# StoryVerse: Towards Co-authoring Dynamic Plot with LLM-based Character Simulation via Narrative Planning

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.13042 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.13042/

## Key facts

- Cited by 20 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 6 of its 23 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 17 May 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Knowledge-Intensive NLP Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.11401/) (2020)
- [Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03442/) (2023)
- [AgentVerse: Facilitating Multi-Agent Collaboration and Exploring Emergent Behaviors](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.10848/) (2023)
- [Describe, Explain, Plan and Select: Interactive Planning with Large Language Models Enables Open-World Multi-Task Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.01560/) (2023)
- [Co-Writing Screenplays and Theatre Scripts with Language Models: An Evaluation by Industry Professionals](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.14958/) (2022)
- [Narrative Planning: Balancing Plot and Character](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1401.3841/) (2014)

## Built on by (most cited first, 20 of 20)

- [Creativity in LLM-based Multi-Agent Systems: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.21116/) (2025)
- [GPT for Games: An Updated Scoping Review (2020-2024)](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.00308/) (2024)
- [Guiding and Diversifying LLM-Based Story Generation via Answer Set Programming](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.00554/) (2024)
- [WhatELSE: Shaping Narrative Spaces at Configurable Level of Abstraction for AI-bridged Interactive Storytelling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.18641/) (2025)
- [CML-Bench: A Framework for Evaluating and Enhancing LLM-Powered Movie Scripts Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.06231/) (2025)
- [Decoupling Content and Expression: Two-Dimensional Detection of AI-Generated Text](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.00258/) (2025)
- [Constella: Supporting Storywriters' Interconnected Character Creation through LLM-based Multi-Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.05820/) (2025)
- [Can LLMs Generate Good Stories? Insights and Challenges from a Narrative Planning Perspective](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.10161/) (2025)
- [From Personas to Plot: Character-Grounded Multi-Agent Story Generation for Long-Form Narratives](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.00918/) (2026)
- [Can LLM Agents Stick to the Script? A Benchmark for Long-Horizon Consistency in Interactive Narratives](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.08160/) (2026)
- [Accepted with Minor Revisions: Value of AI-Assisted Scientific Writing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.12529/) (2025)
- [PlayWrite: A Multimodal System for AI Supported Narrative Co-Authoring Through Play in XR](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.02366/) (2026)
- [NARRA-Gym for Evaluating Interactive Narrative Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.08503/) (2026)
- [Narrative Keyframing for Generative Creative Writing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.10337/) (2026)
- [When Stories Evolve: Benchmarking LLM Storytelling Across Agent Architectures in Open-Ended World Simulations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.15654/) (2026)
- [Elsewise: Authoring Open-ended Interactive Narrative with Possibility Space Visualization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.15295/) (2025)
- [EvoSpark: Endogenous Interactive Agent Societies for Unified Long-Horizon Narrative Evolution](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.12776/) (2026)
- [The Garden of Forking Paths: Threading Narrative Archetype as a Semantic Signal Through Gameplay Planning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.01245/) (2026)
- [MedGame: Storytelling Gamification Empowered by Large Language Models for Medical Education](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.21570/) (2026)
- [ANIMASK: What the Model Contributes to Role Play in Simulated Story Worlds](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.16667/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Automated plot generation for games enhances the player's experience by providing rich and immersive narrative experience that adapts to the player's actions. Traditional approaches adopt a symbolic narrative planning method which limits the scale and complexity of the generated plot by requiring extensive knowledge engineering work. Recent advancements use Large Language Models (LLMs) to drive the behavior of virtual characters, allowing plots to emerge from interactions between characters and their environments. However, the emergent nature of such decentralized plot generation makes it difficult for authors to direct plot progression. We propose a novel plot creation workflow that mediates between a writer's authorial intent and the emergent behaviors from LLM-driven character simulation, through a novel authorial structure called "abstract acts". The writers define high-level plot outlines that are later transformed into concrete character action sequences via an LLM-based narrative planning process, based on the game world state. The process creates "living stories" that dynamically adapt to various game world states, resulting in narratives co-created by the author, character simulation, and player. We present StoryVerse as a proof-of-concept system to demonstrate this plot creation workflow. We showcase the versatility of our approach with examples in different stories and game environments.