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Arande2

Arande2

Posts: 1,521 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
There's this interesting book Riveted about the science of compellingness and I'm reading a section about RPGs.

"The on-screen representation of the character is sometimes called the 'avatar,' particularly when the character is supposed to represent, in some way, the player. Indeed, people tend to project themselves onto these online characters. When viewing images of their avatars, gamers use parts of the brain used when thinking about themselves."

Playing RuneScape can be such a strong personal, emotional experience at times, and we often talk and act as if we are our avatars while we are playing. It's like this entire social world outside of our daily lives.

In fact, I think the avatar combined with the social aspect is what really got me addicted to this game so long ago. Of course, the community has changed since then and I no longer feel the same about playing.

What do you think about this?

13-Mar-2017 08:13:24

J R Kerr
May Member 2007

J R Kerr

Posts: 7,222 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
yeah and no.

I wasnt a nerd. I was a jock. I aint confessing to much, but a lot of this combat stuff is actually not all that unfamiliar to me... it just wasnt ever as cool.

y'know like... you watch a bruce lee flick and he has command of the camera so you read him as the good guy when he beats up four guys or w/e many. in real life... groupthink, tribalism, etc make real people read that more like... the one guy must be crazy and the group is trying to subdue him.

I am grappling real hard with this because in texas if I came home and found someone walkin out my backdoor with my TV, and I threw my keys at the stairs, and he fell and killed himself I could lie and be like "I used kung fu and killed him!" and the press would make me hero of the beach.

In most countries... man... they'd decide I was a monster to value stuff more than life, and I would have to lie that he slipped even if I had used kung fu to beat him to death.

so yes, but no, and maybe not in the good ways you might hope.

edit/add: gameplay is not art, nor sport, and its closest to anything as gambling addiction, and/or religion. I can start citing wolfgang kohler's mentality of apes, but if yer psych you already know, or should make up for what big education denied you and read it yerself soon.
I have quit rsof because moderator found comments about darklight bonus damage on demons "off topic" for wildy flash mobs full of demons

13-Mar-2017 20:58:09 - Last edited on 13-Mar-2017 21:00:15 by J R Kerr

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