Dying to Play: How Death Mechanics Provide Meaningful Experiences in Guild Wars
In: Cultural Perspectives of Video Games: From Desiger to PlayerSearch for other papers by Daniela Robles in
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Death is a game mechanic widely apparent in Massively Multiplayer Online Role- Playing Games (MMORPGs). However, death is more than just a minor irritation to players. In the game Guild Wars, death, its representation, and its effects, all inform the cultural narrative, play a stylistic role in identities, reinforce group dynamics, and produce social strategies dedicated to preservation of oneself and others in the game. Death necessarily encourages players to learn how to play the game well; when players die they learn from their mistakes and become betterequipped to deal with more complex obstacles in the future. In a Player vs. Player environment (PvP), players combat one another and seek to kill other opposing players. Killing another character provides the victor with a feeling of triumph, and empirical proof of his or her worth. In Guild Wars, death is generally viewed by players as an indispensable function for interacting with the game. It is equally important to note that death, as this necessary feature, has also produced a moral structure for players, each of whom must decide whether or not to assist a dead or dying player. Through ongoing observation of and participation within Guild Wars, as part of a United States National Science Foundation funded project, I explore the various facets that death brings to the life of the game, to produce a rich platform for thinking about how game mechanics can introduce and structure meaningful experiences.