School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry A Quest for Meaning: Facing Uncertainty, Anonymity, the Hidden and the Unknown Space in Azeroth Annabelle Norma Marye Platell This thesis is presented for the Degree of Doctor of Social Sciences of Curtin University May 2019 1 Declaration To the best of my knowledge and belief this thesis contains no material previously published by any other person except where due acknowledgement has been made. This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university. Signature: ____________________ Date: 28th May 2019 2 Abstract In the context of playing World of Warcraft; the ways in which player characters navigate through the game is mediated by the ability to create meaning from symbols which do not have a linear interpretation to a single meaning. The game presents the player with symbols to better organise the collection of meanings and it is up to the player to recognise which meaning is the most appropriate for the context and the way in which they perform their character throughout the interaction. In this thesis I aim to explore how meaning is interpreted and adapted in relation to social performances and the emergence of blind spots. In World of Warcraft, blind spots take the forms of anonymity of players, uncertainty of meaning, venturing through the unknown space, and the hidden. Collectively, these blind spots form types of knowledge that cannot be ascertained easily or at all while playing. However by identifying these blind spots, one can study how meaning is created with them because a bi-product of attributing meaning is a blind spot. I must make it clear that blind spots are never truly eradicated; only regarded as acceptable through the negotiation of meaning which is defined through the performative use of symbols. The symbols are embodied by both the context of social life and the character an individual assumes; which are the point of relation and interpretation for meaning. These performances then divert the interpretation of meaning to what can be known about social life rather than encourage assumptions of what cannot be known. In this light, the dichotomy of meaning and blind spots can be beneficial as they reveal the most basic understanding of reality one must know in order to interact. 3 Contents Declaration………………………………………………………………………………..…2 Abstract……………………………………………………………………….……………..3 List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………....6 Welcome to Azeroth……………………………………………………………………….8 Finding Blind Spots………………………………………………………………………...18 Methodology………………………………………………………………………………..27 Significance…………………………………………………………………………………29 Structure of Thesis…………………………………………………………………………33 Chapter 1: The Dynamic of Meaning and Symbols (Theory and Method)……..41 The Grand Theatre of Symbolic Interactionism…………………………………………42 Introducing Dramaturgy……………………………………………………………………51 To Play Games with Symbols and Meaning…………………………………………….62 Performing Skilfully in a Game……………………………………………………………67 To Set the Ethnographic Stage…………………………………………………………..77 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….86 Chapter 2: The Virtual World of Azeroth……………………………………………..89 Conceptualising a Virtual World………………………………………………………….90 The Virtual World – The Player’s Place………………………………………………..104 The Virtual Context – Framing the Canonical Lore of Azeroth………………………110 Azeroth as a World……………………………………………………………………….115 Communicating in and about Azeroth………….………………………………………124 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………...130 Chapter 3: Anonymity through Character Identity……………………………..…132 The Virtual Totems – The Embodied Symbols of the Character…………………….134 o Race and Faction – The Character’s Backstory………………………………141 o Class and Level – The Character’s Place in Azeroth’s Hierarchy…………..143 o Equipment – The Aesthetic Identity of the Character……………………...…146 o Achievements – The Character’s CV…………………………………………..150 Performing Anonymously………………………………………………………………..153 4 A Peaceful Raptor Harvest………………………………………………………………156 Two Applicants for One Job……………………………………………………………..161 Playing as a Puppet Master or a Skilled Actor?.......................................................168 Why do you think there are no more raves in Azeroth?……………………………...177 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...…181 Chapter 4: Venturing into the Unknown Space……………………………………184 Levelling – Learning how to perform as a Character…………………………………186 The Meaning of Space…………………………………………………………………...194 I just want to level up in peace!................................................................................199 Is that unimaginative c[expletive deleted] gone?.....................................................215 Fighting with Play…………………………………………………………………………226 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………...231 Chapter 5: To Perform with Uncertainty…………………………………………….234 To Win a Dungeon……………………………………………………………….………236 A Character as a Learned and Shared Identity……………………………………….243 A Dungeon as a Rite of Passage………………………………………………………248 Dancing Fire, Dead Adventurers………………………………………………….…….253 Panic in the Temple of the Jade Serpent………………………………………………262 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………...279 Chapter 6: Imposing Familiar Logic upon the Hidden……………………………280 Familiarity in the Cities of Azeroth………………………………………………………284 A Familiar Social Order in Azeroth…………………………………..…………………290 The Capitalist Logic of Azeroth……………………………………….…………………293 The Potentiality of Play……………………………………………….………………….304 Conclusion………………………………………………………………..……………….313 Conclusion: To Embrace Blind Spots……………………………….………………316 On Symbolic Meaning……………………...…………………………….………………323 Playing within Virtual Reality……………………………………………..……………..325 References……………………………………………………………………………….333 5 List of Figures Figure 1: In game picture of Azeroth’s world map during the Mists of Pandaria Expansion taken while I was logged in using the print screen key found on most keyboards…………………………………116 Figure 2: In game screenshot of Laughing Skull Ruins, Nagrand, Outlands while logged in as a Troll Shaman, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards…………………………………117 Figure 3: In game screenshot of Crimson Expanse, Deepholm while logged in as a Troll Druid, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards……………………………………………………117 Figure 4: In game screenshot of The Emperor’s Gate, Isle of Thunder while logged in as a Troll Druid, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards……………………………………..119 Figure 5: In game screenshot of The Clutch, Kelp’thar Forest, Vashjir during the quest ‘Wake of Destruction’ while logged in as a Troll Warlock, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards……………………………………………………………………………………………………..120 Figure 6: Online screenshot of the secret finder discord log in screen. Taken used the print screen key found on most keyboards. Accessed at https://discordapp.com/invite/wowsecrets (9th August 2018).................................................................................................................................................121 Figure 7: In game map of Eastern Plaguelands, Eastern Kingdoms…………………………………..195 Figure 8: In game screenshot of forest north of Crown Guard Tower, Eastern Plaguelands, Eastern Kingdoms while logged in as a Troll Mage, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards……………………………………………………………………………………………………...203 Figure 9: In game screenshot of Corin’s Crossing, Eastern Plaguelands, Eastern Kingdoms while logged in as a Troll Mage, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards………………204 Figure 10: In game screenshot of Light’s Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands, Eastern Kingdoms while logged in as a Troll Mage, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards……….205 Figure 11: In game screenshot of interior from main cathedral of Tyr’s Hand, Eastern Plaguelands, Eastern Kingdoms while logged in as a Troll Mage, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards……………………………………………………………………………………………………...205 Figure 12: In game screenshot of area west of Browman Mill, Eastern Plaguelands, Eastern Kingdoms while logged in as a Troll Mage, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards……………………………………………………………………………………………………...206 Figure 13: In game screenshot of area west of Browman Mill, Eastern Plaguelands, Eastern Kingdoms while logged in as a Troll Mage, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards……………………………………………………………………………………………………...206 Figure 14: In game screenshot of Ix’lar’s Domain, Eastern Plaguelands, Eastern Kingdoms while logged in as a Troll Mage, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards……………...217 Figure 15: In game screenshot of area northwest of Northpass Tower, Eastern Plaguelands, Eastern Kingdoms while logged in as a Troll Mage, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards……………………………………………………………………………………………………...218 Figure 16: In game screenshots of Thirsty Alley in the Valley of the Four Winds, Pandaria while logged in as a Goblin Warrior, taken using the print screen key found on most keyboards. The image was taken to give a full shot of the meeting stone used to summon players to the Stormstout Brewery dungeon. Chronically this image is out of sync as it was taken during the Battle for Azeroth expansion so players of the game may notice details that were not present during the Mists of Pandaria expansion……………………………………………………………………………………………………...239 Figure 17: In game screenshots of the entry to the Stormstout Brewery dungeon in the Valley of the Four