Dimitra Nikolaidou
Dr 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.
Supervisors: Dr Domna Pastourmatzi, Dr Tatiani Rapatzikou, and Dr Michael Kokkonis
Her papers on TRPGs and speculative literature has been published in volumes by Palgrave, MIT Press and Bloomsbury, as well as various journals.
Supervisors: Dr Domna Pastourmatzi, Dr Tatiani Rapatzikou, and Dr Michael Kokkonis
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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.
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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.