I have mused lately about the importance of the inner logic of fictional stories. By inner logic, I mean the rules a fictional world sets for itself- both the way its characters behave and the way its world functions.
This inner logic grounds fantasy with a sense of realism. It is what makes fictional worlds “make sense”.
When this gets broken, people stop believing in the story’s integrity and coherence. The stories then become senseless and useless. This is true for mythology, fantasy books, movies, etc.
But I realized, this need for inner logic is also true for another medium. In fact, it is even more important…
The Inner Logic of Computers
When you press the “e” button, your computer should always return to you an “e”. If it returns to you a “p” or a “3”, then you should get it fixed or get a new computer.
Similarly, if you sent an email to your boss and the email provider delivered it to your mother instead, that would feel infuriating. And you would quickly seek a better service, as your actions upon the computer did not return the predictable and intended results.
Other digital formats, like video games, also have this need for consistency. Left always means left. Jump never means duck.
The basis of all these systems is the user’s ability to determine the action based on a set of options.
Video Game Logic
A player’s control over their actions is essential for video games. There might be basic rules or a framework, but you can decide your path from there.
Each action you have on the controller will directly translate to your avatar. Your avatar won’t need to pause to decipher your requests, it will simply take the action.
If this inner logic gets betrayed, then people would not trust the video game creators. Their moves and outcomes would feel too random and senseless. So what happens when this is the case?
When A Video Game’s Logic Gets Disrupted
A Personal Anecdote
Growing up, my friends and I had a handful of video games that we often played. Now, as adults, we will occasionally revisit these games when we are all together again; such as when we are all back in our hometown for the holidays. At this point, the activity is more for nostalgia than gameplay.
But by now, the games and equipment are pretty old. We have one finicky controller whose functionality varies.
We will be mid-competition and that controller will all of a sudden stop working, or it will keep the player in a constant left-turn. The player’s avatar will simply slow down, or they will hit a wall, unable to adjust course.
As soon as that happens, the video game stops being fun because that player cannot determine their own fate in the game. It is not fun to be that player and it isn’t fun to play against them because their faulty controller guarantees you an easy win. The value of playing decreases.
At this point, we end the game; and my friends and I will typically default to catching up over a cheese tray and Christmas desserts.
Why Digital Logic Feels Good
Computers are not like people, or poetry. Inputs directly translate to outputs. There is little interpretation; simply right and wrong.
Of course, these aren’t “right” and “wrong” in a moral sense, but rather a functional one.
I think this predictability is what soothes people’s anxiety or sense of being out-of-control. In the real world, you can feel powerless. In a computer game, you have ultimate personal agency.
Computers & Literature
Both fictional literary and digital worlds might have counterintuitive logic. People can get turned into animals, people die then come back to life, you can jump off tall buildings and survive, and the laws of physics can vary. Yet, those are all accepted by the end user. But when the basis of the world gets violated; for example, a player’s autonomy in video games, the fragile illusion gets shattered. What replaces it is chaos- and with it, powerlessness and meaninglessness.
Messy Bun Book Lover