Vexen & Elepa
Vexen
Hey Elepa, I've been mapping the emotional arc of my latest VR story in a spreadsheet—any tricks for turning raw player data into meaningful mood spikes?
Elepa
Sure thing—start by normalizing the raw player emotions. Take each raw score, subtract the mean, divide by the standard deviation, that gives you z‑scores. Then plot them on a time axis, look for clusters. If a cluster’s mean z‑score is above +2, that’s a mood spike. Color‑code the spikes in your sheet so you can see the peaks at a glance. Finally, annotate the cause of each spike (scene, music change, gameplay mechanic) so the data tells a story, not just numbers.
Vexen
That makes a lot of sense, thanks for the clear rundown—normalizing and then labeling the spikes will let the numbers actually feel like a narrative. I’ll start pulling the data in and try the z‑score approach today. Do you think there’s a particular threshold that usually feels more intuitive than +2 for my kinds of immersive cuts?
Elepa
For most immersive cuts a +1.5 z‑score is enough to flag a noticeable mood spike, while +2 signals a dramatic shift. Try +1.5 first, see if the labels line up with the player’s perceived peaks. If the spikes feel too vague, bump to +2. Keep the threshold adjustable; you can always recalibrate after you review a few sessions.