Narrative Structure and Player Experience in Role-Playing Games

Moser, Christopher; Fang, Xiaowen

doi:10.1080/10447318.2014.986639

Cited by 32 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The presence of a narrative suggests a story with “an identifiable beginning, middle, and end that provides information about scene, characters, and conflict; raises unanswered questions or unresolved conflict; and provides resolution” (Hinyard & Kreuter, 2007, p. 778). Narrative is particularly important for enjoyment of role-playing games, and it may be a strong predictor of transportation into such games (see Mahood & Hanus, 2015; Moser & Fang, 2015). However, we think transportation into a virtual gaming world can occur for reasons to do with the perceptual or interactive experience or with other gaming elements that have little to do with the narrative quality.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Real-World Persuasion From Virtual-World Campaigns

Burrows

Blanton

2015

Communication Research

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With the general public spending increasing amounts of time in virtual gaming worlds, it is relevant to explore social influence dynamics that can occur in virtual reality settings. Three studies tested the hypothesis that transportation into a virtual game heightens susceptibility to influence from in-game health communications. Study 1 participants played a first-person shooter game that had either landscape paintings or graphic anti-DUI (drive under the influence of alcohol) messages embedded in the background of scenes. Results indicated that, to the extent gamers were transported into the virtual experiences in the game, willingness to DUI was reduced by the presence of anti-DUI graphic messages. Study 2 explored potential mechanisms driving this effect and revealed evidence that transportation disrupts counter-arguing among individuals who might otherwise resist real-world influence attempts. Study 3 replicated Studies 1 and 2 findings but also pointed to a potential “boomerang effect” that can occur when transportation is not achieved in a game. Discussion focused on the potential positive and negative consequences of embedding persuasive health communications into the background of virtual gaming worlds.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Real-World Persuasion From Virtual-World Campaigns

Burrows

Blanton

2015

Communication Research

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“…Players can feel a stronger connection to their character through the use of role-playing and story narrative (Moser, & Fang, 2015). Additionally in role-playing games players tend to connect to how the character is played rather than how the character physically looks (Shaw, 2010).…”

Section: Character Backstorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Why my Avatar looks like me: a study of identity in Dungeons & Dragons

Livingstone¹

2021

Preprint

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The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of premade characters and visual aids on character connection in the analog role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Four participants gathered together to play the game of Dungeons & Dragons once a week for one month in May 2015. After the in-game research in-person interviews were conducted and the data was then coded in NVivo for major themes in relation to character connection. Research was also pulled from auto-ethnographic reflections to round out the data. The results of the data suggest that the participants felt that character customization, narrative, character backstory, as well as visuals played an important role in their ability to build a strong connection to their gaming avatar. Join the journey of four warriors building connection to their characters as they look to close the rift in the Shadowfell of the Keep.

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“…Joyce (2015) states that when choices are offered in narrative-focused video games, players must be able to deliberate on their choices carefully and critically so their actions are the result of intent, and they must be able to understand their options and care about them. It also has been suggested that presenting the player with significant decisions makes them believe they have more choices than they might actually have (Moser & Fang, 2015)—a technique that the Mass Effect trilogy employs. An example is the suicide mission quest in Mass Effect 2 where the PC of Shepard must assign roles to various squadmates during the mission.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Is It Too Much to Ask That We’re Allowed to Win the Game?”: Character Attachment and Agency in the Mass Effect 3 Ending Controversy

Burgess

Jones

2017

Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society

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The interaction between the concepts of character attachment, agency, and choice in a video game narrative was investigated using BioWare’s Mass Effect trilogy. Posts on a BioWare forum discussing the depiction of their player characters in the ending sequences of Mass Effect 3, the final game in the trilogy, were downloaded and analyzed using thematic analysis. Players demonstrated emotional attachment for the characters and narrative and expected to see the consequences of their choices play out, as in the previous games. Furthermore, players conflated winning the game with achieving a narratively satisfactory ending for the game world and its characters indicating emotional consequences for players that developers should consider when designing games with a high degree of player choice and agency. However, for some players character attachment is incongruous as they described Shepard as “acting out of character,” which needs further research.

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Narrative Structure and Player Experience in Role-Playing Games

Cited by 32 publications

References 17 publications

Real-World Persuasion From Virtual-World Campaigns

Real-World Persuasion From Virtual-World Campaigns

Why my Avatar looks like me: a study of identity in Dungeons & Dragons

“Is It Too Much to Ask That We’re Allowed to Win the Game?”: Character Attachment and Agency in the Mass Effect 3 Ending Controversy

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