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Emergent Narrative: Stories of Play, Playing with Stories

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Emergent Narrative: Stories of Play, Playing with Stories EMERGENT NARRATIVE: STORIES OF PLAY, PLAYING WITH STORIES by ERIC MURNANE B.A. McNeese State University, 2011 M.A. McNeese State University, 2014 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Arts and Humanities in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2018 Major Professor: Anastasia Salter © 2018 Eric Murnane ii ABSTRACT Emergent narrative, a phenomenon of unexpected contextual stories arising through play, has been researched in the field of game studies since 1999. However, that discussion largely lies in the realm of theoretical stories which are generated by either the system or the player. The purpose of this dissertation is to deepen our understanding of emergent narrative by examining real-world examples of the phenomenon. Four hundred player posts were gathered from forums relating to the video game Skyrim (a large, open world fantasy roleplaying game) and analyzed using a mixed-method framework which is informed by digital ethnography, fan studies, and game studies. Using a cluster sampling method, the posts were divided into categories based on theme. This work outlines the historical trajectory of the term emergent narrative and proposes that player created emergent narratives are novel as they capitalize on random events during play in order to create stories which are both contextual and surprising. Each chapter explores a different kind of storytelling in one hundred of the posts, showcasing the diverse subjects that players explore. This work demonstrates that upon reflection, players are not passive recipients of information from games. By participating in these online activities, players become cocreators of their own stories. This work expands our understanding of players, interactive systems, and narrative by arguing that the act of play is collaborative rather than receptive. Keywords: Emergent Narrative, Video Games, Storytelling, Player Character, Heroics, Death, Glitch, Rule System, Digital Ethnography, Game Studies, Fan Studies iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I realize that there are a lot of people to thank, so I will start at the beginning. To my mother, Rebecca, my first editor. She stayed up with me late as I frantically typed into the wee hours of the morning. To my siblings: Crystal, you have ever been my sounding board, someone who I could go to for advice for honesty, even when I didn’t want it at the time. Adam, you helped me to stoke my imagination; the stories we told each other still stick with me always. Cory, your loyalty has always been precious to me, knowing that I can count on you when things get rough (which they often did). To my mentors: Renee Guillory introduced me to important stories and encouraged me to write my own. Judy Tarver fostered my love of good stories and encouraged me to be critical of them. Chris Lowe taught me the tricks of the trade and I still use them in my own work. Delma Porter believed in me as a leader and gave me the chance to help others. Elizabeth Hait continually encouraged me to get my work out there for others to read. Corliss Badeaux gave me considerable feedback and a space to hunker down with some coffee and work. Rita Costello showed me the numerous ways I could be a scholar and read draft after draft of my thesis. It was with their kind words and countless opportunities that I managed to make it to Florida at all. It is safe to say that I would not have arrived at day one of this project without the assistance of every person on this list. I thank all of you profusely. To my committee at UCF: Joseph Fanfarelli, you challenged me to focus on the little things. The attention to detail that you asked of me has made me stronger. Rudy McDaniel, you insisted that I consider perspectives that I had missed. Ultimately, this led to stronger work and a much bigger toolbox for me to use. Anastasia Salter, as my chair, you went well beyond the call iv of duty. The sheer number of pages that you read for me, hours of conversations about theorists and approaches, it is safe to say that I would not be where I am without your advice, support, and encouragement. To my entire committee, you helped me get from a nebulous inclining about stories in games to a fully-fledged work that actually moves the conversation forward. Thank you might not quite cover it, so merci, gracias, grazie, kiitos, tack. Finally, I thank my wife, Nondi Nations. I certainly would not have survived without your continuous encouragement and complete faith. I know we said for better or worse, but you really delivered on that promise. Multiple people agree that you deserve a parade for the amount that you have contributed to this process. The hundreds and hundreds of pages alone warrant at least a float in your honor. However, even more important to me is the emotional support that you have provided me. You have been my source of strength for years, and I have not quite figured out how I will repay you for sticking by me through this, but it is going to be big. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... xi PREFACE .................................................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER 1: THE STORIES WE PLAY AND THE GAMES WE TELL .................................. 1 Video Game ................................................................................................................................ 1 Narrative/Story ............................................................................................................................ 3 The Player ................................................................................................................................... 4 What This Work Accomplishes .................................................................................................. 5 Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 6 What I Am Looking for ............................................................................................................ 10 What Do Players Value When They Share Stories about Their Characters? ....................... 11 What Do Players Value When They Share Stories about Their Actions in Game? ............. 13 The Story of Narrative in Games .............................................................................................. 14 Explaining Emergent Narrative ................................................................................................ 17 Design of Emergent Systems ................................................................................................ 18 Player Created Emergence .................................................................................................... 20 Why Skyrim? ............................................................................................................................ 22 Emergence in Skyrim ................................................................................................................ 25 Analyzing Play Stories .............................................................................................................. 33 Chapter Summaries ................................................................................................................... 36 vi CHAPTER 2: OUR HERO ENTERS SCREEN LEFT ................................................................ 39 The Relationship between Player and Character ...................................................................... 40 Identifying Identification ...................................................................................................... 41 Avatar .................................................................................................................................... 45 Character Profile Thread: Skyrimforums.................................................................................. 48 History....................................................................................................................................... 51 Howl from the North ............................................................................................................. 52 In Search of the Unknown .................................................................................................... 55 The Assassin’s Knot ............................................................................................................. 59 Re/Presentation ......................................................................................................................... 62 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 63 CHAPTER 3: FANNISH FEATS AND STRENGTH OF CHARACTER .................................. 65 What A Play Story for a Game Is/n’t ........................................................................................ 67 Player Engagement and Narration ............................................................................................ 69 Achievements ........................................................................................................................ 70 The Player, the Forum, and the Story ......................................................................................
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