The Anti-The Anti-Immersive Theatre Immersive Theatre

of Role-Playing of Role-Playing GamesGames

Michael Ryan SkolnikMichael Ryan Skolnik

York UniversityYork University

Evaluating Live and Digital Evaluating Live and Digital Role-Playing Gaming Role-Playing Gaming

ExperiencesExperiences Janet Murray positions live role-playing Janet Murray positions live role-playing

as an interactive narrative experience in as an interactive narrative experience in which “the events [that role-players] which “the events [that role-players] portray often have the immediacy of portray often have the immediacy of personal experience.” (Murray 1997, personal experience.” (Murray 1997, 43.)43.)

Murray also argues that digital media Murray also argues that digital media offer a more meaningful experience of offer a more meaningful experience of interactive narratives because of a more interactive narratives because of a more immersive experience in the fictional immersive experience in the fictional world presented. (82.)world presented. (82.)

Defining ImmersionDefining Immersion

Murray: Total ImmersionMurray: Total Immersion

““The experience of being The experience of being transported to an elaborately transported to an elaborately simulated place […] the sensation of simulated place […] the sensation of being surrounded by a completely being surrounded by a completely other reality, as different as water is other reality, as different as water is from air, that takes over all of our from air, that takes over all of our attention, our whole perceptual attention, our whole perceptual apparatus.”apparatus.”

Brown & Cairns’ Three Brown & Cairns’ Three Stages of ImmersionStages of Immersion

Engagement: The player invests time Engagement: The player invests time and effort into the game.and effort into the game.

Engrossment: The player becomes Engrossment: The player becomes emotionally involved in the game.emotionally involved in the game.

Total Immersion: Presence. The Total Immersion: Presence. The player feels/becomes present player feels/becomes present exclusively in the game world.exclusively in the game world.

Total Immersion is a Total Immersion is a Prominent Game Design Prominent Game Design

GoalGoalQuestions:Questions:- Should we be concerned with the ideological Should we be concerned with the ideological

implications of total immersion? implications of total immersion? - Is total immersion a design goal that will Is total immersion a design goal that will

deliver a more meaningful game play deliver a more meaningful game play experience for the player, as Murray experience for the player, as Murray asserted? asserted?

Examining critical and meaningful RPG gameplay.Examining critical and meaningful RPG gameplay.

Immersion in the Immersion in the TheatreTheatre

Immersion is the underpinning for Immersion is the underpinning for Aristotelian catharsis in the drama.Aristotelian catharsis in the drama.

Catharsis as ideological corrective.Catharsis as ideological corrective.

Spectator – Protagonist Spectator – Protagonist representative relation.representative relation.

Two Anti-Immersive Two Anti-Immersive Theatre AestheticsTheatre Aesthetics

Brechtian Epic Theatre: Alienation Brechtian Epic Theatre: Alienation effects break high-level immersion in effects break high-level immersion in favour of political engrossment.favour of political engrossment.

Boalian Theatre of the Oppressed: Boalian Theatre of the Oppressed: Spectactorship as a paradigm for Spectactorship as a paradigm for critically distant interactivity.critically distant interactivity.

““In aristotelian drama the plot leads the In aristotelian drama the plot leads the hero into situations where he reveals he hero into situations where he reveals he innermost being. [… He] then of course innermost being. [… He] then of course begins to stand for Man with a capital begins to stand for Man with a capital M. Everyone (including every spectator) M. Everyone (including every spectator) is then carried away by the momentum is then carried away by the momentum of the events portrayed, so that in a of the events portrayed, so that in a performance of performance of OedipusOedipus one has for all one has for all practical purposes an auditorium full of practical purposes an auditorium full of little Oedipuses, an auditorium full of little Oedipuses, an auditorium full of Emperor Joneses for a performance of Emperor Joneses for a performance of The Emperor JonesThe Emperor Jones.” (Brecht 1979, 87.).” (Brecht 1979, 87.)

Alienation Effects as a Alienation Effects as a Means to Politically Means to Politically Empower SpectatorsEmpower Spectators

Critical distance must be offered at key Critical distance must be offered at key junctures in a performance. (e.g. The junctures in a performance. (e.g. The recantation scene in Brecht's recantation scene in Brecht's GalileoGalileo). ).

Familiar Familiar Unfamiliar, Comprehensible Unfamiliar, Comprehensible requiring inquiry. (see: Shkolvsky) requiring inquiry. (see: Shkolvsky)

Immersion can be used as a way to build up Immersion can be used as a way to build up to this.to this.

The intended result: to show up The intended result: to show up adverse social circumstances as adverse social circumstances as human contrivances and not the human contrivances and not the action of a tragic deterministic fate action of a tragic deterministic fate (Aristotle).(Aristotle).

- Brechtian drama: Tragic fate on - Brechtian drama: Tragic fate on stage is a human contriving, stage is a human contriving, encouraging social action on the encouraging social action on the part of the spectators to fix the part of the spectators to fix the problem.problem.

Brechtian Game PlayBrechtian Game Play A tabletop RPG example: Child Abuse A tabletop RPG example: Child Abuse

ScenarioScenario

Digital media offer a lot of opportunities Digital media offer a lot of opportunities for the use of alienation effects. (Fission for the use of alienation effects. (Fission Mailed)Mailed)

The player needs to be alienated from a The player needs to be alienated from a representation of an everyday representation of an everyday social/political circumstance.social/political circumstance.

Boal and the Theatre of Boal and the Theatre of the Oppressedthe Oppressed

Audience interactivity and Audience interactivity and participation. (Spectactorship)participation. (Spectactorship)

Action no longer taken for granted.Action no longer taken for granted.

Forum TheatreForum Theatre

““Forum Theatre is a theatrical game in Forum Theatre is a theatrical game in which a problem is shown in an unsolved which a problem is shown in an unsolved form, to which the audience, again spect-form, to which the audience, again spect-actors, is invited to suggest and enact actors, is invited to suggest and enact solutions. The problem is always the solutions. The problem is always the symptom of oppression, and generally symptom of oppression, and generally involves visible oppressors and a protagonist involves visible oppressors and a protagonist who is oppressed. [...] After one showing of who is oppressed. [...] After one showing of the scene, which is known as 'the model' [...] the scene, which is known as 'the model' [...] it is shown again slightly speeded up, and it is shown again slightly speeded up, and follows the exact same course until a follows the exact same course until a member of the audience shouts 'Stop!', takes member of the audience shouts 'Stop!', takes the place of the protagonist and tries to the place of the protagonist and tries to defeat the oppressors.” (Jackson, 2002. xxiv.)defeat the oppressors.” (Jackson, 2002. xxiv.)

An Alternative to An Alternative to CatharsisCatharsis

Aristotle: Theatre for emotional Aristotle: Theatre for emotional purgationpurgation

Brecht: Theatre for critique to lead to Brecht: Theatre for critique to lead to social/political actionsocial/political action

Boal: Theatre for Boal: Theatre for dynamisation – dynamisation – the the empowerment to social/political empowerment to social/political expression and action. (Includes expression and action. (Includes Brecht's ideas in a participatory way)Brecht's ideas in a participatory way)

DynamisationDynamisation

““when an when an actoractor carries out an act of liberation carries out an act of liberation in a normal play where intervention by the in a normal play where intervention by the audience is not allowed, he or she does it in audience is not allowed, he or she does it in place of the spectator, which event is thus, for place of the spectator, which event is thus, for the audience, a catharsis. But when a the audience, a catharsis. But when a spect-spect-actor actor occupies the stage and carries out the occupies the stage and carries out the same act there, he or she does it in the name same act there, he or she does it in the name of all the other spectators, because they know of all the other spectators, because they know that, if they don't agree, they themselves can that, if they don't agree, they themselves can invade the stage and show their opinion – and invade the stage and show their opinion – and the event is thus for them not a the event is thus for them not a catharsis catharsis but but a a dynamisationdynamisation.” (Boal 2002, 25.).” (Boal 2002, 25.)

The Role-Playing Game of The Role-Playing Game of The OppressedThe Oppressed

Forum Theatre is very similar to role-playing Forum Theatre is very similar to role-playing games in a number of ways, (arguably, it IS a games in a number of ways, (arguably, it IS a role-playing game) including but not limited to:role-playing game) including but not limited to:Participatory and performative storytelling.Participatory and performative storytelling.Improvised action in a prepared scenario.Improvised action in a prepared scenario.Adjudicators (RPG: GM, TO: Joker)Adjudicators (RPG: GM, TO: Joker)

Live RPGs can easily adopt Boalian aesthetics.Live RPGs can easily adopt Boalian aesthetics.

Toward Digital Boalian Toward Digital Boalian GamingGaming

Technological constraints make creating Technological constraints make creating digital games with Boalian aesthetics difficult.digital games with Boalian aesthetics difficult.

FrascaFrasca

Participatory gameplay: open-ended code that Participatory gameplay: open-ended code that players can alter quickly. (Second Life?)players can alter quickly. (Second Life?)

Improvisation: fluid and emergent rule Improvisation: fluid and emergent rule systems.systems.

ConclusionsConclusions Immersion does not necessarily make for a Immersion does not necessarily make for a

more meaningful game play experience.more meaningful game play experience.

More immersion does not necessarily More immersion does not necessarily make for a more meaningful game play make for a more meaningful game play experience.experience.

Immersion can be a hindrance to certain Immersion can be a hindrance to certain kinds of meaningful game play experiences kinds of meaningful game play experiences as well as a problematic ideological device.as well as a problematic ideological device.

Brechtian and Boalian aesthetics can Brechtian and Boalian aesthetics can be applied to game play to foster be applied to game play to foster meaningful and critical gameplay meaningful and critical gameplay experiences.experiences.

The critical position afforded has The critical position afforded has profound ideological consequences.profound ideological consequences.

Thank you!Thank you!

Email: mikeskolnik@gmail.comEmail: mikeskolnik@gmail.com Blog: spectactor.wordpress.com Blog: spectactor.wordpress.com