This is a thesis that deals with the norms and rules of players playing online games together. It is also a thesis about believability, the current capabilities of non-player characters (NPCs) and the attitudes amongst game developers towards dynamic and systemic games AI. The primary theme of this thesis considers which means of communication and coordination in terms of norms and rules are present in groups of players and particularly in guilds and clans playing Massively Multi Online Games (MMOGs) and First Person Shooters (FPSs) respectively. The presence of norms in these types of groups has been overlooked in previous research even though guilds have been addressed to some extent. When rules have been discussed in games research, the actual use, meaning and interpretation behind these rules from a player perspective has been omitted. In this thesis rules and norms are interpreted from a guild and clan perspective as important means for coordination, used in order to keep the group together. The implicit rules are further seen as implicit rules made explicit through guild and clan forums where these groups of players express how to preserve the shared game experience. The absence of rituals, norms and rules has also been studied in temporary groups of one MMOG, with the explanation that existing relations with other players are maintained in these game sessions, but new relations are usually seen as too costly to invest in. The second theme is directed at believability and the state of current NPCs, how immersion is influenced by NPCs that do not act in believable ways. The second theme is also influenced by the first theme, whereby rules and norms are seen as valuable tools for creating believability in NPCs, directly targeting the social layer, a slightly overlooked area of research. The last section is directed at applying the results from the first section, how players play by the rules and norms of the group, and how this could foster believability in NPCs. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: In press. Paper 5: In press. Paper 6: In press.</p>

Στόχος της εργασίας είναι η μελέτη, ανάπτυξη και αξιολόγηση συνεργατικών εφαρμογών σε φορητές συσκευές. Για την μελέτη αυτή, αναπτύχθηκε ένα παιχνίδι διάχυτου υπολογισμού, το οποίο υποστηρίζει την χρήση του από πολλούς παίκτες ταυτόχρονα και μπορεί να παιχτεί παράλληλα σε διαφορετικές πόλεις από διαφορετικές ομάδες παικτών. Το παιχνίδι αυτό ανήκει σε ένα αναδυόμενο είδος παιχνιδιών που αναμιγνύουν την πραγματικότητα με τον εικονικό ψηφιακό κόσμο, χρησιμοποιώντας τον πραγματικό χώρο σαν το περιβάλλον του παιχνιδιού. Το παιχνίδι που αναπτύχθηκε εδώ χρησιμοποιεί σαν βασικά στοιχεία την μπλόφα, την παραπλάνηση και την ανάθεση ρόλων. Για την ανάπτυξή του ακολουθήθηκε ένα επαναληπτικό μοντέλο σχεδιασμού με την αξιολόγηση να παίρνει μέρος με διάφορες τεχνικές και μεθόδους στα διάφορα στάδια ανάπτυξης. Η υλοποίηση πραγματοποιήθηκε για κινητά τηλέφωνα με λειτουργικό σύστημα Android, μια επίσης καινούργια πλατφόρμα για φορητές συσκευές από την Google και την OHA. / The aim of this project is the design, development and evaluation of collaborative applications on mobile devices. For this study, a pervasive game was developed, which supports the use of it by many players simultaneously and can be played simultaneously in different cities by different groups of players. This game belongs to an emerging genre that mixes reality with the virtual digital world, using the real space as the gaming environment. The game was developed here uses the main elements of the bluff, deception and the assignment of roles. For its development an iterative design model was followed. The evaluation phase took place with various techniques and methods in different stages of development. The implementation was made for mobile phones running Android, also a new platform for mobile devices from Google and the OHA.