This thesis investigates the level of focus a player is displaying while playing a role-playing game. The thesis tries to answer the questions if the level of focus is different while a player is watching an event scene versus during gameplay and if there is a difference in the level of focus displayed by new players versus experience ones. To answer this question a playtest was performed in the role-playing game Final Fantasy XIII and the player’s reaction was recorded and documented. The result suggests that the level of focus a player is displaying is lower during event scenes than during gameplay.

Os jogos de papéis (role-playing games) têm sido utilizados em diversos projetos de gestão participativa dos recursos naturais em processos de formação, pesquisa e intervenção de apoio à negociação de conflitos em várias partes do mundo. Uma série de estudos demonstram o potencial destas metodologias para lidar com temas complexos num processo de Educação para a participação, principalmente de atores locais da sociedade civil. Partimos do pressuposto de que os fóruns de negociação de conflitos socioambientais exigem um aprendizado técnico e social para uma participação efetiva da sociedade civil. O objetivo da pesquisa consiste em analisar os potenciais e limites destas metodologias em relação aos princípios da Educação Ambiental. Primeiramente realizamos um levantamento e comparação de experiências brasieliras de formação relacionadas à gestão urbana e ambiental. Em seguida, analisamos de forma mais aprofundada um protótipo de jogo de papéis, com enfoque na modelagem de acompanhamento, que corresponde ao foco do trabalho - O Jogo dos Mananciais. O jogo em destaque trata da problemática da gestão dos recursos hídricos em áreas de mananciais peri-urbanos. Os resultados da análise mostram que o jogo apresenta diversas potencialidades como metodologia de apoio à formação, embora seus limites estejam relacionados à complexidade da ferramenta e ao tempo dispendido na sua elaboração. Além disso, como uma metodologia didática, o jogo de papéis (RPG) deve estar inserido num processo de formação mais amplo. / Role playing games in natural resources management have recently been tested as training, research and intervention tools all over the world. Various studies point out their potential to deal with complex issues and to contribute on the training processes. We believe that a social learning process is necessary to empower the local communities to take part on the negotiation channels. The objective of this contribution is to briefly analyze the limits and potential of games within environmental education from the critical perspective. The analysis begins by a comparison of four Brazilian experiences, which are \"regular\" RPGs, developed to deal with the complexity of urban and environmental management. They were used within an educational process focusing on either local communities or technicians. The comparison of these experiences is based on (i) an analysis of the materials (game support) provided by the developers, (ii) interviews with authors and game developers and (iii) participation in game sessions whenever possible. Then we deeply analyze the RPG (Jogo dos Mananciais), the research focus. This game is a prototype based on Companion Modeling Approach. It deals with the water resources management in peri-urban catchments. The results show role-playing games have many possibilities as a training methodology, however their limits are related to the complexity of the toll. So, the RPG must be inserted into a wider educational process.

This thesis examines the RPG game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and its players in the Czech Republic. Although, D&D is primarily a game that uses physical components such as paper character sheets or dice, technology has also found its way to it, which is no surprise because current world is full of new technologies. The aim of this work is to examine the motivation of players to play, what role mediation plays, what technologies are used in playing and what are the main differences players perceive in the case of face-to-face session and in the case of online session. Many different technologies are used in both cases. Research questions dealing with these topics are answered through semi-structured interviews with a total of eight players and two participant observations of a player group's session. The most important reasons to play are the social and creative aspects of the game - players play with others, with whom they often form long-term friendships, and enjoy creating and using their imagination to create unique characters, narratives and worlds. D&D is also a source of inspiration for them. The main differences in offline and online game are especially in sociality and opportunities for communication, which is related to the atmosphere and experience, which in the case of face-to-face game...

In my Master's degree thesis I'm dealing with the phenomenon of role-playing games in the Czech republic in the first half of the 1990s. Role-playing games came to the Czech republic in the form of a game called "Draci doupe" with an active community of players being established immediately. The main aims of this study are analysis and contextualisation of subculture of these players in the first half of the nineties and also publisher "Altar", who released "Draci doupe" at the end of the year 1990. "Draci doupe" and commercialization were inherently bound together. In my thesis I'm dealing with the description of development of publisher "Altar" with regard to his commercial strategy and influence on the subculture of role-playing game players. The rest of the study is dedicated to the community of players with the focus on development, form and spreading through fanzines (non-professional and non- official publication produced by community of players), magazines and community conventions (called "cons"). Struggles in the community of players regarding commercionalization of this leisure activity are analysed further in the study. These struggles led to degradation of the whole community of players. The view of public is added to the thesis to complete the whole picture of analysis of subculture...

I denna uppsats undersöks användningen, användbarheten, samt för- och nackdelar medäventyrsrollspel som behandlingsform vid psykisk ohälsa och autismspektrumtillstånd.För att studera detta har vi genomfört en kvalitativ intervjustudie med verksammapraktiker. Resultatet visar att behandlingens struktur är liknande för olika klientgrupperäven om behandlingsfokuset kan skilja sig beroende på klientens problematik.Återkommande teman är användandet av fantasin som verktyg vid behandling,äventyrsrollspelet som ramverk, social träning samt möjligheten till personligutveckling vilket är positiva aspekter av behandlingen. Dock är behandlingen begränsadför individer med vissa typer av problematik och skulle därmed fungera bättre som enkompletterande terapi. Den har även högt ställda kompetenskrav på behandlare som villanvända metoden. I diskussionen använder vi symbolisk interaktionism som teoretisktramverk för att tolka resultatet. / This study explores the usage, applications, as well as the pros and cons of utilizingtabletop role-playing games as a method of therapy for individuals with mental illnessand autism spectrum disorder. Qualitative interviews were conducted with practitionerswho apply the method. The result shows that the method is structured similarly fordifferent client groups while treatment focus changes according to individual diagnoses.Some recurring themes were: fantasy as a tool for therapy, the tabletop role-playinggame framework, social training, and possibility for personal growth which are allpositive aspects of the treatment. However, the treatment has limitations when used onindividuals with certain types of mental health problems and would instead work betteras a complementary treatment. However, a high level of competence is required forpractitioners who wish to utilize the method. In the discussion we seek to answer ourexplored issues through a symbolic interactionist theoretical standpoint.

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Orientador: Elieuza Aparecida de Lima / Resumo: O objetivo da pesquisa dirigiu-se a desvelar os indícios que possam explicar a natureza e o desenvolvimento da função simbólica da consciência na criança pré-escolar durante a atividade da brincadeira de papéis sociais. O problema gerador da investigação foi compreender como acontece o desenvolvimento do processo de significação dos atos simbólicos culturais, pela criança, na atividade da brincadeira de papéis sociais. Os estudos basearam-se na premissa de que a compreensão sobre o funcionamento do processo de significação das vivências e da criação de sentidos e significados sobre a realidade objetiva na idade pré-escolar é possível por meio da observação dos indícios materializados nas ações e palavras das crianças emergidas na brincadeira de papéis sociais, por expressarem a relação existente entre o signo, o significado e o sentido como sendo unidades constituintes da consciência semiótica. A análise desse processo permitiu avançar nas discussões sobre o processo de humanização da criança, especialmente quanto à formação das aptidões, necessidades, capacidades e valorações, entendidas como sendo habilidades especificamente humanas que compõem a personalidade e a inteligência. A sistematização metodológica do estudo caracterizou-se por uma intervenção pedagógica organizada a partir dos princípios do método instrumental sistêmico semântico, com a finalidade de elaborar condições objetivas (o real) para o desenvolvimento da atividade do brincar (espaço, tempo, objetos) em su... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The aim of the research was to reveal the evidence that may explain the nature and development of the symbolic function of consciousness in preschool children during the activity of playing social roles. The problem that generated the investigation was to understand how the development of the process of signification of cultural symbolic acts by the child happens in the activity of playing social roles. The studies were based on the premise that understanding about the functioning of the process of meaning of experiences and the creation of meanings about objective reality at preschool age is possible through the observation of the evidence materialized in the actions and words of the children. children emerged in the play of social roles, for expressing the relationship between the sign, the meaning and the sense as constituting units of semiotic consciousness. The analysis of this process allowed us to advance the discussions about the process of humanization of children, especially regarding the formation of skills, needs, abilities and valuations, understood as being specifically human skills that make up personality and intelligence. The methodological systematization of the study was characterized by a pedagogical intervention organized from the principles of the semantic systemic instrumental method, with the purpose of elaborating objective conditions (the real) for the development of the activity of playing (space, time, objects) in its relationship with the imaginar... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

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The goal of this thesis is to develop a template for turning traditional stories into role-playing games for the high school curriculum. By developing 3 sample games based on Greek mythology, Arthurian legends, and a widespread folktale type, I explored the process of creating games that fit the limits of secondary classrooms and can be used to address specific educational standards. The sample games were tested with groups of high school and college students, and the results of the testing sessions evaluated in a narrative case study format. Feedback from the testing sessions was incorporated in the template, the final product of the thesis project. By exploring tabletop role-playing as a form of emergent interactive storytelling, a connection has been created between traditional storytelling and popular culture with the hope of reaching out to new audiences and introducing a stronger interactive element into storytelling in secondary education.

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