Lab 1.3: Role Identification and Role-Playing
Role Identification is where a game puts you into a well-defined position other than simply that of a player. This helps the player define what they are intended to do in a game (i.e. their role). It also helps the player immerse themselves in game play and become more engaged.
Role-playing is role identification taken a step further. When a game features role-playing, the decisions a player makes is affected by his or her role in the game. This can make a game quite engaging for the players.
Play one of the games provided in class and then create an artifact that answers the questions below. Be sure to support your answers with evidence. If you miss the class day, you'll need to play one of the games offered in class or get a tabletop game approved by your instructor.
- What game did you play? How would you describe it to someone who's never heard of it? What did you think of it?
- How did it conform to our formal definition of a game?
- What role did the game ask you to play? What did the game do to help you feel like you were in that role? What did the game do that failed to let you get into that role?
- What decisions did you make in the game that you would have made differently in real life? Why did you make that decision? How did the game help make it possible for you to make that choice?
- Is role identification necessary for a game to be fun? Why or why not?