let’s say that someone (“the player”) is playing a #roleplaying game like Skyrim, where they’re acting as if they’re someone else (“the character”) while playing

under what circumstances would you consider that #roleplay?

@kasdeya An excellent question with excellent points (given the options made available)!🤩👌

IMO the distinction between "role-playing" vs "playing a roleplaying video game" is tricky, but can be shown with a (imperfect) test:

What would the 'player' say if I asked them "who are you?"?🤔

If they reply with their preferred name IRL (if different than their character's name), I would argue they are not currently role-playing.

Thoughts?

@GoodNewsGreyShoes that’s an interesting thought! and thank youu! ^_^

I think this is a great rule of thumb for a multiplayer game, where there’s already a social component. but I feel like asking someone that while they’re playing a singleplayer game might break them out of their roleplay/immersion because now they’re switching contexts to the real world, if that makes sense

but a rule of thumb that I’ve been considering for singleplayer roleplaying games is this: does the player deliberately avoid things that they would otherwise enjoy, because their character wouldn’t do those things? like for example refusing a reward for completing a quest, or refusing a whole questline that they would enjoy doing because it doesn’t fit their character

idk - what do you think about that?

@r0br0t that is a really good point omg. I never even considered thinking about the player’s intention but it makes a lot of sense to me

@kasdeya If I understand you to mean computer/console games, they aren't roleplaying. Despite 40ish years of computer advancements.

@GoodNewsGreyShoes @kasdeya Even with tabletop RPGs, it can get more complex. I’ve played with players who describe their character’s actions in the third person. They still react to situations, and give dialog in person, performing voices, but explain all actions in third person, never using first person pronouns. It could be argued that they aren’t really role-playing either, even though the only real difference is the perspective.

@kasdeya @kasdeya Absolutely agree that asking someone "who are you?" IRL while they're playing a video game will break their roleplay/immersion!👌

(IMO that tells us something important about how many video games draw players into 'role-playing': by capturing their attention within a strictly-defined environment full of details built to establish & maintain that immersion.🌳🪓👁️⚔️🛡️ If an npc in such a game asked "who are you?" I'd bet the player would answer as their character!)

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@kasdeya I think your point about whether game choices correspond to real life choices is bang-on: whether or not a player makes that choice as "themself" or as their character gives a pretty clear indication of whether they are 'playing' as a different 'role/person'!

I think it gets a bit muddy When you try to extrapolate that reasoning, tho, since the situations a game character experiences are by nature different than what we experience in real life. 🧵2/3

@taylor @kasdeya 100% - I think ttrpgs involve GROUP roleplay, which changes the dynamic quite a bit, and varies by situation.

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