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