Potential Sources
Source types:
Modern scholarly literature
Modern articles, etc.
Non-modern sources
Categories (potential paragraphs?):
Interactive Narratives - Explaining my storytelling structure.
Death Mechanics - The integral role death plays in the game and what this means.
Historicity - The importance of keeping all non-mythological elements as historically accurate as
possible.
Mythology and Culture - How I present mythological elements and hellenistic culture.
Potential Research Questions:
How can I structure a game about ancient Greek mythology and history?
How can I present ancient Greek mythology as an interractive experience?
How can I plan a game about death and the loss of purpose in the ancient Greek afterlife without it also loosing meaning?
Interactive Narratives
Explaining my storytelling structure.
Title
Exploring the Effects of Interactivity in Television Drama
Cite As
Hand S., Varan D. (2007) Exploring the Effects of Interactivity in
Television Drama. In: Cesar P., Chorianopoulos K., Jensen J.F. (eds)
Interactive TV: a Shared Experience. EuroITV 2007. Lecture Notes in
Computer Science, vol 4471. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Helpful Excerpts
"This model, which ITRI dubbed the ‘yo-yo’ structure of interaction, is a branching form of interactive narrative which allows the audience to interact but which always uses bridging storylines so as to bring the audience back to the central storyline. In this way the ‘yo-yo’ structure accommodates structured interaction which allows the audience a sense of agency without negating the narrative structure of the overall story. Similar structures of interactive narrative have also been outlined by Meadows (2003) as the “nodal plot structure” (P.64) and by Garrand (1997) as the “branching from scenes” structure. The main difference between Meadows’ (2003) and Garrand’s (1997) structures and the ‘yo-yo’ structure is the identification, in the ‘yo-yo’ structure, of the bridging scene. The diagram below outlines the ‘yo-yo’ structure at the first point of interaction."
My Thoughts
Relevant to the way I'm structuring NPC conversation maps.
Title
Empathy at play: Embodying posthuman subjectivities in gaming
Cite As
Wilde, P., & Evans, A. (2019). Empathy at play: Embodying posthuman subjectivities in gaming. Convergence, 25(5–6), 791–806.
Helpful Excerpts
"In my own gameplay I have been surprised by how easily the narrative can be neglected. For example, when given a quest by an NPC (non-playing character) in World of Warcraft the gamer is presented with a pop-up box of the NPC’s speech about that quest. The brief includes a summary of the details of the task (e.g. ‘NPC wants you to kill 10 spiders’) and under that are the buttons to accept or decline. In dungeons, which usually involve five players working together towards a specific goal, it becomes immediately apparent that players are accepting the quests as quickly as possible in order to get on and complete them; no one is actually stopping to read the whys and wherefores or getting involved in the narrative. Therefore, whilst engagement with narrative is a highly immersive activity in some forms of gaming I would suggest that – for some gamers – it is more of an optional quality and their focus is on progression and achievement rather than story"
"In my own gameplay I have been surprised by how easily the narrative can be neglected. For example, when given a quest by an NPC (non-playing character) in World of Warcraft the gamer is presented with a pop-up box of the NPC’s speech about that quest. The brief includes a summary of the details of the task (e.g. ‘NPC wants you to kill 10 spiders’) and under that are the buttons to accept or decline. In dungeons, which usually involve five players working together towards a specific goal, it becomes immediately apparent that players are accepting the quests as quickly as possible in order to get on and complete them; no one is actually stopping to read the whys and wherefores or getting involved in the narrative. Therefore, whilst engagement with narrative is a highly immersive activity in some forms of gaming I would suggest that – for some gamers – it is more of an optional quality and their focus is on progression and achievement rather than story"
My Thoughts
I could identify this as a problem, then explain how any attempt as "progression" or "achievement" is impossible, and that this is integral to the theme of meaningless and ultimate stagnation that is life in the underworld. Though the player may seek to escape, and there are ways they can try to do so, there is no way of leaving. Though they may try and collect the best weapons (and armour, depending on how far I get) everything gradually wears out and becomes unusable, and there is no repair mechanic. The point is conversing with NPCs and learning about them for the sake of learning about them, or fighting other souls or creatures for the enjoyment of the act itself, as the player character's existence is ultimately futile, as is the act of playing the game (or any game).
Title
Interactive Narratives: Exploring the Links
between Empathy, Interactivity and Structure
Cite As
Hand S., Varan D. (2008) Interactive Narratives: Exploring the Links
between Empathy, Interactivity and Structure. In: Tscheligi M., Obrist
M., Lugmayr A. (eds) Changing Television Environments. EuroITV 2008.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 5066. Springer, Berlin,
Heidelberg
Helpful Excerpts
"Much of the literature in the field suggests that the main problem behind creating successful interactive narratives lies in achieving a balance between interactivity and narrative structure."
"Much of the literature in the field suggests that the main problem behind creating successful interactive narratives lies in achieving a balance between interactivity and narrative structure."
"... a model of interactive narrative which en-cased interactivity within a strong narrative structure would best heighten audience enjoyment of a narrative."
My Thoughts
Support for encasing optional conversation trees and mini-tasks within the larger narrative of the player making their way to Hades, which is integral to the plot continuing.
Title
Hamlet
Cite As
Helpful Excerpts
"Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!
Is it not monstrous that this player here,
But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,
Could force his soul so to his own conceit
That from her working all his visage wanned,
Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect,
A broken voice, and his whole function suiting
With forms to his conceit? And all for nothing—
For Hecuba!
What’s Hecuba to him or he to Hecuba
That he should weep for her?"A quote that I like, from my favourite Shakespear play, that's relevant to this section (particularly once I draw similarities between the futility of the player character's existence in the underworld and the act of playing games in real life that necessitates doing things purely for the enjoyment of the doing - and, if I were to go a bit further, to life in general). It's helpful that Hamlet himself has a tendancy to overthink his actions and their repercussions, and that this is presented in the play as a flaw in his character.
Death Mechanics
The integral role death plays in the game and what this means.
Title
"You Are Dead. Continue?": Conflicts and Complements in Game Rules and Fiction
"You Are Dead. Continue?": Conflicts and Complements in Game Rules and Fiction
Cite As
Tocci, J. (2008) "You Are Dead. Continue?": Conflicts and
Complements in Game Rules and Fiction. Eludamos. Journal for
Computer Game Culture. 2008; 2; 2; 187-201
Helpful Excerpts
"Arguably, the ultimate effort to preserve narrative coherence is to omit protagonist death from a game entirely. This technique has been most utilized among "adventure" games, a genre that focuses more on collecting items, engaging in pre-written dialog sequences, and solving puzzles."
"Protagonist death, a peculiar convention of videogames, represents a standing challenge to the creation of coherent fiction while still offering interesting and challenging rules."
"Arguably, the ultimate effort to preserve narrative coherence is to omit protagonist death from a game entirely. This technique has been most utilized among "adventure" games, a genre that focuses more on collecting items, engaging in pre-written dialog sequences, and solving puzzles."
"Protagonist death, a peculiar convention of videogames, represents a standing challenge to the creation of coherent fiction while still offering interesting and challenging rules."
Title
Editorial. Digital games and learning
Editorial. Digital games and learning
Cite As
Dagnino, F., Passarelli, M., Perrotta, C., & Persico, D. (2019). Editorial. Digital games and
Dagnino, F., Passarelli, M., Perrotta, C., & Persico, D. (2019). Editorial. Digital games and
learning. Italian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(2), 87-90. doi: 10.17471/2499-4324/1128
Helpful Excerpts
"Additionally, some narrative-driven games can be used to encourage reflection or discussion on complex topics, from philosophical questions to ethical and psychological issues, such as reflection on death, attitudes towards sexual, cultural and religious diversity, and thus help to foster cultural and personal development"
"Additionally, some narrative-driven games can be used to encourage reflection or discussion on complex topics, from philosophical questions to ethical and psychological issues, such as reflection on death, attitudes towards sexual, cultural and religious diversity, and thus help to foster cultural and personal development"
A pretty good all-rounder that I can use towards the start or end.
Title
Negotiating death positivity in video games: overcoming the addiction to respawning
Cite As
Zibaite, S. (2018). Negotiating death positivity in video games: overcoming the addiction to respawning. Discover Society. February 06, 2018.
Zibaite, S. (2018). Negotiating death positivity in video games: overcoming the addiction to respawning. Discover Society. February 06, 2018.
Helpful Excerpts
"The majority of death positivity tenets... stress the importance of accessible self-education resources, building a competent vocabulary on issues surrounding death and acknowledging the presence of death, as well as exploring one’s fears and discontents. A significant problem is the term ‘death positivity’ is sometimes used by the public and content creators in ways that are not consistent with the movement’s mission. In part of articles, reviews, comments, etc. on the topic, death positivity is understood as having positive feelings towards death. Ideas about death positivity are perpetuated in a way that confuses, and limits, the amount of people who might want to identify with the movement."
"The majority of death positivity tenets... stress the importance of accessible self-education resources, building a competent vocabulary on issues surrounding death and acknowledging the presence of death, as well as exploring one’s fears and discontents. A significant problem is the term ‘death positivity’ is sometimes used by the public and content creators in ways that are not consistent with the movement’s mission. In part of articles, reviews, comments, etc. on the topic, death positivity is understood as having positive feelings towards death. Ideas about death positivity are perpetuated in a way that confuses, and limits, the amount of people who might want to identify with the movement."
Nice introductory info on the death positivity movement, could be used to tie death mechanics in with the theme of futility (which could be the section before or after) and describe the player character's possition within the narrative as not being wholly negative.
Title
What is the Death Positive Movement?
Cite As
Benoualid, M., Cohen, J., Carter, G. (2015) What is the Death Positive Movement? TalkDeath. June, 09, 2015.
Helpful Excerpts
"It is allude to in popular culture, through commercials, music, and other types of media. It is the subject of films and novels, and even television series. But even though we are in many ways surrounded by representations of death and grief, its presence and role in our own lives is something many feel afraid or uncomfortable speaking about. It is this internal and societal conundrum that many of us experience that is the focus of the “Death Positive” Movement."
"The Death Positive (or Death Positivity) Movement is represented by the general (and growing) movement toward opening platforms for discussion about the inevitability of death and dying. The movement focuses on the importance of encouraging open discussions on the reality of both our own death, and the death of others."
My Thoughts
More general info, same as above.
Title
"I Lose, Therefore I Think" A Search for Contemplation amid Wars of Push-Button Glare
Cite As
Lee, S. (2003). "I Lose, Therefore I Think" A Search for Contemplation amid Wars of Push-Button Glare. The International Journal of Computer Game Research. Volume 3, Issue 2.
Helpful Excerpts
"...an explicit goal rotates around a definite end, in the quest of which all the game's elements are meant to be supportive. Games of such kind are usually centralized in structure. Costikyan's idea of implicit goal, to the contrary, refers to a networked environment wherein only the player-selected elements in a gameplay attain significance in response to an emerging centre based on the player's motivation. This player-centric design contributes to the formation of a de-centralized structure in games."
My Thoughts
This is a great point, and can be refered to both when talking about lack of respawning and the lack of a given purpose (refering to the narrative segment).
Historicity
The importance of keeping all non-mythological elements as historically accurate as possible.
Title
Gaming history: computer and video games as historical scholarship
Cite As
Spring, D. (2014). Gaming history: computer and video games as historical scholarship. The Journal of Theory and Practice. Volume 19, 2015 - Issue 2
Helpful Excerpts
"The video game offers far greater potential for the creation and presentation of history than any other entertainment or interactive media."
"In developing the scholarly game, historical thinking and historical research methodologies can inform the design process."
"While the developers rely primarily on secondary source material, Rockstar's L.A. Noire and Red Dead Redemption utilize original primary source research and offer excellent models for translating research into a scholarly game."
My Thoughts
Quotes on how historical accuracy can be important, and examples of games for which research of primary sources has been so.
Title
Reciprocal Innovation in Modding Communities as a means of Increasing Cultural Diversity and Historical Accuracy in Video Games
Cite As
Moshirnia , A. V. & Walker , A. C. ( 2007 ). Reciprocal innovation in modding commu-nities as a means of increasing cultural diversity and historical accuracy in video games. In Akira, Baba (ed.) Proceedings of DiGRA 2007 Conference: Situated Play . September 24–28, 2007, Tokyo, Japan (pp. 362–368).
Helpful Excerpts
"The features of existing games, even those features that may be considered unimportant by the game’s original creators, can be modified to increase the historical accuracy and thus educational value of the product. This process offers the end user more chances to reflect on her cultural and sociological affiliations..."
My Thoughts
Something handy to refer to if I want to make the point that there's a market for this kind of thing.
Title
Cite As
Ghita, Cristian, and Georgios Andrikopoulos. 2009. "Total War and TotalRealism: A Battle for Antiquity in Computer Game History." In Classics forAll: Reworking Antiquity in Mass Culture, edited by Dunstan Lowe and KimShahabudin, 109–26. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press.
Helpful Excerpts
(On mods to 'Rome Total War' that increase historical accuracy) "By using original languages wherever possible, the team hopes to encourage players to develop an interest in understanding some Greek and Latin, whether by individual study or by taking advantage of courses offered in the curricula of their schools. From several forum discussions it would seem that the linguistic interest of the fanbase rises if they are constantly confronted with texts in their original languages; this is a very encouraging sign for the team."
My Thoughts
Can be talked about both in relation to claims that "people want historical accuracy" and "people can benefit from historical accuracy". Can also be used if I want to talk about the game's title, which will be in ancient Greek (with an explanatory English sub-heading?)
Title
Cite As
Fornaro, M., Clementi, N. & Fornaro, P. Ann Gen Psychiatry (2009) Medicine and psychiatry in Western culture: Ancient Greek myths and modern prejudices. Annals of General Psychiatry. 8: 21.
Helpful Excerpts
"Myths and religious references were used to explain what was otherwise impossible to understand or be easily communicated."
My Thoughts
A short except but it'll serve to make a quick point or summarise for an introduction.
Title
A Companion to the Hellenistic World
Cite As
Erskine, A. (2009) A Companion to the Hellenistic World. Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World. John Wiley & Sons. 9 February 2009. 13: 218.
Helpful Excerpts
"The interconnection of past and present reached hitherto unprecedented levels in the Hellenistic period. The basic constants remained the same: the interest in genealogy continued unabated, and the past as re-fashioned by epics, in which the products of the poetic imagination have taken the place of reality, is established and recognized as a valid representation of the Greek past. What changed and developed, however, was the role that the past played in the present. The immediate cause of this was the upheaval broguth about by the campaigns of Alexander the Great."
My Thoughts
This is a great paragraph. It talks about mythology as a meathod of both keeping semi-historical records for the common people and of solidifying the cultural "us" of the ancient Greeks, against which other cultures can be contrasted for purposes of war and politics. It also leads into the changes made by Alexander, and allows me to talk about how there are suddenly many more and varied peoples that believe in the ancient Greek gods and would call themselves Hellenes, despite being born all over the modern middle-east, Egypt, India, etc. This has a direct impact on the player character as he has lived through Alexander's wars and died in the wars of the Diadochi.
Gaming history: computer and video games as historical scholarship
Cite As
Spring, D. (2014). Gaming history: computer and video games as historical scholarship. The Journal of Theory and Practice. Volume 19, 2015 - Issue 2
Helpful Excerpts
"The video game offers far greater potential for the creation and presentation of history than any other entertainment or interactive media."
"In developing the scholarly game, historical thinking and historical research methodologies can inform the design process."
"While the developers rely primarily on secondary source material, Rockstar's L.A. Noire and Red Dead Redemption utilize original primary source research and offer excellent models for translating research into a scholarly game."
My Thoughts
Quotes on how historical accuracy can be important, and examples of games for which research of primary sources has been so.
Title
Reciprocal Innovation in Modding Communities as a means of Increasing Cultural Diversity and Historical Accuracy in Video Games
Cite As
Moshirnia , A. V. & Walker , A. C. ( 2007 ). Reciprocal innovation in modding commu-nities as a means of increasing cultural diversity and historical accuracy in video games. In Akira, Baba (ed.) Proceedings of DiGRA 2007 Conference: Situated Play . September 24–28, 2007, Tokyo, Japan (pp. 362–368).
Helpful Excerpts
"The features of existing games, even those features that may be considered unimportant by the game’s original creators, can be modified to increase the historical accuracy and thus educational value of the product. This process offers the end user more chances to reflect on her cultural and sociological affiliations..."
My Thoughts
Something handy to refer to if I want to make the point that there's a market for this kind of thing.
Title
Classics For All: Reworking Antiquity in Mass Culture
Cite As
Ghita, Cristian, and Georgios Andrikopoulos. 2009. "Total War and TotalRealism: A Battle for Antiquity in Computer Game History." In Classics forAll: Reworking Antiquity in Mass Culture, edited by Dunstan Lowe and KimShahabudin, 109–26. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press.
Helpful Excerpts
(On mods to 'Rome Total War' that increase historical accuracy) "By using original languages wherever possible, the team hopes to encourage players to develop an interest in understanding some Greek and Latin, whether by individual study or by taking advantage of courses offered in the curricula of their schools. From several forum discussions it would seem that the linguistic interest of the fanbase rises if they are constantly confronted with texts in their original languages; this is a very encouraging sign for the team."
My Thoughts
Can be talked about both in relation to claims that "people want historical accuracy" and "people can benefit from historical accuracy". Can also be used if I want to talk about the game's title, which will be in ancient Greek (with an explanatory English sub-heading?)
Mythology and Culture
How I present mythological elements and hellenistic culture.Title
Medicine and psychiatry in Western culture: Ancient Greek myths and modern prejudices
Cite As
Fornaro, M., Clementi, N. & Fornaro, P. Ann Gen Psychiatry (2009) Medicine and psychiatry in Western culture: Ancient Greek myths and modern prejudices. Annals of General Psychiatry. 8: 21.
Helpful Excerpts
"Myths and religious references were used to explain what was otherwise impossible to understand or be easily communicated."
My Thoughts
A short except but it'll serve to make a quick point or summarise for an introduction.
Title
A Companion to the Hellenistic World
Cite As
Erskine, A. (2009) A Companion to the Hellenistic World. Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World. John Wiley & Sons. 9 February 2009. 13: 218.
Helpful Excerpts
"The interconnection of past and present reached hitherto unprecedented levels in the Hellenistic period. The basic constants remained the same: the interest in genealogy continued unabated, and the past as re-fashioned by epics, in which the products of the poetic imagination have taken the place of reality, is established and recognized as a valid representation of the Greek past. What changed and developed, however, was the role that the past played in the present. The immediate cause of this was the upheaval broguth about by the campaigns of Alexander the Great."
My Thoughts
This is a great paragraph. It talks about mythology as a meathod of both keeping semi-historical records for the common people and of solidifying the cultural "us" of the ancient Greeks, against which other cultures can be contrasted for purposes of war and politics. It also leads into the changes made by Alexander, and allows me to talk about how there are suddenly many more and varied peoples that believe in the ancient Greek gods and would call themselves Hellenes, despite being born all over the modern middle-east, Egypt, India, etc. This has a direct impact on the player character as he has lived through Alexander's wars and died in the wars of the Diadochi.