Comfortable Mobility vs. Attractive Scenery: The Key to Augmenting Narrative Worlds in Outdoor Locative Augmented Reality Storytelling

We investigate how path context, encompassing both comfort and attractiveness, shapes user experiences in outdoor locative storytelling using Augmented Reality (AR). Addressing a research gap that predominantly concentrates on indoor settings or narrative backdrops, our user-focused research delves into the interplay between perceived path context and locative AR storytelling on routes with diverse walkability levels. We examine the correlation and causation between narrative engagement, spatial presence, perceived workload, and perceived path context. Our findings show that on paths with reasonable path walkability, attractive elements positively influence the narrative experience. However, even in environments with assured narrative walkability, inappropriate safety elements can divert user attention to mobility, hindering the integration of real-world features into the narrative. These results carry significant implications for path creation in outdoor locative AR storytelling, underscoring the importance of ensuring comfort and maintaining a balance between comfort and attractiveness to enrich the outdoor AR storytelling experience.