Case study: Communication ambiguity during a TRPG session in the Dungeons & Dragons system
Case study: Communication ambiguity during a TRPG session in the Dungeons & Dragons system
Author(s): Antonina ŚwidurskaSubject(s): Theory of Communication, Social psychology and group interaction, Sociology of Culture
Published by: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu
Keywords: ambiguity; Role-Playing; RPGs; speech community;
Summary/Abstract: Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TRPGs or RPGs) group meetings follow a structure of collectively created narratives on three frames: social, game, and diegetic. Communication takes place on each one, while messages and emotions are transferred between them. The study focuses on ambiguity as a strategy chosen to achieve more than one goal. The phenomenon was analysed with the Discourse Units (DUs) taxonomy. Thirty scenes were examined, forming a four-hour meeting. Through quantitative analysis, the excerpts with the highest number of purposes were selected. The ambiguous fragments were then interpreted qualitatively. Out of 628 Discourse Units, only 13 were demonstrating an ambiguous nature.
Journal: Homo Ludens
- Issue Year: 18/2024
- Issue No: 2
- Page Range: 13-28
- Page Count: 16
- Language: English
