Workshop on Game Research Software System Reuse

Submissions
March 14 March 7, 2024 - EasyChair, ACM SIGCONF version of the ACM Primary Template

Notifications
April 4 March 28, 2024

Camera Readies submitted to TAPS
April 19, 2024

Camera Readies due
April 26, 2024

Workshop
May 21, 2024

This workshop aims to help better encourage reuse of existing game research software systems (broadly defined) developed in the game research community, disseminate knowledge about such systems, explore the space of what is possible with existing systems, and foster new collaborations centered around existing systems. The workshop is accepting two types of submissions:

• Case studies about new reuses of existing game research software systems.

• Tutorials on existing game research software systems.

Further information on each type of submission is given below. A primary goal of the workshop is to connect researchers developing such systems and those who could use them. Some examples of such game systems and artifacts are listed in the topics below.

Submission should be made to the appropriate FDG 2024 track through EasyChair. It is expected that at least one author on accepted submissions will register for and attend the workshop to present.

Case studies describe a new artifact created with an existing system.  These would be reflective about the process, what worked and what was challenging, and extensions (if any) developed in the system to support the new work. These could potentially be in a "postmortem" style.  Ideally these will be submitted as a collaboration between two research groups --- one developing the system and one developing the artifact.

Submissions: Case studies are submitted as short (2-4 pages double column, including references single column, not including references) papers, and should be anonymized. Case studies will be peer reviewed, and we aim to include case studies in the conference proceedings. Submitted case studies should not be previously published and must include new work to merit publication on their own. Case studies should use the ACM SIGCONF version of the ACM Primary Template.

During the workshop: We expect case studies will be given roughly 20 minute presentations. 

Topics for case studies about using existing systems for development of new artifacts, include, but are not limited to:

• Entire new games built around or incorporating an existing system

• Game design tools used to create a new game

• New AI NPCs or opponents in an existing game

• Online or offline content generation of levels, sprites, audio, cards, meshes, mechanics, etc.

• Declarative PCG tools

• Social simulation / "social physics" engines

• Research game software in educational setting for class projects

Tutorials will be short tutorials about existing systems by the developers of systems themselves. Tutorials can be interactive, with something like a template project for other attendees to work from to create a small artifact of their own.

Submissions: Tutorial proposals are submitted as short (1-2 pages double column, including references single column, not including references) proposals, and should not be anonymized; please include the expected duration of the tutorial. Tutorials will be selected by the organizers and will not be published.

During the workshop: We expect tutorials will be 1-1.5 hour interactive presentations.

Topics: tutorial topics include, but are not limited to:

• Existing systems that could be applied to any of the above topics

• General open-source and re-usable software development

9:30 - Welcome

9:40 - Case Study: Aline Normoyle, Sophie Joerg and Jennifer Hill. "The Curation Tree: A Lightweight Behavior Tree Framework for Implementing Puzzle and Narrative Games."

10:05 - Case study: Jack Kelly, Michael Mateas and Noah Wardrip-Fruin. "Paradise: An Experiment Extending the Ensemble Social Physics Engine with Language Models."

10:30 - Break

11:00 - Invited talk: Julia Koehler Leman, "Code with Impact: Writing Software that Others Love to Use."

12:00 - Lunch

1:30 - Tutorial: Kitty Boakye, Rae Suarez, Kaitlyn Tsien and Peter Mawhorter. "Decision Mapping with the Exploration Library."

3:00 - Break

3:30 - Tutorial: Daijin Yang and Casper Harteveld. "Introducing StudyCrafter."

5:00: Closing

Seth Cooper (seth.cooper@gmail.com) is an associate professor in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University.  His research often involves procedural content generation and incorporating video games into crowdsourcing. He has co-organized workshops at FDG, CHI, and the European Citizen Science Association conference.

Samuel Hill is a PhD candidate on the AI/ML track in the Computer Science department at Northwestern University. His research is on social simulation and making tools for game developers.