MMOG Guild Leaders as

a Com/Dev Resource(with a preamble on cognition in MMOGs)

Constance A. SteinkuehlerUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison

Traditional Cognitive Science Study of philosophical questions using scientific methods

Posits a level of analysis wholly separate from the biological or neurological

Mind-as-computer as dominant metaphor

Preoccupation with mental representation

Preoccupation with computer models of cognition

Deliberate decision to de-emphasize certain factors that may be important but complicate things

context tools / artifacts language body culture / history affect

Humans vs. Computers

Human Computer

Input device senses keyboard

central processing unit working memory CPU

long-term storage medium LTM disk

output device effectors paper/screen

Similarities

Human Computer

size of WM/CPU 5 bits 800,000,000 bits

size of LTM 1,000,000,000 bits* unlimited

speed of access w/in WM .025 sec .000000015 sec

speed of access to LTM .200 sec .020 sec

Differences

Humans vs. ComputersHuman Computer

preferred storage modeanalog;

time-oriented

digital;

list oriented

retention of information graded all-or-none

efficiency (bits/sec) low high

capacitydependent

on experienceindependent of experience

retrieval:

* relative to context

* relative to previous retrievals

very dependent

dependent

independent

independent

purpose

general purpose;open set of functions

special or general purpose;

closed set of functions

Cognition is context, not cognition in context

Uhoh… need new model Human dependency on context allows for learning &

adaptation to take place The ‘problems’ with memory allow us to think of

novel solutions to problems

Information is indifferent to meaning Hence… emphasis speciously shifted from

construction of meaning to processing of information

Whoops… what got left out matters context – memory, processing context-dependent tools / artifacts – extended cognition language – inherently social semiotic system body – embodiment theory, metaphors culture / history – mind is inherently social affect – reason breaks down without of emotion

Distributed Cognition Cognition is (inter)action in the social & material world

Cognition is “a complex social phenomenon…distributed — stretched over, not divided among — mind, body, activity and culturally organized settings(which include other actors)” (Lave, 1988)

Unit of analysis = intact activity systems… Individual person Social relationships Physical and temporal contexts Symbolic & material resources Historical change

Activity Systems as Discourses – ways we humans integrate language with non-languages stuff so as to enact & recognize different identities & activities, give the world certain meanings, make certain sorts of meaningful connections in our experience, etc. (Gee)

So why studyMMOGs?

Socially & materially distributed cognition

They are rich sites

of distributed social & material

cognition.

Collaborative Problem Solving

Complex collaborative

problem-solving.

Multiple Attention SpacesAcross multiple

attention spaces.(Lemke, nd)

Negotiation of MeaningWhere meaning is negotiated…

Within comm.of practice

Within / across emergent communities of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991)

Apprenticeship & EnculturationWith rich systems of peer apprenticeship & enculturation.

Theoretical perspective Socially / materially distributed cognition Discourse theory (Gee,1999)

Research Questions What are the cognitive practices of MMOGaming? What does it mean to be literate in this activity space? How does one become a member of this community? What import does participation have for the situated

(on- and off-screen) identities of its members?

Context: Lineage I & II (swg, eq)

Method: Virtual Cognitive Ethnography

Overview of Research

Primary Data Sources Participant Observations (video/audio data) Ethnographic Fieldnotes Individual Case Studies Interviews with Informants Collection of Community Documents

Fieldwork To Date Princess Adeleide, LegendsOfAden Blood Pledge

Lineage I: 19 months, ~10-50hrs/week Lineage II: 2 months, ~10-50hrs/week 30+ formal/informal informants

Employ cognitive methodologies

Virtual Cognitive Ethnography

e.g. pledge hunt

Directed GraphArticulates the temporal interconnections among categories of talk/activities

• Interpersonal talk

• Virtual material activity

• Personal state change

Think Aloud Protocols

Repertory Grid InterviewsKnowledge Elicitation Phase 1. Elicit elements 2. Present elements in random triads in order to

elicit dimensions of similarity/difference

Rating Grid Phase

Discourse Analysisafk g2g too ef ot regen no poms

Away from keys

got to go

to Elven Forest

to regenerate no mana pots

Request(Interpersonal)

Construal of events (Ideational)

Account(Interpersonal)

Displays community standing as ‘beta vet’

Acknowledges the intact

activity structure

Coordinates the other participants

who remain

I have to go to the Eleven Forest to regenerate.

I’m out of mana potions.

Just a sec.

Shared values & activities Identity

What the devil does this have to do with guild

leaders?!

Guild Leader Activities• Sort tons of mail

• Attend meetings

• Maintain massive website

• Monitor online discussions .

• Kiss booboos

• Recognize achievement .

• Monitor members stats/participation

• Monitor pledge taxes / armory

• Schedule pledge events

• Create / maintain alliances

• Record pledge history

• Plot dramas & stories

• Augment identity scheme

• Settle pledge disputes

• Reprimand & reward .

Admin

Advertising/PR

Data Analyst

Content Generator

Unpaid GM*cough babysitter cough*

Reconceptualizing the Princess Guild leaders are a hybrid between

developers & normal gamers

IF MMOGs 20% designed material world 80% emergent social world

THEN guild leaders are crucial to what constitutes the very nature of gameplay

Hubs in a social network, structure that 80% Core role in enculturation into game Cognitively complex transmedia gameplay

Often function w/little designed-in support Tools to support web content & metagaming Access to data on members, participation patterns Tools for generating narrative/activity content

Final Note on the Fear of User Generated Content…

“A big hurdle is going to be getting the large companies to surrender their fear of user-generated content. Right now, everyone is terrified of it for legal reasons and for customer support reasons. But the entire premise of the Internet is distributed, user-generated content. I see it as inevitable that this become the dominant form of online world. A big question, though, is how one makes money off of it. 90% of everything is crap…” – Raph Koster

•MMOG communities are hermeneutic communities, just like other fandoms

•Purported problem: profit & quality control•Deeper problem: who is going to own the

semiotic raw goods out of which culture is made? (ouch)

steinkuehler@wisc.eduwww.sit.wisc.edu/~steinkuehler

Lineage 1 screenshot

Lineage 2 screenshot

Monitor Member Stats

Monitor members participation

Tally attendance at events(ever try writing while gaming?)

Rank based on participation

Monitor pledge taxes/armory

Schedule Pledge Events

Record pledge history

Record pledge history

Augment identity scheme

LinI GivenDimensions:Class

Gender

Stats

Augmenting Identity Scheme

My PledgeAugmentation: Pledge Rank

Reputation

History

Augmenting Identity Scheme

MyAugmentation: Pledge Rank

Reputation

History

LoA Members Page:

Augmenting Identity Scheme

MyAugmentation: Pledge Rank

Reputation

History