Scenarielogik

Scenarielogik is a formal framework for representing and analyzing narrative scenarios and their logical consequences. It treats scenes as units of story that change state through actions and events, and emphasizes the consistency of narrative outcomes across possible sequences. The term combines elements of scenario planning and logical formalism and is used in game studies, screenwriting, and interactive fiction to reason about how plots can unfold without internal contradictions.

Origins and scope: The concept emerged in contemporary narrative theory and formal semantics; it draws on temporal logic, dynamic logic, and event calculus. It aims to provide a precise language for describing how stories unfold over time and how different branches of a plot relate to one another.

Core concepts: A scenario is modeled as a graph of scenes (nodes) connected by actions (edges). Each scene has predicates describing world state; actions are state-update operations; time is represented discretely; branches reflect alternative outcomes; constraints encode plot rules; a scenario must satisfy consistency conditions. This structure supports reasoning about causality, dependencies, and potential dead ends within a narrative.

Formal tools: Scenarielogik uses action modalities and temporal operators; the semantics define transitions between states and scenes. Model-checking and formal verification can be employed to verify properties such as eventual outcomes, safety of transitions, or the absence of logical paradoxes in the plot.

Applications: It supports planning, script analysis, branching narratives in video games, interactive fiction authoring, and organizational scenario planning. There are software tools and proof systems that assist writers and designers in ensuring coherent story progressions and in exploring alternative plotlines.

Example: In a simple scenario, opening a door unlocks access to a room; if the door remains locked, a search action is required; the framework traces possible branches to determine feasible story progressions.

Limitations: The approach depends on how narrative concepts are formalized and may oversimplify subjective interpretive layers; scalability can be a challenge for lengthy narratives. See also temporal logic, dynamic logic, narrative logic, event calculus, scenario planning.