Procedurality & Process Intensity LCC 2700: Intro to Computational Media Ian Bogost

4 properties of the digital medium Procedural Participatory Spatial Encyclopedic

4 properties of the digital medium Procedural Participatory Spatial Encyclopedic

Procedurality Representation with processes “Process” - the method or logic by which something gets done Computer code has its own logic Computer code represents the logic of other things (things in the world)

Procedurality and Simulation Computation as an attempt to replace or completely subsume real life Science fiction fantasy A perversion of the original goals of AI (more on this next week) The goal of some simulations: to fully represent an aspect of the material world

Procedurality as Representation Rather than think of procedurality as a replacement for lived experience … Consider procedurality a representational practice –akin to writing, or moving images, or photochemical effects, or other inscriptive practices Media perspective on procedurality

Code as expression When we write procedural artifacts, we are: –Choosing what aspects of the world we want to model, and which we want to omit –Choosing how to represent our perspective on how those aspects of the world work –Engaging in an inherently subjective practice of creative expression

Code as Expression When we “read” procedural artifacts, we are: –Comparing aspects of the model to our impressions of them in the world –Interpreting the author’s perspective on how those aspects of the world work –Engaging in an inherently subjective practice of creative experience

Procedurality is… The principle representational mode of computation An inherently subjective practice of human production, not the cold touch of a dead machine The basis for every other representational capacity of the computer…

4 properties of the digital medium Procedural Participatory Spatial Encyclopedic

4 properties of the digital medium Procedural –(Do things with code) Participatory –INFORM, VXML - create interaction with code Spatial –INFORM - create spaces with code Encyclopedic –Switchboard, VXML - consume, parse, and present data with code

The Confusion of the Networked Computer Computers as networked devices Computers as social devices Impression that computation is subordinate to the social nature of computers connected over the internet A common sociological perspective that omits the unique representational properties of the computer

Effective computational expression How do we learn to create effective procedural artifacts? What are the values and aesthetics of procedurality? “Process Intensity”

Process Intensity Chris Crawford, game designer, interactive story developer, and (now) pundit 1987 article in Journal of Computer Game Development

Process Intensity In computational media, there is code and there is data Process intensity is the degree to which a program emphasizes processes instead of data The “crunch per bit ratio” of a computer program is its process intensity In other words, how much of the representation comes from the procedural representation of processes, and how much comes from the dumping of data through input/output

Example - Word Processor The typewriter allows some corrections, but requires considerable retyping for larger corrections The word processor allows us to reprocess data we have already created –Reprocessing: calculating new positions for words, sentences –Offering spelling/grammar suggestions –Reformatting text for layout or print

Instantial Assets Crawford gives the name instantial assets to the smallest unit of data a program performs processes upon Typewriter: the page Word processor: the letter

Low Process Intensity Videogames Dragon’s Lair, 1983 LaserDisc game Very high visual fidelity Focus on instantial assets: an entire scene of cartoon footage

High Process Intensity Videogames Balance of Power, 1985 (by Crawford) About the politics of the Cold War Very low visual fidelity Focus on processes: diplomatic and military actions and their consequences

Contemporary Videogames Generally focus on instantial assets 3D models Static animation A few behaviors Focus on visual fidelity and designed experiences

But! Computer graphics are inherently procedural 3D engines process polygon data to draw sccenes Visual techniques like particle effects are driven by code However, engines often abstract these high process-intensity aspects of games

Trend toward process intensity Driven partly by development costs and team sizes Driven partly by increased expressive capacity of process intensive techniques Rougher procedural experiences may be more meaningful than highly designed instantial ones

Updating Crawford’s argument Computers used to have a much closer proportion of storage capabilities to processing capabilities –Atari 2600: 1mhz 6502, 128bytes RAM, 2k ROM Now computers have massive storage capacity and comparatively less processing power –Especially specialized computers like videogame consoles It’s possible to do a lot of work “offline” as instantial assets This partly contributes to the state of some contemporary games

Process Intensity as Aesthetic However, procedural techniques may provide more desirable aesthetic experiences Greg Costikyan –more interaction –wider possibility space –more satisfying experiences In games, most are “poly pushers” Obsession with visual verisimilitude and film envy

But… Will Wright still has more people and larger budgets than you do How to compete? An approach to computational authorship A technique for creating expressive artifacts