Cscenario

Cscenario is a term used in interactive media and simulation to denote a modular unit that represents a specific situation within a larger scenario. It is designed to be reusable and parameterizable, enabling branching outcomes based on inputs from agents or external data.

Etymology and scope: The name Cscenario is a portmanteau of computational (or contingent) scenario; it originated in discussions among developers and researchers in the late 2000s and is not a formal standard.

Structure and features: A Cscenario typically includes context (initial state), objectives, constraints, entities (agents, resources), actions, and evaluation criteria. It supports variables, conditional logic, and both deterministic and probabilistic outcomes. Serialization formats such as JSON, YAML, or domain-specific languages are commonly used.

Applications: Cscenarios appear in game design for branching narratives, in training simulations for both military and civilian uses, in emergency response drills, urban planning studies, and business process modeling. They enable rapid prototyping and systematic comparison of alternative paths.

Relationship to related concepts: Cscenario emphasizes modularity, reuse, and explicit parameterization, setting it apart from generic scenario descriptions. There is no universal standard, and terminology and formats vary by platform or toolkit.

Status and reception: While not a formally standardized term, the concept underlies many modern simulation and narrative tools, and some vendors use the label in product literature to describe reusable, parameter-driven scenario components.