V-LARPing: - Building Character Relations via Digital Communication
Studenteropgave: Kandidatspeciale og HD afgangsprojekt
- Søren Dissing Andersen
- Asger Krogh Kjær
4. semester, Interaktive Digitale Medier, Kandidat (Kandidatuddannelse)
This master’s thesis covers the work done during the spring semester of 2015 in the field of Interactive
Digital Media. The theme of this thesis concerns the creation of digital solutions in order to support the
activity of Live Action Roleplaying (LARP for short).
The thesis has it’s beginning in an experience by one of the authors, during which he experienced a loss of
quality in his LARPing experience due to lack of preparation. This experience led to the desire for a solution
to this problem, which was partially based on the fact that the preparation was hindered by the distance
between the players playing together.
The thesis is founded in Research Through Design (Zimmerman et al, 2010), (Sein et al, 2011) &
(Zimmerman et al, 2007), a process where scientific knowledge is gained through the design and creation of
artifacts. To this end we approach the problem by using design principles laid down by Gould and Lewis for
designing for specific users.
Early focus on users and tasks
Empirical measurements
Iterative design
(Gould & Lewis, 1985)
This user centered approach ensures that the design and purpose of the solution is coherent, and that the
solution is useful for the end user.
Before taking these principles in use, the first chapter specifies our own understanding of the subject
matter, as well as provides a scientific definition of LARPing as:
“A role-playing game is what is created in the interaction between players or between player(s) and
gamemaster(s) within a specified diegetic framework.”(Stenros & Hakkarainen, 2003, s. 56)
Further, the first chapter takes a look at the existing applications of digital media to the field of LARP.
This investigation turns out to show that the amount of applications for LARP is limited in the extreme.
Chapter two turns the focus on the users, LARPers, and the tasks that they perform in order to prepare for
a LARP. The result of this investigation is a multitude of approaches to preparing yourself for LARPing, but
most importantly it shows that we are not alone in having the experience that initiated the thesis work.
The third chapter investigates a possible way to solve the problem central to this thesis. It turns out that
LARPing can be done through videochat, though with some deficits that makes real LARP the preferable
choice. Video communication turns out to have some benefits that are the reason why this idea is
investigated further, mainly that the use of the camera lets the user frame him or herself in a way that true
LARP does not.
In chapter four we provide a design that specifies the visual impression that we intend for our final design.
Further, the prototype developed in this chapter shows how the structure of our solution is to be, and the
prototype is tested for it’s usefulness on our target audience.
The final chapter contains the conclusion of our thesis, mainly that LARPing is a potential field for digital
media and that videochat is a beneficial way, according to our findings, to solve the problems that led to
this thesis.
Sprog | Dansk |
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Udgivelsesdato | 1 jun. 2015 |
Antal sider | 104 |
Emneord | LARP, Video Chat, Live action roleplaying, Live Rollespil |
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