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Evaluating Mixed-Initiative Procedural Level Design Tools Using a Triple-Blind Mixed-Method User Study

Sean Walton Orcid Logo, Alma Rahat Orcid Logo, James Stovold

IEEE Transactions on Games, Volume: 14, Issue: 3, Pages: 413 - 422

Swansea University Authors: Sean Walton Orcid Logo, Alma Rahat Orcid Logo

Abstract

Results from a triple-blind mixed-method user study into the effectiveness of mixed-initiative tools for the procedural generation of game levels are presented. A tool which generates levels using interactive evolutionary optimisation was designed for this study which (a) is focused on supporting th...

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Published in: IEEE Transactions on Games
ISSN: 2475-1502 2475-1510
Published: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 2022
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57073
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spelling 2022-09-26T15:52:04.4902334 v2 57073 2021-06-09 Evaluating Mixed-Initiative Procedural Level Design Tools Using a Triple-Blind Mixed-Method User Study 0ec10d5e3ed3720a2d578417a894cf49 0000-0002-6451-265X Sean Walton Sean Walton true false 6206f027aca1e3a5ff6b8cd224248bc2 0000-0002-5023-1371 Alma Rahat Alma Rahat true false 2021-06-09 SCS Results from a triple-blind mixed-method user study into the effectiveness of mixed-initiative tools for the procedural generation of game levels are presented. A tool which generates levels using interactive evolutionary optimisation was designed for this study which (a) is focused on supporting the designer to explore the design space and (b) only requires the designer to interact with it by designing levels. The tool identifies level design patterns in an initial hand-designed map and uses that information to drive an interactive optimisation algorithm. A rigorous user study was designed which compared the experiences of designers using the mixed-initiative tool to designers who were given a tool which provided completely random level suggestions. The designers using the mixed-initiative tool showed an increased engagement in the level design task, reporting that it was effective in inspiring new ideas and design directions. This provides significant evidence that procedural content generation can be used as a powerful tool to support the human design process. Journal Article IEEE Transactions on Games 14 3 413 422 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 2475-1502 2475-1510 1 9 2022 2022-09-01 10.1109/tg.2021.3086215 COLLEGE NANME Computer Science COLLEGE CODE SCS Swansea University 2022-09-26T15:52:04.4902334 2021-06-09T13:05:55.5769082 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Mathematics and Computer Science - Computer Science Sean Walton 0000-0002-6451-265X 1 Alma Rahat 0000-0002-5023-1371 2 James Stovold 3 57073__20098__c7dced0a1b064aa5b603ec1f514a0927.pdf 2005.07478.pdf 2021-06-09T13:10:11.6696045 Output 5813610 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true true eng
title Evaluating Mixed-Initiative Procedural Level Design Tools Using a Triple-Blind Mixed-Method User Study
spellingShingle Evaluating Mixed-Initiative Procedural Level Design Tools Using a Triple-Blind Mixed-Method User Study
Sean Walton
Alma Rahat
title_short Evaluating Mixed-Initiative Procedural Level Design Tools Using a Triple-Blind Mixed-Method User Study
title_full Evaluating Mixed-Initiative Procedural Level Design Tools Using a Triple-Blind Mixed-Method User Study
title_fullStr Evaluating Mixed-Initiative Procedural Level Design Tools Using a Triple-Blind Mixed-Method User Study
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating Mixed-Initiative Procedural Level Design Tools Using a Triple-Blind Mixed-Method User Study
title_sort Evaluating Mixed-Initiative Procedural Level Design Tools Using a Triple-Blind Mixed-Method User Study
author_id_str_mv 0ec10d5e3ed3720a2d578417a894cf49
6206f027aca1e3a5ff6b8cd224248bc2
author_id_fullname_str_mv 0ec10d5e3ed3720a2d578417a894cf49_***_Sean Walton
6206f027aca1e3a5ff6b8cd224248bc2_***_Alma Rahat
author Sean Walton
Alma Rahat
author2 Sean Walton
Alma Rahat
James Stovold
format Journal article
container_title IEEE Transactions on Games
container_volume 14
container_issue 3
container_start_page 413
publishDate 2022
institution Swansea University
issn 2475-1502
2475-1510
doi_str_mv 10.1109/tg.2021.3086215
publisher Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Mathematics and Computer Science - Computer Science{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Mathematics and Computer Science - Computer Science
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description Results from a triple-blind mixed-method user study into the effectiveness of mixed-initiative tools for the procedural generation of game levels are presented. A tool which generates levels using interactive evolutionary optimisation was designed for this study which (a) is focused on supporting the designer to explore the design space and (b) only requires the designer to interact with it by designing levels. The tool identifies level design patterns in an initial hand-designed map and uses that information to drive an interactive optimisation algorithm. A rigorous user study was designed which compared the experiences of designers using the mixed-initiative tool to designers who were given a tool which provided completely random level suggestions. The designers using the mixed-initiative tool showed an increased engagement in the level design task, reporting that it was effective in inspiring new ideas and design directions. This provides significant evidence that procedural content generation can be used as a powerful tool to support the human design process.
published_date 2022-09-01T04:12:32Z
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score 11.0299