Drawing on 19 months of participant-observation and 20 in-depth interviews with players, Heather Shay demonstrates that gamers derive significant social and psychological benefits from table-top role-playing games-not least in that players often feel the hobby makes them better people.
Playing these games allow players to depict themselves as good, moral actors through their in-game actions as well as by making the game enjoyable for their fellow players in real life. Table-top role-playing games also serve a psychological function by allowing participants to take imaginary risks with their characters, which in turn make them feel more alive than their everyday experiences allow them to. As they pretend to be fictional characters in fictional worlds, players use these games to create identities that make their lives more meaningful.

eBook - PDF
Identity Building among Role-Playing Gamers
Slaying Goblins in the Real World
- 145 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Becoming a Good Gamer
- Chapter 2: Valorizing Non-Competitive Gamers
- Chapter 3: Celebrating Intelligent and Creative Gamers
- Chapter 4: Not Becoming a Good Gamer
- Chapter 5: Edgework without the Edge
- Chapter 6: Rewards for Playing on the Edge
- Chapter 7: Playing without the Edge
- Chapter 8: Fictive Heroism
- Chapter 9: How to Make a Hero
- Chapter 10: Feeling Like a Hero
- Conclusion
- Appendix
- References
- Index
- About the Author
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Yes, you can access Identity Building among Role-Playing Gamers by Heather Shay in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Social Sciences & Sociology. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.