akademiskkvarter Volume 04. Spring 2012 • on the web academic quarter

Why walk when you can teleport? Themes of travel in online roleplaying games

Nick Webber is Senior Researcher and Research Developer at the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Re- search, Birmingham City University, UK. He has written on identity, cultural history and the rela- tionship of technology and culture, and his current research includes popular music consumption, on- line archiving and civic history, and the culture of massively multiplayer online games.

Abstract Travel constitutes a significant activity in the majority of Massive- ly Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPGs), wheth- er players are pursuing quests, trading, adventuring or simply exploring. Yet not all journeys are equal, and the roles of, and responses to, various journeys demonstrate a number of interest- ing interpretations of travel. From one perspective, journeys in games are simply consumers of time: notably, World of Warcraft ob- tained the nickname “World of Walking” due to player perceptions that there was too much travel involved. Yet it is intriguing that some players voluntarily undertake extensive journeys, which are often difficult (in gameplay terms) and time-consuming, when more convenient routes are available. This article seeks to consider the many roles of travel in MMORPGs, and to reflect on ideas of the journey as, among other things, labour (travail), a rite of pas- sage, and a means of saying goodbye. Article Although the players themselves remain firmly in their seats, travel, and the journeys that are made, are significant activities within Mas- sively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPGs). As- pects of game-driven play which incorporate travel, such as quest-

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Nick Webber Nick Volume 04 Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why The academic debates which contextualise this work focus on at on focus work this contextualise which debates academic The A study A of these interpretations and meanings contributes to a and Nick Yee’s model of player motivations (2006) are undoubtedly are (2006) motivations player of model Yee’s Nick and the most Typologiessignificant. of gamers are, however, “young” enough to be necessarily incomplete, has and drawn Yee attention (2007). analysis Bartle’s supporting evidence empirical of lack the to de antagonistic often and lengthy a although narrative, of terms In bate has taken place within and game around studies about the re Eskelin example, for (see, narrative and games between lationship en, 2001; Jenkins 2004), this can be broadly set aside (Frasca, 2003). tion about online spaces which, while widely increasingly studied, are still relatively poorly understood, particularly in the context of between online and offline behaviour. the relationship tempts to understand the practices of gamers, and the extent to struc narrative containing texts as of thought be can games which tures. Both areas of inquiry feature strong analytical structures, which are valuable tools when they are allowed to inform, but not to construct, our research. When considering the ways in which typologies; create to tendency a is there games, approach players 2003) in (refined types player on work 1996 seminal Bartle’s Richard will investigate and consider different kinds of travel, attempting to attempting travel, of kinds different consider and investigate will means. understand what, for players, travel investigationthe Firstly, developments. and discussions of number informs (and is informed by) debates about social roles in games nar and games between thereof) lack (or relationship the about and activi player of understanding clearer a Secondly, structures. rative ties in game spaces information provides useful to game providers in creating fulfilling environments for their players and in accom gen more in and Finally, play. to approaches of variety a modating eral terms, examining online games adds to the corpus of informa ing and trading, are supplemented by player-driven journeys, to notedhave Scholars location. favourite a visit to or perhaps, explore em an place are) typically MMORPGs (which environments 3D that phasis on movement through the world, prompting more travel jour of variety the in Yet 4). p. 2003, (Book, environments 2D in than neys, and in the discourses that surround them, we can see that the ain travel from meaning make and interpret games these of players in number and of sometimes different contradictory ways. Travel MMORPGs serves a number of purposes, and therefore, this article quarter

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Nick Webber Nick Volume 04 Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why The notion of a quest as a motivation for travel, and as a way to Here, Here, then, I set out not to produce another nor typology, to un consideringWhen themselves. journeys the to then, on, move We say). Finally, travel occurs as an say). aspect Finally, of situation: location is im portant in certain games for particular reasons access(e.g. security, elsewhere. from travel to these locations to facilities), prompting Some traditions. narrative in rooted firmly is meaning, travel give writers refer to the archetypal heroic quest of Odysseus (Krzywin ska, 2008, p. 133), and as the vast majority of these games employ are MMORPGs of 85% (around literature fantasy of tropes common outcomes of these forms of travel can ultimately be the same – ar inand route same the by travel after even location, same the in rival the same manner – the sense of purpose is significant. In the ma jority of MMORPGs, game-driven travel a is through constructed mechanism of these game are quests, objectives. where Typically, a totown another (to incidentally either travel to required is character theof part fundamental more a as or example) for package, a collect quest experience (they might have to escort an injured soldier to ob (rewards achievements offer games many addition, In safety). tained for completing longer-term, non-quest objectives) and these game, the in system cave every visit (to travel-related sometimes are contextual information) and metastory (narrative overlay) elements p. 145). 2004, (Pearce, dertake a narrative analysis, but rather to explore the journeys that Tak terms. own their in practices, cultural as games in make players ing both elements narrative from and I typological willapproaches, work. future a cultural analysis which might help to refine produce the various forms of travel which players undertake, we might travel types: general two between distinction immediate an make driven by the game, and travel driven by the Although player. the It has been the site of a great deal of misunderstanding, but has at its heart the common principle that, while games are not stories, notions of narrative (alongside other analytical approaches) can use a study, this of purposes the For them. of sense make to us help ful intervention is that of Celia Pearce (2004), who offers a consid num a defines Pearce context. play-centric a in narrative of eration particular of games; in found be can which elements narrative of ber value in understanding game journeys are experiential (the emer gent narrative of the play experience), augmentary (backstory and quarter

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Nick Webber Nick being perhaps perhaps being in the truest sense. Volume 04 travail World of Warcraft World Lord of the Rings Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why , in which you can unlock badges “for the foursquare Where Where the quest, achievement or simple location is the driver, We might then think of We achievements which celebrate this kind of travel, among other things, as celebrations of the mundane; much like the “gamification” of (Castronova, 2011) life implied in appli cations like achievements 2011), (Foursquare, world” real the in do you things “gamify” games, making play activities out of incidental labour. That many of these activities also are (quests repetitious that re are cultists; 100 kill cultists; 10 kill scale: which achievements or peatable tionality of shopping and banking – the end result (the purchase, the purchase, (the result end the – banking and shopping of tionality is ignored. is the objective, and the cultural experience reward) trav spaces: these in meaningless extent large a to is travel therefore, but activity, location or achievement quest, the of time the extends el is not integral to it, and the fact that a player may be pushed to ex in player This is reflected the game world becomes incidental. plore with quests, and travel around discourse ple mocked as a “travel simulator” (e.g. Newlin, 2009) or as “World must which work as perceived is Travel 2011). (Rohnalt, Walking” of be completed in order to obtain a reward, and other, and more functional other, and experiential, terms” (Krzywinska, nar metastory or augmentary an provide quests While 133). p. 2008, rative which sets the activity triggered in terms of the game’s story world (Krzywinska, 2008, p. 127), the majority of players engage piece a as prompt, they journeys the and quests, of majority the with of game function which sets clear and simplistic objectives. Indeed, players game by understood well so is journey heroic the of idea the that transitional and expositional sequences can be removed (Jen activity. game to shortcut a into quest the turning 120), p. 2006, kins, For therefore, quests the function majority, in a manner similar to achievements, and both of those are not far from the simple func fantasy games: Van Geel, 2012), we might also note the prevalence of prevalence the note also might we 2012), Geel, Van games: fantasy Tolkien’s with there, narratives quest the best-known of many examples. Campbell More broadly, noted the importance of the monomyth or heroic journey to the structure of myths Academics (2008). in game studies have worked to define quests, suggesting, for example, that they require the player to to fulfil a goal while masteringa landscape in order “move through a series of challenges” (Aarseth, 2004, p. 368). For game players, quests however, are understood in a dual mode: “in both narrative quarter

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Nick Webber Nick Volume 04 Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why ), which at launch was claimed to cover to claimed was launch at which ), EverQuest , “one distinct advantage of the tourist experience in vir in experience tourist the of advantage distinct “one , With this With instrumental notion of travel in mind, it is therefore Evidently, the Evidently, designers of such games understand that travel, more more conventional approaches. In general, inconvenient forms of travel offer no tangible gameplay benefit and, in fact, may expose a character to additional risk – travel on foot through a forest full of monsters is rather more dangerous than simply teleporting be tween cities. So although travel to complete game objectives may ultimately be either or onerous meaningless, these voluntary jour through, and of, meaning make to way a players offer to seem neys online travel. teleport. As teleport. one commentator notes, in the context of tourism in Second Life tual worlds is that instead of being to required walk to the next sight, one can simply click a link (Book, and ‘teleport’ 2003, there” (i.e. players long-time and sink, time a and tedious is Travel 15). p. with it. themselves established customers) need not trouble striking that a substantial number of players appear to choose to travel for reasons other than those driven by the game. Moreover, which manner a in or slowly, travel to choose players these of many does away with the conveniences accorded to those who adopt ments of the effective size of these spaces, from the tiny Telara (the Telara tiny the from spaces, these of size effective the of ments world of Rift; 4.6 miles long and 5.5 miles wide) to larger spaces ( Norrath as such rela is speed travel addition, In 2011). (Maverick, miles square 350 tively swift: most players make their characters run everywhere, and it is possible to cross the entirety of even a mid-sized game characters as so, Even travel. continuous of hour an under in world increase in power (and often, also, as games increase in age), the jour make to ways of variety a and lifted, is travel “blockage” of neys shorter become available: mass transit systems, personal transport devices (e.g. mounts), the ability to orfly, the ability to etc.) supports notions of these activities, and the connected journeys, connected the and activities, these of notions supports etc.) as in pursuit of a work ethic or corporate ideology (Rettberg, 2008). commute. we might see such a journey as a In another locale, beyond first instance exploration, becomes onerous (and it is per haps intended as such). The worlds in which these games are set are “scaled” such that they are functionally very small. Indeed, players remark on the oddities of world sizes, and extensive dis cussions take place which attempt to provide accurate measure quarter

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Nick Webber Nick , in the early Volume 04 EverQuest Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why It is in terms of these considerations that the deliberate undertak In some regard, the idea that travel becomes easier as one gains months of its release. Two of the major cities in the game stood at at stood game the in cities major the of Two release. its of months either side of the game world’s main continent, and the journey be tween the two was lengthy (taking approximately one hour) and very hazardous at lower level. the Yet trip was considered to be would Players doing. so of experience the for simply making, worth the in belongings their of all place to order in naked, characters strip bank as a protection from loss, before running across the world, at tempting to evade lions, bears, griffons and giants. Death on the out access to “easy” forms of transport becomes a badge of pride, superficial a At players. other from respect gain to mechanism a and level, players of high level characters will remark, in public chan nels, on the presence of a lower level character in a notably danger ous playersarea of willthe discussgame world. More significantly, of rite specific and concrete more a represent that journeys particular powerof levels increasing of up” “growing simple the than passage activities these of think might We 4). p. comments 2010, Olivetti, (e.g. in terms of trials or tests, and the completion of such trials provides a topic of discussion and of An reminiscence. example of a journey of this kind could be found in the game stitutes an increase in independence (and MMORPGs are tradition are MMORPGs (and independence in increase an stitutes ally relatively dependent games, in that much of the game content access that requires to the groups of ability allies); to and secondly, make a choice about transport gives you the opportunity to use path. the harder transport as a statement, to choose ing of “perilous” journeys must be set. Before they reach the break trav instant or speed high to access grant that progression in points danger of patches small through slowly passed have will players el, ous territory on numerous occasions. to Yet deliberately undertake and successfully complete certain substantial more journeys with power, and power, as the game ages, indicates that specific journeys, and constitute some form of “rite of passage” for generally, travel more an MMORPG The player. process of levelling a character (increas ing their power by gaining experience in battle, etc.) replicates the experience up; of as growing level/age rises, access to increasingly powerful and effective forms of transport becomes available. This raises two important that considerations: increasingfirstly, power, and increasing access to transport and to choices of transport, con quarter

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Nick Webber Nick Volume 04 Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why . (Maninscratch, 2010). The fantasy aventure World of Warcraft World As noted above, as character power increases, so too does their Another important aspect of such journeys is that, unlike reach particular, and particular, in youth culture more which generally, have been explored by scholars 2001; (Miller, Best, 2006). The idea of “cruis thevia America post-war from space online the into stretches ing” medium of modern youth. In some cases, parallels are explicit, with specific mentions of cruising and even the incorporation of a “hot rod” into (and thus generally medieval) setting of many of these games also us prompts to think of forms of and regal noble display his from clothing features can be fairly subtle (especially in the case of smallclothing features items such as gloves and boots), and a parallel but more ostenta tious display comes not from the character’s attire, but from the character’s means of transport. access to high-speed travel, and many MMORPGs offer a variety of “mounts” or “vehicles”, including some which are hard to ob or enquiry prompt often will acquisitions rare such of Display tain. comment from other players, sometimes including outright jeal Again a ousy. claim to in-game capital, the use of the mount as a form of display calls on tropes of the car in American culture in indicate that we can see these kinds of travel as cultural practices, as practices, cultural as travel of kinds these see can we that indicate forms of performance and of display which generate cultural capi travel in-game of nature cultural the of indication visual more A tal. comes from the way in which these games and their players ad are players games, modern more In appearance. of notion the dress look unique a with equipment new powerful obtain to only not able – a staple of MMORPGs – but also to choose to hide this under a “wardrobe” set of equipment which presents a different appear implications. two has attention sartorial this travel, of terms In ance. In the first, players will travel to or around cities or other areas of dense player population to display their Yet outfits (Royce, 2011). journey was commonplace, returning the traveller to their departure departure their to traveller the returning commonplace, was journey point, and successful completion was felt to be a triumph (Ceeb, And 1999). although reattempting the journey a number of times simply not was this distance, a from laborious seem might The peril, the nature of risk and trial, and the sense of achievement a matter of make this more ing maximum level, relatively few people undertake them. Their status, and the status of those who succeed in these “adventures”, quarter

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Nick Webber Nick Volume 04 Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why , talking on the subject of a new flying mount, run, by choosing to walk, players are generally identifying Of course, travel doesn’t only have a communicative function, Each of these examples indicates that journeys and the activity of activity the and journeys that indicates examples these of Each Touring the city on a high-speed epic mount, however, is not the not is however, mount, epic high-speed a on city the Touring itself – prestige, wealth, in-game achievement. Equally, itself walking – prestige, wealth, in-game achievement. Equally, conveys a strong message to other players; in these spaces it is as shop or house. in a real-world around unusual as running travel, and of though, and we can clearly discern instances where ten a isspecific not journey, only uncommunicative but actually highly personal. In the broadest sense, this applies to the idea of exploration, where this is not driven by a desire to unlock every nuanced consideration of the character’s relationship to the world. the to character’s the relationship of nuancedconsideration They will often walk, noting that people do not normally run eve and they (Sullivan, will rywhere 2011), take to care avoid collision activ social a usually most is roleplaying As characters. other with populated areas. often found in densely such characters are ity, travel play a significantrole in these spaces in contributing to, and as forms of, communication. Perilous journeys act as the subject of have who peers between or players other between conversations, again, prompts, display for Travel experiences. same the undergone inter-player communication, but as an activity it communicates in participate is designed into the game. only way in which travel is used as communication in these spac es. A small group of characters will proceed around the cities far moving more along slowly, at walking pace, a distinct contrast to everywhere. run to characters typical for above noted tendency the they that discovered yet not have may players new some Although can themselves, through their characters, as roleplayers (Manekineko, comments 2011, 7, 8, 13). Attempting to maintain a patina of “ap propriate” behaviour for their role-players offer avatar, a more torical contexts, conjured in art: Godiva, perhaps, or Napoleon. phi the in reflected are connections cultural these certainly, And for designer lead the Kaplan, Jeff games. these underlying losophy of Warcraft World wanted noted: you “We to be able to land in front of your friends dude! Check me out. I’m on a and be able to show like, it ‘Hey, off flying mount!’” & (Yu Park, 2006, p. 2). therefore, Not do only, players travel to display themselves and their accrued in-game capital, but the idea of display as an activity in which players will quarter

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Nick Webber Nick Volume 04 Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why as the source of the memories (e.g. memories the of source the as player, heavily involved in a large player, EverQuest EverQuest One player activity in particular truly characterises the concept of concept the characterises truly particular in activity player One The notion of exploration is again underwritten by the structure structure the by underwritten again is exploration of notion The even continuing to use slideshows build will players of number a While 2010). Valcaron, from the screenshots that they have produced during their time playing the game, an interesting activity in itself, there are appar althoughtravelogues, deliberate create who players fewer far ently the introduction of the ability to capture in-game activity as video game, the of context the In historically. was it than simpler this make this is not an activity which grants reward, advantage or opportu and not “killers”. For these explorers, the frontier is the boundary real-world of spirit the capture they and them, to known is what of it’s there”. “because in journeying to see what is there explorers form a as travel is that and spaces, game these in journey personal a My own first encounter with this of memory: the goodbye journey. practice concerned an player community site, who travelled the world and created a se ries of screenshots to memorialise the space before cancelling his this material is no longer available subscription to the game. Sadly, online, but more modern versions of this practice can be found, of many of these games; so much so, indeed, that some scholars have expressed concern that re they invoke a frontier mentality, flecting the legacy of western imperialism and an ideology that a frontier is a boundary of exploitation (Gunkel & Gunkel, 2009). In sense, then, exploration could be seen as a participation crude in a structure in which players are encouraged to kill “the other” and steal their goods, without engagement with a notion of pre-exist ing culture, co-existence in Yet or reality sustainability. player ex ploration is must less about conquest and much more a reflection of curiosity – again, in these Bartle’s are terminology, “explorers” achievement but rather by a desire to see the game world in full. As full. in world game the see to desire a by rather but achievement Bartle’s typology suggests (1996), there is a qualitative difference between these two approaches to between play, what he calls the “achiever” and the Achievements “explorer”. reflect a character’s presence in a number of generalised locations, whereas explora a about and location, and place of sense a about more much is tion personal experiential narrative of visitation. (2006), For this Yee is in an between immersion; and achievement between distinction a in the gameworld. the game and an interest in terest quarter

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Nick Webber Nick discussed at the at discussed Volume 04 travail Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why , is one good example (Tan, 2005). (Tan, , is one good example , becoming something altogether more per more altogether something becoming , video – is communicative, so each of these ac travail EverQuest 2 YouTube , or a We must also reflect on theWe between differences these communi This enquiry only begins to consider how we might usefully un Of course, for us to know about the existence of these more per start of this article. Considering these practices in terms of gamer gamer of terms in practices these Considering article. this of start different the – travel of kinds different the that clear is it typologies, purposes – can be more easily understood in terms of these frame works. As noted, the simple initial division into game-driven and and achievers Bartle’s reflects ways many in travel player-driven Yee’sa model reflectionexplorers. Yet upon suggests that, while achievement,by motivated is travel of deal great a that recognising many journeys driven are not only by immersion (the Yee’s of area the narratives that players construct in the game. It is not immedi ately clear whether these experiential narratives personal are narra thewhether thus and example, for narratives, avatar-centric or tives motivations that underlie travel proceed from a sense of player ex from or storyworld, the of coherence the for respect a from perience, a combination of the two. In particular, when players memorialise avatartheir place, that remember to so do they do gameworld, their in that place, or the experience that they had playing that avatar in here. done be to work more is there therefore, always, As place? that work/ as travel the and travel of forms cative cebook that In communication. of piece a for substance the provides tivities these are massively multiplayer games as much as they are online or games, roleplaying in many senses a communicative – a social – context is essential for activities in game to have meaning. It may keeptravellers “goodbye” of majority vast the that case the be well indi not do some that fact the but themselves, to journeys last their cates that the drive to share and communicate underpins much of what occurs here. of nature the and practices travel between relationship the derstand nity, and in nity, that respect this piece of travel is again removed from of framework the sonal. Parallels can be sought and seen in machinima productions chronicling similar last journeys in a narrative mode – in produced sonal practices indicates that they are not wholly personal in na ture. While the activity itself is not a piece of communication, the sharing of the activity – whether through a forum or blog post, quarter

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Nick Webber Nick [Accessed 30 Volume 04 . Lincoln, NE.: Univer NE.: Lincoln, . . Berkeley, . CA.: Berkeley, New Ri , 1(1). [online] Available , 1(1). Available [online] Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why Tourism & Photography: Still Visions - & Photography: Still Visions Tourism . Narrative across Media Narrative across Sheffield, UK, 20-23 July 2003. [online] Available at: Available [online] 2003. July 20-23 UK, Sheffield, . New York: NYU Press. York: . New Designing Virtual Worlds Designing Virtual Journal of Virtual Worlds Journal of Virtual Fast Cars, Cool Rides: The Accelerating World of Youth of Youth Fast Cars, Cool Rides: The Accelerating World http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm and their Cars Worlds graphy in Virtual Changing Lives. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm?abstractid=538182 [Accessed 2 December 2011]. M-L.2004. ed. Ryan pp. 361-376. sity of Nebraska Press, Suit MUDs. at: December 2011]. ders. Evidently, although Evidently, these games support notions of exploration, Best, A., 2006. Best, and Book, Photo Through B., Cyberspace: 2003. Tourism Traveling References Aarseth, E., 2004. Quest Games as Post-Narrative Discourse. In: Bartle, R., 1996. Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players Who Bartle, R., 2003. player or the cruising of the flamboyant. Much as in other popular cultural activities, then, players of travel,MMORPGs reappropriate intoit transforming and context work/achievement a from it taking an immersive and social tool. Its mundanity and vacancy of mean play other to and with communicate to it reuse to players allow ing ers, and to make Much meanings as anew. cycling in the age of the state a makes supermarket the of age the in chickens keeping or car ment of novelty in the context of the background of the world, so world. game the of background the against statement a makes travel In travel in MMORPGs, therefore, we can see a cultural activity of surprising richness. model which incorporates discovery and exploration) but also by social factors. This offers support for proposition Yee’s that player types might not be independent in the way that Bartle suggests 2006, p. (Yee, 772), and implies that player motivations are more typologies allow. our current complicated than this unnecessary, and mundane something as appears initially travel very presentation means that journeys undertaken in spite of this immediately banality notable are – whether the walking of the role quarter

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Nick Webber Nick ed. Novato, rd https://fours . 3 Ratajik.net World of Warcraft World Volume 04 , [blog] 30 April. Avai April. 30 [blog] , Game Studies First Person. New Media as . New York: New York Uni York New York: New . http://www.mmorpg.com/ http://www.youtube.com/ Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why [Accessed 30 December 2011]. Terra Nova Terra . London: Berg. [Accessed 30 December 2011]. . Cambridge, MA.: MIT, pp. 118-130. pp. MIT, MA.: Cambridge, . . Cambridge, MA.: MIT, pp.123-141. . Cambridge, MA.: MIT, . [online] Available . at: [online] Available . Utrecht: Utrecht University, pp. 92-99. University, Utrecht . Utrecht: [Accessed 30 December 2011]. . MMORPG.com Discussion Forums [fo Forums Discussion MMORPG.com . [Accessed 30 December 2011]. http://www.ratajik.net/eq/members/ , [forum post] 13 September. Available , at: [forum post] Available 13 September. How large are MMO worlds now REALLY? A A MMO worlds now REALLY? are How large http://www.gamestudies.org/0101/eskeli Critical Studies in Media Communication Car Cultures The Hero with a Thousand Faces The Hero [Accessed 29 December 2011]. [Accessed 29 December foursquare Convergence Culture Convergence [Accessed 30 December 2011]. http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2011/04/ga Guildwars Guru [Accessed 28 March 2012]. [Accessed 28 March [video online] Available watch?v=kJA7LSJkLIY at: sizes world in comparison at: Available February. 4 post], rum discussion2.cfm/thread/306052 versity. 2008. eds. Rettberg J.W. & Corneliussen H.G. In: Text. Rich Play and Identity tal Culture, game? http://www.guildwars2guru.com/forum/ideas-for-making- easier-find-t21885.html ld of MMORPGs. CA.: New World Library. CA.: New World lable at: mification.html Wardrip-Fruin & P. Harrigan eds. 2004. eds. Harrigan P. & Wardrip-Fruin and Game Performance, Story, line] Available at: line] Available nen/ quare.com 2003. eds. Raessens J. & Copier M. In: place. took never that Proceedings Up Conference pp. 104-127. 20 April. Available at Available April. 20 Ceeb/qeynostofreeport.htm Maninscratch, 2010. WoW Cataclysm Goblin Kezan Cruising. D. ed., 2001. Miller, MMO.Maverick, 2011. Jenkins, H., 2006. H., Jenkins, Lore: and Creation World 2008. T., Krzywinska, Manekineko, 2011. Ideas for making it easier to findroleplayers in Foursquare, Foursquare, 2011. Frasca, G., 2003. Ludologists Love notes Stories, from a Too: debate Wor New The – 2.0 Nova Terra 2009. H., A. Gunkel, & J. D. Gunkel, Jenkins, H., 2004. Game Design as Narrative Architecture. In: N. Campbell, J., 2008. Gamification. 2011. E., Castronova, Freeport. to Qeynos from get to How 1999. Ceeb, Situation. Gaming The 2001. M., Eskelinen, quarter

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Nick Webber Nick Journal of Cy of Journal http://users. http://www. . [guide] Availa . Forums – World World – Forums . Volume Digital Culture, Play Digital Culture, 04 . [video online] Avai online] [video . MMOData.net [Accessed 29 March . [online review] Avai . [online review] , [blog] 14 November. , [blog] 14 November. [Accessed 30 December World of Warcraft World , with chart at chart with , [blog post], 28 August. Avai Why walk when you can teleport? you can walk when Why First Person. New Media as Story, First Person. New Media as Story, Massively [Accessed 30 December 2011]. ((RP)) Made Simple , 9, pp. 772-775. [Accessed 30 December 2011]. Massively . Cambridge, MA.: MIT, pp. 143-153. . Cambridge, MA.: MIT, . [video online] Available at: Available online] [video . [interview], 18 May. Available at: Available [interview], 18 May. W.O.W. = World of Walking = World W.O.W. http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/14/the- http://mmodata.net/ Sight-seeing Neriak one last time [Accessed 30 December 2011]. SW:TOR threads and fond memories threads SW:TOR . Cambridge, MA.: MIT, pp.19-38. . Cambridge, MA.: MIT, The Monk http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/28/the-daily- http://www.amazon.com/review/RM95GV2LVF4C6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YbSmkWFQJA GamespotUK http://rpmadesimple.com/the-rp-survival-guide/myth Performance, and Game lable at: lable at: Fruin Harrigan & eds. P. 2004. telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/genre.png 2012]. berPsychology and Behaviour Q&A. uk.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/world-of-warcraft-the-burning- ble at: busting-rp/ archive.org/details/EQ2_The_Monk at: lable [Accessed 30 December 2011]. at Available Corneliussen and Rettberg J.W. eds. 2008. and Identity of [forum Warcraft, post] at: 29 Available November. us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3595348419 30 December 2011]. at: Available daily-grind-do-you-banksit/ [Accessed 30 December 2011]. [Accessed 30 December MMO rite of passage? grind-rites-of-passage/ 2011]. Yee, N., 2006. Motivations of Play Yee, in Online Games. The Burning Crusade of J. Warcraft: & A., Park, 2006. Yu, World Sullivan, 2011. Mythbusting RP. Sullivan, Mythbusting 2011. RP. Rettberg, S., 2008. Corporate Ideology in Ideology Corporate 2008. S., Rettberg, 2011. Rohnalt, Do Royce, you B., banksit? 2011. Newlin, B., 2009. Olivetti, J., 2010. The Daily Grind: What’s your most memorable a Game Theory of Game. In: N. Wardrip- C., 2004. Towards Pearce, Tan, P., 2005. P., Tan, 2010. Valcaron, Geel, Van I., 2012. Market Share by Genre. quarter

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