Well I finally settled on the topic of "Strangers in Games"...
Slightly strange title! However after a meeting with Suzanne Prior I finalized that i was going to review different game communities and see if they had a positive or negative effect on players new and existing to the game.
Such observation would be:
- Does a negative or bullying community make the player want to leave and never return, or does it in fact spur them on to become better to "Rub it in the face" of those who once put them down for their playstyle or... "Being a noob"
- Does a helpful and powerful guild with many "Perks" make the player want to play as more of a team or are they only in it for the "Perks" and when they get what they need they will quickly run away into the sunset.
- How does a player see insults/praise from friends in comparison to that of a complete stranger?
- Are players more confident to insult a player in an online game rather than to say it in a rel world environment (This on the outset can be seen as a simple yes depending on the player however why is this ?)
I will look into various games which I have had a strong experience with from different genres but mianly focussing on a team built game play.
Such as:
- World of Warcraft
- League of Legends
- Smite
- An FPS game ( such as call of duty ) I wont have access to this game so I will interview a group of gamers who would classify this as "Their type of game"
Well that's all for now...
Next I will read into more literature around guilds, team speak or chat; the various ways people communicate in games and finally a bit more into each games rules and legislation based on in game conduct such as praise/insults.