Memory

Memories are units of information that are known to an actor. Multiple actors can have the same memory, and often Memories are shared between actors through MutationActions and MemorySharingRules.

One key mechanism StoryEngine uses to support emergent narrative is the exchange of memories. Actors often have goals to discover specific memories. For example, Alice wants to discover where the Christmas presents are hidden. Acquiring the memory of where the Christmas presents are hidden could happen in multiple ways. Alice could search around the house looking for them, she could ask her mom, or she could ask a neighbor who might know. These different paths create different narratives that all arrive at the same outcome: Alice learning where the Christmas presents are hidden.

When actors engage in conversation, memories provide the knowledge that informs what an actor could say next. MemorySharingRules describe the conditions of when a memory is sharable. For example, Alice is completely happy to tell her brother Luke where the Christmas presents are hidden, but she would not tell her father that she knows if asked.

See MemorySharingRule for more details.