I declare that this dissertation/project is all my own work and the sources of information and the material I have used (including the internet) have been fully identified and properly acknowledged as required in the guidelines given in the student handbook I have received.
Student signature ………………………………………………………
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This dissertation makes an ethnographic evaluation of the role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls : Skyrim and its users to establish the aspects that create userdefined experiences. Analysis of these aspects and the users themselves provides new research into open world gaming and dynamic narratives. This dissertation aims to establish the distinct efforts of both user and developer and examines both technology and users to establish a connection between the two in the construction and fulfilment of The Elder Scrolls : Skyrim as a virtual fantasy world. This amounts to an analysis of dynamic user experiences within a virtual world and application of relevant theorists to an emerging video game genre within the ethnographic field of study.
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I would like to thank my dissertation tutor Emma Wray for all her help and support. And a special thanks to Alex, Matt, Maya, Andy and Seb for participating in my study.
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Contents Introduction
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Literature Review
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Methodology
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Textual Analysis of Skyrim
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Research Findings
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Conclusion
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Bibliography
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Appendices
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Contemporary commercial virtual realities and video game worlds, specifically openworld role-playing games, are continuing to progress technologically. How is the user experience changing as a result ?
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Introduction User experiences are changing, virtual realities and video game worlds are becoming more real, lifelike and complex. As commercial video game worlds improve, extending user interactions and diversifying gameplay to suit different users, what effect does that have on the user experience? To understand and explore this, an analysis of the role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls : Skyrim (TES : Skyrim) in conjunction with an ethnographical study of TES : Skyrim users will present new data on the current state of individual and dynamic user gaming experiences. TES : Skyrim’s “legendary freedom of choice” brings commercial open-world role-playing games to a pivotal point of game design and interactive story development. (The Elder Scrolls : Skyrim 2011).
“Skyrim re-imagines and revolutionises the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose. The legendary freedom of choice, storytelling and adventure of The Elder Scrolls is realised like never before.” (The Elder Scrolls : Skyrim 2011).
This dissertation aims to explore how commercial game user experience’s are changing. First it intends to define users using the Bartle Test of Gamer Psychology. This will describe each test subject in terms of their gaming personality. This personality defines an overarching play-style that governs the user within a virtual environment. Having defined each user using the Bartle Test the research investigation will proceed to define the same users within TES : Skyrim and comparatively analyse the results. The intention is to demonstrate the users’ original play-style and the effects of TES : Skyrim virtual environment on the user.
As TES : Skyrim offers an unsurpassed amount of freedom within the virtual environment the question arises - who is the author of the storyline? The main storyline quests and individual faction quest lines are undoubtedly designed, programmed and constructed before the user interacts with them. In this sense 8
these quests have an author. However TES : Skyrim offers many sideline quests that are randomly generated depending on the level, position and experience of the player, abdicating part of the authorship to each individual user. TES : Skyrim also offers PC users the ability to modify, change and create extra content using the Creation Kit (Bethesda Game Studios 2011a) provided by Bethesda. This abdicates authorship further as lines between user and creator become blurred.
Evan’s (2001) describes the characteristics of escapists by identifying dominant escapist personality traits of the human psyche. According to Evans the key personality types are: procrastinator, saboteur, egotist, narcissist and psychopath. Evan’s outline of personality types appears limited as it does not account for casual escapism. Instead it focuses mainly on extremes of escapism and the personality traits connected to extreme escapist behaviour. A comparison between Evan’s escapist personality types and Bartle’s Gamer Psychology (2000) profile might provide new information about the connection between reasons for escapism and psychological play-style. While Evans’s work is relevant in broad terms, it has not been investigated in the context of this dissertation. However escapism remains a pertinent element of fantasy role playing games.
“Escapism is very close to what psychology calls ‘flight from reality’ or ‘retreat from reality’. This is defined as the use of fantasy and imaginary satisfaction to avoid dealing with a harsh reality, and may be manifested in any number of ways including excessive daydreaming, inappropriate rationalisation or resorting to drugs or alcohol ” (Evans 2001, p.74)
Another aspect that will aid this dissertation in ascertaining how user experiences are changing within commercial video games is TES : Skyrim’s in game dossiers. TES : Skyrim allows users to view a large number of in-game stats generated as a result of the actions of the character. These dossiers give users the chance view themselves on a statistical level. The dossiers will also provide the statistical information that is needed to support the ethnographic evidence that will be recorded for each test subject. The research aim is to: identify the users play-style both inside and outside of TES : Skyrim, define the ‘author’ of this user specific experience, 9
ethnographically study users within the virtual environment that is The Elder Scrolls : Skyrim and finally compare recorded evidence to individual player dossiers.
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Literature Review This chapter will review and critique key concepts and theories relevant to the investigation. The Bartle Test of Gamer Psychology is a series of thirty questions designed to evaluate a player’s play-style by asking broad questions that mostly apply to Massively Multi-Player Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG). The test is based on a paper by Dr.Richard Bartle (1996) and was created by Erwin Andreasen and Brandon Downey (1999-2000). The Bartle Test results were broken down into four categories: socialiser, explorer, achiever and killer. These outline four predominant play-styles “players rarely exhibit just one form of play behaviour; they tend to mix and match styles and change behaviours over time” (Mulligan and Patrovsky 2003, p.130). The Bartle Test created a foundation for gamer psychology research, though recent contemporary studies have underlined certain limitations of The Bartle Test. Radoff (2011) looks at modernising the Bartle Categories. He explains that The Bartle categories suffer from some limitations, they exclude a wide range of motivations. “The concept of the explorer seems to overemphasise the idea of mapping out and literally exploring a landscape. These over-broad categories can complicate persona assignments and subsequent product creation.”(Radoff 2011, p.79). Bartle acknowledged some of the underlying problems within his model. He added a defining distinction between implicit and explicit players. Implicit players like to react as events unfold whereas explicit players like to plan ahead. In doing so he split the four original categories into eight allowing for both implicit and explicit: socialisers, explorers, achievers and killers. These were then redefined into to eight new categories: opportunist, hacker, friend, griever, planner, networker, politician and scientist. These new categories better define and encapsulate the nature and motivations of each player when compared to the original Bartle player types. “Players change over time as they engage with a game. Few people begin a game with an organised plan of how to succeed - that comes with experience and increasing interest. Most people start a game as something akin to Bartle’s opportunist and then morph into a planner as they become more acquainted with the rules.” (Radoff 2011, p.81). Appendix A.1 includes a table with some results from The Bartle Quotient Survey. This shows how players rate themselves in various combinations of Dr.Bartle’s four original categories. Although this test is unscientific the results from this table are interesting as it reveals how players subjectively identify themselves within a virtual environment.
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“55 - 60 % of players in both the general population and those playing for-pay games classify themselves primarily as socialisers and explorers, few people rate themselves as pure killers in most games”. (Mulligan and Patrovsky 2003, p.131). Yee (2007) is a psychological researcher who studies virtual environments for selfrepresentation and social interaction. Like Radoff, Yee has criticised The Bartle Test. “The purely theoretical model provides no means to assess players as to what Type they are. Any attempted assessment of players based on this model might be creating player types rather than measuring them” (Yee 2007 p.2). Yee has demonstrated the limitations of The Bartle Test. Yee aims not only to define player types within virtual environments but to understand and empirically ground a model that successfully analyse player types using quantitative data. Yee’s Motivations of Play in MMORPGs (2007) presents a detailed set of questions used to evaluate players. However Yee has not consolidated this information into an online version nor has he provided a method to evaluate the results. For that reason this investigation can only be undertaken using the original Bartle Test to successfully evaluate player types. This research will consider the limitations provided by Yee in the conclusion of this study. Just as Dr.Bartle has outlined the four motivations behind playing MMORPGs. Nicole Lazzaro(2004) has conducted a study into the emotional responses created by games without the use of story. The research involved an ethnographical study of hardcore, casual and non-players of computer games. “XEODesign performed a field study in which thirty adults were asked to share their thoughts and feelings while playing their favourite PC, console, handheld or internet games.” (Lazzaro 2004, p.2). Lazzaro’s study looks into the raw emotions connected with playing games. Despite Lazzaro’s lack of focus on the use of story within games, the combined efforts of Bartle and Lazzaro will provide influential information into the research of individually defined user experiences. From the data collected twelve models of player experience were created. From this Lazzaro outlined Four Keys of Fun and the emotional driving forces behind each key. The Four Keys of fun are as follows: Hard Fun, Easy Fun, Altered States and People Fun. The Hard Fun Key unlocks emotion by creating “opportunities for challenge, strategy and problem solving”.(Lazzaro 2004, p.7). This key frequently produces emotions such as: “frustration, and fiero” which means triumph over adversity. On the other hand Easy Fun generates emotional experiences of “wonder, awe and mystery”. Players become immersed and absorbed into the game through excitement and adventure. The Altered States Key mainly provides relief to players from their thoughts and feelings related to reality. “A few like to escape the real world” or “enjoy escaping the social norms”. Finally The People Fun Key allows players and users to use
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specific game mechanics in order to communicate and create social experiences. “These players enjoy the emotions of amusement ” and the social dynamics of competition and teamwork. Not only do the players enjoy the opportunity for social bonding but they also have the chance for personal recognition and identification within a virtual environment and the presence of others. (Lazzaro 2004, p.7). Digital role-playing games (DRPGs) have grown into a popular form of cultural entertainment. Originally stemming from analogue role-playing games (ARPGs) such as Dungeons and Dragons (Gygax and Arneson 1974). In ARPGs users collaboratively create rich imaginary worlds that act as a stage for the users to solve puzzles, engage in battles and express their imaginations. DRPGs such as TES : Skyrim “relieve the interactors of the responsibility for inventing the fictional world on their own”. (Hartley 2005, p.195). However establishing the true ‘author’ of a DRPG can be difficult, especially if the DRPG has an interactive and dynamic storyline. TES : Skyrim has some very unique features that most other RPGs have yet to incorporate. It contains multiple quest lines, faction quests and side quests that can be engaged in when and how the users chooses. Freedom of choice allows the users to actively decide on the actions of the user’s character. It is this freedom of choice that complicates the matter of identifying the author of TES : Skyrim. This is a crucial point TES : Skyrim’s users are authors of their own gaming experience but not the virtual environment. Computer games in their nature require programmed systems and rules that define the actions and potential interactions of the character. Previous digital role-playing games comprised of linear structures and storyline. Bethesda has changed this by creating a series of artificial intelligence systems that work intuitively together within the openworld RPG. The predominant artificial intelligence systems within TES : Skyrim are Radiant A.I and Radiant Story (Bethesda Game Studios 2011). The combination of these two artificial intelligence systems creates a dynamic gaming experience, by which I mean TES : Skyrim has the capabilities to dynamically structure miscellaneous quests around the actions of the character. Radiant Story allows any miscellaneous quest to be set in an unknown or undiscovered location. Radiant Story has the control to allocate random quests to specific non-controllable characters or (NPCs). Radiant A.I on the other hand dynamically controls the NPCs and enemies that users encounter throughout the game. Bethesda has therefore created a unique set of systems that allows the user to feel more in control. Radiant A.I does not exactly allow for more control however it reacts to the level and experience of users characters, generating a harder, more diverse array of enemies to fight. Having these A.I’s means the players are free to do what they want whilst the A.I’s dynamically structure events, situations and quest around them without affecting the narrative or continuity. TES : Skyrim is undoubtedly programmed with a system of rules and laws governing the world, however because of the
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dynamic structure of the A.I’s and the extensive list of quests available within the game Bethesda have managed to create a game where the less important quests are procedurally created depending on the previous actions and experience of the character. The author of TES : Skyrim is not the player nor the developer but the combined efforts of the two. The developer designs and programs the systems that structure and mediate the virtual environment. The player alternatively interacts with the systems engaging in quests and story bringing meaning and reason to the intended systems. Essentially without character interaction within the virtual environment the story does not exist. “Control is a very tricky problem: No control means no way to affect the story, and that puts end to our to our dream of being ‘part’ of the unfolding tale” “Finding a solution to this problem requires recognising and balancing the responsibilities, freedoms and desires of both the creators of stories and the audiences that can inhabit them” (Glassner 2004, p.18). Bethesda furthers the debate of who authors TES : Skyrim by releasing the Creation Kit (Bethesda Game Studios 2011a). “We think Skyrim modding is one of the game’s best features, and we have the best modders of any game.”(Bethesda Blog 2012). The Creation Kit allows PC users the ability to modify, change and adapt elements within the virtual environment of TES : Skyrim. Modifications, or Mods as they are known, range from small bug fixes to the inclusion of new creatures, additional systems and alternative items. Some TES : Skyrim users have therefore morphed from user to creator. Although most of these modifications are not recognised as official by Bethesda, allowing users to adapt and modify elements in the game creates a community of unofficial part time developers. Bethesda maintains an every growing relationship with its ‘modding’ community incorporating some of the best mods into the real game as it release updates. The distinction between user and developer is blurred for those PC users, however the rest of TES : Skyrim users remain in limbo between author and audience. This state will continue as more users become authors, as virtual environments allow users more and more diverse play and dynamic user experiences.
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Methodology In order to test and evaluate whether user experiences are changing as a result of technological increase, the research intends to compare a series of tests combined with an ethnographical study of users whilst playing TES : Skyrim. First the research will psychologically evaluate each gamer using The Bartle test. This will provide an unscientific yet well respected evaluation of each gamer’s psychology. The results of The Bartle Test breakdown into four main categories. These categories will help the investigation predict what each user might do once within the virtual environment of TES : Skyrim. From this point an ethnographical study of each test subject will be conducted whilst the users play within the confines of TES : Skyrim. This particular part of the test will provide the most qualitative data throughout the experiment. This study will be engaging each user in a series of open questions that aims to evaluate the users experience in terms of immersion, narrative, identification and most importantly emotion. Having evaluated each test subject both psychologically and ethnographically, The research proposes to reevaluate each subject again using The Bartle Test. The aim is not to reinforce the first results but to gauge the effects of TES : Skyrim on the test subjects psychological state. If the results change drastically from the initial test then it is a fair assumption to make that TES : Skyrim has had a psychological effect on the test subjects. An evaluation of the data collected ethnographically will help pin point the stimuli behind this change in gamer psychology. In doing so this investigation hopes to have outlined the key aspects within TES : Skyrim that have changed a user’s experience. The Bartle Test questions are aimed specifically at users from MMORPGs. However when this test was originally created the term MMORPG had not yet been invented. The test referred instead to MUD users which stands for Multi-User Dungeon or Multi-User Dimension. The Bartle Test has since been updated to incorporate new terms such as MMORPG that replace the original MUD. In doing so the test remains relevant as the evolution of role-playing games is divided and subdivided into genres and sub genres. Radoff’s analysis of The Bartle Test acknowledges specific limitations to the over broad categories of player psychology. This analysis caused Dr.Bartle to expanded the original four categories into eight with the addition of implicit and explicit players. “The 4-part version is easy to draw because it is 2D, but the 8-part one is 3D: it is therefore much harder to draw in such a way it does not collapse in a mass of lines.” (Bartle 2008). There is no known online version of the expanded Bartle test. However the definitions of each expanded category provides enough information to further evaluate each test subject according to each category. Subjects will be asked to specifically arrange
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each of the eight categories into an order they most identify themselves with. This will give an insight into each players personal identification with the eight categories within a virtual environment. Ideally this research would like to use Yee’s adaptation of The Bartle Test as an alternative to the original Bartle Test due to its basis in empirical data and expansion of Bartle’s original player types. However Yee has not provided any means for outside individuals to use his model for their own studies. This research will therefore only take Yee’s expansion of Bartle player types in to consideration. In comparison with MMORPGs such as Second Life (2003), where the user is part of a functioning online virtual society, TES : Skyrim focuses solely on the individual experience of the user rather than the combined experience of an online community. The use of TES : Skyrim will therefore be more useful than Second Life as the testing environment as the results will not be affected by people outside the testing environment. Second Life offers great potential as a platform to identify user characteristics as it is a vast and dynamic reality allowing for extensive user interaction, creation and identification. TES : Skyrim by comparison offers the same potential without the uncontrollable states of an MMORPG. TES : Skyrim also allows for both casual and noncasual escapism as opposed to devoting countless hours living, working and existing in both the real and an alternate virtual worlds. The Bartle Test evaluates the psychology of gamers by asking very literal scenario based questions in order to determine the motivations of players within each scenario. An analysis of the emotions attached to each category evaluates each player on an emotional level. Using Lazzaro’s model The Four Keys of Fun to evaluate players emotionally grounds the initial psychological motivations behind The Bartle Test in the raw emotions that users are experiencing. This helps reframe the raw emotions of the user in the psychological terms of the Bartle Test. TES : Skyrim allows users to view an abundance of player specific information. An analysis of this statistical information helps the research to identify how each player chooses to spend their time in the world of Skyrim. Recording this information from each test subject’s game right after they finish the study provides up to date user specific statistics. “Player dossiers are built to function by recording game data to validate player motivations and visually contextualise that data for a player’s consumption” (Medler 2011). The in game statistics are split into six different categories: general, quest, combat, magic, crafting and crime. Each category contains a wealth of information such as: favourite weapon, sneak attacks, creatures killed, brawls won and much more. An in depth analysis of this data is intended to reinforce conclusions drawn from the ethnographic study. Recording data is a decisive part of my ethnographical study. I have collected various types of data in order create full player profiles. “By taking extensive field
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notes and collecting artefacts (e.g. game manuals, websites, guides) and evidence (e.g. audiotapes, videotapes), the researcher can build a richer portrait of actions as they unfold” (Chia-Yuan Hung 2007). Audio recordings of the study itself have been taken so a second analysis of emotional verbal cues throughout the study can be properly recorded. In the course of the study I have asked users specific questions about the thought process behind their actions as well as the emotions that they connect to these actions. Further notes of “verbal and non-verbal emotional cues during play” (Lazzaro p. 2) will be recored. Finally I have visually recorded players dossiers from TES : Skyrim. “Dossiers also help players monitor their progress through a game by keeping aggregated totals of variables like experience, achievements earned or missions completed”(Medler 2011). Analysis of this data provide statistics to reinforce the qualitative data recorded from users whilst they play and interact with TES : Skyrim. As regards my selection of subjects, it is acceptable to select a more targeted group of test subjects if the data being collected is culturally related. Cultural data requires experts. People who “offer expert explanations and who represent the intercultural variation that we find in all societies” (Bernard 2002). As well as the consideration for non-probability sampling I must take into account sample size. In “sample size, doing two, three or four “little” cases instead of one case in depth, are not likely to increase the power of a study but unquestionably they diminish the attention that can be devoted to each case.” (Wolcott 1999). Despite this view it is necessary to analyse more than just one test subject as conclusive results need to be represented across several subjects. Sample size, age and demographic are all important aspects to be considered for the ethnography. A sample size of five is sufficient to provide conclusive results, allowing for majority numbers to represent themselves in the results. Bernard suggests that the use of experts provides more conclusive results, so the age of test subjects can be limited to those most heavily involved in the game. The age of test subjects is therefore limited between nineteen and twenty two.
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Textual Analysis of Skyrim This chapter aims to provide an overarching textual analysis of TES : Skyrim. TES : Skyrim is a single player role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and is the fifth instalment of The Elder Scrolls fantasy action series. The game takes place 200 years after the events of Oblivion (Bethesda Game Studios 2006), the previous Elder Scrolls instalment. TES : Skyrim retains the traditional open-world gameplay that is popular in The Elder Scrolls series. Players engage in the main storyline quests, faction quests, and side quests exploring all of TES : Skyrim’s mountains, dungeons, caves, cities, towns and ruins. Bethesda have dedicated themselves to creating a complete, diverse, rich, alternate virtual environment for the user to explore and identify with. The game is complete with its own history, diversity, religion, prophecy, literature, myths, legends, artefacts, treasures, rarities, magic, culture, and races. The development and detail of TES : Skyrim’s dynamic and interchangeable narrative structure demonstrates the potential of video games as virtual realities. As a result of the success of TES : Skyrim future commercial developments will be more likely to consider the variety of user interactions and the dynamics of their narrative structure in relation to the style of play. Schechner, a performance scholar, describes the live role-playing adventure Airanne’s Terror as a “unifiable realm of performance that includes ritual, theatre, dance, music, sports, play, social drama and various popular entertainments” (Schechner 1988; Lancaster 1997). According to Schechner TES : Skyrim can also be conceived as a “unifiable realm of performance”. However Schechner’s observation is limited when applied to TES : Skyrim. TES : Skyrim can not be considered a performance as the process of playing and engaging with the game are not the same as acting in a performance. Playing TES : Skyrim is closer to the mental process of reading a book although the user has complete control over the actions of the protagonist and can therefore influence the story as he or she chooses. The verisimilitude of Bethesda’s TES : Skyrim is more complete compared to earlier Elder Scrolls games such as the third game in the series, Morrowind (Bethesda Game Studios 2002) and Oblivion. To make a direct comparison between Morrowind and Skyrim would be unjust as they were developed at different times and are therefore of different qualities. TES : Skyrim is both graphically and technologically more advanced representing what can be achieved using technology today. Whereas Morrowind represents what Skyrim has developed from. As each new Elder Scrolls is released the franchise is extending the fantasy world by physically creating a new province; deepening both the context of the story and virtual environment. As the environment increases in depth, verisimilitude and historical context so must the user experience, narrative and user interaction.
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To engage in TES : Skyrim users interact with in game characters or NPCs. Interacting with NPCs reveals new information specific to each NPC. This information might be details of a potential quest, NPC backstory or offering of a services such as training in a particular skill. Interacting with NPCs comes in the form of ‘conversation trees’. Pursuing certain branches of NPC conversations will activate specific quests. Main quests advance the story of the user’s character as they learn what it means to be Dragon-born. Side quests however do not contribute to the main story but provide alternative quests and separate stories for users to engage in. The diversification of storytelling within TES : Skyrim is one of the features that makes it pivotal in open-world RPG gaming. Having a separation between main and side quests is nothing new. This technique of storytelling has been utilised in previous Elder Scrolls games. However without this the game would regress to a linear narrative where the user follows a predefined path. TES : Skyrim’s most influential feature is the freedom it gives players. The user make the decisions within the game choosing when and where to engage with quests and more importantly how to engage with them. This is an important point because the dynamics of the narrative affect the user experience. As a result of an increase in technological power and intuitive design a more dynamic narrative has been created, which leads to a more dynamic user experience. The freedom that TES : Skyrim’s gives users is what makes the game so special. This is an important feature because analysing ‘how’ this game is played as opposed to ‘why’ it is played will provide relevant information into unique user experiences such as the emotions behind the user interactions. “When it comes to storytelling in video games, I think it is taking a lot of different forms. When people go very cinematic with their storytelling it has made a ton of strides forward. We tend to not do it that way. We kind of sacrifice really tight storytelling to make the game completely wide open. Because we are just letting the player do whatever they want, so we do not know what order they are going to see things in.” (Howard 2011). Bethesda Game Studios make use of a range of technologies that expand and create a dynamic user defined experiences. The following technologies are part of the reason that TES : Skyrim is progressing user experience to a levels unseen in commercial video games. Radiant A.I.(Bethesda Game Studios 2011b) and Radiant Story(Bethesda Game Studios 2011c) combine to create dynamic content, quests, creatures, situations and much more. These technologies shall now be discussed further.
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Radiant A.I is a system that controls the intelligence exhibited by characters within the game. This artificial intelligence can be seen in both creatures and people and they way they react within the virtual environment. Radiant A.I primarily controls the behaviour of NPCs and creatures within the game. It also tracks the player’s progression through the game, remembers the status of the player’s friendship with each individual NPC and the abilities and skills each player has. Based on this information the technology generates dynamic situations constructed from previous actions and in game data of the users character. The dynamic use of this in-game data creates a new type of user experience. The user could essentially play the same quest with different characters and have varying outcomes depending on the previous decisions of the character and current play style. This affects the entire gameplay experience. The user now is encouraged to invest in their character’s personality, characteristics and status on morality whereas in previous Elder Scrolls games the player would subordinate his or her characters personality to benefit the outcome of the quest. An example of this would be if a user was asked to assassinate an innocent person. In Morrowind the player might assassinate a character without fear of consequences for his or her actions. In TES : Skyrim on the other hand if a player had worked really hard in the creation of a good and moral character the consequences of killing an innocent feel much greater. Radiant A.I has improved not only the gameplay but also justified the reasoning and personal processes of identification we go through when creating a character that we play within a virtual environment. “All societies, virtual or physical, demand that we contribute something in order to benefit from being part of it, there have to be identifiers, and without an identifier, or identity, there will be no payback” (Schroeder 2002, p.74). Another feature of Radiant A.I that has changed since Morrowind and Oblivion is the actions and tasks the people of TES : Skyrim perform. NPCs now perform a multitude of tasks that are relevant to their environment and role within the game. Each individual NPC has the ability to develop feelings about a player’s character. If a user is good friends with a specific NPC and he/she breaks into his home in the night, the NPC might offer a place to stay rather than attacking their character for breaking and entering. Or if a character is caught stealing items, the NPC will react with a different amount of hostility depending on the prior relationship between the NPC and the character. This aspect has little effect on the gameplay however in terms of creating a natural environment the effect is enormous. NPCs bring TES : Skyrim to life their backstories, and characters add depth and their actions go towards building a facsimile of a functioning society. Equally important NPCs act as a generator of user feedback. Without NPCs the virtual world would cease to exist as a simulated virtual society. “Gamer can only make sense of their roles in a game if they understand what happens directly after their actions” (Detweiler 2010, p.26). What’s interesting is the depth of society Bethesda has created with TES : Skyrim. The ethics and morality of this
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virtual society are mirrored in the development of characters and identification within a virtual world. Radiant A.I: is a very powerful in game system. Without it TES : Skyrim would not ‘feel’ the same. The dynamic artificial intelligence empowers the users. Users feel the results of their own progress mirrored within the artificial intelligence. Rather than simply have the user feel like they are personally progressing as an individual throughout the virtual environment. TES : Skyrim makes users feel as if the virtual environment is progressing with them. Additionally the more users feel connected and in tune with the environment, the longer they remain immersed and embodied within their virtual character. A dynamic structure that reacts to users actions creates more intuitive interactions and enhances the games verisimilitude, which in turn advances the user experience. Having discussed Radiant A.I. I will now introduce the second technology that is so important to TES : Skyrim’s success as a user defined experience. Radiant Story is another technology used by Bethesda to create dynamic gameplay. In conjunction with Radiant A.I, Radiant Story looks at where your character has been, what your character has discovered and what still remains to be found. This information allows the technology to dynamically place side story quests in undiscovered locations. With the combination of Radiant Story and Radiant A.I Bethesda have created a sophisticated storytelling and gameplay experience. TES : Skyrim is pivotal in open-world RPG gaming because of this new way of thinking when approaching the development of games. Rather than designing levels or linear story-lines for the user to follow, Bethesda create a world in which the user can engage and explore. As well as the use of dynamic quests and intelligent NPCs Bethesda have gone a step further in creating a more complete virtual environment. Throughout the game the player is faced with several confrontational conversations in which they decide how to react. The choices are: persuade, intimidate, bribe or brawl. An example of this would be if a bridge was blocked by some bandits, the bandits approach your character proclaiming that this bridge is theirs and your character will have to pay a fee to cross. Users can persuade them into letting their character across, intimidate them into letting their character across, bribe them into letting their character across or challenge them to a brawl and win a fist fight to earn their character’s way across. Each option allows for different styles of play and relies on individual skills that govern the success of each persuasion method. Aside from affecting the outcome these choices allow for the user to think about how they want to portray themselves as a character within TES : Skyrim. Choosing to be intimidating might provoke an unwanted fight to the death whereas bribing might avoid this for a small fee. Brawling might earn or lose your character respect depending on the outcome of the fight whereas persuading might again avoid unwanted confrontation using the power of speech craft. Choosing how a character reacts to certain situations
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within the virtual environment defines the personality and characteristics of a character. Bethesda have created sophisticated conversations that make the user consciously think about the personality and nature of their character. An “achievement” is available for users who “successfully persuade, bribe and intimidate” (The Elder Scrolls Wikia) NPCs within the game, rewarding the user. However it is the implied personality of the character that essentially determines how the user chooses to respond. “The speech skill allows you to more effectively persuade people and to barter with shopkeepers. Perks in this skill allow you to get better deals when trading, and make it more likely for a persuasion or intimidation attempt to succeed”. (The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Wiki 2011). “The self is something which has a development; it is not initially there, at birth, but arises in the process of social experience and activity, that is, develops in the given individual as a result of his relations to that process as a whole and to other individuals within that process” (George Herbert Mead 1967, p.135). With all RPGs comes a system that determines the outcome of an action. This is called a level system and it aggregates data based on the character’s actions, weapons, amour, skill level and natural abilities. TES : Skyrim’s level system has evolved from its predecessors. Morrowind and Oblivion both had very complex level systems which did not cater for inexperienced users. TES : Skyrim on the other hand has simplified this and changed the way users increase specific skills. Previous games made the user choose where he or she wanted to progress. On progressing a choice of skill improvements was offered every time the character levelled up. This does not relate to real life, where people progress by doing and learning from experience. TES : Skyrim however increases skill levels as the skill is used. The rewards of increasing a skill happens in real time. The more your character uses two-handed weapons, or any other skill, within the game the more the skill increases. The player has the choice of eighteen skills separated into three major categories which relate to the different playing styles. The three main playing styles are: The Mage, The Thief and The Warrior. Players are able to increase any of the eighteen skills, it is just a matter of selecting the right spell, weapon or item to increase the intended skill. Where the user decides to increase a skill is up to them. This makes for very intuitive gameplay as user character develops according to the playing style of the user. This new development of adaptive levelling is the future of open-world RPGs as it is less intrusive, more natural and most importantly does not disrupt the gameplay because it is achieved in real time. Once a player’s overall level increases they are given the chance to
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choose a perk from a set of skills known as (skill trees). Each of the eighteen skills has its own skill tree. As the user increases individual skills they can select perks to unlock new abilities specific to each skill. Fallout 3 (Bethesda Game Studios 2008) was a free roaming RPG created by Bethesda and in some ways is very similar to TES : Skyrim. Fallout made use of a Perk System that would award bonus features and character abilities every time a player levelled up. TES : Skyrim has incorporated this very system into its own gameplay. In doing so it has added additional rewards for the user to aspire towards. The user now has both the real-time achievements of playing with specific items and of making a personal selection once the character has levelled up to progress them in their favourite skill or play-style. The combination of these two systems creates a very personal gaming experience. The character is defined by how the user plays and is reinforced by allowing the user to extend their abilities by selecting skill specific perks as a reward. Perks are limited and can only be chosen if a character has the skill to use them. This maintains a consistent need to progress and level up so the user can access the higher level perks. The overall effect of the two skill systems combined creates a natural levelling system that users can understand and relate to. But what does this indicate in terms of dynamic user experience? Each user no longer has to predefine a character or play-style, unlike Morrowind or Oblivion, TES : Skyrim allows users to change and adapt their style of play throughout the game. Users no longer have to create multiple game saves in order to experience all aspects of play and interaction, users simply have to change the way they act and react. This represents a change in user experience. Instead of users working around the game, by creating multiple characters and save files, the game works around the actions of the character becoming more adaptive and less intrusive. “I really like how the character system came out, how you progress through the game and pick perks. We tried to do something very different there this time and we really like how it plays in the game. You feel like you are being rewarded for how you are playing and the choices you are making when it comes to your character and your skills.� (Howard 2011). An increasingly important part of any RPG is character development or customisation. Users have a choice of what they want to look like and what race they want to be. There are several races within TES : Skyrim each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The user has a choice of up to ten races: High Elf (Light Skinned Elf), Argonian (Reptile Humanoid), Wood Elf(Light Skinned Elf), Breton (Human), Dark Elf (Dark Skinned Elf), Imperial (Human), Khajiit (Feline Humanoid), Nord (Human), Orc (Mythical Humanoid), Redguard (Human). Each race has unique abilities that can affect and change how the user plays. Most players choose a specific race depending on their
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intended play-style. An example of this would be if a character wishes to use a lot of magic they will most likely be a High Elf or a Dark Elf because they are both naturally gifted with magic and start with additional magic spells and abilities. Character creation is a very large part of the process and there are many factors involved when creating one. Users need to feel a connection between the character and themselves. When analysing users within TES : Skyrim the research needs to take into account the importance of identification. TES : Skyrim is the home to the Nords who are a race of Nordic Humans. Most Nords within TES : Skyrim harbour resentment, racism and prejudice against most other races and specifically all non-human races. The Nords openly share their resentment of the non-human races. Having racism and prejudice within the game further completes the reality. Racism and prejudice within TES : Skyrim are factors keeping it in a state of disruption and turmoil and it can support a character’s personality. If the user is a Dark Elf and a local Nord is being openly racist towards Dark Elves, how does your character react? Does your character openly challenge him to a brawl settling your differences with a good old fashioned fist fight or does your character persuade him that he is wrong and that he should change his views? How users react does not matter. What matters is the process of discourse within the game that make users think and challenge the perspectives of the fantasy character. This dissertation highlights the core fundamental aspects that make TES : Skyrim a pivotal point in single player role playing game design. The textual analysis has demonstrated TES : Skyrim’s unique features: level of world detail, dynamic narrative, freedom, Radiant A.I, Radiant Story, intuitive perk system, character customisation, societal construct and improvements from its predecessors. These elements have all played a part in the commercial success of TES : Skyrim and will be re assessed throughout the ethnography.
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Research Findings In this next section an analysis of individual users first and second Bartle test results will be compared against one another. This analysis will focus specifically on each user’s results in relation to TES : Skyrim. A further analysis of the combined Bartle Tests results will widen the field of study to include an over arching view of TES : Skyrim users. This second analysis will be looking for common trends and patterns within the results of the users. Following this is an analysis of the ethnographical results recorded during TES : Skyrim play sessions. A compilation of ethnographic results from all users will be presented in order to examine them for patterns in their experiences and emotions. The results from the individual Bartle Tests provided insight into the psychology of each user. Combined with the ethnography and dossiers gathered from TES : Skyrim play sessions full profiles for each user were created. This profile helped predict how users would react and gave a dominant play style and psychological standpoint from which to evaluate each user. Many users were shown to have one dominant play style. Or a style of play more frequently used than any other. This play style varied in percentage for each user. A.Lane’s first Bartle Test (See B.1) showed that his dominant play style was Explorer with 80%. On the other hand M.Lane’s first Bartle Test (See B.2) showed that his dominant style of play was Killer with 80%. Alternatively Aitken’s first Bartle Test (See B.5) showed two dominant styles of play, Killer with 73% and Achiever with 73%. If this trend of two dominant styles of play continued on the second Bartle Test consideration for the possibility that users have more than one dominant play style would have to be taken. Aitken’s second Bartle Test however showed a change in the Killer and Achiever percentages. Both percentages increased although the Killer percentage increased 14% more than the Achiever percentage. This relates back to my previous point that user demonstrate a single dominant play style, at any one time although this dominant play style can switch many times within each session of play. An unexpressed prediction from this research was that most users would experience a change in percentage throughout all of the Bartle categories. This prediction was initially made because I believed TES : Skyrim would facilitate all categories within the Bartle Test. The results show that this was not the case. Some users categories did not change at all between the first and second Bartle test. A.Lane’s Explorer and Achiever percentages remained the same for both tests. Correspondingly M.Lane’s Explorer and Killer categories showed no change between the first and second tests. Another test subject to exhibit this trend is Touch (See B.3), however Touch exhibited change in three categories as opposed to two. Three of the five test subjects showed no change in at least one
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of the Bartle categories between the first and second test. Only one of the categories saw a complete change between the first and second Bartle test results across all users. This category was the Socialiser. An explanation for this could be that TES : Skyrim allows users to fulfil three of the four Bartle Test categories whilst playing. TES : Skyrim is a single player RPG, users have no real social interaction despite the best efforts of Bethesda to create believable NPCs and natural dialog trees. This lack of social interaction might be the critical aspect in creating such a consistent change in all users in the Socialiser category. Considering there was no real social interaction and users were able to experience three of the four Bartle categories within TES : Skyrim, the result of this change in the Socialiser category could have arisen because of the lack of social interaction, which would then be reflected in the Bartle Test results. This conclusion is very speculative however. Users who started with a high Socialiser percentage experienced a decrease between the first and second Bartle Test. Whereas users with a low Socialiser percentage experienced an increase in the percentage of the Socialiser category. The users with high Socialiser percentage might have been sensitive to the lack of real social interaction, hence the decrease in Socialiser category scores. Users whose scores in the Socialiser category rose started with low percentage and therefore might not require the same level of social interaction in order to be fulfilled in the same way. Interestingly the most common result from both the Bartle test results was Killer followed by Explorer, Achiever and finally Socialiser. Original predictions, based on the online Bartle Test, suggested the most common result to be Explorer. Of 725,000 users that haven taken the online version of the Bartle Test, the most common result being Explorer. (GamerDNA). An interpretation of this result could be that TES : Skyrim facilitates the Killer play style more than any other. Alternatively this research has presented the Socialiser category as the least facilitated category in TES : Skyrim. TES : Skyrim is shown to utilise three of the four Bartle Test categories. To improve user motivations behind gameplay in TES : Skyrim Bethesda might consider rounding the motivations of the Socialiser category to allow more socially driven users the ability to fulfil this category. All test subjects positively defined themselves as explicit players. Explicit players like to plan ahead as opposed to reacting as events unfold. Perhaps the correlation between explicit players is affected by TES : Skyrim. Because TES : Skyrim is such a sophisticated open game and vast virtual environment users have developed into explicit players despite their original preference. All user had previously engaged with TES : Skyrim before the tests were performed. Implicit players and implicit play is typical of games with a linear narrative and single storyline. Users have no choice but to follow the path laid before them reacting to events as they unfold. TES : Skyrim offers users the chance to play Explicitly, creating complex plans to achieve a multitude of tasks at
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once. “If they are small quests I like to complete several at one time usually depending on their location.” (A.Lane 2012). “Depending on the current goal or quest, I go through phases, so I will choose to do loads of the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood and then I will focus on the Mages Guild quests” (Aitken 2012). A.Lane’s and Aitken’s answers provide evidence that play is explicit and not implicit. The Bartle test results suggest that TES : Skyrim owes its success as a commercial video game to the fact that it incorporates three of the four Bartle categories, or six of the eight extended Bartle categories, and the associated motivations of play into its structure. An
improvement upon this might be to enhance the social interaction available for TES : Skyrim users to fully encompass all aspects of motivation suggested by Bartle. Most importantly however is the ethnography conducted in between the Bartle Tests. This research presents the most valuable qualitative data for this dissertation. Users ethnography gave prominence to TES : Skyrim and the relevant collective aspects that unify this game into successful virtual world that facilitates user defined experiences.
This next section looks at common themes arising from the ethnography session. The following elements under discussion are character creation, Radiant A.I and Radiant Story, emotion during play and user interactions. During the ethnography sessions users were asked a number of open questions. Two of these questions were centered around character creation. The first question asked users their reason for choosing the race of character. Users had multiple reasons for their choices most of which stemmed from their intended play style. However some users established complex social reasons for their choices. “I weighed up all the other races, and I just felt it fitted better into the experience of the game because the land of Skyrim is a Nord place. It is like with Oblivion, it was set in an imperial setting so I just felt it was more fitting. Plus a Nord fitted better into the scenery” (Touch 2012). Touch not only makes decision based on his characters looks but based on what he
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knew prior to the games release. Touch made a complex decision based on the race of the inhabitants of TES : Skyrim and his potential experience within that world. Touch wanted the most from his experience so decided to choose the race most accepted by the people of TES : Skyrim. Alternatively M.Lane made decisions based on the character that would receive the most grief from the inhabitants of TES : Skyrim. “I like being different from the average player. I know that most people will choose an elf or human for this game, I like the more abstract creatures such as the Argonians or the Khajiits. You get a bit of racism from the NPCs but his just gives you a valid reason for destroying them” (M.Lane 2012). M.Lane’s profile shows that his play style is very confrontational. For these reasons M.Lane has chosen a non-humanoid character. Argonians are a cross between lizard and human, they have special reptile abilities such as water breathing and resistance to disease. “Argonians are most notable for being clearly different from the other races, and in how they are typically portrayed as an oppressed minority, which may suit some players' role-playing tastes.” (The Elder Scrolls Wikia). The second question users were asked in relation to their character creation was if their character is a hyper extension, unrealistic or hyper-real version of themselves. The majority of users designed their characters physically to be a virtual extension of themselves. However some users had other reasons for the designs of their characters. M.Lane’s response “I do not look like a Lizard man in real life. So I have not designed him based on looks but the personality I inflict on him is a total exaggeration of my own personality” (M.Lane 2012). A.Lane on the other hand says “he looks like me although he has a mohican I would never have a mohican in real life but I feel that in a virtual world I am allowed to express my inner fantasies through a more outrageous character.”(A.Lane 2012). A.Lane inadvertently expresses some of the reasons for playing TES : Skyrim relating his experience to inner fantasies. This information shows TES : Skyrim allows users to effectively role play. TES : Skyrim’s character creation is essential in creating natural role play through individually designed characters. This is crucial to the fulfilment of virtual characters and user defined experiences.
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Throughout the ethnography session users highlighted the importance of both Radiant A.I and Radiant Story in relation to their experiences. Considering these technologies as the source of enjoyment, immersion and dynamic interaction that defines the experience that is so unique to TES : Skyrim. “Another of my favourite aspects is Radiant A.I and Radiant Story and the randomness they generate as A.I’s.”(Touch 2012). M.Lane describes the effects of Radiant A.I and Radiant Story in comparison between his own game and his brother’s. “My brother Alex Lane is also playing Skyrim and we regularly compare the quests and missions we have done seeing the differences created by the character and play style.” (M.Lane 2012). Alternatively Aitken notes specifically the randomly generated Thieves Guild quests to be the most immersive elements for her. “Sneaking, stealing, pickpocketing, altering numbers in business ledgers and doing all the other types of thieving quests” (Aitken 2012). Emotions felt during play are crucial to the gaming experience. If there is no emotional attachment between the character or the story the user is detached and separated from the game itself. The more users feels attached to the character and the story the more they can relate and empathise with the virtual world. Users describe the emotions they feel when they play to specific situations. “I mostly feel exited when I am just walking around because you never know what you are going to find. I feel anger and rage when I am fighting but that is mostly acting, I am not actually feeling these emotions I am empathising with my character which is an extreme version of myself unrestricted by law or society. I would never act how I do in Skyrim but it is fun to do so in a virtual world.” (M.Lane 2012). M.Lane relates his experiences within the game to a connection between his character and himself. What M.Lane’s character experiences so does M.Lane through emotional empathy and a connection to his character. Wrigley on the other hand provides slightly more detail in to the various emotions he feels during play. “Excitement mostly, satisfaction of killing people, tension and suspense when sneaking and frustration when it glitches”(Wrigley 2012).
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Wrigley’s detail places emotion into virtual situations. Wrigley description of the emotions he feels relates closely to the emotions identified by Lazzaro. Wrigley’s frustration relates to fiero which Lazzaro describes as triumph over adversity. Other users described a progression of emotions from the start of their experience. “I think when I started the game I had fear for loads of strong enemies, I would see a giant and think oh shit oh shit oh shit. But now I just find it fun because I am not scared of anything in the game my character is really hardcore”.(Touch 2012). Touch’s point specifically presents his progression as a character developing from an implicit reactor to explicit player. This is an important point as users have provided personal insight into the inter relationships created between themselves and their virtual character. Finally analysis of user interactions in conjunction with the ethnographical results from test subjects will complete the findings of this dissertation. Aitken describes her favourite elements as “all the extra bits like alchemy and enchanting because they do not help in the main quests they are just there for fun. I just like playing and experimenting with them. The less serious side of play” (Aitken 2012). Another question that users answered is what maintains your immersion after a few hours of play. Users replied with “again the interaction is what immerses me. If I come across something new I am hooked straight back into the game”(M.Lane 2012). “Skyrim’s storytelling, and the continuity you feel as a player. Morrowind could sometimes create times were you would not know what to do or you would feel a bit lost because you have not had any interaction for ages. Skyrim fixes this by keeping the player involved and immersed in the game. You encounter more animals and creatures and enemies throughout the world. Dragons are the biggest immersion in the game. They surprise you and keep you on your toes.” (A.Lane 2012).
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Conclusion In conclusion commercial open world role playing games are changing user experiences. Games such as TES : Skyrim have created a new type of intuitive gameplay, user interactions and dynamic storytelling allowing users to create and shape their own experiences within a virtual environment. This dissertation took an innovative approach in its investigation. By using principles of ethnographic research, this dissertation reapplied the Bartle Test, with considerations to Yee and Radoff modernisation's. This research has applied updated concepts and theories to a pivotal game and its users. It challenged the Bartle Test and its updating in the light of today’s user experience to consider whether it remains relevant. The ethnography confirms a number of factors. Firstly players exhibit one dominant or preferred play style which changes frequently throughout a play session. TES : Skyrim users score well in three of the four Bartle categories. Expanding to allow more social aspects would enhance user motivation for more socially orientated users. The Bartle Test results demonstrated the Killer play style as the most common for users within TES : Skyrim. TES : Skyrim effectively motivates the Killer play style. Unexpectedly all users claimed to be explicit players meaning they plan their actions before executing them. Such a positive correlation therefore suggests that TES : Skyrim develops users from implicit to explicit. “Most people start a game as something akin to Bartle’s opportunist” which is implicit “and then morph into a planner as they become more acquainted with the rules.” which is explicit. Detailed character creation plays a large part in this experience of playing TES : Skyrim and helps users build a connection to their character. This research has revealed empathy as a crucial emotion within games and the connection between user and character. TES : Skyrim successfully allowed users to effectively role play. User ethnography consistently represented Radiant A.I and Radiant Story as key elements in user defined experience. The structured randomness provides variety and pacing to the virtual world. Users frequently comment throughout gameplay on creatures and situations they encounter. Its is this random potential that keeps users exploring, killing, achieving and socialising because they never know what they might discover. User experiences are changing. The evidence of this is heavily demonstrated by TES : Skyrim. Ethnography has delivered pertinent qualitative data into the conclusion of this dissertation. Presenting user’s: interactions, emotions, character development and embodiment, motivations of play, role as both an author and an audience member and finally a role within a dynamic narrative as being the pillars of a user defined experience.
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Bibliography Andreasen, E.A. and Downey, B.D., 2000. Andreasen. Available from: http:// www.andreasen.org/mud.shtml [Accessed 18 December 2011]. Bartle, R.B., 1996. Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players Who Suit MUDs. Available from: http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm#1 [Accessed 2 January 2012]. Bartle, R.B., 25 November 2008. 8 Types. The Everyday Blog of Richard Bartle. Available from: http://www.youhaventlived.com/qblog/2008/QBlog251108B.html [Accessed 26 December 2011]. Bernard, H.R.B., 2006. Research Method in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. USA : AltaMira Press. gStaff, gStaff., 2012. Bethesda Blog: News on The Creation Kit and Game Updates. Available from: http://www.bethblog.com/2012/01/19/news-on-the-creation-kit-andgame-updates/ [Accessed 15 February 2012]. Bethesda Game Studios, ., 2011. The Elder Scrolls : Skyrim. Blu-Ray Disc. USA: Bethesda Softworks. Bethesda Game Studios, ., 2011. The Elder Scrolls : Oblivion. Blu-Ray Disc. USA: Bethesda Softworks. Bethesda Game Studios, ., 2002. The Elder Scrolls : Morrowind. Blu-Ray Disc. USA: Bethesda Softworks. Bethesda Game Studios, ., 2008. Fallout 3. Blu-Ray Disc. USA: Bethesda Softworks. Detweiler, C.D., 2010. Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games With God. Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press. Evans, A.E., 2001. This Virtual Life Escapism and Simulation in Our Media World. London: Fusion Press. GamerDNA,., 2006. GamerDNA. Available from: http://www.gamerdna.com/quizzes/ bartle-test-of-gamer-psychology [Accessed 20 October 2011]. [Accessed 11 November 2011].
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Glassner, A.G., 2004. Interactive Storytelling: Techniques for 21st Century Fiction. Canada: A.K. Peters. Gygax, G.G. and Arneson, D.A., 1974. Dungeons & Dragons. Available from: http:// www.wizards.com/dnd/ [Accessed 28 December 2011]. Hartley, J.H., 2005. Creative Industries. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Howard, T.H., 2011. Technology. Todd Howard, The Game Director of Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Talks About the Golden Age of Video Games. Available from: http://www.news.com.au/technology/gaming/todd-howard-the-game-director-ofbethesdas-the-elder-scrolls-skyrim-talks-about-the-golden-age-of-video-games/storye6frfrt9-1226187566420 [Accessed 5 November 2011]. Hung, C.Y.H., 2007. Video Games In Context: . An Ethnographic Study Of Situated Meaning-Making Practices Of Asian Immigrant Adolescents In New York City. Available from: http://www.digra.org/dl/db/07312.06116.pdf [Accessed 5 January 2012]. Lancaster, K.L., 1997. Warlocks and Warpdrive: Contemporary Fantasy Entertainments With Interactive and Virtual Environments. North Carolina: McFarland & Company. Lazzaro, N.L., 2004. Why We Play Games : Four Keys to More Emotion Without Story. Available from: http://xeodesign.com/xeodesign_whyweplaygames.pdf [Accessed 27 December 2011]. Linden Research, P.R., 2003. Second Life. Online: Linden Research. Mead, G.H.M., 1967. Mind, Self and Society: From The Standpoint of a Social Behaviorist. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Medler, B.M., 2011. Player Dossiers: Analyzing Gameplay Data As A Reward. Available from: http://www.gamestudies.org/1101/articles/medler [Accessed 2 January 2012]. Mulligan, J.M. and Patrovsky, B.P., 2003. Developing Online Games: An Insider’s Guide. USA: New Riders Publishing. Radoff, J.R., 2011. Game On: Energize Your Business With Social Media Games. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing. Scehechner, R.S., 1988. Performance Theory. New York: Routledge.
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Schroeder, R.S., 2002. The Social Life of Avatars: Presence and Interaction in Shared Virtual Environments. Great Britain: Springer. Wolcott, H.F.W., 1999. Ethnography: A Way Of Seeing. USA : AlterMira Press. Wiki, Anon., 2011. The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Wiki: Skyrim: Speech. Available from: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Speech [Accessed 6 November 2011]. Wikia, Anon., 2011. The Elder Scrolls Wiki: Skyrim: Speech. Available from: http:// elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Speech [Accessed 7 November 2011]. Yee, N.Y., 2007. Motivations of Play in MMORPGs. Results from a Factor Analytic Approach. Available from: http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/pdf/3-2.pdf [Accessed 3 January 2012].
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Appendices A.1 Bartle Quotient Overall Totals
Combination Play
Combination of Three
1. E 30% (33967)
1. SE 16% (18043)
1. SEA 12% (13727)
2. S 25% (28027)
2. ES 14% (16549)
2. ESA 10% (12044)
3. K 22% (25016)
3. KA 12% (13760)
3. EAS 9% (10318)
4. A 22% (24916)
4. EA 12% (13606)
4. KAE 6% (7433)
5. AK 8% (8994)
5. KAS 5% (6327)
6. AE 7% (7962)
6. AKE 4% (5194)
7. AS 7% (7960)
7. AES 4% (5180)
8. KE 5% (6588)
8. ESK 4% (4505)
9. SA 4% (5554)
9. SEK 3% (4316)
10. KS 4% (4668)
10. ASE 3% (4312)
11. SK 3% (4430)
11. KEA 3% (4226)
12. EK 3% (3812)
12. AKS 3% (3800) 13. SAE 3% (3741) 14. ASK 3% (3648) 15. EAK 2% (3288) 16. SKE 2% (2835) 17. AEK 2% (2782) 18. KSE 2% (2686) 19. KES 2% (2362) 20. EAK 1% (2116) 21. KSA 1% (1982) 22. SAK 1% (1813) 23. ESK 1% (1696) 24. SKA 1% (1595)
From the “Measuring the Bartle Quotient� web site, http://www.andreasen.org/bartle/ , March 4, 2002 at 2:28pm EST. Abbreviations E = explorer, S = socializer, A = achiever, K = killer. The numbers in parentheses represents the total number of respondents scored in that percentile. The Combination Play column represents the total percentage of players scored by combination players, such as socializer/explores (16% of the total respondents). The Combination of Three column represents an even finer gradation of play, such as 12% of the total respondents showed elements of socializer, explorer and achiever in play style. As of the date and time this sample was taken, there had been a total of 111,926 respondents included in this composite.
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B.1 Alex Lane Bartle Test Results
Test Subjects
Explorer
Achiever
Socializer
Killer
Alex Bartle 1:
80%
67%
13%
73%
Alex Bartle 2:
80%
67%
20%
40%
Difference
0%
0%
+7%
-33%
B.2 Matt Lane Bartle Test Results
Test Subjects
Explorer
Achiever
Socializer
Killer
Matt Bartle 1:
47%
60%
13%
80%
Matt Bartle 2:
47%
53%
20%
80%
Difference
0%
- 7%
+ 7%
0%
B.3 andy Touch Bartle Test Results
Test Subjects
Explorer
Achiever
Socializer
Killer
Andy Bartle 1:
73%
47%
33%
60%
Andy Bartle 2:
47%
60%
47%
60%
Difference
-26%
+13%
+14%
0%
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B.4 Seb Wrigley Bartle Test Results
Test Subjects
Explorer
Achiever
Socializer
Killer
Seb Bartle 1:
87%
47%
67%
20%
Seb Bartle 2:
67%
73%
27%
53%
Difference
-20%
+26%
-40%
+33%
B.5 Maya Aitken Bartle Test Results
Test Subjects
Explorer
Achiever
Socializer
Killer
Maya Bartle 1:
60%
73%
60%
73%
Maya Bartle 2:
33%
87%
33%
107%
Difference
-27%
+14%
-27%
+34%
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Transcriptions Andy Touch: “I weighted up all the other races, and I just felt it fitted better into the experience of the game because the land of Skyrim is a Nord place. It’s like with Oblivion, it was set in an imperial setting so I just felt it was more fitting.A Nord fitted better into the scenery” “The Warrior and Mage because I started out as a Nord and Nords are Warriors and they get boosted Warrior attributes at the start of the game. The warrior is quite a boring class to play cause you just whack stuff, it’s not really got any skill, so I am sort of edging towards The Mage which doesn't fit my character but has more skill involved” “I do have two separate sets of armor one for The Warrior and one for the Mage” “I play multiple styles, my character at all times has different outfits that I can change into depending on the style of play I am currently using round my character off” “improved graphically, it’s also got more choice and you get rewarded for sticking with a particular play style” “almost as if they have just multiplied Oblivion by 10 in terms of detail in all areas” “my favorite types of games are FPS games, the first person view really involves you in the game. Skyrim lets you choose between first and third person view, whats attracted me to Skyrim is it’s your character and if you want to go do something you can, there is so much choice” “you are playing the character you want to be.” “Radiant A.I and Radiant Story and the randomness they generate as A.I’s. And how big the game is”. “Destruction, One-handed and Alchemy” “Dark-brother Hood because it was in Oblivion and I really enjoyed in Oblivion quests” “I finished the main storyline about 5 hours ago and I will return to play every now and then but I think my character is way to strong” “I don’t want to start again, I might as well continue with this character and max out his stats” “if I was to start it again I would defiantly change my play style to Mage for a new a different experience” “The only quests I have done are quests that reward you with special items” “Stormcloaks cause they are Nords and that fits my character better than imperial” “The Drunken quest was really good cause it was really real and different from the other quests” “The setting and location of Black-reach” “I think when I started the game I had fear for loads of strong enemies, I would see a giant and think oh shit oh shit oh shit. But now I just find it fun cause I am not scared of anything in the game my character is really hardcore”. “multiple mini quests on the go at any one time,but if it’s a main quest and there is a big reward I will complete the quest line in order to get the reward ” “all the subtle element in the game: the wind, your footsteps, the sound effects, the music fits so well, you actually want to be an epic adventurer whilst the music is playing” “it’s like something out of LOTRs” “when I come back to a location and there are signs of my existence such as a Dragon skeleton” “that is a massive immersion point for me” “No I designed my character to look like an average Nord. He doesn’t reflect elements of myself”
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Maya Aitken: “I am a Thief and a Mage, I didn’t think I would be a Thief at first because I really wanted to be a Mage but most of the fun I have had has been sneaking around, stealing stuff and killing people” “The Thieves Guild and The Dark Brotherhood have been my favorite quests over the Mages Guild which surprised me because I thought I would like the Magicy side of things and I thought I would be a really good person but half the fun is doing bad things and not getting caught” “Depending on the current goal or quest, but I go through phases, so I will choose to do loads of Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood and then I will focus on the Mages Guild quests” “No but I would like to now” “I never ever thought I would say that ” “Advertising, the graphics looked really cool and they made it look like you were the main character in LOTRs which is awesome cause I love that” “I hadn’t heard abouth the other games” , “they seem a little bit nerdier ” “Skyrim feels a bit more accessible to everyone ” “all the extra bits like alchemy and enchanting because they don’t help in the main quests they are just there for fun. Well they do help you a bit by making you better at things but I just like playing and experimenting with them.” “The less serious side of it” “it is almost like your character can have a hobby” “Destruction, Archery, Sneaking” “College of Winter-hold” “because I wanted to become a Mage first and the game points you in this direction early on in the game” “Second Act” “I would search online for extra items and hidden places to find and explore. essentially I would round and complete my character making them as strong as possible” “Persuade because it increases the speech and you don’t lose any money or get bounty or get into trouble” “No not yet I probably become a Werewolf after the main storyline, people won’t treat you differently where as at the end of the end of the storyline I don’t care ” “Haven’t yet but I would choose the Stormcloaks because they seem like the underdogs and the imperial guards are proper assholes ” “The randomly generated side quests of the The Thieves Guild ” “Sneaking, stealing, pickpocketing, altering numbers in business ledgers and doing all the other types of thieving quests” “excitement though not all the time, sometimes it can feel like ordinary life, going to the market when suddenly a dragon comes ” “when I first started playing I panicked whenever I saw a dragon however now I know that I can kill it easily ” “Single I really like completing a whole line of quests it is really stratifying ” “alchemy, everything, enchanting, shouts are one of the most exciting things when you find a wall and learn a new word of power” “the fact that there is so many quests and different storyline s to engage in” “My character is an unrealistic elven version of myself, If I lived in Skyrim this is what I would look like” Soul Trap Enchanted Ebony Bow/ Chain Lightning / ICE FORM / HEALING you can fill a soul gem from far away and not engage in battle / drains magic and effective against dragons because it bounces between multiple enemies / if there is more than one enemy you can freeze him to concentrate on the other enemies / cause it had instant effect and you can save yourself from dying right at the last moment. “NO i haven’t found a good enough looking male character I am considering becoming a lesbian in the game cause the females are much hotter ” “90”
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Seb Wrigley: “Sraen” “he is a continuation of a character that I had in Morrowind” “I loosely role play, i don’t really think about it specifically but since I know the world really world I create a backstory for my character” “I am not making an entire novel, my character is roguish he is from Morrowind because he is a Dark Elf, he is a Ashlander” “because I love stabbing stuff in the face and stabbing people in the back, it gives me the best blend for any situation, I can sneak and pick enemies off and if I am out in the open and someone jumps out at me I fend them off” “I find the stealth aspect really fun” “switch depending on the current goal ” “I do use magic a bit but only for healing” “NO just one file so far ” “I will do another one later and it will probably be a really mage based character” “Just to experience everything in the game ” “I will play it differently I will make different choices, my mage would be really noble and would help people a lot where as my current character is really roguish and if anyone pisses me of I will just try and kill them” “Morrowind and Oblivion, 200+ hours in Morrowind” “it has balanced various aspects and a few issues in the game. In Morrowind enchanting was incredibly overpowered and could be exploited by users” “Oblivion didn’t have enough on the exploration elements that Skyrim has” “Dragons are an amazing touch it’s like constant boss fights, it keeps you doing big epic things even if your not in a quest there is always that pacing issue, to have something epic go in regularly ” “archery has been made useful and badass ” “the perk system is interesting but I am hesitant to call it an improvement but it is just very simplified, I am used to the stats based games of Morrowind ” “Through the internet and the fact that a new Elder Scrolls game is coming out and they design there games with no obligations asa user to do anything” “My favorite element isn’t exclusive to Skyrim, my favorite element is that it’s an Elder Scrolls game and you can just fuck right off and explore, do whatever you want, and get total freedom and create your character exactly how you want to be” “there is no obligation to do anything ” “Specifically to Skyrim, they have made combat really cool but I have to say I have got the most enjoyment from the shouts and the stealth aspect” “actin like a god damn ninja””like Batman with a blade” “Enchanting, Smithing/ One-handed, Sneak” “Companions because they were in Whiterun, a town that you encounter early in the game” “I would continue playing until I have done everything ” “start a new character and finish everything between the two game saves ” “Intimidate at first and then persuade because I wanted to increase my speech” “Werewolf because it is cool, the only reason is because it is part of the companions quests” “character would go with the imperials cause the Nord and the Stormcloacks are racist towards Dark Elves” “Half way through the game ” “The drinking game quest was a massive surprise because it was silly and different to the rest of the game” “also the wabbajack quest” “excitement mostly, satisfaction of killing people” “tension when sneaking and suspense ” “frustration when it glitches” “companions suck and I get angry at their actions” “Multiple on the go. I bounce around with lots of time in between quests wandering around the world” “music because lots of it is from Morrowind and it makes me think back to the time when I was playing Morrowind and the immersion i felt through the game” “The music transfers the same immersion I felt in Morrowind to skyrim” “The voice acting is incredible, there is so much of it and it’s so well done, it feels so natural, it is miles better than Oblivion”
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“suddenly Dragons, you know that really immersive than stuff is happening around you” “everything is so cohesive, nothing breaks my immersion except for the glitches” “Skyrim, I have got a very high attention span for these games generally I just get more and more into it and the world becomes really detailed in my head, so it becomes more immersive in that way” “its so dense and so big, there is so much everywhere ” “I guess in a way he is, there are some parallels but I didn’t intentionally create my character as a representation of myself” Favorite Weapon / Spell / Shout / Enchantment and Potion ? Dawn-breaker & Mace of Molag Ball/ Fast healing/ Unrelenting Force - Aura Whisper / Best healing potion big explosions / i don't use a lot of magic but this is very helpful / so cool to rag-doll everyone - the most tactically useful/ exquisite healing it saves the day.
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Alex Lane: I originally had a HIGH ELF as my character. I unfortunately lost my save game file and had to start the whole thing again. Although I was deeply upset I saw this experience as a chance starts again and approach the game differently “I intentionally started out as a Mage however I found that the Warrior classes were really good for combat and the better I was at combat the easier it was to progress and kill enemies” “Yes I switch styles of play all the time. Depending on the quest I am on I will tend to act using the most effective play style for that situation. I also like to change depending on my current stats. If a certain skill looks lower than the other I will switch styles in order increase this skill” Yes, but I only created the second game save when I lost the first file. In my first game I played a very magic based character. The second game allowed me to change and experiment with an alternative race” Skyrim’s storytelling, and the continuity you feel as a player. Morrowind could sometimes create times were you wouldn’t know what to do or you would feel a bit lost because you haven’t had any interaction for ages. Skyrim fixes this by keeping the player involved and immersed in the game. You encounter more animals and creatures and enemies throughout the world. Dragons are the biggest immersion in the game. They surprise you and keep you on your toes. Advertising. I also searched high and low for all the best Skyrim knowledge on the internet so I knew as much as possible about the game without ruining the story. My favorite element of Skyrim is the open-ness and the ability to define yourself effectively in a fantasy world that feels real to your character and to you when you choose to put yourself in their shoes. I joined the Mages Guild first because I really wanted to learn more magic and become better at magic. This was on my first play through. On my second play through I decided to avoid everything I had previously done to give myself a different experience. I therefore joined the companions the second time. Deciding to avoid everything I did the first time created a very different experience for me. Half Way “I like to build my character up as I progress through the main storyline. I would do a few main quests and then not return for ages until I have done something different and leveled up considerably” I would complete all main quests and factions quests but I would stop as soon as I felt the quest became repetitive becuase I don’t like doing the quest where you just have to fetch and item for an NPC Brawl “I love fighting people with my fists. I find it amusing to see NPC’s change there opinions over a good old brawl” “essentially I like having more of an effect of the NPCs and brawling is the most effective at this.” Yes Werewolf but only on my second time round because I originally didn’t want to effect the game by being a werwolf. However my second time round I though i might as well Stormcloaks both times because I don’t believe in what the imperials and thalmor are doing to Tamriel The drunken quest and Blackreach because of the setting also all the deadric quest are really satisfying because of the rewards are deadric weapons all emotions it just depends what situation I am in. The one emotion that I think video games in general lack including Skyrim is the ability to make users cry or feel sad. Achieving this would be extremely had but I think if the story is detailed enough and emotionally evolves the user. Multiple mini quests but singular main quests. If they are small I like to complete several at one time usually depending on their location. But if they main quests then I will probably complete several in the same questline. Everything, the puzzles, the creatures, the interactions, the scenery, the dynamic weather, and the open world ready for you to explore Finding a new weapon or area or engaging in a new quest that reveals a new part of the story to you Yes he looks like me although he has a Mohican I would never have a mohican in real life but I feel that in a virtual worlds I am allowed to express my inner fantasies through a more outrageous character.
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Matt Lane: Reason for choosing Race “`I like being different from the average player. I know that most people will choose a elf or human for this game, I like the more abstract creatures such as the Argonians or the Khajiits. You get a bit of racism from the NPCs but his just gives you a valid reason for destroying them “My character is a battle Mage, I like the combination of magic and weapons because they are the most affective. I don’t really like using the Thieves classes because I find they restrict my play style and my character’s natural instinct to run in and destroy everyone” “Yes I switch styles all the time but mostly between The Mage and The Warrior classes cause I don’t like The Thieves classes.” “I switch a lot during fights and I like to make a lot of really nice enchanted and smithed weapons myself” Yes but only because I wasn’t sure about my character I started again very early on just so I could have my character exactly how I wanted him. Yes Morrowind and Oblivion Skyrim’s main improvement is it’s pacing, the speed of the game, the events you encounter, the length of quests and the overarching story that is your experience. No matter what you do in Skyrim you still feel attached to the story weather thats because of Dragons or the vast number of settlements or the mix between main storyline and alternative side story lines. In previous Elder Scrolls games you would sometimes feels lost without a quest or narrative to follow or experience. Skyrim on the other hand encourages you to get lost and discover something new or hidden. The difference being the intuitive A.Is involved that nurture and form the experience around you. Rather than you search for it all the time. I had been following the release from a very early stage. As soon as I knew that a new Elder Scrolls game was in development I was searching all over the internet for new and screen shots. the random dynamic situations and the ability to have differing outcomes for certain situations. My brother Alex Lane is also playing and we regularly compare the quests and missions we have done seeing the differences in character and play style. The College because magic is my favourite way to attack and defend. I see the main storyline as my final chapter. I like to go around exploring all that I can completing sub quests and side quests. Once I have reached a certain level and I have completed most of the alternative quests, only then will I complete the main quests. I am mostly likely going to complete that part in one whole day but if not then I will finish it the day after. Brawl or Kill them I don’t need to persuade or intimidate when I can just have a fight and be done with it. I became a Vampire as part of a quest and enjoyed the power for a bit but then I got bored a found a cure. I will be come a werewolf but probably at the end when I have finished the main storyline and I want to kill loads of people in the town. I chose both in the beginning because I wasn’t sure which one I favored but I have decided to go for the stormcloacks because I believe in what they are fighting for. To be in charge of their own land and allowed to worship any God they want. The shrine of Boethiza because I had to perform a sacrifice and then she turned everyone against everyone in a last man standing battle. That was awesome It depends on what I am doing I mostly feel exited when i am just walking around cause you never know what you are going to find. I feel anger and rage when I am fighting but thats mostly acting I am not actually feeling these emotions I am empathizing with my character which is an extreme version of myself unrestricted by law or society. I would never act how I do in Skyrim but it is fun to do so in a virtual world. Multiple but I avoid the main quests until most of the side and faction quests have been completed killing people, affecting situation just generally interacting with the whole of Skyrim whether thats hacking a tree or catching a jumping salmon. again the interaction is what immerses me. If I come across something new I am hooked straight back into the game I don’t look like a Lizard man in real life. So I haven’t designed him based on looks but the personality I inflict on him is a total exaggeration of my own personality
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