Workshop ���Roleplaying Game Studies���A Handbook���S. Deterding J.P. Zagal���DiGRA 2013, Atlanta, GA, August 27, 2013���c b

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#rpghandbook

Course of the Day 10.15-10.20 Welcome & Introductions

10.20-10.35 RPG Studies Handbook: What, Why, How?

10.35-11.15 Mapping the possibility space

11.15-11.30 Next steps

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Introductions in 30 Seconds •  Use this template:

•  “Hi, I’m <First name Last name> and I’m <current main occupation>. My ideal RPG studies handbook would be: a <comparison> for RPGs.”

•  Correct: “Hi, I’m Sebastian Deterding and I’m a visiting professor at RIT in Rochester, NY. My ideal RPG studies handbook would be: a Cambridge Handbook for RPG research.”

•  Incorrect: “Hi, I’m Jose Zagal and let me tell you about my favorite character…she’s a level 23 dwarf paladin…and this one time the party was…”

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Why are we here?

To create the definitive handbook for RPG studies

(yay!)

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Why care? •  Influence of RPGs is pervasive in games (& media

culture), but little appreciated

•  RPG theory & practice hold rich, unfulfilled promise for game studies writ large

•  Key texts and concepts of RPG research are scattered across communities and media

•  Consolidated handbook would give RPG studies (more) visibility, coherence, impact in game studies

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What do we envision? •  Reference handbook quality coverage of key concepts,

issues in RPG research, 10+ years shelf live

•  Integrative: multi-media (LARP, tabletop, …), multi-authored, multi-national

•  Review & consolidation, no original research

•  Broad appeal and relevance, beyond “by RPG scholars for RPG scholars”

•  English

•  Affordable (max 50 US$)

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What is still unclear? •  Primary audience: Scholars, undergrad students, a

combination, …

•  Form: Encyclopedia, handbook, reader, a combination, ...

•  Length and style of entries

•  Publisher: First contacts with Pearson, MIT Press, but open for more

•  Actual contents & authors

•  Add your dimension here …

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Why are we here together today? •  Broadening scope: We all have partial expertise

•  Increasing robustness: We all have perspectives

•  Manpower: We all have busy schedules

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What you can expect of us •  Commitment and momentum: We‘re in this for real

•  Openness and transparency: We want to make the best possible book, and we can only do so with you

•  Decisions: We don‘t want a “book by committee“ – and neither do you, we guess :)

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Goals for today? •  Plausibility check: Is this worth pursuing?

•  Develop shared broad vision of the parameters (what not to do)

•  High-level map of the possibility space (what we could do)

•  Initial signal of commitment by you

•  Ideally, agreement on a basic model/gestalt for the handbook

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Mapping the possibility space 1.  We collect volumes we consider possible prototypes

for the book on post-ist: 1 post-it/volume, give reasons why

2.  We map the important dimensions and values along which the book may vary: audience, format, ...

3.  We map (clusters of) prototypes on these dimensions

4.  We discuss pros and cons of the different values

•  Ideally, we arrive at a strong shared preference for each dimension

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Next steps •  Setup shared google doc with results (J&S)

•  Setup shared minigroup.com for tasks (J&S)

•  Get feedback on results from people who couldn’t attend (J&S)

•  Decide on basic model of handbook (J&S)

•  Commit to role in handbook (all)

•  Distribute questionnaire on topics (all)

•  Draft final TOC w/ chapter authors (all)

•  Draft prospectus for publishers (all)