Knowing playThe epistemic machinery of
game culture
Kristine Askwww.kristineask.com
The magic circle crumbles• Learning:
– Gee (2007), Steinkuehler (2004)
• Expertise: – Chen (2009), Reeves et
al (2009)• Emergence:
– Karlsen (2009)• Co-production:
– Postigo (2007), Taylor (200/)
• Lesson learned: Play is an intellectual activity.
Instrumental play
• From powergamer culture
• Effective, goal oriented, focus on numbers and performance
• Play / work
Lesson learned: Must study play
empirically
Research questions• What knowledge does a
instrumental player use?• How is it created and
shared?
Case: World of Warcraft• 1 year ethnographic study of a
player community in World of Warcraft (WoW)– Between 20 and 50 hours play pr
week• Interviews with 19 WoW players at
varying levels of progression
Theoretical framework
• Epistemic cultures (Knorr Cetina 1999): cultures that create and warrant knowledge
”how we know what we know”
Material, social and symbolic practices
The Game in question:
MMORPG
Virtual world
Up to 30 000 players
Avatars used to interact with the world
A game platform of many subgames
Primary game: Developing the avatar
Raiding• Large groups of players fighting challenging
monsters
• Set times• Team effort• Complicated• Little reward for much input• Organized
The Avatar Ethos
• Conventions about the right and wrong ways of customizing the avatar
• Practices of customizing the avatar
• Customization: – What equipment to use– How to specialize the
avatar– What rotation of spells and
abilities to use• What is this
customization based on?
Theorycraft
“Theorycraft is the attempt to mathematically analyze game mechanics in order to gain a better understanding of
the inner workings of the game. “ Wowwiki.com
• A scientific approach to gaming
• Game choices based on “proven facts”
Example: Frostfire bolt
Game description
Example: Frostfire bolt
avg_damage_per_cast_noncrit = (avg_cast_base_dmg + (spell_coefficient + empowered_fire + empowered_frostbolt + arcane_empowerment) * final_spell_dmg) * (firepower + ffb_glyph + spell_impact + arcane_blast_buff + arcane_power) * pwf * piercing_ice [* ebon_plaguebringer or coe+malediction or earth&moon] * arcane_instability * frostbolt_glyph * molten_fury [* sanctified_retribution or ferocious_inspiration] * tricks_of_the_trade * troll_beast_racial/worgen_racial
ex: frostfire bolt -- molten fury + berserking(20%) + bloodlust + icy veins + 4pct7 + CSD included, 2000 spelldmg, 55% crit, 500 haste ratingavg_damage_per_cast_noncrit = ( (722+838)/2 + (3/3.5 + 0.15) * 2000 spelldmg) * (1.1 + 0.02) * 1.03 * 1.06 * 1.13 * 1.12 = 4324.43avg_damage_per_cast_critical = 4324.43 * (1 + 0.55 * (3.34565 - 1)) = 9903.41final_cast_time = 3 / (1 + 500/32.78998947/100) / 1.05 / 1.03 / 1.3 / 1.2 / 1.2 = 1.29
Game description
Theory-craftted version
More examplesThreat modifiers are mechanics that increase or decrease your threat caused, per point of threat. Threat modifiers are multiplicative; so, when you see something like: "Reduces your threat by 30%", it means "Multiplies your threat by .7". Alternatively, you can reverse threat modifiers to see how much damage you gain by using threat modifiers.
Threat modifier: 1 - [(1 - X) x (1 - Y) x (1 - Z)] = Threat Modifier
How and why?
• Hypothetical deductive method: – Problem, playtesting, analysis
• Large playercommunity / critical mass
How and why?
• Hypothetical deductive method: – Problem, playtesting, analysis
• Large playercommunity / critical mass
• Precise knowledge about the game allows for more optimal customization
Diffusion of expert knowledge?• Made
operational through guides on how to customize the avatar
• Knowledge is localized by the remaking and linking of guides in local and public forums
Theory-craft
Material
• Online community– Digitalized– Viral
• Explicit knowledge– ”hard numbers”
• Tools to understand the game– Simulators– Addons– Databases
Material• Delegation of complexity • Precise • Sharing and storing of
expertise
VS
Social• Theorycraft community
– Elitist Jerks– Volunteer based
• Guilds are structured and formalized playergroups– Applications– Performance requirements
• Sharing information as a way of socializing
Symbolic
• A game about numbers
• Performance oriented – Evaluation
of players
The avatar ethos in play
• Gaming is not about immersion, but performance
• Pleasure, but not ”play”• Mastery is not just mastery over
digital monsters: – Tools– Norms– Playing by numbers
Playing in an epistemic culture
• New players are introduced to a network of technologies, norms and practices where theorycraft is incorporated
• Instrumental play as a resource