Monthly Archives: February 2018

As stated by Justin Reich, “[we] need to account for our collective human tendency to allow the worst of ourselves to emerge under the anonymity of the Internet.” Anonymity is a fascinating concept as it allows individuals to be whoever they want to be and say whatever they want to say, without having to be accountable for our actions. This is a metaphor for life; give man a mask, and he will be more himself than he has ever been.

Guild Wars 2 allows cooperation, yet it rarely encourages it. What is interesting is that although we have the option to play as a team, many of us chose to play alone. Perhaps that’s a metaphor for our individuality. I have yet to join a guild or embark on group quests with other players, however, I have found that when I attempted to engage in chat with other players, many of them did not address my concerns or help guide me in the right direction. I was happy that I did not receive any offensive comments from other players, which was a preconceived notion that other individuals had mentioned to me multiple times. However, I did find that I had to reach out to other players multiple times in order for me to be taken seriously. In my opinion, I do believe that individuals who react with offensive comments and toxicity online do so for reasons that go beyond the game and have more to do with themselves as individuals. In this case, I do agree with Reich’s statement about “regular people having a bad day” (Reich). Toxicity also exists because some gamers turn to the virtual world to release their stress and emotions.

I made use of out-of-game resources for direction and explanation of things in the game; I was very confused at first. I thought the individuals who created these resources were helpful members of the community as Guild Wars 2 does not really come with instructions. It’s difficult to pick up at first because so much is going on aesthetically and large amounts of information are thrown at the players at the start. For regular gamers, it’s most likely a lot easier to understand in a smaller time frame. While some may consider going out of the game ‘cheating’, I strongly think that it depends on the context and what the information being attained is. If it’s information on how to level up faster, or how to complete the mission, then it could be deemed as cheating and it takes the fun out of the game. However, if it’s information on the game functions and how to play the game, which is what I had searched up, I do not think that that is cheating.

In person, I’m usually quite forthcoming and social. However, in the last year, I feel as though that has decreased significantly and I stopped putting myself out there as much. I participated in quite a few chats with other players from across the globe and enjoyed it. It encouraged me to start putting myself out there again. I would also participate in those types of conversation in person, I think I just needed to be reminded of that fact.

When asking other players for help, some responded positively and helped out, while others responded negatively and with toxicity. I guess that’s why the ‘report a player’ function exists. When I was asked for help on the group chat by other players, I attempted to help as much as I could because I strongly believe in building each other up. One player also helped me flag a target, which I thought was sweet. When reading annoying or provocative comments in chat, I was a little upset just because I do not think that that is necessary. I feel like it just takes away from the fun of the game and creates a negative atmosphere for those being attacked verbally or cyber-bullied. In cases like this, I think that the ‘report a player’ function is useful as it encourages a positive notion of community and a safe atmosphere.

As Lilah Rose Ivy advances in Guild Wars 2, I’ve found that while cooperating with other players may be beneficial, it is not necessarily needed, nor does it make a significant impact on the success of the mission. This is interesting as Guild Wars 2 is a game that is known to be played worldwide, specifically within friend groups who Skype and play at the same time. While that is counterintuitive, perhaps it’s also to say that we, as individuals, enjoy using this mask to create new personas for ourselves and project them onto those that we love. I found that my effective anonymity allowed me to be bigger and better, and while it was tempting to be less patient due to the competitiveness nature of the game, I actually feel like I learned to be even more patient and understanding.

-B

Work Cited

Simon Parkin, “A Video-Game Algorithm to Solve Online Abuse”, MIT Technology Review, September 14, 2015.

Storytelling is an art form that has been alive throughout centuries in order to give meaning to life and create a purpose. From folktales in the old days to visual characters in Guild Wars Two, the effect of storytelling is, and always has been, vast. In the game, characters are given specific tasks. NPCs drive the narrative forward by bringing nature and the missions to life by creating purposes to support them. Each task is accompanied by NPCs that help us achieve our goals, as well as other stories that explain why we are going after our target, how to do it and even what it means to specific characters or groups of creatures in the game. Perhaps that’s a lesson that we should all actively re-enforce in society: understanding what something means to someone.

When I first started playing Guild Wars Two, the narrative was very interesting to me. I would minimize the game and google the different types of characters and locations to try to understand the game on a grander level. I became passionate about understanding the lore and cultural productions of the players. What is so intriguing about Guild Wars Two is that the narrative is constantly drawing you in. By giving personal anecdotes and explanations, the game reaches its audience on a more interactive and personal level as it creates a strong sense of understanding and community in terms of achieving targets. It makes you want to achieve those goals, not merely because you want to win, but rather, because of the grander scheme of things and its implications for both your character and NPCs. At times, I did skip over the narrative because it took too long, however, I realized that the times I skipped over it, my mission was less important to me. Guild Wars Two creates an emotional attachment and engagement between the player and their character. This initially begins because you designed your character yourself, but it goes on to expand into so much more than that, such as your character’s interactions with NPCs and achievements, as well as their losses and weaknesses.

Parts of the story were certainly compelling enough for me to engage intellectually as well because it’s almost like developing a new skill, there is so much to learn about the story world. It creates passion and by giving stories to alternate characters, locations and tasks, the game makers give life to the latter. Furthermore, as the game tells the stories in a triggering way, it also pushes your character to perform tasks quickly; it does not leave any room for small talk or understanding while you are in the game itself. You have no time for preparation. Your character is immediately on the get-go. An example of this would be when an NPC says, “hurry, we don’t have much time. The undead are relentless.” How fast-paced the game is taps into my competitive nature and draws me in emotionally. I get anxious when my character is being attacked or when I may not achieve a mission, and I get excited when I am able to achieve my mission. It’s a roller coaster of emotions.

In terms of violence in video games, it is problematic in the sense that individuals may develop violence through vicarious learning. However, I think that in Guild Wars Two it is minimal and less likely to occur through vicarious learning. This raises the question of: to what extent is violence in video games influencial? What does one do about it?

While I would indeed find the narrative of the game interesting if I were not playing a specific role in it, I would not be as drawn in and invested as I am because it is much less personal to me. However, I would still read the book or watch the movie because I love stories. Most of the story is told through visual media for me, however, both words and visual media work hand in hand in creating an empathetic connection between player and character. I personally do believe that this game is forward-looking, and while I understand why some may deem it frivolous because it is a game, I think that it brings important metaphors and stories to life that are evident in our society; it’s an interactive learning tool.

Storytelling exists in every field and aspect of life as we own our stories, our personal experiences, which make us who we are. Perhaps the goal for us isn’t necessarily to live forever, but rather, to create something that will.

-B

As video game landscapes have the ability to create visual constructions of metaphors within society, game makers utilize achieve this tool through a vast number of factors such as color imagery and tapping into ‘schemas’, which are previously stored pieces of information or memories in individuals. While every individual is diverse and has experienced many events distinctively, there are certain universal pieces of information, metaphors and colors associated with specific visual aspects.

In terms of wandering the constructed world, nature comes to life and plays a vital, if not the most important, role in creating these ‘schemas’. The landscapes involved are all set in nature with trees and plants everywhere. However, each landscape remains diverse due to the color schemes, creatures and overall aura of the landscape. Visual signifiers that suggest that a specific territory is friendly and utopian are light and earth colors, such as light green, light blue and turquoise. This color scheme has a calming effect on the game players as it associated with the earth and the ocean in our schemas. Large sized plants and bright colors suggest a welcoming environment. Furthermore, they adds to the mythical setting and the concept of magic as nature and mother earth carry positive and serene denotations and more importantly, connotations, in our schemas. There is a sense of order and control; everything flows smoothly and the characters speak softly. In utopian environments, the characters help each other’s growth and work alongside one another. Alternatively, in dystopian environments, characters hinder each other’s growth and battle against one another more frequently. Dark red, orange and brown suggest a hostile environment as the colors themselves are associated with anger, intensity and darkness. Although brown is also an earth color, it is paired with colors of high intensity and therefore, in this instance, it carries negative connotations. Darkness symbolizes death, whereas light symbolizes life; this is a common social metaphor that is known by players as it is depicted in popular culture, such as films, artwork and music.

Additionally, the dystopian environments are filled with shadows. Shadows carry negative connotations as they exist and follow us around everywhere, yet we still can not understand them completely. In popular culture, shadows are always depicted as ‘evil’ and although literally attached to you, metaphorically detached in terms of their intentions and what they add to your life. This is yet another example of a schema that is known in society as it begins with cartoons such as Scooby Doo, creating this impression in the minds of younger children, and works its way up to movies such as Dark Shadows, for adolescents. The voices and red dialogue of hostile characters in negative environments are deeper and make you feel a lot less calm. Conflicts over territories are also emphasized through shadows, dark colors and the size of the creatures defending them. This creates the idea of order in the environment in the sense that the largest creature has the most control and is seen as the ‘alpha’.

The message that a world that is effectively indestructible and unchanging explicitly conveys is that there is always a hero and a villain; it motivates its players to be the heroes and not the villains, suggesting that to be a villain does not necessarily mean doing something extremely terrible, but rather, the little things in your day-to-day experiences shape the type of that person you are; these little things make the most significant differences in society. The game reinforces the contemporary cultural moment in which governing authorities create and use propaganda to instill ideologies in certain societies, Guild Wars 2 pushes you to break through and gain more knowledge before you pass certain judgements and create prejudices.

-B