ABSTRACT
Characters are an essential element of all forms of storytelling, from ancestor's oral recitations of myths and epics to today's high-tech computer-assisted narratives. Writers and producers in interactive media have discovered that dialogue needs to be even leaner than it is in traditional media. Even comic animated films like the Shrek series portray characters with easily identifiable emotions, such as loneliness, fear of rejection, fright, and budding love. The two classic archetypes namely protagonist and antagonist, the must-haves of every work of linear storytelling, originated in the Greek theater. When a character can understand the words the user freely types or says and is able to respond appropriately, it is called natural language interface. In interactive media, not only do verbal communications serve more functions than in linear media, but people also have a more varied communications palette to work with. The characters in interactive dramas can be every bit as vivid and interesting as those in traditional media.
