Date of Award

Spring 5-2021

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Program

Computer Science

Department

Computer Science

Major Professor

Dr. Benjamin Samuel

Second Advisor

Dr. Farjana Zebin Eishita

Third Advisor

Dr. Minhaz Zibran

Abstract

The Kati Module System is an interconnected set of programming modules intended to facilitate dynamic text authoring for interactive experiences (for example, games). It is a long-standing goal for interactive experiences to dynamically adapt their textual output based on the user or player's choices and predilections, but to account for this vast possibility space requires an amount of authoring that is frequently untenable, especially for small studios. Advances in machine learning have produced incredible progress in the field of Natural Language Generation (NLG). Though this produces impressive surface level text, it does so without an internal representation that can be reasoned over previous game states, resulting in output with deep local coherence and low global coherence. Kati attempts to provide the best of both worlds by allowing authors to author configurable text snippets. Kati dynamically rearranges and chooses dialogue phrases based on game state, allowing for high degrees of authorial control, global coherence, and dynamic adaptability to player choice.

Rights

The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.

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