a team mate causes you damage)?
8 doesn't perform actions that you believe are aimed at achieving the purpose of your team?
9 doesn't try to achieve their stated goals (if they are different to your own)?
10 doesn't modify their attacks on opponents to take into account game information (e.g. location of other team mates, opponents, the player, terrain that could be used for cover)?
11 doesn't perform actions that are consistent with the level of skill and ability they have shown in the past (i.e. skilled team mates don't consistently act in a skilled way)?

PART 2


How much does it affect your engagement in a computer game if an NPC who is your opponent: Not at all           Very Much
12 doesn't display a desire to win?
13 doesn't act in a way that could help them win?
14 isn't smarter than an opponent you met on an easier level of the game?
15 doesn't show behaviour you might expect from a human opponent (e.g. competitiveness, ruthlessness, misdirection, taunting)?
16 doesn't display devious or sneaky behaviour?
17 appears smarter by having more hit points or better knowledge of the game environment instead of better Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
18 stands still if attacked unexpectedly (instead of running away or fighting back)?
19 doesn't have clearly defined goals?
20 doesn't behave in a way that is aimed at achieving their goals?
21 doesn't notice if the player attempts to sneak up on them without using cover or shadows?
22 doesn't move from their position or pre-defined path in response to actions by the player?
23 doesn't modify their attacks on you (and your team mates) to take into account game information (e.g. location of their team mates, you and your team mates, terrain that could be used for cover)?

PART 3


How much does it affect your engagement in a computer game if any NPC (team mate, opponent or minor character): Not at all           Very Much
24 doesn't display the same level of intelligence throughout the game?
25 doesn't have the actions, behaviour or personality as how they are described or treated by other characters in the game?
26 doesn't behave in-character?
27 performs the same few actions repeatedly?
28 behaves less intelligently during gameplay than they do during cinematic sequences (cut scenes)?
29 doesn't have good pathfinding abilities?
30 doesn't fit your personal stereotypes?
31 doesn't provide the right amount of challenge (e.g. team mates are too good, so the game is too easy or opponents are too good, so the game is too hard)?
32 doesn't demonstrate appropriate emotional reactions to events in the game?
33 engages you in repetitive conversations or says the same taunts repeatedly?
34 appears to have the same personality as other NPCs in the game?
35 appears to have the same conversation script as other NPCs in the game?
36 doesn't have any memory of previous conversations with you?
37 doesn't have any memory of previous events in the game environment?
38 doesn't use body language, facial expression or different demeanour to help display emotion?
39 doesn't interact differently with more powerful NPCs than they do with less powerful NPCs (i.e. they treat their boss the same as their sub-ordinates)?
40 doesn't physically respond to or acknowledge you in any way?
41 doesn't interact with you differently depending on appearance or class (e.g. has the same reactions when you play as a magician or as a thief)?

 

Are there other behaviours or characteristics of NPCs that you consider to have an affect on your engagement in a game? If so, please list them here.

 

 

                                                

 

Author: Penny Drennan, School of ITEE, University of Qld.
Copyright © 2005 ITEE, University of Qld. All rights reserved.
Revised: 01/27/05
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Last Updated: 27 January, 2005, 12:37pm