Combining intentionality and belief: Revisiting believable character plans

Abstract

In this paper we present two studies supporting a plan-based model of narrative generation that reasons about both intentionality and belief. First we compare the believability of agent plans taken from the spaces of valid classical plans, intentional plans, and belief plans. We show that the plans that make the most sense to humans are those in the overlapping regions of the intentionality and belief spaces. Second, we validate the model’s approach to representing anticipation, where characters form plans that involve actions they expect other characters to take. Using a short interactive scenario we demonstrate that players not only find it believable when NPCs anticipate their actions, but sometimes actively anticipate the actions of NPCs in a way that is consistent with the model.