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media caricatures video games as relentless and senseless violence,
so it becomes easy for non-gamers and even academics to dismiss video
games as not only pointless but perhaps even dangerous to society.
MMORPGs, on the other hand, are surprisingly non-violent and offer
many examples of complex play that involve social interaction, collaboration
and long-term goals.
Every day, geologists in Star Wars Galaxies survey the planets
in order to sample and harvest high-quality resources. To be effective,
they purchase industrial harvesters from architects. Resource brokers
typically fill in the gap between resource producers and manufacturers,
such as pharmaceutical manufacturers. Pharmaceutical
manufacturers must compete with each other to fulfill the demands
of the market. Many choose to specialize in particular products
to create a recognized brand. The open market or specialized vendors
then allow manufacturers to sell their products to others at a price
that is entirely driven by the demand of the market. Every day,
players in Star Wars Galaxies take on key roles in a dynamic economy
that involve cartels, monopolies, inflation, fads, scams and extortions.
Interesting social and cultural phenomena also emerge in these
environments. Weddings
take on new cultural roles. The extensive staging of weddings in
these worlds are not meant to be a parallel of the real world ritual,
but a form of story-telling that reinforces the virtual identities
of the players involved. Weddings become a way of becoming woven
into these worlds. “Play” also takes on new meaning in a world
where groups of strangers assemble to achieve a common goal. The
drama
and intrigue that emerge from these chance encounters and from
sustained groups, such as guilds,
become the crux of the MMORPG experience, more so in fact than the
pre-designed game elements.
See also:
-
Dragon Slaying 101: Understanding The Complexity of Raids
-
Dragon Slaying 102: Unsung Heroes
- The Labor of Fun
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