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.