Anders Drachen
Abstract
Communication is a vital component of multiplayer gameplay, constituting a large part of the total player interaction. This article presents a comprehensive study of the role of interplayer communication during the gaming process in digital and tabletop role-playing game formats. A series of empirical game experiments are presented and the player-based communication analyzed, with the aim of clarifying how format (media of expression) impacts on verbal communication in multiplayer games; as well as examining player communication in general. The results show distinct differences in the communication patterns between the two game formats, directly related to the limitations and requirements of the tabletop and digital media utilized, for example in the amount of “in-character” communication. Interplayer communication in both formats is highly focused on functional content, that is, oriented towards supporting practical gameplay; however, functional content has different meanings on the two platforms. These and other results are discussed in the context of format differences and in the larger context of the functions of verbal communication during the playing of multiplayer games.
References
- Akin, Ö. 1986. Psychology of Architectural Design. Pion, London.Google Scholar
- Austin, J. L. 1975. How to Do Things with Words. Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK.Google Scholar
- Aylett, R., Louchart, S., et al. 2006. Unscripted narrative for affectively driven characters. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications 26, 3, 42--52.
Google Scholar Digital Library
- Aylett, R., Louchart, S., Tychsen, A., Hitchens, M. Figueiredo, R. 2008. Managing emergent character-based narrative. In Proceedings of INTETAIN.
Google Scholar Digital Library - Bartle, R. 2003. Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders, Indianapolis, IN.
Google Scholar Digital Library - Björk, S., et al. 2001. Pirates! Using the physical world as a game board. In Proceedings of the Interact Conference.Google Scholar
- Bøckman, P. and Hutchison, R. (eds.) 2005. Collected papers for Knutepunkt 2005. In The 9th Annual Nordic Conference on larp.Google Scholar
- Castronova, E. 2005. Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.
Google Scholar Digital Library - Chen, L., Rose, R., Qiao, Y., Kimbara, I., Parrill, F., Welji, H., Han, T. X., Tu, J., Huang, Z., Harper, M. P. Quek, F. K. H., Xiong, Y., Mcneill, D., Tuttle, R., and Huang, T. S. 2005. VACE multimodal meeting corpus. In Proceedings of Machine Learning for Multimodal Interaction Workshop, 40--51.Google Scholar
- Chen, L., Harper, M. P., Franklin, A., Rose, R. T., Kimbara, I., Huang, Z., and Quek, F. K. H. 2006. A multimodal analysis of floor control in meetings. In Proceedings of Machine Learning for Multimodal Interaction Workshop, 36--49.Google Scholar
- Combs, N. 2004. The intelligence in the MMOG: From scripts to stories to directorial AI. In Proceedings of Other Players, IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark.Google Scholar
- Cross, N., et al. 1996. Analysing Design Activity. Wiley, New York.Google Scholar
- Darlington, S. 1998. A history of role-playing. In Places to Go, People to Be. http://ptgptb.org/0001/history1.html.Google Scholar
- Edwards, R. 2001. GNS and other matters of role-playing theory. The Forge. http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/1/.Google Scholar
- Eladhari, M. and Eindley, C. 2004. Story construction and expressive agents in virtual game worlds. In Proceedings of Other Players.Google Scholar
- Ericsson, K. A. and Simon, H. A. 1993. Protocol Analysis: Verbal Reports as Data. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Fine, G. A. 2002. Shared Fantasy: Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.Google Scholar
- Gabriel, G. C. and Maher, M. L. 2002. Coding and modeling communication in architectural collaborative design. Automation in Construction 11, 199--211.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Hallford, N. and Hallford, J. 2001. Swords & Circuitry: A Designer's Guide to Computer Role Playing Games. Prima Tech., Roseville, CA,
Google Scholar Digital Library - Henry, L. 2003. Group narration: Power, information, and play in role playing games. http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/theory/liz-paper-2003/.Google Scholar
- Holmes, R. M. and Pellegrini, A. D. 2005. Children's social behavior during video game play. In Handbook of Computer Game Studies, J. Raessens and J. Goldstein (eds.), MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.Google Scholar
- Hutchison, A. 2003. Analyzing the performance of interactive narrative. In Proceedings of DAC.Google Scholar
- Kim, J. 2003. Story and narrative paradigms in role-playing games. http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/theory/narrative/paradigms.html.Google Scholar
- King, B. and Borland, J. 2003. Dungeons and Dreamers: The Rise of Computer Game Culture from Geek to Chic. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Google Scholar Digital Library - Lazzaro, N. 2004. Why we play games: Four keys to more emotion in player experiences. In Proceedings of the Game Developers Conference.Google Scholar
- Lindley, C. 2004. Trans-reality gaming. In Proceedings of the Second Annual International Workshop in Computer Game Design and Technology.Google Scholar
- Lindley, C. A. and Eladhari, M. 2005. Narrative structure in trans-reality role-playing games: Integrating story construction from live action, table top and computer-based role-playing games. In Proceedings of the International DiGRA Conference.Google Scholar
- MacKay, D. 2001. The Fantasy Role-Playing Game: A New Performing Art. McFarland & Co., Jefferson, NC.Google Scholar
- Maher, M. L. and Simoff, S. 2000. Collaboratively designing within the design. In Proceedings of the CoDesigning Confernce.Google Scholar
- Mäkelä, E., et al. 2005. The process model of role playing. In Proceedings of Dissecting Larp - Knutepunkt Conference. http://knutepunkt.laiv.org/kp05/.Google Scholar
- Manninen, T. 2004. Rich interaction model for game and virtual environment design. Tech. Rep., Dept. of Information Processing Science, University of Oulu.Google Scholar
- Mateas, M. 2003. Expressive AI: Games and artificial intelligence. In Proceedings of the International DiGRA Conference.Google Scholar
- Murray, J. 1997. Hamlet on the Holodeck—The Future of Narrative on Cyberspace. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Google Scholar Digital Library - Padol, L. 1996. Playing stories, telling games: Collaborative storytelling in role-playing games.Google Scholar
- Peinado, F. and Gervás, P. 2004. Transferring game mastering laws to interactive digital storytelling. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Technologies for Interactive Digital Storytelling and Entertainment, Springer Verlag.Google Scholar
- Salen, K. and Zimmerman, E. 2004. Rules of Play—Game Design Fundamentals. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Google Scholar Digital Library - Schick, L. 1991. Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-playing Games. Prometheus Books, Buffalo, NY.Google Scholar
- Searle, J. R. 1969. Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Smith, H. 2007. The imago effect: Avatar psychology. Presentation at the Game Developers Conference.Google Scholar
- Smith, J. H. 2006. Plans and purposes: How videogame goals shape player behaviour. Center for Computer Games Research. IT University of Copenhagen.Google Scholar
- Söderberg, J., Waern, A., et al. 2004. Enhanced reality live role playing. In Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Pervasive Computing.Google Scholar
- Sudweeks, F. and Simoff, S. J. 2005. Leading conversations: Communication behaviours of emergent leaders in virtual teams. In Proceedings of the 38th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.
Google Scholar Digital Library - Tauroza, S. and Allison, D. 1990. Speech rates in British English. Applied Linguistics 11, 1, 90.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Taylor, T. L. 2006. Play Between Worlds: Exploring Online Game Culture. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Google Scholar Digital Library - Tosca, S. P. 2003. The quest problem in computer games. In Proceedings of the TIDSE 03 Conference, Fraunhofer IRB Verlag.Google Scholar
- Trappl, R. 1997. Creating Personalities for Synthetic Actors: Current Issues and Some Perspectives, Springer Verlag.Google Scholar
- Tychsen, A., Hitchens, M., et al. 2005. The game master. In Proceedings of the Interactive Entertainment Conference.
Google Scholar Digital Library - Tychsen, A. 2006. Role playing games: Comparative analysis across two media platforms. In Proceedings of the CGIE Conference.
Google Scholar Digital Library - Tychsen, A. and Hitchens, M. 2006. Ghost worlds—Time and consequence in MMORPGs. In Proceedings of the TIDSE 06 Conference.Google Scholar
- Tychsen, A., Hitchens, M., et al. 2006. Control and communication in live role playing games—Review and implications for MMORPGs. In Games & Culture, 1, 252--275.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Tychsen, A., Smith, J. H., et al. 2006. Communication in multi-player role playing games—The effect of medium. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Technologies for Interactive Digital Storytelling and Entertainment, Springer Verlag.Google ScholarDigital Library
- Tychsen, A., Tosca, S., and Brolund, T. M. 2006. Personalizing the player experience in MMORPGs. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Technologies for Interactive Digital Storytelling and Entertainment, Springer Verlag.Google Scholar
- Tychsen, A., et al. 2007. Cross-format analysis of the gaming experience in multi-player role playing games. In Proceedings of the DiGRA Conference, Tokyo, Japan.Google Scholar
- Tychsen, A. 2008. Tales for the Many: Process and Authorial Control in Multi-Player Role-Playing Games. In Spierling, U. and Szilas, N. (eds.) Proceedings of the 2008 Interactive Storytelling Conference, Erfurt, Germany.
Google Scholar Digital Library - Vera, A., et al. 1998. Expertise and collaborative design. In Proceedings of CHI. ACM, New York.Google Scholar
- Wright, T., et al. 2002. Creative player actions in FPS online video games. Game Studies 2, 2.Google Scholar
- Young, M. J. 2005a. Theory 101: System and the shared imagined space. Places to Go, People to Be. http://ptgptb.org/0026/theory101-01.html.Google Scholar
- Young, M. J. 2005b. Theory 101: The impossible thing before breakfast. Places to Go, People to Be. http://ptgptb.org/0027/theory101-02.html.Google Scholar
Index Terms
Player talk—the functions of communication in multplayer role-playing games
Comments