Enduring Design Challenges in Western Roleplaying Video Games

Paul Ralph; Kafui Monu

doi:10.24135/jct.v0i6.39

Paul Ralph
Kafui Monu University of Northern British Columbia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24135/jct.v0i6.39

Keywords: Roleplay, open-world, game design, morality, alignment, quests, difficulty scaliing

Abstract

A roleplaying game (RPG) is a fuzzy class of video games that includes at least three quite different subclasses. This paper focuses on one of these subclasses, Western RPGs, which stand out for their focus on discovery and expression. It proposes a definition of a Western RPG as a video game that: encourages players to assume the part(s) of one or more virtual characters, in large open environments, with plentiful freedom of expression throughout game narratives. This definition is evaluated against archetypal Western RPGs and related genres. The paper further identifies three enduring challenges in Western RPG design: (1) bipolar morality scales, (2) quest distribution, (3) oversimplified difficulty scaling. Concrete suggestions for overcoming these challenges are provided.

Author Biographies

Paul Ralph

Dr. D. Paul Ralph is an award-winning scientist, author and consultant, a senior lecturer in computer science at The University of Auckland and a visiting assistant professor of management at the University of British Columbia. His research centres on the empirical study of software and game development, including projects, processes, practices, tools and developer cognition, socialisation, productivity, creativity, wellbeing and effectiveness. Dr. Ralph’s research has been published in premier software engineering and information systems outlets including the International Conference on Software Engineering, the International Conference on Information Systems, the Journal of the Association for Information Systems, and Information and Software Technology. Additionally, he has written editorials on technology, education and design for influential outlets including Business Insider, Lifehacker and The Conversation. Dr. Ralph is the founding director of the Auckland Game Lab, co-founder of the AIS Special Interest Group for Game Design and Research (SIGGAME) and a member of the IEEE Technical Council on Software Engineering and ACM Special Interest Group on Software Engineering. Previously, he was a lecturer at the Lancaster University Management School, the highest rated management research institution in the United Kingdom. Paul holds a PhD in Management from the University of British Columbia.

Kafui Monu, University of Northern British Columbia

Dr. Kafui Monu is an Assistant Professor of Business Informatics at the University of Northern British Columbia. His research centres on improving human-computer interaction by better understanding users and their needs. In service to this research, he has developed tools and techniques that have been used to understand information systems in financial scandals, consumer markets, and disaster management. Dr. Monu is a co-founder, and the current President, of the AIS Special Interest Group for Game Design and Research (SIGGAME). He has also acted as track chair for game and gamification studies at several conferences including the IEEE Conference on Business Informatics, the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, and the Americas Conference on Information Systems. Kafui holds a PhD in Management Information Systems from the University of British Columbia.