thread: 2012-04-30 : Updates!
On 2012-05-02, Evan wrote:
Thanks, Vincent and Ben!
FWIW, I'm trying to adapt a version of your theory to our academic study of tabletop RPGs.
While I was in Finland, I gradually came to the conclusion that it's kind of silly that we still analyze TRPGs either as some kind of weird "alternate identity / persona" exploration vehicles or as that thing that 10 of my friends played, whom I then interviewed for my research and make subsequent SWEEPING generalizations about the medium and humanity on the basis of those interviews.
I wants a middle-level theory, which allows me to say: "Character sheets of this kind tend to have THIS effect, combat systems frame space and time in THIS way, and advancement systems promote THIS kind of behavior. THESE systems promote interesting things said, whereas THESE systems kinda waste your time." I want researchers to bring stopwatches to game sessions and figure out how long everything takes, and what impact that has on the fiction.
We know game designers have been dealing with these questions since awhile.
Why can't we academics do medium-based research pointed in the same direction?!?
*jumps off soapbox*
