- Dr Dimitra Nikolaidou did her PhD the English School of Language, American Sector, at the Aristotle University of The... moreDr Dimitra Nikolaidou did her PhD the English School of Language, American Sector, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Her papers on TRPGs and speculative literature has been published in volumes by Palgrave, MIT Press and Bloomsbury, as well as various journals.edit
The chapter examines how wargaming directly influenced roleplaying games, both in their tabletop and digital iterations, to the point of establishing combat as a core component of roleplaying, narratively as well as in terms of game... more
The chapter examines how wargaming directly influenced roleplaying games, both in their tabletop and digital iterations, to the point of establishing combat as a core component of roleplaying, narratively as well as in terms of game rules. In particular, it charts the central role combat customarily assumes in roleplaying games from the creation of Dungeons and Dragons in 1975 to current Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. Firstly, through an interdisciplinary viewpoint which combines historical and cultural studies' perspectives with narrative theory, the literature review examines the history of roleplaying games in direct connection with the hobby's wargaming origins, as well as with the games' literary and cultural sources. Following this, a textual analysis of selected influential games, both tabletop and digital, aims at revealing the role of combat in each game by examining both quantitative and qualitative elements in the games' artwork, narrative elements and ruleset. In addition, the chapter examines the role of player readings according to both cultural and narrative theories. The findings underline the fact that the legacy of wargames, along with several cultural elements inherent in speculative fiction, have allowed combat encounters to remain entrenched in the core of the roleplaying experience, even when the designers have previously stated antithetical intentions in terms game design. Along with further research which would determine the exact benefits players
Research Interests:
The chapter examines how wargaming directly influenced roleplaying games, both in their tabletop and digital iterations, to the point of establishing combat as a core component of roleplaying, narratively as well as in terms of game... more
The chapter examines how wargaming directly influenced roleplaying games, both in their tabletop and digital iterations, to the point of establishing combat as a core component of roleplaying, narratively as well as in terms of game rules. In particular, it charts the central role combat customarily assumes in roleplaying games from the creation of Dungeons and Dragons in 1975 to current Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. Firstly, through an interdisciplinary viewpoint which combines historical and cultural studies' perspectives with narrative theory, the literature review examines the history of roleplaying games in direct connection with the hobby's wargaming origins, as well as with the games' literary and cultural sources. Following this, a textual analysis of selected influential games, both tabletop and digital, aims at revealing the role of combat in each game by examining both quantitative and qualitative elements in the games' artwork, narrative elements and ruleset. In addition, the chapter examines the role of player readings according to both cultural and narrative theories. The findings underline the fact that the legacy of wargames, along with several cultural elements inherent in speculative fiction, have allowed combat encounters to remain entrenched in the core of the roleplaying experience, even when the designers have previously stated antithetical intentions in terms game design. Along with further research which would determine the exact benefits players
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
CfP
Research Interests:
The chapter examines how wargaming directly influenced roleplaying games, both in their tabletop and digital iterations, to the point of establishing combat as a core component of roleplaying, narratively as well as in terms of game... more
The chapter examines how wargaming directly influenced roleplaying games, both in their tabletop and digital iterations, to the point of establishing combat as a core component of roleplaying, narratively as well as in terms of game rules. In particular, it charts the central role combat customarily assumes in roleplaying games from the creation of Dungeons and Dragons in 1975 to current Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. Firstly, through an interdisciplinary viewpoint which combines historical and cultural studies' perspectives with narrative theory, the literature review examines the history of roleplaying games in direct connection with the hobby's wargaming origins, as well as with the games' literary and cultural sources. Following this, a textual analysis of selected influential games, both tabletop and digital, aims at revealing the role of combat in each game by examining both quantitative and qualitative elements in the games' artwork, narrative elements and ruleset. In addition, the chapter examines the role of player readings according to both cultural and narrative theories. The findings underline the fact that the legacy of wargames, along with several cultural elements inherent in speculative fiction, have allowed combat encounters to remain entrenched in the core of the roleplaying experience, even when the designers have previously stated antithetical intentions in terms game design. Along with further research which would determine the exact benefits players
Research Interests:
Landscapes evolve. Forests turn into cities, rivers change course and even mountains slowly erode. Perhaps it stands to reason then, that the landscapes of the fantastic evolve as well. In recent times, the evolution of the imaginary... more
Landscapes evolve. Forests turn into cities, rivers change course and even mountains slowly erode. Perhaps it stands to reason then, that the landscapes of the fantastic evolve as well. In recent times, the evolution of the imaginary worlds found in speculative works of fiction appears to favour diversity and inclusiveness, keeping in touch with wider societal trends. This transition in fantastic chronotopes is extensively chronicled in the genre of Tabletop Role-Playing Games, or TRPGs for short. The present paper aims to examine the evolution of fantastical landscapes within the very influential TRPG genre through the combined framework of narrative and cultural theories. The settings of the most successful TRPGs, Dungeons and Dragons and World of Darkness, will serve as examples. The results will provide valuable insights into how and why the worlds of speculative fiction change over time, often in response to wider societal change.
Research Interests:
The present paper argues that affinities in the psychosocial dynamics of theatre and digital games derive from similarities and correspondences in the design principles, fundamental features, operative conventions, and sociocultural uses... more
The present paper argues that affinities in the psychosocial dynamics of theatre and digital games derive from similarities and correspondences in the design principles, fundamental features, operative conventions, and sociocultural uses of the two, distinct yet increasingly interpenetrating, mediated realms. As immersive, interactive theatre productions get more gamified and rely more and more on digital technology, as applied theatre borrows heavily from gameplay logics and mechanics, and as gaming methodologies are implemented in live theatre performances, the aforementioned “points of contact” become more prominent. Beginning from a consideration of how the basics of theatre’s make-up are mapped onto a narrative Massively Multi-player Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) which pushes against common understandings of what MMORPGs are and do, browser-based Fallen London, we will then look into different configurations of the theatre-game alliance along the foregoing lines via characteristic theatre projects. Our discussion of these “phygital” projects seeks to also show that the combination of theatre and digital game tools enables a “re-equipping” of contemporary rehearsals of social change played out in entertainment, art, and learning settings.
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The chapter examines how wargaming directly influenced roleplaying games, both in their tabletop and digital iterations, to the point of establishing combat as a core component of roleplaying, narratively as well as in terms of game... more
The chapter examines how wargaming directly influenced roleplaying games, both in their tabletop and digital iterations, to the point of establishing combat as a core component of roleplaying, narratively as well as in terms of game rules. In particular, it charts the central role combat customarily assumes in roleplaying games from the creation of Dungeons and Dragons in 1975 to current Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. Firstly, through an interdisciplinary viewpoint which combines historical and cultural studies' perspectives with narrative theory, the literature review examines the history of roleplaying games in direct connection with the hobby's wargaming origins, as well as with the games' literary and cultural sources. Following this, a textual analysis of selected influential games, both tabletop and digital, aims at revealing the role of combat in each game by examining both quantitative and qualitative elements in the games' artwork, narrative elements and ruleset. In addition, the chapter examines the role of player readings according to both cultural and narrative theories. The findings underline the fact that the legacy of wargames, along with several cultural elements inherent in speculative fiction, have allowed combat encounters to remain entrenched in the core of the roleplaying experience, even when the designers have previously stated antithetical intentions in terms game design. Along with further research which would determine the exact benefits players
Research Interests:
Landscapes evolve. Forests turn into cities, rivers change course and even mountains slowly erode. Perhaps it stands to reason then, that the landscapes of the fantastic evolve as well. In recent times, the evolution of the imaginary... more
Landscapes evolve. Forests turn into cities, rivers change course and even mountains slowly erode. Perhaps it stands to reason then, that the landscapes of the fantastic evolve as well. In recent times, the evolution of the imaginary worlds found in speculative works of fiction appears to favour diversity and inclusiveness, keeping in touch with wider societal trends. This transition in fantastic chronotopes is extensively chronicled in the genre of Tabletop Role-Playing Games, or TRPGs for short. The present paper aims to examine the evolution of fantastical landscapes within the very influential TRPG genre through the combined framework of narrative and cultural theories. The settings of the most successful TRPGs, Dungeons and Dragons and World of Darkness, will serve as examples. The results will provide valuable insights into how and why the worlds of speculative fiction change over time, often in response to wider societal change.
Research Interests:
The opportunity for self-expression is one of the primary benefits tabletop role-playing games grant to the participants. Ideally, within a role-playing game a player can adopt and perform any persona, limited only by each game's setting.... more
The opportunity for self-expression is one of the primary benefits tabletop role-playing games grant to the participants. Ideally, within a role-playing game a player can adopt and perform any persona, limited only by each game's setting. In practice though, the role-playing experience emerges from the interaction between player and game design. While players can be located anywhere in the world though, the designers of popular, and thus more culturally influential games, tend to either originate from, or be heavily influenced by, North American culture. As a result, non-American gaming groups often need to negotiate American-influenced cultural frameworks during character creation and actual play. Given the influence of tabletop role-playing games in popular culture worldwide, the negotiation process informs both the study of role-playing games as well as cultural studies in general.
The present paper aims to examine the means through which international players negotiate American-influenced frameworks within the two most popular tabletop role-playing games, namely Dungeons & Dragons and World of Darkness, both during character creation and actual play, in order to successfully fulfill the self-expression function of these games. Literature review and textual analysis are employed to locate North American cultural frameworks within each game. The paper then examines, through a cultural studies lens, how and why such frameworks, along with relevant pop culture items, are likely to affect the players' choices.
The hypothesis is finally tested through the case study of the author's Greek gaming group, through the use of semi-structured interviews and survey analysis of the group's player characters. The findings suggest that players recognize the existence of North American cultural frames within Dungeons & Dragons and World of Darkness, and consciously attempt to repurpose them through both narrative and performative techniques. Still, their narrative and performative choices remain informed by these frames, mainly during the character creation phase. Finally, respondents' answers suggest that diversity within a gaming setting affords greater freedom of expression to the players even when elements from their own culture are absent.
The present paper aims to examine the means through which international players negotiate American-influenced frameworks within the two most popular tabletop role-playing games, namely Dungeons & Dragons and World of Darkness, both during character creation and actual play, in order to successfully fulfill the self-expression function of these games. Literature review and textual analysis are employed to locate North American cultural frameworks within each game. The paper then examines, through a cultural studies lens, how and why such frameworks, along with relevant pop culture items, are likely to affect the players' choices.
The hypothesis is finally tested through the case study of the author's Greek gaming group, through the use of semi-structured interviews and survey analysis of the group's player characters. The findings suggest that players recognize the existence of North American cultural frames within Dungeons & Dragons and World of Darkness, and consciously attempt to repurpose them through both narrative and performative techniques. Still, their narrative and performative choices remain informed by these frames, mainly during the character creation phase. Finally, respondents' answers suggest that diversity within a gaming setting affords greater freedom of expression to the players even when elements from their own culture are absent.
Research Interests:
Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TRPGs) are storytelling games with a strong performative element. Since their inception in 1975, they have been directly tied to the literary genres of fantasy, science fiction and horror. TRPG sessions allow... more
Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TRPGs) are storytelling games with a strong performative element. Since their inception in 1975, they have been directly tied to the literary genres of fantasy, science fiction and horror. TRPG sessions allow players to narrate stories within chronotopes inspired by staples of speculative fiction: the first and most popular game, Dungeons & Dragons, takes place within a pseudo-medieval storyworld while the second most popular game, World of Darkness, transforms the everyday world into a storyworld through the use well-known horror tropes. In theory, TRPGs present participants with an opportunity to create and perform their own ephemeral narratives within recognizable fantastical chronotopes. However, their worldbuilding contains the possibility to constrain narrative freedom. TRPG storyworlds were initially rooted in exclusively Western myths and narratives, while any other mythology, idea or cultural practice was presented as Other. Moreover, the games' efforts to create recognizable chronotopes reproduced certain clichés and often perpetuated the exclusion of certain groups from the landscapes of the fantastic. Thus, what Keen calls the genre's "power of implication" can limit the narratives players consider possible within a specific chronotope. However, while still influenced by the narrative constraints and conventions that accompany established storyworlds, players are still able to insert their own diverse narratives into otherwise clichéd landscapes and in the process, renew them. Moreover, the call for diversity in the fantastic genre as well as the globalization of culture in the age of the internet, has recently pushed TRPG designers into creating increasingly inclusive chronotopes, often upending existing worldbuilding clichés in the process. The proposed presentation aims to examine, through the intersection of narrative and cultural theories, how worldbuilding in TRPGs can become a factor for the further evolution of the fantastic genre instead of acting as a narrative constraint. This theoretical frame will be accompanied by examples from the continual worldbuilding of the most popular TRPGs. Given the significant influence of these storytelling games in the culture of the fantastic, this is an issue worth researching in depth.
Research Interests:
Role-playing games have been directly related to the fantastic since their inception; from Dungeons and Dragons to the World of Darkness, they allow passive consumers of cultural products such as movies, books and comics to step inside... more
Role-playing games have been directly related to the fantastic since their inception; from Dungeons and Dragons to the World of Darkness, they allow passive consumers of cultural products such as movies, books and comics to step inside the world of their preferred works and actively participate in the construction of the narrative. In each session, the players and storytellers involved become, along with the game designers, co-creators of fantastic narrations in both a performative and a narrative sense. While ephemeral, these creations have been proven heavily influential in the culture of the fantastic in multiple levels. To begin with, a great number of genre writers, from George Martin and China Mieville to David Mitchell and Raymond Feist, have named their role-playing experience as influential. Secondly, many popular cultural properties related to the fantastic (i.e. Star Trek, Wheel of Time, the Chtulhu Mythos) have been adapted as popular role-playing games, creating a level of transmedial storytelling. Additionally, scholarship has proven that video games-including the widely successful Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games-originate directly from the first role-playing games. Finally, successful role-playing games often produce successful novels, comics, artwork, video games, movies and even music, as tie-ins. In conclusion, role-playing games appear to exert an unseen influence on the culture of the fantastic by molding the narration and expectations of both creators and consumers. Henceforth, the values they are built upon-and the way players negotiate these values-become an influential factor in the culture of the fantastic. The aim of this presentation will be to examine both the relevant scholarship and the actual game texts through a cultural studies lens, in order to showcase the value system inherent in these games as well as the way players, and in particular international and minority players, interact with the given material in order to produce unique narratives. In doing so, the presentation aims at pinpointing ways for role-playing games to be a factor towards diversity in the culture of the fantastic, instead of reinforcing hegemonical values.
