"Of particular note is the average time a person dedicates to their favorite activity being approximately between 8 to 10 hours a week. Each activity has "affordances" like socialization, competition, intellectual stimulation, etc. "
Stenseng divides the enjoyment of these affordances into a Two-Dimensional Model of Escapism, which identifies nine factors that can affect an individual positively or negatively:
1) clear goals2) concentrating and focusing3) loss of the feeling of self-consciousness4) distorted sense of time5) direct and immediate feedback6) balance between ability level and challenges7) a sense of control8) intrinsically rewarding9) general immersion in the activity
So, I would put the postulate that these nine factors do a pretty good job in defining if you have a good roleplaying session or not. While #1 can be argued (some people just like Mayhem) it is always more satisfying if that mayhem takes place in a narrative arc. #2 requires a lack of distraction--no one is vanishing into their phones, or lost in books looking up rules. #3 requires a willingness to get into character, and get ridiculous. (This may be what divides table-top from 95% of MMORPG). #4...who hasn't lost hours? #5: Roleplay is beautiful in this regard; narrative makes it possible compress the time between consequence and effect. #6: Much effort is not by accident expended on matching player ability and monstor difficulty; #7 No game is fun when the DM takes over your character, or when a player takes an action that is out of character (for meta-game reasons). #8) It's a game, and so the play of it has to be intrinsically rewarding. The most successful games are going to be those which are rewarding to the largest number of people...because then people who respond to a larger variety of motivations will play your game, together. #9) ...is for spouses and girlfriends, who come and don't play, or who come and chat, and disrupt. They want to hang out, but that ruins the immersive experience of play.
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