I will look briefly at how the formation of social networks differs between those people who play role play games, and those who do not. I will examine in particular pen and paper role play games (RPGs) such as Dungeons and Dragons (DnD), and their later computer based descendants which include Might and Magic and World of Warcraft.
I define a role play game as one in which the players assume a character other then themselves. This character is usually in a radically different setting from their normal life, and possessing unusual powers such as magic. These games are rarely set in the present, most usually a few hundred years in the past or future. There are other role play games, but these are far less popular and so are generally insignificant with regard to the current subject.
Dungeons and Dragons belongs to a category of games known as pen and paper role playing, because nothing is required to play them save a pen and some paper. A hallmark of all these role play games is the simplicity of the requirements, which one might say was carried on into the computer generation through requiring only the game to play, except that this is not the norm for games now. These pen and paper games have inspired large numbers of computer games, including Might and Magic and World of Warcraft, enough to be considered the founders of a genre which has become increasingly popular.
A small number of players, usually between four and seven, are required for pen and paper games and although the number can vary it generally needs to remain within these bounds for a reasonable game. Once a group has gathered to play, it is very uncommon for any new players to enter or even for old ones to leave, because the character progression and the necessity of close teamwork leads to a crystallisation of the group. It can be very disruptive to the group dynamics to change them abruptly mid game, so the current players tend to discourage new people entering in the middle of a campaign which can last several months. On the other hand, the cooperation required of the team can lead to strong bonds forming between them. This can make it very easy for a player to expand their network of social contacts to include those of their friends, however because many people play the game for escapism they may not wish to discuss their life outside the role they play. Thus the game can either encourage or inhibit the formation of additional social ties, depending on the character of the players. One thing that is certain, though, is that it tends to bring together like minded people in a setting they are comfortable with.
Computer games are an entirely different matter. Single player games such as Might and Magic may e dismissed out of hand, as they are no different then any other games and the impact of games as a whole is not under discussion. However, MMORPGs are a completely different matter. There are many forms of MMORPG, but without exception they allow or, more usually, encourage players to form player-run organisations. Usually called clans, or sometimes guilds, these organisations allow players to band together to aid each other and to compete with the other groups. Most of the players of these games use them as a form of escapism, fleeing from the drudgery of normal life to a place where their efforts are rewarded. In RPGs, everything you take visibly contributes to your growth as a player, and your status can instantly be seen by the items you use and your skills in combat. Once in the game, though, it is highly interactive and the anonymity provided by the internet encourages interaction on an equal level. It is easy to form friends, although such friendships are extremely fluid and liable to shift without warning. Clan members, however, usually form close bonds of mutual support, willingly lending a hand to another member or leaping to their defence.
Sometimes, although it is the exception rather then the rule, membership in a clan or friendships formed online will extend to real life. This is the exception because there are simply so many people, from all over the world, that it is highly unusual to meet someone online that lives geographically close to you. Still, many people do continue acquaintances formed in a game through instant messaging such as MSN messenger or ICQ. It isn't common for one player to introduce two others in an online game, because there is really no need nor reason to. Thus while a large number of contacts will be built up in the course of normal interactions, few of these will lead to a second level of contacts, and even fewer will ever be contacted to outside of the internet.
Thus online role play games greatly stimulate the formation of large social networks online, but these almost never cross the border to real life as it is highly unusual to find someone online who is also geographically near, and it is considered bad form to widely publish contact details or website addresses. However, friendships formed online will often lead to maintaining contact though email and instant messaging (such as MSN or ICQ) which does provide a real-life social link.
Pen and paper games have little effect on social networking, and are effectively no different then any other social club, but online games are something else. As more and more activities are carried out online, the dividing line between reality and cyberspace grows more diffuse and faded. So it should not appear unusual that networking is being carried along with the other activities into the online world. In conclusion, pen and paper games do nothing for networking that any other club does not, yet online role play games can have a tremendous impact enable a much larger pool of contacts to form within an entirely different society.
By Joshua Swanson, programmer, philosopher, and creator of the free MMORPG, Qrealm You can read more of my gaming articles here.
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