Post on 07-Jan-2017
What Larp can Learn from RPG Studies
José P. Zagal (presenter) and Sebas@an Deterding University of Utah & University of York
PresentedattheLivingGamesConferenceMay20,2016,Aus>n,TX
Disclaimer “What Larp can Learn from RPG Studies”
aka-Reasonsforyoutorollyoureyesandignoreme(Jose)
Notanexperiencedlarper(I’mheretolearn)But…
I’magamescholarwithareasonableamountofexperienceI’manavidgameplayer(videogames,boardgames,tabletopRPGs,etc.)
Back Story
SpecialInterestGroup(SIG)forRole-PlayingGameStudiesMailinglist(roleplaying@digra.org)
LivelyDiscussion(secondhalfof2012)about:TeachingaclassonRPGs…whatshouldIinclude?
Whatisthe“canonical”literatureregardingroleplaying?Peopledon’tcite/referenceproperlyandforget/ignoreearlierwork!
Whythehelldon’twehaveatextbookforallthis?
(www.digra.org)
One year later…
Workshop:RoleplayingGameStudies–AHandbook
Bunchofscholarswhowantedtoworktogethertowriteabookthat:ConsolidatedscholarlyworkinRPGs
IntegratedRPGsacrosstheirdifferentforms(thiswouldbethetextbook!)
Slidespresented:h_p://www.slideshare.net/dings/digra-2013-rpg-handbook-workshop
FurtherInfo:h_p://rpghandbook.tumblr.com/
2016
• Pastfewyears…
• S.Bowman,D.Hitchens,J.T.Harviainen,D.Schules,M.Chen,J.Hammer,E.MacCallum-Stewart,E.Torner,D.Simkins,P.Williams,J.Peterson,D.Jara,K.Schrier,I.Knowles,T.Castronova,R.Bienia,S.Björk,W.White,J.Stenros,A.Brown,A.Trammel,andmore….
• Plan,outlining,wri>ng,reviewing,revisingthebook
• TobepublishedbyRoutledgein2017
“What Larp can Learn from RPG Studies”
akaWhatwe’velearnedovertheyearsaswe’veworkedonthisbook…
“What Larp can Learn from RPG Studies”
aka
Whatwe’velearnedovertheyearsasI’veworkedonthisproject…
(thatmaybeofinteresttopeopleinterestedinlarp)
RPG Studies?
• Roleplay• Roleplaying• Roleplayinggames• Roleplayers• Communi>esofroleplayers• The“ar>facts”ofroleplaying
• Roleofroleplayinsociety• Roleofroleplayinculture• Usesofroleplay• Meaningofroleplay
• Anything,everythingofroleplay
Looselyunderstoodastheanalysis,cri>que,examina>on,studyof…
RPG Studies (in the book’s context) 4“commonlyaccepted”formsinpopulardiscourse
1.TabletopRoleplay• D&D,Shadowrun,Amber,CallofCthulhu,etc.
2.ComputerRoleplay• Ul>ma,Wizardry,FinalFantasy,DragonQuest,Fallout,etc.
3. Liveac>onRoleplay• TreasureTrap,Mind’sEyeTheatre,MonitorCelestra,etc.
4.Mul>playerOnlineRoleplay• Ul>maOnline,WorldofWarcran,Everquest,EVEOnline,etc.
RPG Studies (in context of academia) Roleplayhasbeenstudiedin/bymanydisciplines1. Sociology2. Educa>on3. Economics/Business4. LiteraryStudies5. Theatre/PerformanceStudies6. Psychology7. Communica>on8. Etc.
RPGStudies
RPGStudies
RPGStudies
(Tabletop)(CRPG)(MORPG)(Larp)
Educa>on
Psychology
Etc.
RPGStudies
(Tabletop)(CRPG)(MORPG)(Larp)
Educa>on
Psychology
Etc.
The Good News
1. Your problem may have been solved elsewhere
Example1PeopledoIeffec>velydealwithtroublemakerplayersinmylarp?
Warning:Yourproblemmayhaveadifferentname,maybedescribedusingdifferentterminology,andtheterminologymightbeusedtomeandifferentthings.
DeviantbehaviorhasbeenstudiedformanyyearsinMORPGs.- Playerpsychology- Differentkindsofsolu>ons
(social,technical)- Studyofeffec>veness
1. Your problem may have been solved elsewhere
Example2HowcanIbe_erdesignandconductdebriefsforplayers?
Pyschologistshavebeenstudyinghowtomanageemo>onallychargedsitua>onsusingroleplayforyears.
1. Your problem may have been solved elsewhere
Example3Thepressalwaystalkscrapaboutourgamesandsome>mesparentsarescaredoflesngtheirkidspar>cipate.
Communica>onscholarshavestudiedhowandwhymoralpanicshappen,whatrolethemediaplays,andhowtheyhavebeenneutralizedordefused.
1. Your problem may have been solved elsewhere
Example4Makingcommerciallarpsiscomplicated,especiallybecauseofthevolunteerculturewehave.
Economistshavestudiedeconomicsoffanlabor,andpossibleexploita>onofplayersinMORPGs.LargerLarpsmayhavetostrugglewithsameissuesfairpay,poli>caleconomy,whenissomethingfanlabor,exploita>on,etc.
2. Larp is very flexible
How?Somanydifferentforms,styles,varia>ons.Why?Lackofcommon/sharedmassproducedar>facts(e.g.D&Dmanuals)
Ar>factsonenground/stabilizeevolu>onandchange“Messy”origins–“Weinventeditatthesame>measeverybodyelse”
Warning:Flexibilityhasitsownchallenges.
2. Larp is very flexible
Whatdoesthishavetodowiththeotherforms?EasiertoinnovateEasierto“steal”innova>onsanddesignsolu>onsfromotherforms
Likewhat?Mechanics,storylines,systemsforcharactercrea>on,systemsformanagingplayers,fortrackingthings,etc.
Thishasbeenhappeningforyears,butshouldn’titbeMOREwidespread?
The Bad News
3. We are our biases
Some>mesthesamelanguageisadifferentlanguage->HardertoshareE.g.Therearedifferentunderstandingsfor“immersion”,“safety”,and“security”acrosstabletop,computer,mul>playeronline,andlarp.
Everyonegeneralizesaboutroleplaying(large)fromtheperspec>veoftheirprimary"genre"(small)ofroleplaying->Hardertounderstand
Whenallyouhaveisahammer,everythinglookslikeanailCogni>vebiasisdifficulttoovercome
Warning:Gesngthebenefitsdiscussedmaybeharderthanyouthink.
Summary
1. Learningfromyour“cousins”andacademicscanhelpyoube_erunderstandwhatyoudoa. Solu>onstoproblemsb. Ideasandinnova>onstoexplorec. Adifferentperspec>vecanprovideinsightintoyourown(subtlety,nuance)
2. Theflexibilityoflarp(inplayanddesign)isanasseta. Borrowfreelyfromanything/everythingb. Easierto“standontheshouldersofgiants”
3. Reflectuponandbeawareofyourbiasesa. Theymightbegesnginyourwayinwaysyouhaven’tno>ced.
Thank you & Contact Informa@on
JoséP.ZagalUniversityofUtahJose.Zagal@Utah.edu
Imagesusedinthispresenta>onarethepropertyoftheirrespec>veowners.TheiruseherequalifiesasfairuseunderUScopyrightlawforeduca>onalpurposesandcri>calcommentary.