by Maria Wåhlström Bäcke

A traditional literary course rarely focuses on anything except what is traditionally considered literature, but in Text, Media, and Culture at Karlstad University we have had the opportunity to experiment with a number of different text types. In the last few years, students have looked at newspaper articles, images, advertisements and movies in addition to traditional literary genres like poems, novels or short stories. The course is based on the assumption that all culturally produced “texts” are possible to interpret and use as material from which we can construct meaning; a broad definition of text is thus applied. A conversation, a music video, or a poster, for instance, is seen as a text the students can “read” and interact with. When discussing onscreen worlds with Owen Kelly from Arcada Polytechnic in Helsinki, at the Cybercultures 3 conference, the idea to add a new element to the course emerged. This autumn we broadened the concept of text further by asking the students to explore a multi-player online computer game, Rebel Dawn, and see how they interpret that world. Rebel Dawn was chosen for two reasons. Firstly, because the game has a narrative framework and can be classified as, in Susana Tosca’s words, a “storytelling” adventure game, and secondly, because it is easily accessible and free for anyone with an Internet connection. In this paper, my aim is thus to see how the students understand the computer game as a “literary” genre.

The students in Text, Media, and Culture—of which a large percentage are exchange students from various cultures—look at different text types from a semiotic perspective. They explore possible meanings and look at how language is used in different genres and styles. They look at both the form and the content of texts. This is important, not only to help them become better readers of literature, but also to become better readers of any cultural expression as well as the system or culture that has produced it. The students are to analyze the content of cultural expressions and assess the reliability of any source/author/sender of cultural messages, regardless of medium or environment. The basis of both the course and this study is thus the semiotic sign and what it can be said to signify (filtered through the lenses of each student’s social, cultural and/or gender background). I choose not to apply a more conventional game-theory approach in this study, partly because this is a module of a literature course, and partly since although literary tools sometimes are used to analyze games, the importance of narratives in games is disputed: “The literary tools are only useful to analyze the storytelling elements in certain games, and I emphasize certain because there are many games that have no storytelling elements at all” (Tosca). However, I would argue that all games are created in a cultural context, and can therefore be considered conveyers of interpretable cultural markers, even though these games might not be seen as narratives or stories. The only possible exceptions might be those few games like Tetris that seem no more than animated geometric, or shape-based, puzzles.

In this paper, the students’ interpretations of the computer game are looked at from a reader-response perspective, where the reader and his or her reading-process are in focus. A questionnaire (Appendix 1) with very open questions was prepared to explore how the students think while creating a character and when playing the Rebel Dawn game. The questionnaire is divided into two sections, and six female and four male students filled it in. The first section, which they worked with in the computer room on the first day we met, focuses on the creation of a game character. At first the students went to www.rebeldawn.com and read the “Online Manual”, which gave them information about the Rebel Dawn galaxy. Based on what they learned there, they wrote down what characteristics they thought were appropriate or advantageous in this world. Their responses list a wide range of abilities, and the answers suggest that each student’s response seems to be based not only on what the student sees as an advantage in the Rebel Dawn galaxy, but also in real life, since they sometimes refer to reasons that have very little or no support at all in the online manual. Sometimes their choices seem genre-specific, i.e. based upon what they already “know” about computer games. Being a pilot and leader, and taking care of finances seems to be some of the more obvious, and rather pragmatic, choices: “a pilot could be good to have because he could fly the spaceship … a person who takes care of the finances”; “piloting [would be good] for moving and leadership for organizing”; “[the character needs to be] interested in economy … see connections
between ‘the universe’ and your private situation”. Other students focus on the physical side: “[the character needs to be] strong, healthy, clever, good at trade/mathematics” or, even more down-to-earth: “[it would be] good [to be able to] speak with a micro[phone], [and the character] should need [to] eat”. Some of the students think about abilities in terms of personal characteristics, especially of leadership or communicational skills: “[the character needs to be] an economic person …not aggressive but sometimes you have to be a little hard … keep a lot in mind at the same time … handle a lot of different people”; “[the character needs] high social skills because it seems that you will have to interact”. Some students see the computer game less as a part of this world and answer in a more playful way: “a space crew and an armed ship, or trade fair and pay your taxes. The first alternative sounds more fun and requires more preparation”; “[advantageous would be] robot characters which are not human. They would be good for fighting”; and, the last comment: “being invisible, so that no other ship could decide to get into a fight with you.”

The next question focuses on what gender the student decides on for their character. It is interesting to see that six of the students (the four male students and two of the female students) picked male characters, and the reasons they give are: “because I think that male[s] tend to [be] good at piloting, engineering, and computing about machinery”; “because I’m a male and maleness represents power and so on and my character is a powerful commando male”; “because I think it was exciting to be a man. Often I take the same gender because it [is] comfortable. I [chose male] because [I] wanted a little adventure”; “I chose a male character because I am a big fan of our all time space hero; Han Solo”; “male -> stronger and better in engineering, I guess”; and a more ironic wink that shows the respondent’s knowledge about gamers: “Why? I don’t know. There are probably more advantages to be female than male in a game crowded with teenage boys. Maybe I [made] the wrong choice.” Four of the students chose female characters: “Because I’m one myself (Easier to identify with)”; comments that clearly show a feminist viewpoint: “because I’m a girl and because almost [all] leaders in the world are men and we have to change this!”; “because I think there are already too many male warriors in ‘the universe’ and it is time for a brave woman”; and the rather defensive remark: “I’m female and I haven’t had any problems with that”. It is clear that all of the students are very aware of their reasons for choosing a particular gender.

The next step is to choose an avatar, a picture or image. Some of the students opted for avatars that look like they themselves do in real life: “A strong looking woman . . . brown like me, and slim like me. I have only looked for an avatar the most similar to me” or an avatar with some “improvements”: “I took the red headed that looked most like me, and that had a body that I want”. The two female students, who chose male characters, chose the following avatars and explain the reasons for their choice like this: “He has blond hair and beard. Not so masculine … he looked normal a guy that you can meet on street and that’s why a picked him” and “[I chose a] blond guy with a beard and blue shirt -> strong appearance, but not stupid so that he does not forget to think before he acts, not too big because he should still be fast in his movements and tall because then people will take notice of him as soon as he appears”. It is interesting to note that the female students, even if they picked a male avatar, still make sure that this avatar does not look too masculine. Other students select avatars that they think might give them advantages in the game: “[I chose] someone like monster of darkness. He has dark circles around the eyes … [and] seems really scary”, “[a] blonde lady in a blue uniform … I chose this look because it is quite female. That can often be an advantage”, “I [preferred] the avatar that is a commando and the reason [why] I [picked] it, is that it looks powerful and [self-assured], [as if he is in] control”, “The one I chose look kind of mean and bad … brown skin and a funky haircut … a bit like the common guy you see in 70’s American police films”, “blue pilot jacket, blue pants, blue glasses and brown hair … looks like an experienced star-ship pilot and he seems confident … good when doing interstellar business.” The students also decide what abilities their character will need (piloting, engineering, combat, leadership, business and fitness) and what type of education or military branch the character will attend (army, navy, guard, scouts, college). The students decide on three of these for their game character, and most of them argue that it is an advantage if the avatar is good at a number of different things, for instance, a combination of engineering, business and army etc. When the students decide on a name for the character, six of the them prefer a fantasy name, while three use their own real world name or a version of it, and one chooses a name that is a mix of her real world name and a fantasy name.

Up to this point we have looked at what the students believe about Rebel Dawn based on what they have read in the online manual. In section two of the questionnaire their image of the game before they play is compared to the image they get when they actually play Rebel Dawn. The students were asked to play “now and again” for a week and then think about their overall impression of Rebel Dawn as a virtual world, not as ”just a game”. They were to write an analysis focussing on the following questions: “What kind of world is portrayed in Rebel Dawn? What kind of values and value systems are favored in Rebel Dawn? What is seen as essential in this world? What is seen as irrelevant?”

Many of the students see Rebel Dawn as an analogy of our “real world:” “The Rebel Dawn galaxy looks like the ‘normal world,’ our non-fiction world.” A male student remarks: “I think the galaxy of Rebel Dawn is just like our own world. All the fractions of humanity are represented in the game. You have law enforcement, rich, poor, criminals and so on” and another writes that the “Rebel Dawn galaxy is almost like the world we are living in, except that it’s divided [in]to many planets. I see the planets like countries.” One of the female student points out that the inhabitants seem to have “the same obligations as we if they want to live in a calm way: they have to pay taxes in the same way as we, they need [to] earn money, because if they haven’t [got any], they can’t buy anything and, like we too, without having money it’s impossible to survive in any place. Money, unfortunately, is almost the most important thing in Rebel Dawn and in our real life too”. Other students make similar comments:

But you need money to survive in this planet like in our society… Rebel Dawn is that you got a lot of money and the most irrelevant is how fast your space ship goes.

I think that [the] world of Rebel Dawn is similar to our society … If I don’t have any money, I can’t do anything. If I fight someone who is stronger than me, I lose many kinds of things like health, money and credits.

The value systems favoured is the business system and lots of money.

The world portrayed in Rebel Dawn is a profit maximising world.

…weak people [have less] possibilities than strong people! I think this game is too similar to real life! In Rebel Dawn people want to upgrade, having new ship, more beautiful, safer… to upgrade is the same as having power and all the people want to have power and money.

Some of the students also react against what they perceive as inequality in the Rebel Dawn society. A female student has noticed that when “the planet needs [to be defended] against the enemy, [the] crew fight[s] against this enemy, not the captain or the govern[o]r.” A male student argues that Rebel Dawn “as a virtual world … [it] is lacking in the aspect of freedom of choice.” A female student stresses the rather egotistic streak in Rebel Dawn: “You are working only for your personal success, it is basically ‘the man against the universe’” and continues:

This degrades the relationships into partnerships of convenience … It is the purpose of making money which makes you get in contact with each other. Guilds in the real world did work not only on that level there might have been a communal spirit or a feeling of solidarity, which is not the case in Rebel Dawn. I guess this all results in a feeling of isolation, what makes you even more careless, because there is simply no point in being good. Playing on the ‘bad side’ is being rewarded.

Another female student links the capitalist worldview she experiences in Rebel Dawn to the lack of personal contacts: “The Rebel Dawn galaxy seems to be a perfect reflection of our capitalized world. Basically it has been simplified, so that no such things as family, friends or emotions hold you back from doing something.” Another female student sees the Rebel Dawn world as “a very ‘cold’ and lonely place.” It is therefore interesting to read how a third female student paints an entirely different picture: “Then I was sent to prison and I got lots of debt. I couldn’t restore anything! Typing some key, my career was made at the same time, every a second and there is no way to go back [to] yesterday … I could meet friends who help[ed] me accidentally. They gave me money to pay my debts and taught me how to move … I got accustomed to this game step by step and I could join a guild finally. I was really moved by their actions.” It is clear that a multi-player online game offers possibilities for human interaction in a way that surprised this student.

Some of the students notice that what is expressed in the online manual and what happens in the game does not always coincide. “I think the available abilities influence how I see this world, because my tactics are more defensive than attacking.” A female student regrets her choice of game character abilities: “My choice of fitness wasn’t so good. I should have chosen more skills in fighting and military and a lot of business skills.” Another student remarks that she does “not experience the war while travelling or talking to people from different planets. In that point the description of the world is not realistic at all.”

It is clear that the students expect a coherent narrative and narrative structure in a game environment as well, and are puzzled and rather irritated by inconsistencies:

I chose a lot of ‘economical abilities’ because I thought this could help me later in the game but you always have the opportunity to inform yourself about the economical situation of the universes, there are different kinds of media you can use for that, no matter which abilities you chose while creating your character. Because of that I think all the abilities are rather useless – in the end it is the player and not the character who rules the game. Furthermore, there is no one who actually judges about the character as a person. You will not be accepted on any planet as a member of society, but it is also impossible for you to go through a personal change which would allow you to be accepted.

It is interesting to see the different reactions displayed by the students on what they think about the Rebel Dawn on a larger scale. Some of them display a somewhat negative reaction: “Personally I feel that it is a real waste of time playing that game, first started it is really hard to find an end.” In a way, by saying that there is no “end” this female student expresses what she experiences as a lack of traditional narrative features—like the beginning, middle and end of a story.

Another student points to what she sees as the lack of a goal in the game:

All the characters seem to be replaceable. Maybe you could even go further and claim that the planets are replaceable as well. I can see absolutely no connection between the facilities of a planet and the planet itself. What would be an advantage to the game was to have a real task. You can go on a mission and after you fulfilled it nothing happens. I think that makes the whole game kind of boring because there is no aim at all. The virtual world that is portrayed is superficial and one sided. Nothing is complex or opaque, everything follows only one direction.

On the other hand, some of the students express their amazement when realizing that they learn about the game and the “real world” by playing the game:
Though [I did not play this game for long], I felt that [everyone participating] respond as [who they are] and [from] their mental horizon … In my opinion, it implies that people see [something the way] they can see [things], understand some relation just as they can understand [it]. That is, people have their own world. So people who [are] not me [are] different, act [differently] and think unlike me. Nevertheless, we can share our opinion, perspective of view and our own world by communication and community just like dialog window and guild program on this game.

Another female student points to the transformative power of the game, a power that can be found in any type of communication, be it conversation, literature or a movie: “I am of the opinion that [communication] with other people is most essential, and if I could add another ability, I would choose
learning … through experience[ing] something, because it’s important not only what … you experience, but also how … you think about this and how you change [during] this experience.” A similar reaction can be seen in another female student’s comments as she finds a meaning behind the Rebel Dawn world: “We can think about Rebel Dawn as just a game and we can [have fun] when we play it, but I think it’s necessary to get [a deeper] meaning” and she continues:

It’s incredible because at the beginning this ‘game’ seemed only this, a game, but now, when I am thinking about it, the game is not just a game, I think [it] is [an]other kind of life inside a computer. I don’t know if I am telling you [what] I mean, but I hope [so]. The character I created is like a ship captain or a private company manager, she must take care of the population and she has a crew working for her; but this crew, like in any private company, don’t feel the ship is theirs and if the manager is absent they leave the ship.

This student thus explores the parallels she sees between Rebel Dawn and the “real world,” and this is what all the students have done when working with this assignment. They enter Rebel Dawn, seeing it as an example of a “virtual reality” with its own rules and norms that differ from those of the “real world,” but come out of it either not believing in the world that is portrayed or seeing it simply as an analogy to the real world.

The students experience, and sometimes actually bring with them, real world gender issues as well as ideas on capitalism and social inequalities. Furthermore, they bring their expectations on storytelling and narrative forms into their reading of the game. All of the above collapses any notions of Rebel Dawn as a virtual world with little or no ties to the “real world.” Rebel Dawn is clearly a product of our culture and time, full of interpretable cultural markers that indeed are interpreted by the students in Text, Media, and Culture.

Sources

Rebel Dawn. 27 Sept 2005 .
Tosca, Susana. “The Quest Problem in Computer Games.” 27 Sept. 2005 people/tosca/quest.htm>.