Defining culture in a
pre-game workshop
Martin Nielsen
Prolog 02.03.2014
The workshop
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Create player trust
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Establish magic circle
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Establish understanding of framework
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Create characters
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Callibrate characters
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Create culture
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Callibrate culture
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Create relations
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Callibrate relations
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Excercise game mechanics
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Excercise skills
The workshop
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Create player trust
●
Establish magic circle
●
Establish understanding of framework
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Create characters
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Callibrate characters
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Create culture
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Callibrate culture
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Create relations
●
Callibrate relations
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Excercise game mechanics
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Excercise skills
Culture
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Shared mental assumptions that guides
interpretation and action by defining appropriate
behaviour for various situations.
(Ravasi and Schultz 2006)
Culture
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«How things work here»
(Pictures representing various subcultures from
larps and otherwise)
Culture
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«How things work here»
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Dynamic
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Changes
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«Floating» over time
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By leadership (individual or collective)
–
By external shock
Methods for defining culture
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Using fictional or real-world cultures the players
already know
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Asking players to read about it
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Tell the players about some fragments
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Assume it is a function of the characters
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Letting some (instructed) players lead in-game
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Workshoping it
Pro workshop
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Treats new and old players alike
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Everyone interprets text differently
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Raises awareness
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Increases ownership
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Easier start of the game
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Less off-game anxiety of «doing it wrong»
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Less off-game confusion
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Promotes hi-res play
Con workshop
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Organizer gives up control
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Can replicate player prejudice/stereotypes
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Time consuming
Framework
Creation-oriented ws
Stronger player ownership
Relieves organizers of work
More variety between productions
Callibration-oriented ws
Stronger organizer control
Stronger alibi
How to workshop
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Test-larp
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Play, debrief, re-play:
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Everyday life
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Rituals
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Taboos
Play, debrief, replay
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Was the culture in line with the vision?
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Is the culture playable (for all)?
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Is the playability sustainable (over time)?
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Is there something we can change to increase
playability?
(off-game safety)