cscl 2011: enrollment of a new actor to wow raiding
DESCRIPTION
My slides for Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) 2011 on how a user-created mod was used by a group of World of Warcraft players. Most of the slides detail how fight mechanics work in WoW since that's what the mod helped players manage.TRANSCRIPT
Mark ChenUniversity of Washington
This work is funded by the National Science Foundation through the Science of Learning Center program under grant SBE-0354453.
World of Warcraft
MMOG 6 million subscribers in 2006 Fantasy with races / classes Complete quests, kill
monsters for loot and XP
Raiding
Large group joint activity Highly coordinated battles Specialized roles
Tank, Healer, DPS
Here’s a monster
Some players come upon it
The tank grabs the monster’s attention
Yo, over here!
!
The healer and DPS get in position
rogue (DPS)
warrior(tank)
priest (healer)
mage (DPS)Yeah, hit me!
Each role acts to its responsibility
rogue (DPS)
warrior(tank)
priest (healer)
mage (DPS)
pew pew!
Yeah, hit me!
SS, SS, Eviscerate!
+300 +120
The monster attacks whoever is most threatening
rogue (DPS)
warrior(tank)
priest (healer)
mage (DPS)
pew pew!
Yeah, hit me!
SS, SS, Eviscerate!
+300 +120
Has the most threat and monster “aggro”
Threat, Aggro, Kenco’s Threat Meter (KTM)Time 1
Player Ability Activated Threat Generated (hypothetical)
Existing Threat
Total Threat(hypothetical)
Wendy (tank) Sunder 260 780 1040
Rand (DPS) Sinister Strike 140 560 700
Shaun (healer) L. Healing Wave 400 400 800
Mandy (DPS) Frostbolt 500 0 500
Time 2Player Ability Activated Threat Generated
(hypothetical)Existing Threat
Total Threat(hypothetical)
Wendy (tank) Sunder 260 1040 1300
Rand (DPS) Sinister Strike 140 700 840
Shaun (healer) L. Healing Wave 400 800 1200
Mandy (DPS) Frostbolt 500 500 1000
Threat, Aggro, Kenco’s Threat Meter (KTM)Time 1
Player Ability Activated Threat Generated (hypothetical)
Existing Threat
Total Threat(hypothetical)
Wendy (tank) Sunder 260 780 1040
Rand (DPS) Sinister Strike 140 560 700
Shaun (healer) L. Healing Wave 400 400 800
Mandy (DPS) Frostbolt 500 0 500
Time 2Player Ability Activated Threat Generated
(hypothetical)Existing Threat
Total Threat(hypothetical)
Wendy (tank) Sunder 260 1040 1300
Rand (DPS) Sinister Strike 140 700 840
Shaun (healer) L. Healing Wave 400 800 1200
Mandy (DPS) Frostbolt 500 500 1000
A new addon and its effect on raiding KTM = no longer keeping it in our heads
Yet KTM only used temporarily in Rags fight KTM used on multiple scales of time and actor
networks / mangles (Latour, 2005; Pickering, 1993; Steinkuehler, 2006)
• Knockback• Rogues
getting aggro
• KTM configured to help diagnose aggro problems• Enrolled in a temporary rather than designed role
Mark ChenUniversity of Washington
This work is funded by the National Science Foundation through the Science of Learning Center program under grant SBE-0354453.