[arg_discuss] Social Interaction in ARGs

[Markus Montola]

It all depends on how you define role-play. A good definition of  
pretend play (iirc by Lillard) assumes an ordinary self, a pretended  
self and a consciousness of their differences. So if you don't know  
she is a character, you can't pretend. Of course this is not always  
simple; especially if young children play.

Usually.

Our research project (IPerG) ran a few games using a lot of pervasive  
role-play, where players were explicitly asked to treat everyone as  
part of the play. Thus, they were role-playing in their everyday  
interactions with bus drivers and clerks -- and incidentally some of  
these folks (like a real nurse working in a real hospital) turned out  
to be involved with game content.

As a result we ended up with lots and lots of gray areas between play  
and not play, often involving pretence, role-play et cetera.

We have published quite a lot on role-play, pervasive play and the  
social expansion to the ordinary world. I'm more than happy to provide  
links if anyone's interested.


Best,

  - Markus Montola -- writing a PhD. on pervasive role-play

    University of Tampere Hypermedialab
    Mobile: +358 44 544 2445


> 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

>

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