[arg_discuss] Social Interaction in ARGs

[Wendy Despain]

I'm with you, Mike. I think as soon as a player treats a character as
real, which they know (or suspect) to be a fictional construct of some
kind, that puts them in the realm of roleplay. They're placing their
own persona into the game.

Also, I don't think there's really any difference between a person
playing an Orc (or Shakespeare) and themselves. The vast majority of
players are not skilled enough to behave in any manner other than
their own, if that makes sense. And this isn't bashing the player's
skill levels - it's an observation of how rare real acting talent is.
So even though the Orc mask may give them permission to loosen up and
not worry so much about what other people might think - they're still
essentially being themselves.

But I'll provide the same caveat as Mike as well. I'm no academic. So
I may just be missing the point.

Wendy


On Mon, June 23, 2008 7:53 am, Mike Monello wrote:

> I am the furthest thing from an academic you can get, but it seems to

> me that when a player knowingly interacts with a fictional character

> they have crossed the threshold into role-playing. Whether they send

> an email or

> go on a mission or more involved experience, they have made that jump

> into the game space, even if the character they've chosen is a close

> version of themselves. I don't recognize a difference between someone

> playing a character exactly like themselves in a known fiction and

> someone playing an Orc or any other fantastical creature - both are

> operating within the safety and knowledge of a fictional framework

> that allows them to make choices and play in a way that real life

> absolutely would not.

>

> Either that or I've totally missed what y'all smart folks are talkin'

> about!  :)

>

> ---

> Mike Monello

> Partner, Campfire

> http://www.campfirenyc.com

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Am 23.06.2008 um 04:50 schrieb Christy Dena:

>

>> Cool. ARGs really are about performance in so many ways.

>>

>> But that still isn't the aspect of roleplay I was talking about. I'm

>> after a definition that indicates how much the 'performance' of the

>> player differs from their everyday self. There must be a continuum

>> or

>> something that shows the difference between a player performing an

>> Orc

>> or Shakespeare on the one end and being themselves but doing

>> something

>> they have never done before on the other (and all that is in

>> between).

>> [I don't have any of my books with me and am on short periods of

>> dial-up and so can't research this myself right now.] Hmm, perhaps I

>> shouldn't of put the draft up just yet after all. :\

>>

>> Anyway, I think ARG players are usually called on to do more on the

>> 'other' end of the spectrum. But, I may be entirely wrong and so

>> would

>> love to know more. Jan sent me a great example of roleplaying in her

>> ARG. I'd love to see others.

>>

>> John Evans has actually moved all of the content into the ARGology

>> wiki. So, please, feel free to hack and add at will!:

>>

>> http://www.argology.org/wiki/index.php?title=Social_Interaction

>>

>> A start may be to add a quote from Jane's essay in the roleplay

>> section!

>>

>

>

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Wendy Despain
quantumcontent.com