Chivalric Educative Potential in Commercial Computer Games
MA Thesis: Europese Letterkunde van de Middeleeuwen en de Renaissance
Harma Lever
Student number: 0339474
Supervised by Frank Brandsma
University of Utrecht
August 2011
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 1
Chapter 1: What is Game Play? ................................................................................................................ 3
Play ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
Game ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
Chapter 2: A History of Stories, Games and Education.......................................................................... 9
Games ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Education ............................................................................................................................................... 17
Chapter 3: Case Study .............................................................................................................................. 22
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 22
The Game............................................................................................................................................... 26
Yvain ....................................................................................................................................................... 32
Translation............................................................................................................................................. 39
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 45
Introduction
“Dulcius arrident seria picta iocis.” – Robert Henryson1
Computer games are immensely popular. A wide variety of people, in different age categories,
play them regularly. The combination of graphics, game content, playing online and social
interaction can create a very immersive and fun experience. Playing computer games makes you
forget the passage of time outside the game and players are hooked for hours behind their
keyboard and computer screen. It is safe to say that young people these days prefer to spend their
hours behind the computer instead of reading a book.2 Whether this is in an allocated area of the
house, or in the middle of the living room with some nifty console at hand, does not appear to
matter to the young gamer. The drive to spend time behind the computer and relax often clashes
with activities considered non-relaxing or obligatory, because they are not as much fun.
According to Johan Huizinga, people need to play, and it is this need that can at times be
difficult to suppress. 3 With limited time, study often loses out on play. Companies and
organisations try to anticipate this trend, making serious games in order to make learning more
fun and more attractive. Serious games are intended to educate their users or create awareness.
These games have been around for a long time. I recall playing Captain Cook from a 5.25 floppy
disk, enjoying the game and learning something about South American topography at the same
time. Each time a topography question was answered correctly, the player was rewarded with a
‘hit’ by the cannons of his ship. In comparison to these days, the graphics were quite bad and the
game play very static and simple, yet it kept me hooked for hours on end and eventually some of
the topography stuck. A modern equivalent to a successful educative game is America’s Army,
where people learn online about the United States army, ranks, protocol and the various forces at
their command. The game was designed to create interest in joining the army and create
awareness, as regular promotional efforts for army recruitment became less successful.4
Generally however, gamers are condescending when it comes to educative games.
(Prensky, 103) They prefer commercial games, with the main objectives to facilitate fun and
“Serious things are more alluring when embellished with sport.” Translation taken from Jill Mann’s From Aesop to
Reynard; Beast Literature in Medieval Britain. Oxford University Press, 2009, pg. 264.
2
Prensky, Marc. ‘Computer Games and Learning: Digital Game-based Learning.’ Handbook of Computer Game
Studies. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005, pg. 98.
3
Huizinga, Johan. Homo Ludens. Beacon Press, Boston, 1955, pg. 9.
4
See http://www.americasarmy.com/ for more information and the official website.
1
create a relaxing environment for the gamer. Fun is the strongest motivational factor for people
to play games. That motivational factor is the reason why the approach used in this thesis for
researching serious games is chosen from the perspective of commercial games. As this is a very
wide topic, it is narrowed down to the application possibilities of chivalric literature, in
commercial computer games, with strong educational potential. This more concise research topic
allows for insight in the transferability of such knowledge through computer games, the
problems that may be encountered and the possibilities commercial computer games offer.
In order to understand the mechanics behind serious gaming, the first chapter contains an
introduction into the field of game play, looking at what game play is and what characteristics
are necessary to make a successful game from the perspective of game design. Chapter two
outlines a history of narrative-style computer games. This type of computer game appears to be
the most straightforward way to introduce chivalric literature in gaming, for a wider audience.
The second part of the chapter focuses on education through play and narrative-based learning in
conjunction with literature. Chapter three contains the case-study. It starts with an introduction
considering the suitability of various existing single-player computer games. The Elder Scrolls
IV: Oblivion is chosen as most suitable and then tested. After that, Yvain is introduced as a
suitable romance complete with a story summary, followed by adaptation examples to create an
engaging experience.
Chapter 1: What is Game Play?
Play
Good game play is at the core of creating an attractive and fun experience. It is important to
understand what makes a good game. Before looking at the total picture, it is necessary to first
understand the essentials and define the words game and play. Graphics are important for a
game; however, there are deeper mechanics behind game play that are designed to keep a game
interesting once people tire of the looks alone. Game and play are both common enough words;
however, they are not easily defined concepts. Luckily, two brilliant minds from the twentieth
century have already done a very good job towards that end and it is from these definitions that I
will build up the basics for my case study.
Johan Huizinga was a Dutch philologist and historian who wrote Homo Ludens, ‘Man the
Player’, which was produced in 1938. Despite its age, it still contains valid assumptions and
arguments towards the definition of play in relation to games and game design, even state-of-theart twenty-first-century computer games. Johan Huizinga ascribes several characteristics to play.
“Summing up the formal characteristics of play we might call it a free activity
standing quite consciously outside ‘ordinary’ life as being ‘not serious’, but at the
same time absorbing the player intensely and utterly. It is an activity connected
with no material interest, and no profit can be gained by it. It proceeds within its
own proper boundaries of time and space according to fixed rules and in an
orderly manner. It promotes the formation of social groupings which tend to
surround themselves with secrecy and to stress their difference from the common
world by disguise or other means.” (Huizinga, 13)
The first characteristic is that play is a voluntary activity and the most important reason for me to
choose commercial games as a starting point for educative gaming, instead of serious games.
Even though a game contains educative material, it should still be fun enough to be played
voluntarily and not considered e.g. boring homework. It is this intrinsic motivation which is such
a powerful tool in learning. So a game could still be seen as homework, yet at the same time it
can be something to look forward to as well.
The second characteristic is that play is not real. People are aware it is not real and at the
same time they can be so completely immersed that the real world around them fades away
whilst playing. Even though it is not serious in real life, during play it can be very much so.
‘How Stuff Works’, a Discovery program, explains the success of Monopoly during the Great
Depression in the United States. People loved the game because at least during game play, they
could have the sense of being rich and successful, even if it was just pretend. The image of
young gamers hooked at the computer screen and not coming down for dinner, even though mom
called them several times already, is something most people can either vividly imagine or
remember. To them, defeating that next monster is more crucial than dinner, at that point in time.
Immersion in itself is a quality often used in New Media studies and is closely linked with
Huizinga’s second characteristic. This is an important feature, as it keeps players actively
engaged in the game, without consciously registering the activity itself during play.
No material profit and no material interest is a more difficult characteristic. Consider for
instance a poker game where people play for money, or a horse-race with a substantial first prize
as a reward. The dividing line in this case should be whether the game would still be played if
there was no potential material gain or profit. Poker can be played without chips representing
real money, and a friendly race can be held with only the prospect of temporary glory, yet both
are still forms of play. As long as the main motivation for play is not material gain or profit, then
something may still be considered play. The addition of poker chips representing real money can
actually be an added positive feature of play, as it brings more tension to the game. It may not,
however, be the main reason for playing. Tension can also exist in an attempt to succeed at
clearing a difficult object or episode within a computer game, such as a large monster, ducking
harmful coconuts, or solving a puzzle. “It is this element of tension and solution that governs all
solitary games of skill and application… and the more play bears the character of competition
the more fervent it will be.” (Huizinga, 11) So tension is an important positive trait in game play.
The next characteristic is more commonly known as the ‘magic circle’ and is still used in
game design. It refers to the space and time the play activity occupies. This can be the school
yard during break-time for playing tag, a secret extra round of Angry Birds late at night when
your parents are not watching, or a table filled with munchies, pencils, paper and books for an
evening of role playing with your friends. Within this magic circle, only the game exists and
what is on the outside is of no consequence to the game. It is important to note that all players
are within this magic circle, stepping outside during the game, or widening it just for yourself
and not for your fellow players, would break the game.
The promotion of the formation of social groups is the final characteristic mentioned by
Huizinga; because it is specified as not being a necessity, it is still relevant to these times. Johan
Huizinga had no notion of the digital age when he wrote his work and more likely thought of
card clubs and other social groups emerging from play. Sitting alone behind a computer screen
does not appear very social, but with the emergence of online gaming, play most certainly
promotes the formation of social groups once more. Consider a World of Warcraft guild
barbeque or otherwise wearing merchandise of your favourite game to show off your
appreciation. Although newly interpreted, the characteristic is still valid and could also apply to
educative gaming when used in class, as it provides common ground and something to talk about
between fellow players.
Lastly, although not directly mentioned as a characteristic by Johan Huizinga in his initial
definition, is action. Action is an important feature of play and should not be viewed as the
purely physical action of chasing a ball, yet prompting into action. It is action which also divides
poetry and music from painting and other forms of still art as play. The artist’s “inspiration may
be free and vehement when he ‘conceives’, but in its execution it is always subjected to the skill
and proficiency of the forming hand. If therefore the play-element is to all appearances lacking in
the execution of a work of plastic art, in the contemplation and enjoyment of it there is no scope
for it whatever. For where there is no visible action there can be no play.” (Huizinga, 166) In
addition to action, there is the capacity of repetition which he adds to the ‘musical’ arts as a
feature, as music, poetry and dance only come to life when heard, read, viewed or practiced and
can be repeated to enjoy once more.
Bringing all these characteristics and features together, it becomes possible to arrive at a
distinction that substitutes the most important characteristics for educative game play. Educative
game play should be an immersive and non-serious activity, undertaken voluntarily within the
‘magic circle’ and without material gain as a prime incentive. Features should include
interactivity and the possibility of repetition, which are both very important to games in general,
as explained further through Chris Crawford’s definition of the word ‘game.’ The social
connection is left out on purpose, as it is not a necessary characteristic for game play when
considering single-player games. Tension, on the other hand, is important to keep the player
occupied with the game and draw him away from normal reality.
Game
Chris Crawford is a computer game designer who has been developing games since the 1980s
and currently concentrates on interactive storytelling. He offers four features as primary qualities
of games: representation, interaction, conflict and safety. (Salen & Zimmerman, 77) He calls
games a system and, much as Huizinga, sees a formal pattern within boundaries of something
that is not real, but self-sufficient. Representation is an important feature and could be seen as a
windmill representing a dragon in a game, because that is what the player needs at that moment
in time, even though in the real world it is clearly a windmill. There is a requisite lusory state
necessary to properly experience game play, as explained in Rules of Play. (97 – 98) Crawford
describes an emotional investment and Huizinga an utter absorption in the game and these
features lead to the need for immersive qualities within a game.
The next important feature to Crawford is interaction, something he explores through his
Storytron project. Interaction is the foundation of games and a feature that sets games apart from,
for instance, film. Instead of following a pre-set story-board which is played out for an audience,
a player has a choice of what he is going to do. He can go and explore the game and it is only
through his choice and action that the game comes to life. The possibility for input and
interaction also creates diversion. A film will show the same scenes over and over again; a game,
on the other hand, is likely to show variety in repetition. Interaction is appealing because it
makes people curious to find out what is out there, how the game works, what the possibilities
are and what the effect will be of their actions. Therefore, it is also important to create
meaningful play in order to keep the player interested. “The goal of successful game design is
meaningful play.” (Salen & Zimmerman, 37) A player needs to see and experience a response to
his actions within the game and the outcome needs to be meaningful as well. If a player keeps
failing the completion of a level, but does not know why, he becomes frustrated.
Conflict is the third feature presented by Crawford. Conflict can come in the form of
obstacles which need to be overcome in order to advance through the game. Think for instance
of defeating monsters or removing a stone wall by blowing up lemmings in order to finish the
game level (or just having fun watching the chaos unfold upon the screen). Conflict makes a
game interesting and challenging and relates strongly to Huizinga’s description of tension within
play. This feature creates goals, whether that goal is to win, to prove one’s ability or to
experience the rest of the game content. The goals in turn create a need to continue and see
everything through, driving the gamer on.
Lastly, Crawford adds safety as a feature. There is no physical harm through game play.
Of course this relates to digital games, and Chris Crawford should be interpreted as a computer
game designer. Although an apparent safe environment from physical injury, there is still the
potential emotional damage to consider, especially through massive multi-online role playing
games (MMORPGS). There are at times news reports of players who are so immersed in their
game play that they forget to take care of their physical needs, with all the consequences that
sleep deprivation, no food and no fluids may bring. Other times, players are found stuck in the
fantasy world of their game and lose all social contact with the outside world. Of course these are
extreme cases, yet emotional injury is very easy to fathom with young and easily impressed
participants. Therefore, safety is not at all times a feature which should be awarded to games. So
concluding Chris Crawford’s definition, representation, interaction and conflict can be added to
the list of characteristics for game play.
Salen and Zimmerman give the following definition of games: “A game is a system in
which players engage in an artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable
outcome.” (Salen & Zimmerman 83) Instead of a quantifiable outcome, I would prefer to see
meaningful outcome in order to include such games that do not have a direct quantifiable
outcome; role-playing games would be a good example. Combining the ideas of Johan Huizinga,
Chris Crawford, Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman, I have come to the following conclusion for a
definition.
In order to obtain successful game play, a game should consist of a formal system
in which players engage in artificial conflict. This is played out within the
boundaries of a ‘magic circle’ and results in a meaningful outcome. It is a
voluntary activity with immersive qualities which requires a lusory state of mind
and does not have material gain as a primary motivation for playing. Interaction
can occur on many levels and between players, or between a player and the game
itself.
Rules of Play gives a useful differentiation between cognitive, functional, explicit and beyondthe-game interactivity. (Salen and Zimmerman, 69) This differentiation will be used later for the
case study. Immersion is a characteristic that can be obtained in many different ways. It should,
however, always be present, as it is of vital importance to the eventual experience of game play.
Chapter 2: A History of Stories, Games and Education
Games
Computer role-playing games (CRPGs) have developed over several decades of gaming. In order
to understand this type of game now and to work with them, it is important to know where they
come from and how they developed into the modern CRPG. As I focus upon the computer game,
I will not discuss arcade games, console games and hand-held games at great length and only
when they are considered important for the development of the CRPG. Although the basis for
role-playing games pre-dated the computer era, there will not be a complete recapitulation of this
type of game, as that would surpass this thesis in scope and could easily warrant a research paper
on its own. The main distinction is made between the various types of computer games which
have influenced the modern CRPG. These are: text-based games, rogue-like games, multi-user
dungeon games (MUDs), adventure games, story-driven RPGs and MMORPGs. Game types
blend with and influence each other, yet distinctions also emerge and give a specific type of
game its unique feel and its own gamer following. The single-player RPG is the most promising
game genre for educative narrative purposes. It has a focus on a single main character, created by
the player, which is supported by a narrative framework for the game play itself. This formula
creates the strongest emotional response to a story through computer game play. The formation
of the characteristics of a CRPG is the topic of the first part of this chapter. The identification of
them is important for the case study selection. The second part of this chapter will cover
education through narrative game play as a topic.
Text-based games existed early on. During the 1970s, these games appeared for the
computer on tapes and were created by both commercial companies and enthusiasts. There were
no graphics and, as the name implies, the game existed solely in text form with commands from
the player and responses from the computer consisting of short sentences and command words.
Obviously, with just text, there needed to be a story element and enough tension to keep things
interesting, almost like making your way through an interactive book. The Count was a
commercially produced game in which the player character was locked up in the count’s castle.
The count himself was a vampire and each time the character fell asleep, he would be bitten. If
that happened three times, the character would turn into a vampire as well and lose the game. So
the objective was simple and straightforward: escape from the castle before your character fell
asleep three times. Each turn would cause the character to feel more weary and after several
fairly explicit warnings, the character would fall asleep, get bitten and wake up again. To stave
off sleep however, the character was equipped with several special pills to give him more time to
escape the castle before being turned into a vampire. All of these games had a plot and storyline
and required quite some mapping and meaningful plot-writing from the producer’s side. The
players had to draw out maps as well, to prevent walking in circles. Text-based games proved to
be an ideal way to practice and master programming language and many a student created a
game of their own. Because of the possibility of creating your own games at a competitive level,
there were quite some people who did. This market existed well into the 1980s, providing extra
cash for the developers and variety for the consumers. Many of these developers were students
whose adventure stories were inspired by film, literature and of course role-playing games such
as Dungeons & Dragons, so they transmitted familiar elements of inspiration into the games they
created. Although these computer games were some of the earliest computer games produced
and did not contain any enticing graphics, they are still fondly remembered by those who played
and created them and are considered ‘good’ games.5
Rogue-like games are single-player games which all derive their name from the game
Rogue, the first of its kind, which was created in 1980 by Michael Toy, Glenn Wichman and Ken
Arnold. (Barton, part 1, pg. 4) Although not the first graphic role-playing game, it has proven to
be an important milestone in CRPG history. Rogue had a randomised dungeon system with
random monsters, random items and even randomised descriptions of items. A potion described
as pink could heal you in one game and poison you in the next. Initially these types of games
were text-based, yet differed from text-based games in outlook. The game was not purely built
up with sentences describing your surroundings; it also had a play grid made up of letters and
symbols. The plot and objective of the game were not very complicated and would be copied
time and again by other games. (Barton, part 1, pg. 4) In Rogue, the famous amulet of Yendor
needed to be retrieved. The player battled and explored the various dungeon levels to find it and
return to the surface once more. However, it was not just Rogue which had the Amulet of Yendor
as its objective;NetHack, produced later, which was one of the most famous rogue-like games,
This paragraph’s information is based on an interview with Kim Bos, one of those student developers. He was part
of the Dutch team PK Adventures.
5
also required the retrieval of that same amulet. Other features such as healing fountains, robbing
the shop-keeper and death through starvation are also recurring phenomena throughout the genre.
Another important feature of Rogue was permanent death. When your character died, you had to
start all over again. Although finding the amulet and fighting your way out of the dungeon was
the game’s objective to finish it, it was not always the main objective of the player. Simply
roaming the various dungeon levels, battling monsters, trying to swindle the shopkeeper and
developing your character were already fun enough. Rogue-like derivatives still exist, such as
Torchlight by Runic Games, released in 2009. The concept is still fun and attaining the game’s
objective is still not necessarily the main motivation to continue game play. It was this concept
of a large game world which allowed free roaming and the joy of exploration that helped develop
the concept for later games, such as Oblivion and World of Warcraft, to incorporate such
freedom for their players as well, even though these game worlds are not randomly generated.
The many possibilities of rogue-like games allow for replaying the game and more hours of
enjoyment.
MUDs are very similar to rogue-like games and the main initial difference was the multiuser function. At first they still used text; however, they eventually also created a play grid
through which the player could roam and play through the adventure, just as in rogue-like games.
These types of games generally consisted of a very simple storyline and were mostly adventurebased, although there were also ‘social’ MUDs. A MUD is a “persistent, shared, computermoderated environment.” (Bartle, 3) These games were named after the first of their game-type,
created by Rob Trubshaw in 1978. He passed the third edition of MUD on to Richard Bartle, as
Rob graduated from university and Richard still had several years to go and thus time to
complete the overhauled game. Universities were very important in those days to run MUDs, as
they made use of the university networks. Without university networks, these games could not
have been used by multiple people, as the internet did not exist yet at that time. Although singleplayer games are fun, it was exactly the appeal of multiple users at the same time, playing in the
same game environment, which attracted Trubshaw to creating his game in the first place.
“Roy had two motivations to write MUD. First, he had enjoyed single-player
adventure games (Crowther and Woods’ Advent; Anderson, Blank, Daniels and
Lebling’s Zork; Laird’s Haunt) and liked the idea of creating a multiplayer game
along those lines. Secondly, he had a strong academic interest in writing
programming language parsers and interpreters. The two came together when he
discovered a means of sharing write-enabled areas of memory on the DEC-10
mainframe and mused on its potential uses.”6 (Bartle, 5)
As the programming language, MUDDL, was shared, new games were created at Essex
University which had their own settings. “There were a number of these, of which the preeminent were ROCK (based on TV’s Fraggle Rock muppet show), MIST (original and anarchic),
BLUD (original and bloody, and UNI (the Computer Science Department as a sword-and-sorcery
virtual world).” (Bartle, 6) Eventually, various copies spread amongst other universities and
spawned their own games with different virtual worlds, types of game play and so on. MUDs are
the forefathers of the modern MMORPG.7
Graphic adventure games as a genre started at the end of the 1970s and quite logically
followed from the text-based adventure games discussed above. (Malliet & de Meyer, 31) The
name of the genre is based on the first graphic adventure game, developed for the Atari 2600 in
1979 as a console game, named Adventure. The graphics were very primitive and the main
character was signified by a crown symbol. “With respect to the narrative, the games followed
the traditional quest-structure: a player is placed in an imaginary world and has to complete a
task.” (Malliet & de Meyer, 30) “Both the search motive and the narrative structure became
prototypical of the organization of any adventure game.” (Malliet & de Meyer, 30) A big jump
forward was King’s Quest, the first graphically controlled adventure game by Sierra-On-Line,
which was produced in 1983. (Malliet & de Meyer, 36) The game was in colour and the main
character looked like a knight instead of an icon, with keyboard and text controls. The text
controls were reminiscent of the text-based games discussed previously and were replaced in
1987 by the “point-and-click” technique, an innovation by Lucasfilm Games. (Malliet & de
Meyer, 37) “It introduced a kind of intuitive storyline to the adventure genre and it did away with
text commands once and for all.” (Malliet & de Meyer, 37) A final significant milestone in the
development of the adventure game was the introduction of 3D. “In contrast with earlier games
that already used perspective or an isometric standpoint, this did not just mean that there was
depth in the images. 3D meant that the player could actually manipulate and explore the image.”
(Malliet & de Meyer, 41) Although adventure games and 3D were initially not a perfect blend,
the new technique became popular within the genre through Tomb Raider and the use of thirdAdvent is short for Adventure, as explained in note 3 on page 5 of Bartle’s Designing Virtual Worlds.
For an in-depth exploration of the history and development of MUDs, please refer to Chapter 1 of Designing
Virtual Worlds by Richard A. Bartle.
6
7
person point-of-view. (Malliet & de Meyer, 41-42) The first-person point-of-view managed “to
directly involve the player in the game. They required the player to be quite skillful, and
eventually reached a very high level of realism.” (Malliet & de Meyer, 41) This viewpoint
however, was more suitable for ‘first-person shooters’ than for adventure games, as it allowed
less awareness of the environment in the game. Despite that, often a player can now choose
between these vantage points and toggle between them, to match his style and game play
experience.
Story-driven RPGs look a lot like adventure games at first glance. The main distinctions
are character development and a strong focus on the narrative of the game, which take
precedence over all other characteristics. Matt Barton names 1974 as a ball-park figure for the
first RPGs. (Barton, part 1, pg. 3) The connection with pen-and-paper role playing games is an
obvious one and the computer game dnd illustrates that connection. Most importantly for the
genre itself, dnd allows for the player to create his own character, much in accordance with the
rules for the Dungeons & Dragons pen-and-paper game. It has a level-up system for character
progression and follows the traditional quest structure for narrative purposes. (Barton, part 1, pg.
4) Besides the mainframe games discussed earlier, story-driven RPGs followed much the same
evolutionary course as adventure games, starting off with titles as Akalabeth and Dunjonquest:
Temple of Apshai. (Barton, part 1, pg. 5) ‘Sword and Sorcery’ was the most popular genre, yet
there were others genres as well, such as post-apocalyptic or film-based game worlds. “During
the 1980s, PCs turned out to be more suitable for games built up around a story requiring a lot of
memory activity and controlled by keyboard or mouse.” (Malliet & de Meyer, 36) It was The
Legend of Zelda in 1986, developed for the NES, which brought the genre to the masses. (Malliet
& de Meyer, 37) The point-and-click technique and reluctance to shift to the use of 3D are other
characteristics of the story-driven RPG. Action RPGs were keener to incorporate 3D and put
emphasis on skill, whilst some of the greatest RPGs retained the third-person view for their
games, such as Baldur’s Gate by Black Isle in 1998. (Barton, part III, pg. 16) “Mainly working
on developing complex narrative structures…, they only used the new techniques at a later stage
of development to include sophisticated graphics. For the designers of these games, developing
an interesting storyline was the first priority.” (Malliet & de Meyer, 42) A storyline comes to life
best when it revolves around the main character, controlled by the player. “While this system
allowed for more tightly controlled narrative and story-telling opportunities, some fans of old
classics like Pool of Radiance and Eye of the Beholder felt cheated.” (Barton, part III, pg. 26)
The answer came in the form of Icewind Dale I and II, although, “tellingly, most contemporary
reviewers spend far more time talking about the feat and skill system than the story arcs.”
(Barton, part III, pg. 27) Two other important developments in the story-driven RPG genre are
the use of cut-scenes and the size of the game-world. Cut-scenes and short films are used to
support the storyline but, at the same time, are criticised for hampering interactivity. (Malliet &
de Meyer, 42) Over time, the scope of the game worlds grew ever bigger and became an
attraction of playing the RPG genre on its own. The Elder Scrolls: Arena is a perfect example of
a more realistic game world. “What impressed gamers was the incredible size of the world, the
open-ended nature of the gameplay, and the supposedly high replay value.” (Barton, part III, pg.
12) The room for exploration and open-ended game play are features of their newest game in the
The Elder Scrolls series as well and have become a characteristic of other RPGs in order to
provide more hours of game play.
MMORPGs are the latest genre development in RPGs. They make use of the growing
amount of gamers with access to the World Wide Web in order to connect them for a shared
game play experience. In a sense, they are very evolved MUDs however, equating them to
MMORPGs directly is not very functional. “Although, properly, all these persistent, shared,
computer-moderated environments can and should be referred to as MUDs, the term is
sufficiently loaded that outside the cognoscenti it is unlikely to be universally interpreted this
way.” (Bartle, 3) The defining feature of a massive amount of simultaneous online users may set
the old and new genre apart sufficiently. Because this is the youngest of the various RPG genres,
it has been able to profit from the evolution of other RPG types. Malliet and de Meyer describe
these games as “no more than endlessly long RPGs, where, in addition to the computer-generated
characters, players can also run into human players.” (Malliet & de Meyer, 43) The main
characteristic this genre shares with MUDs and which sets it apart from the other genres is the
persistent virtual world gamers share when playing. It has a cycle of its own and continues when
the player’s character is not present or even logs off. Large and often times international
communities spring up around these games. World of Warcraft is the current most popular
MMORPG and had, at last count, “over twelve million players each paying £10 per month in
addition to the initial software purchase.” (Peachey et al., xix) Although narrative is an important
part of the genre, with a detailed world and background, the main goal of this type of games is
character development in order to advance further into the game. (Peachey et al., xx) Another
very positive factor often present is repeated playability. Because of the large world, the variety
of character options and possibility of teaming up with other players, a great deal of the game
content is still untouched when a first character has reached its zenith of power. Another
desirable feature found in recent years is the addition of extra game content, freely downloadable
or available at an extra price to provide extra hours of game play.
Concluding this walk down memory lane, RPGs exist in a wide array of game types, but
generally consist of the same or very similar characteristics. A shift in emphasis usually
nominates a specific game to belong to one category or the other. The main characteristics are
character creation combined with a character advancement system and a focus upon narrative
over other qualities such as graphics and strategic play. Summed up, secondary characteristics
are: a traditional quest-structure as a narrative, large game worlds for exploration, single-player
and/or multi-player use, generally inspired by books, films or role-playing games, the use of a
persistent virtual world in case of MUDs and MMORPGs, cut-scenes and/or films to support the
narrative and a sense of creativity to create meaningful play. Narrative is the key in translating
chivalric tales for educative purposes into computer games. This makes the choice of a singleplayer game for the case study easier, despite the appeal MMORPGs have due to their incredible
popularity. Motivation to play the game is very important however, narrative value would be
compromised too much. As seen with Baldur’s Gate, the narrative focus of the game upon the
player character, as a part of the story, allows for better storytelling. It is also easier to move the
story in the proper direction, without the player wandering everywhere throughout the game
world without purpose. The vastness of the game world is a danger in itself; however, it is
something which can be tackled through clever game design and used as a tool to educate the
gamer on more general chivalric characteristics. Instead of merely playing through a particular
knight’s tale, the game world can be utilised to explain more general chivalric literary motives,
such as a knight’s prowess through battle and little side-quests. That way the player will not feel
restricted to an extremely linear storyline and can enjoy the attraction of exploring the game
world, whilst still being educated. Adventure games appear to be a great option for education on
chivalric tales as well. Their focus however, is often less on narrative development and more on
skilful progression through the game. The development of skill may be deterring yet, more
importantly, the focus on the player’s character is not as present as with RPGs. It is this focus
upon the character, the creation of it and advancement, which binds the player emotionally to his
avatar. That way he will also be more involved with his character’s adventures. The singleplayer, story-driven RPG genre is therefore most suitable for educating narrative through play.
Education
The use of computer games as an educational tool is a hot topic. Quite some researchers and
companies wish to see this medium as the next great development in education; at the same time,
there are those who prefer to remain true to more traditional teaching methods. Film, television
series and documentaries are a familiar sight in classrooms to engage an audience and educate
them on a specific topic. Laptops are also steadily rising in classroom use for taking notes, whilst
computers are used at home to write papers, create presentations and look up information
digitally. Educative computer games have been produced for years but so far have not caught on
to entice a wider audience. The main fault found with educational games is that they are not fun
and should thus not be categorised as a game. (Prensky, 109) The offered game play is not good
enough compared to commercial games. Game play has been extensively discussed in Chapter
one; now it is time to discuss the use of computer games as an educational tool. Computer games
are useful educational tools because they respond to the need of the digital generation’s style of
thought processing. They are fun, engaging and motivating and provide a cognitive stimulant to
increase effectiveness as a learning tool. Chivalric literature is specifically a suitable topic for
education through computer games and can benefit from these games as a new medium of
translation.
The digital generation consists of people whose lives are intricately interwoven with the
use of digital technology. Because of this intense digital exposure, their thought patterns and
information processing has changed. (Prensky, 97) Research has pointed out that children who
play computer games frequently may profit from cognitive stimulation in areas of visual-iconic
and spatial representation skills. (Calvert, 130) Students these days have spent more time playing
computer games than reading books. (Prensky, 98) “The result has been to acutely sharpen their
visual sensitivity. They find it much more natural than their predecessors to begin with visuals,
and to mix text and graphics in a richly meaningful way.” (Prensky, 100) An added shift from
this exposure is from linear processing to parallel processing. Students are more apt to do
multiple tasks at the same time, like listening to music whilst doing homework. (Prensky, 99)
This is especially useful in case of educative computer games. “As attention becomes more
automatic at a task, scarce attentional resources are freed up that allow the player to perform
multiple tasks at the same time, or multitasking.” (Calvert, 127) The visual-iconic input delivered
by computer games appears preferable to solely using text when it comes to imparting
knowledge to digital natives. Similar to how e-readers are starting to replace books, educative
computer games may replace or otherwise supplement schoolbooks, in order to create better
accessibility to the knowledge contained within.
Computer games are fun, engaging and motivating and offer an effective tool to create
cognitive stimulation for an effective learning experience. Obviously, computer games are fun,
as explained in Chapter one; they can also be very addictive, considering all the hours people
spend on them. Fun is a very strong motivational factor and the primary method of luring a
student into playing an educative game. Part of the effectiveness as a learning tool are the hours
freely spent on the activity, not necessarily that the hours are spent more effectively than
traditional learning methods, yet the amount of hours spent on practice. “People don’t like to
practice. Games capture their attention and make it happen.” (Prensky, 103) Prensky summarises
the effectiveness of computer games as a medium for education the following way:












They are a form of fun. That gives us enjoyment and pleasure.
They are a form of play. That gives us intense and passionate
involvement.
They have rules. That gives us structure.
They have goals. That gives us motivation.
They are interactive. That gives us doing.
They are adaptive. That gives us flow.
They have outcomes and feedback. That gives us learning.
They have win states. That gives us ego gratification.
They have conflict/competition/challenge/opposition. That gives us
adrenaline.
They have problem solving. That sparks our creativity.
They have interaction. That gives us social groups.
They have characters and story. That gives us emotion. (Prensky,
102)
Interactivity creates practice with the subject and an active need to listen, think and speak
concerning the topic. Instead of reading a text or listening to a lecture, this engagement is far
more effective because it is a two-way line of communication. It replicates the interactivity of a
class which allows for discussion and the active prompt of participation by fellow students and a
tutor. Although in certain ways an educative computer game would be limited compared to
having an actual teacher at hand, it is far more convenient for many situations. A computer game
can have multiple copies and is booted up at the student’s leisure. Emotional involvement creates
a bridge between the topic and the student for a longer-lasting impression. When characters in a
book are presented in a boring manner and a reader creates no connection to either character or
story, the book is likely discarded and the characters not remembered. “It seems that the more
one feels one is actually ‘in’ a culture, the more one learns from it – especially nonconsciously.”
(Prensky, 107) Emotional involvement creates a stronger memory of imparted knowledge. It is
the active involvement stimulated by computer games which make them effective tools for
education.
RPGs are the perfect way to translate chivalric literature into a digital learning
environment. As already noted earlier, RPGs create the best narrative experience when it comes
to computer game genres. The power behind this is storytelling. Chris Crawford explains how
the human brain consists of ‘mental modules,’ each with its own task. The division he gives of
the most commonly recognised mental modules are:




Visual-spatial: Handles visual perception and spatial imagination;
based on pattern recognition.
Social: Handles relationships with others; also based on pattern
recognition.
Natural History: Storage of facts about the environment and
logical analysis of those facts; some sequential processing.
Language: Permits communication and ties together all the other
mental modules; sequential processing. (Crawford, 4)
Stories like Yvain are part of the social mental module. They contain cultural knowledge and the
art of storytelling is an important vehicle for passing on that knowledge. The reason why simple
lists of such knowledge cannot be passed down in a sequential manner, like for instance natural
history, is because of the nature of the information that is transmitted. “Most of the information
content of these stories pertains to social reasoning. Some pertains to the natural history module,
but the bulk of these stories concern interpersonal behavior: trustworthiness, marriage,
perseverance, and so forth.” (Crawford, 6) This presents the mind with a problem, because
language based on sequential processing needs to transmit something the mind processes through
pattern recognition. The answer to this problem is narrative, which acts as a reformatter.
(Crawford, 6)
“Consider: A story is definitely a linear sequence of events; its
architecture is even referred to as a ‘plotline.’ That linearity is the
inevitable outcome of using language to relate the story. Yet the
story’s content can’t be understood until the story has been
completely received… In other words, stories are complete patterns
that communicate a special kind of knowledge to our patternrecognizing mental modules.” (Crawford, 7)
The RPG computer game could be seen as a purpose build medium for storytelling. Moreover, it
aids the digital generation to grasp this social pattern by using the visual-spatial mental module,
which also relies on pattern recognition. The language module is still used however, supported
heavily with an easier processing system for stories, especially considering their visual-spatial
module may already be enhanced by all the hours spent on computer games.
Chivalric literature is generally linear and chronological in nature, without too many
different character shifts and neither does it contain narrative constructions such as flashbacks.
This makes for an easier translation into computer games for developers, as flashbacks would for
instance tamper with interactivity, a valid difficulty pointed out by Jesper Juul. (Juul, 223)
Arthurian romance is especially suitable because of the narrative structure invented by Chrétien
de Troyes, centred on an adventurous journey, or avanture, for the main character of the story.
(Haug, 93)
“It is characterized by three structural elements:
1. Arthur’s court as the ideal starting point and goal of the action.
2. The challenge, in which the ideal status of the court is called into
question by an outsider, and a knight of the Round Table sets out to
take up this challenge on behalf of society.
3. The hero’s ‘adventures’: his setting out and journey lead to a crisis, at
the low point or nadir of his fortunes. Here there comes a turning point
which is associated with the winning of a bride, with whom the hero
returns to court.
However, the action of the romance is not contained solely within this
basic pattern, but is repeated in a typical variation. The first series of
avantures ends as it were in a precarious state of equilibrium; there then
follows a crisis which forces the hero to set out again.” (Haug, 94)
The cyclic use of avantures and eventual ending at court is, for now, the most important aspect
of the Arthurian model in relation to usability in CRPGs. There is a deeper layer concerning
content and meaning behind the Arthurian model, however, that would broaden the scope too far.
For further reading, I would recommend Vernacular Literary Theory in the Middle Ages by
Walter Haug, pages 93 to 100. Another useful difference with the modern novel is that the
protagonists in Arthurian romance are not fully rounded characters in their own right; rather,
they “appear more as figures in a preordained pattern of events.” (Haug, 92) Creating rounded
characters in computer games is difficult. An emotional connection with the main character and
non-player characters (NPCs) can be established, as explained by Freeman in Creating Emotions
in Games. However, it saves tremendous amounts of work that this does not have to be done for
every character in the story, in order to convey the meaning of the story itself.
Concluding, there are several important benefits to using computer games as a medium of
education. Homework is usually not considered fun. Computer games are fun and by combining
these two, students are more motivated to spend time learning and actually spend more time on
learning. The digital generation is aided in learning by using computer games as en educational
tool because of their enhanced visual-spatial focus. Interactivity and emotional involvement are
two of the most important tools to create effective learning strategies within games. The CRPG is
a specified, useful game type when a transfer of knowledge concerning stories and social
relationships is involved. Its focus upon narrative and storytelling is the bridge between social
and language mental modules; storytelling was already a strategy to explain and teach before it
was used in CRPGs. Through the focus upon the development of the main character, an
emotional bond is more easily created with the user, thus allowing for a stronger memory
imprint. Translating stories to computer games is not easy. Arthurian romance, however, shows
qualities for a potentially smoother transition based on narrative structure and character
development content. Although the choice of literature for the case study was motivated by
personal preference, it is also a well-considered choice with merit based on practical
considerations.
Chapter 3: Case Study
Introduction
When I started this project, it became clear quite quickly that choosing the proper game would be
important to the success of the case study. The objective was to find a commercial computer
game that could be used to create a knowledge transfer on Arthurian literature and chivalric
content. With so many different games on the market and a limited amount of time I decided to
call in the help of a good friend in order to make an educated decision. Manuel Regien is an avid
gamer, moderator for the official Bethesda forums and quite knowledgeable on a wide selection
of games from personal experience.8 After a long phone-call, with extensive questioning on a
variety of games from my part and comparing several games, it became clear that The Elder
Scrolls IV; Oblivion (TES IV) by Bethesda would be the most appropriate choice. It is the fourth
game in a successful series of computer games. It is a single-player game with an elaborate
story-line and a vast game world which allows for hours of free-roaming and extra story-lines.
Oblivion has several interesting immersive qualities and the game world itself contains enough
elements to create an Arthurian setting, especially with the Knights of the Nine (KoftN)
expansion pack, downloadable content (DLC) and use of the creation kit.
Neverwinter Nights 2 (NWN2), Dragon Age 2 and Oblivion were the initial contenders for
the case study. NWN2 was personally alluring because of the Dungeons & Dragons background.
NWN1 had been created by Bioware and this company was also active in the development of
NWN2. Previously, Bioware had developed Baldur’s Gate, a personal favourite which is often
considered one of the greatest role-playing games for the computer. (Barton, part III, pg. 24)
Dragon Age 2 was still very new and – with the initial buzz still lingering – an attractive choice.
It was however, quickly discarded when comparing storylines and game play experience suitable
for an Arthurian adventure. Oblivion however, was the fourth game in a series well received,
with a fifth game on the way. Skyrim is due to launch November eleventh 2011 and looks very
promising, as can be seen in an interview by G4 with Bethesda Game Director Todd Howard.9
The focus for the upcoming Skyrim is a more northern background, which may prove very
8
9
Manuel Regien is known under the moderator -name of Miltiades at: http://forums.bethsoft.com/.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic6dKnv3WdU
interesting for other adaptations from literature such as parts from The Poetic Edda or Beowulf.
Because of the continuation of The Elder Scrolls series, Oblivion is without a doubt a very viable
commercial computer game.
Oblivion is a single-player game with a focus upon the player’s character as a part of the
bigger storyline. Although creating an emotional response with a computer game character is
very different from film characters or books, it is well worth the effort, as explained in the
previous chapter. According to David Freeman, the emotional response to a game may actually
be diminished if the player cannot identify himself somehow with the character he plays, thus
creates a less immersive experience. When character induction and story arcs surrounding this
character are handled well, they potentially become the type of games talked about for
generations afterwards. (Freeman, 254) The single-player mode offers a deeper focus upon story
development as well instead of character advancement.
The use of a first-person view and Radiant AI are two other characteristics which make
Oblivion an attractive choice. Although I personally prefer a third-person view when gaming, the
first-person view offers a stronger connection with your character, something preferable for a
narrative-based game if you want players to connect with the main character. There still is the
option, however, to toggle to a third-person view, which is useful for certain situations. Radiant
AI brings a more immersive experience to Oblivion in a subtle way. It was still quite new when
Bethesda was working on Oblivion and eventually had to be tuned down a little for the release,
due to its unpredictability. Radiant AI gives NPCs the freedom to roam and follow their own
paths. They have a set of goals and can, for instance, be found in their shop by day and at the
tavern in the evening, interacting with another NPC. This creates a more persistent game world.
Unfortunately this new feature also posed several problems at times. One story concerns an NPC
in need of a rake to work the fields. When he came to his destination without a rake and
‘discovered’ his mistake, he went over to another field or house and simply stole a rake as the
NPC had been programmed to have questionable morals. Theft got him into trouble and he was
assaulted by another NPC, which triggered a whole train of unforeseen events. It was during
those testing days apparently possible to bring your character to a city and find all the NPCs
dead, because of an unforeseen trigger caused by Radiant AI. 10 As Bethesda has had time to
develop Radiant AI further, it will be used more in Skyrim and together with a new feature,
10
Manuel related this story to me as he had heard it from one of the engineers working on Oblivion.
Radiant Story, offers an exciting development for the near future for gamers and fan-based
content development. Radiant AI provides an important tool for greater immersion, flow and
creating a persistent world.
Another main characteristic which made Oblivion more interesting than NWN is the
massive free-roaming world. When roaming around in Oblivion, exterior content is automatically
loaded without freezing game play; only when entering interior content there is a loading icon
with a short wait. The seamless transgression makes for improved game flow without
disturbances to pull the player out of his game play experience. This large game world also
offers many extra hours of game play as explained in chapter 2. It creates a sense of freedom for
the player, an important attraction to gaming as opposed to film. “But the screenwriter needs to
learn all the ways to give actual or apparent freedom to the player, so that the player doesn’t feel
trapped into merely being a pawn in a story. Gamers want to feel they’re playing a game, not
being played by it.” (Freeman, 17) A big game world waiting to be explored presents an
opportunity to veer away from the main storyline momentarily in order to pursue some extra
practice at the game controls, extra character development to prepare for that difficult encounter
in the main storyline or simply take a short break from linearity and chasing sidelines.
As with NWN2, Oblivion has added software which allows gamers to create their own
game content. This feature should also be available and improved upon with the next installment
of Skyrim. An exciting feature of this software already present within Oblivion is the voice
implementation possibilities for NPCs. This gives the option of extra audio input instead of just
text-based conversations between the player and an NPC, as already experienced in the game
itself. Although it is not the easiest implementation, it can be done by fans and creates greater
immersion within the game. SureAI is a German-based team who create modulations (mods) for
computer games; their ‘Nehrim’ project has won several awards. It is considered one of the most
prestigious mods for Oblivion. 11 They use German voice-overs with English subtitles (when
applicable) and have created a complete game-world that has no relation with the original game
world The Elder Scrolls series is set in. The trailer looks extremely professional and enticing and
does not betray the ‘mere’ fan-based origins. 12 The other attractions of Oblivion are the
possibilities for Arthurian adaptations through the Knights of the Nine (KoftN) expansion pack
11
12
http://www.sureai.de/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zmeYRxwngM
and downloadable content (DLC). KoftN and the extra DLC provide a wider graphical array for
knights and buildings, and it introduces horse armour.
13
These are important, visual,
representational tools when you want to recreate an adventure with a knight in shining armour as
a main character.
Oblivion is a story-driven RPG with a strong and commercial background. Game flow
within the game is quite high due to a world which allows free roaming and protects from too
much linearity. The first-person view grants a stronger connection with the character that you are
playing. Instead of a focus upon character progression, the game is set up for a strong narrative
approach. Communication with NPCs through voice-over audio stimulates extra cognitive
sensory input and Radiant AI creates a more persistent game world for an added immersive
experience. Put together, these characteristics create an immersive experience suitable for
narrative game play. The construction kit grants an ideal tool for building a game world of your
own. It potentially supports implementing Arthurian stories with readily provided graphical
content of knights, in order to educate the player, without needing a complete professional team
necessary for support. Therefore The Elder Scrolls IV; Oblivion would seem the ideal tool to
recreate one of the Arthurian knight’s tales for a computer game, in order to create a more
approachable method of learning about both the individual stories of Arthur’s knights and the
courtly values and life as depicted in medieval literature. The rest of this chapter will venture
further into this topic. Amongst that is an evaluation of the game play of Oblivion itself in
connection with the characteristics discussed in chapter one. This is followed by a summary of
Chrétien de Troyes’ Yvain and examples of translation into an engaging computer game.
13
The DLC for horse armour stirred up quite some less-than-positive reactions. It was one of the first experiments
from Bethesda to provide downloadable content which required payment. Although a small fee, many people who
payed and downloaded the content were disappointed with the amount of extra content they were rewarded with.
The ratio has improved with new downloadable content, but the horse armour download is still brought up at times
as can be seen in the interview by G4 concerning Skyrim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic6dKnv3WdU
The Game
As promising as Oblivion sounds, it still required actual play to test the game, experience it, test
the functionality and explore possibilities. Manuel had an extra copy he was kind enough to send
me. Below is a personal experience report, written shortly after playing Oblivion. It is important
to note that I have no previous experience with the TES series and its game controls. Although I
used to play story-driven RPGs, my preference has shifted to the so-called ‘God games’ and
MMORPGs these past few years.
Play starts even before the player boots up the game; the experience starts with the
packaging and installation. It is a compact, neat looking box with game name, company name
and age certificate of fifteen, clearly presented upon the front and some graphics and information
on the back. Within the box is a small guide concerning the game world for those who want to
know more about the various people, geographical locations and so forth. There is a fancy, yet
clear map, two discs and a game guide. One of the discs contains bonus material concerning the
game and the other allows for easy installation. True to my generation, I studied the map for a
moment and ignored the game guide before starting up the game. The first button on the first
menu is play; after hitting that, a short sequence of company logos pass by and the game is
introduced by letters forming the name Oblivion, pompous music and movement over a
background map. Put together, it gives the sense of embarking on an epic adventure when first
experienced, it also reminded me a little of Pirates of the Caribbean. The introduction is not too
lengthy and builds up tension by creating anticipation. The menu is straightforward and game
play can be started straight away. A new game starts with a first-person view trailer to introduce
the storyline of the game, again with an emphasis on a sense of adventure, now mixed with
impending doom. My first impression of the graphics was a little disappointing. They are not as
smooth and interesting as I am used to, however; this game is already four years old and I am
used to MMORPGs like World of Warcraft which undergo constant improvement. The storyline
on the other hand is promising, tickles the imagination and elicits a need to discover what this
game is all about. After the film, the game moves into character creation. Although I did not pay
an awful lot of attention to the added bonuses and information concerning the game world, they
do make a worthwhile addition. They are very valued by fans who have played the previous
games and already familiar with the game world.14 They are also a valuable addition for those
people who come to love the game afterwards and especially creative players who wish to make
their own additions through the creation kit.
There are ten different ‘races’ to choose from, including some non-human options; each
of these are presented with a little background information concerning the world setting and
some formal ability information. The most striking feature of this part of the game is that none of
the presented character options appears pretty or handsome. The range of possibilities with
which the character’s facial features can be changed however, is incredible and one could easily
spend hours on character creation alone. Manuel told me afterward, that it is actually possible to
create a pretty character and that there are readily downloadable settings for them as well. For
my first character I picked a Breton male named Finn and started the game without wasting too
much time exploring the endless possibilities of character visuals. Instead of emphasising the
character’s strengths or weaknesses, the developers appear to put emphasis on storyline and
realism. Each racial description has more information on the game world than on details of the
game mechanics. There is no invitation to spend hours on a character’s optimisation through
number-crunching, like some other RPGs do.
Actual game play starts in a dungeon as scene-setting, with a sneering fellow-prisoner
behind bars at the opposite side of the hall. The storyline begins quickly with several NPCs who
come into your cell together with the emperor and open up a secret passage way. As this is the
only way out, there is not much choice but to follow. When walking with the guards and
emperor, the initial storyline unfolds, with the emperor’s death as a final sequence before you
start the adventure on your own. The player’s first mission starts after receiving a jewel from the
emperor, which needs to be delivered to an NPC at a chapel. A tutorial guides the player through
his first fights and a way out of the dungeon in order to reach the surface level. Initial game play
is a little awkward. The controls took some time to get used to and the tutorial directions were
very much a necessity in order to grasp the functional side of the game. I also found myself
leafing through the game guide without finding the information I was really looking for in game
control. Just after the emperor dies, the player is also confronted with the first conscious step in
character development. The menu which pops up gives information on the various classes that
14
This should be viewed in a similar way to me buying the deluxe edition of the Conan MMORPG in order to
receive a map, art book and in game extras, because I am a Conan fan. TES was simply something I had not yet
bonded with.
can be chosen. It explains the strengths and weaknesses of each class and suggests points of
improvement on character progression for later in the game.
Once outside, there is this immense world suddenly at the player’s feet, ready and waiting
to be explored. The sense of mystery and promise from the main storyline was not compelling
enough for me to follow it straight away. Accordingly, instead of going towards the chapel and
finishing my first mission, I decided to go to the town, which was closer by. My character was
quite encumbered with all the loot from the dungeon and the town promised shops to sell that
loot. The vastness of the game world was also exciting enough to keep the story on hold.
Without noticing, the level of quality of the graphics was no longer a bother, because of all the
possibilities demanding attention. Entering the town at nightfall meant that all the shops were
closed – an unexpected detail, but logical. There were characters walking around, which
provided an opportunity to discover other features of the game. Quite quickly I made my first unintentional kill of an apparent random NPC. He suddenly became aggressive towards my
character after talking with him and playing a mini-game to improve his disposition. It took
several more mini-games and the game guide to find meaning behind this game function. After
the hapless accident, I found the tavern and discovered the novelty of Radiant AI. The features of
a seemingly persistent world, silently stole away several hours of play without notice and before
I knew it my character was involved in yet another plot, with a different mission completely
separate from the earlier main storyline. Eventually, however, because of the time pressures due
to the research schedule and my curiosity concerning the main story-line, I continued onward
towards the chapel.
Once at the chapel, the main story-line was very easy to pick up again. The player is
drawn into a secret mission, which is presented as a necessity to save the world from eternal
doom and damnation. Although it is possible to travel from one place to another with your
character by following roads and signs, it is also possible to click on the general destination you
wish to go to in the map menu. This cuts down severely on time-consuming travelling and allows
the player to continue through the story-line a lot quicker. The character is instructed to locate
and bring back the emperor’s unknown son, as he is the last hope to use the jewel and restore
order to the lands. This son is a monk who is currently in another town; once the player reaches
this place, he finds a refugee camp located outside the gates. People are panicking and leaving
the city, as it has been taken over by demonic monsters which are burning down the city and
killing everyone. After speaking with several locals, it quickly becomes clear that the monk is
still trapped within the town. He is quite easily found inside the church, but refuses to leave
without the people surrounding him being brought into safety as well. Outside are several guards
who do not mind rescuing these people, but in order to do so their commander first needs you to
close the gate into Oblivion from which all these evil forces are entering the city. This mission
within a mission has a very simple and basic narrative incorporated into it; it mainly boils down
to a series of hack-and-slash encounters while searching for the solution to close down the gate.
After several saves and hours of play, I managed to clear the mission and noticed that the game
had actually made my sense of time disappear once more. Clearly, graphics and a most excellent
and engaging short story-line are not absolutely vital components in order to create an immersive
experience and tap into that required lusory state of mind. After the gate is closed, the guards and
their commander enter the town and save the people trapped within the church, including the
monk. Although the monk has difficulty believing he is the emperor’s son, he follows you back
to the chapel. The monk appears to be a generally good-hearted and capable character. Several
emotioneering techniques are used to endear the NPC to the player. “Emotioneering is the vast
body of techniques created and/or distilled by David that can create, for a player or participant, a
breadth and depth of emotions in a game or other interactive experience, or that can immerse a
game player or interactive participant in a world or a role. It also means the application of these
techniques.”15 (Freeman, 7)
Once again at the chapel, more disruption takes place within the game world with several
NPCs dead. The initial quest-giver is found, however, and the story continues through to another
mission. This time the emperor’s son needs to be brought to safety in a far-off monastery. Instead
of clicking the map for instant travel, I decided to make the journey in real-game time. Horses
are introduced for travel and they look quite impressive. Once again it took a little while to
master the newly discovered game controls, yet this time I was pleasantly surprised by the whole
experience, including graphics. The horses are realistic, as are their movements. The world my
character was riding through was quite beautiful and sophisticated, with plants everywhere.
These plants could be picked and used for alchemical purposes. There were also wolves and
bandits along the way, which caused in-game trouble during travel, as would be expected of such
15
Freeman, David. Creating Emotions in Games. New Riders Publishing, 2004, chapters 2.10 & 2.11 give a further
explanation of such techniques. The term ‘emotioneering’ is a trademark property of David Freeman.
encounters. The two NPC companions were not idle baggage either, actually dismounting from
their horses and aiding the player character whenever he encounters a dangerous situation. The
emphasis of the game had now clearly moved away from the hack-and-slash experience and
focused upon a realistic game world which allowed free-roaming and was populated with
Radiant AI characters and monsters. The illusion of a persistent game world brought it to life,
made it believable and interesting. This realism also ties in with the homely characters, differing
from the handsome characters which normally populate commercial games. The designers
clearly went for a more realistic and believable approach.
Salen and Zimmerman divide interactivity into four modes; cognitive, functional, explicit
and beyond-the-object-interactivity, which can overlap. (Salen and Zimmerman, 59) Cognitive
interactivity is well-presented as the player is directly involved with the storyline and his
character is incorporated into it. Functional and explicit interactivity are less clear and it takes
time to master various moves, finding out where the menu for your character is, how the menu
works and what the information actually means in terms of game play. The macro-decisions on
character progression are consciously presented. They make the player consider carefully which
direction he wants to take his character, without any serious number-crunching. Lastly, beyondthe-object- interactivity is well represented through the extra material that comes with the game,
forum communities and the possibility to develop your own creativity through the creation kit.
Chris Crawford gives the following definition of interactivity: “A cyclic process between two or
more active agents in which each agent alternately listens, thinks and speaks.” (Crawford, 29)
The quality of interactivity depends on the eventual product of this cyclic activity and not merely
maximising each component, all three are required. (Crawford, 30) Although functional and
explicit interactivity were not optimal, they were sufficient and well-compensated by other
features within the game to present an overall high-quality product and thus experience. The
lessened transparency and focus on character progression in terms of experience or ability
improvement, actually aids in shifting the focus from mastering game play, to experiencing other
parts of game play that have less to do with hack-and-slash and more with storyline and game
world. After the initial storyline introduction, the game contains quite some meaningless hack
and slash however, this is a temporary necessity. The player needs the functional and explicit
experience concerning game controls to improve his overall game play experience later on.
Overall, it is not very intuitive play to start with and at times a little frustrating. By the time the
surface is reached and the tutorial guidance has passed however, the basic controls are mastered
and the basics of the character menu have received a meaningful functionality. A fun and
meaningful function to discover was the first item creation possibilities within the game through
alchemy. Once in the character menu, item manipulation is fairly intuitive and it is fun to
discover the ability to brew some potions at an early stage within the game.
Oblivion invites a player to explore setting and game world, where a player can stumble
upon anything. The hack-and-slash is functional and challenging and provides tension, without
becoming the goal of the game. There is an overall storyline with sub-plots present. However, a
player is not forced to follow it all the way through immediately. There is time and space to
roam, discover and engage with other computer characters which do not immediately have
something to do with the main storyline. Although stories are generally quite linear, the
possibilities of such an engaging world may provide an interesting frame-work for a variety of
Arthurian literature incorporated into one world and one magic circle. This could provide not
only knowledge about a single story, but provide general information on chivalry and knighthood
within a fabricated game world. Ticking all these boxes and combined with the experiential
immersive emphasis described above, Oblivion is an exciting potential play-ground for creating
an educative Arthurian game play experience, without creating a complete game from scratch.
Yvain
The story of choice for the case study is Le Chevalier au Lion, often simply referred to as
Yvain.16 It was written during the second half of the twelfth century by Chrétien de Troyes, “the
inventor of Arthurian literature as we know it.” (de Troyes, 1) Although there are many versions
of this story, it is appropriate to remain with the author who originally conceived the romance as
it is known today. Knowing his version will also introduce gamers to other important and
perhaps already familiar elements of chivalric literature. Besides academic appeal I have to agree
with Frank Brandsma on other characteristics:
“De roman van Yvain ou le chevalier au lion van Chrétien de
Troyes leent zich uitstekend voor omzetting tot game. Het verhaal
bevat een leerfase (de avonturen van Calogrenant) en een gefaseerd
groot avontuur met magie, monsterlijke wezens, hevige gevechten
en achtervolgingen, er zijn slimme ontsnappingen en spannende
reddingen en ook nog een bondgenoot in de vorm van een leeuw.
Bovendien heeft het verhaal uitiendelijk ook nog een happy end.”
(Brandsma)
The length of the adventure and many mini-adventures, or interlacing adventures, will provide
for many hours of game play. The inter-textual quality with other knight’s tales by Chrétien can
offer a wide range of adventures after this first one has played out, providing recognition with
previous game play and a more consistent game world. Below is a summary of the story,
touching upon the main points.
There is no prologue to Yvain. Instead it starts with Chrétien himself, presenting the topic
of his tale in the role of a storyteller. This tale will be about the good king Arthur, his knights, the
court and the ladies at court. Most of all however, it will be about love, something no longer
served as well and true as it should be. The storyteller clearly reminisces of a bygone age.
During Pentecost Arthur’s court has gathered. 17 The knight Calogrenant tells a tale of
shame about an adventure which has befallen him and the defeat at the hand of an unknown
knight, who takes his horse as spoils. Yvain, his first cousin, immediately expresses his wish to
avenge this shame and is mocked by Kay for his words. When the king joins the group, the
queen retells the tale and the king decides he wishes to see these marvels described in the tale
16
17
Yvain: The Knight with the Lion.
Pentecost is also known as Whitsun.
and travel to the place of challenge two weeks hence. The court is pleased by this decision;
Yvain however, is not. He fears that Kay or Gawain will be given the honour of challenge,
allowed to defeat the unknown knight, avenge Calogrenant’s shame and reap honour and glory.
So he sets out that same night on his own, without telling anyone. On his journey, he reaches the
fortress described by Calogrenant, where the host bids him welcome. He also meets the host’s
daughter who is even more beautiful than in the tale. After spending the night he sets out once
more and finds the grotesquely formed peasant who looks after his wild beasts, also named by
Calogrenant in his story. As he continues, he finds the straight path and rides for the almost
magically described place where his cousin had known defeat. There is the pine tree with the
golden basin, the cold bubbling spring, the emerald stone set upon four rubies and the chapel.
Yvain uses the basin to pour water from the spring over the stone, just as Calogrenant did;
similarly a horrendous storm rises. As the storm subsides, the birds sing very beautifully and our
knight can hear another knight approaching. Once they see each other, a joust follows
immediately, in which the knights fight honourably. The unknown knight is mortally wounded
and flees back to his castle, where he dies. Yvain rushes after him, is trapped between
portcullises and loses his horse. Before a vengeful mob can come looking for him, however, he is
aided by a young damsel who gives him a ring which turns him invisible as long as he stays still.
She takes care of him because of past courtesies he had shown her at court. Still trapped, the mob
comes looking for him within the hall and only find his horse. There is no place where he could
have escaped to, but they cannot find him. The lady of the castle enters the hall as well, with her
husband in a coffin before her. As the deceased knight is carried into the room, his wounds begin
to bleed afresh.18 Mad with grief, the lady tears at her hair and clothes. Yvain immediately falls
in love with her.
After everyone has left the hall, the damsel who aided him earlier slips back in to speak
with Yvain. We will later learn that her name is Lunete. She tells Yvain to bide his time and says
that he cannot leave. Thus he waits and the vanquished knight is buried. In the meantime, the
lady of the castle, Laudine, worries about Arthur who will come to make war upon her
(awakening the storm is a challenge); she now has no one to answer that challenge. Lunete then
starts to work on her plan to bring Yvain and Laudine together, with a little trickery on her part.
18
It is a common motif in chivalric literature that the wounds of a deceased man will start to bleed again when the
man who killed him is in the same room with him.
She pretends that Yvain is already far off. At first Laudine does not want to hear anything about
the knight who slew her husband; however, in the end she comes to see that Yvain is the better
knight for defeating her husband and Lunete has given her sound advice. After all, the knight did
not harm her and if he had not slain her lord, her lord would have slain him. After some more
trickery, this time by Laudine, they marry. Yvain rides to the challenge when Arthur arrives at
the spring and the stone. He is not recognised because he wears different armour than normal.
Kay jests about Yvain’s absence and takes up the challenge himself, after which he is unhorsed
and Yvain reveals his identity.
Arthur and his company are very pleased to see Yvain and are brought to the city where
they meet his wife; the city rejoices. Gawain offers Lunete his services, because she had saved
his good friend Yvain. After a week of feasting, the king makes preparations to leave and
Gawain urges Yvain to come with them, arguing that it is no good to remain with your wife if
you lose reputation and fame afterward.19 Yvain goes to Laudine to ask for a favour, which she
grants before knowing what he will ask of her. When she hears that he wishes to set out with
Gawain to visit tourneys and gather glory and fame, she becomes unhappy. As she had already
granted the favour however, she must give him leave, yet demands his return within a year. If he
does not return in time, her love for him will turn to hate. Yvain promises to return in time and is
given a ring by Laudine to keep him from harm. After he has left with the king, Yvain sets out
with his companion Gawain and gathers great renown. Gawain delays him so much, as Yvain
does so well at the tournaments, that a year passes by and the promise is forgotten.
One night in August, Yvain starts to remember and he is deeply regretful. He is
surrounded by the king and his knights when a damsel approaches the camp who greets all in the
name of her lady except for Yvain, “that liar, that deceiver, that unfaithful cheat, for he had
beguiled and deceived her. She had clearly seen through his guile, for he had pretended to be a
true lover, but was a cheat, a seducer, and a thief.”20 (de Troyes, 329) The damsel demands the
ring back and after that Yvain slips away for fear of going mad, which he does. No one can find
him and he lives like a madman. It is important to note that this is the absolute low-point in the
adventure for Yvain; it is only after he has reached this point that he can start to redeem himself
and aspire to becoming a true knight once more. “Following a pattern analogous to the structure
19
20
See Erec and Enide for a story devoted to that topic, a presumably earlier piece by Chrétien de Troyes.
Of her lady’s hart.
of Erec, the crucial transformation takes place in the crisis between love and action. In falling
prey to madness and living like an animal in the wilderness, the protagonist here too
symbolically passes through death; in this the romance hero is once again led to the limits of
human experience.” (Haug, 131)
Yvain is found sleeping in the forest by a lady and two damsels. One of the damsels
finally recognises him and brings word to her lady. The lady reasons that Yvain could help her in
the war brought to her lands by Count Alier, if she restores his wits to him. So she leaves and
sends one of her ladies back with an ointment she had procured from Morgan the Wise. This
restores him; the damsel then brings him to the town of her lady, pretending this is a chance
meeting. Yvain regains his strength and battles against the invasion of Count Alier, bringing the
count to heel. The count then swears pledges to the lady of Norison. After this, Yvain wishes to
leave; grudgingly, the lady allows him to depart. As he travels, he finds a dragon and a lion
locked in mortal combat. Because the dragon is such a wicked creature, the knight decides to
slay it first and only slay the lion after, if it should attack him. Instead of attacking Yvain,
however, the lion shows submission to the knight for saving his life and becomes his steadfast
companion.
After a while, the two companions come upon the spring below the pine. Yvain swoons
when he recognises the place. He scolds himself for not returning in time and allowing true
happiness to slip from his grasp. Then he hears a lament from the chapel and finds Lunete
imprisoned. She is charged with treason and will be put to death on the morrow, as she cannot
find anyone to defend her cause. There are only two knights who could save her and stand
against three men in combat: Gawain and Yvain. When she tells Yvain that it is for his sake that
she stands accused, he reveals himself to her and she tells him what has happened. She had also
gone to Arthur’s court but could not find him or Gawain, as the latter was already on a mission to
safe Guinevere.21 Yvain vows that he will be her champion and deliver her from her accusers,
but she must not tell anyone his name. Although the damsel complains that she does not want
him to die for her cause, he will have none of that and leaves with his lion to seek lodging for the
night.
Yvain and the lion find lodging for the night at a baron’s stronghold. The people appear
very joyful at his arrival, yet at the same time are overcome with sorrow. The baron explains that
21
This story is actually told in Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart, also by Chrétien de Troyes.
a giant plagues his lands and demands his daughter, who he will give to “the vilest and filthiest
stableboys… for sport.” (de Troyes, 343) The man had six sons; two have already been slain by
the giant, and the other four will follow suit on the morrow if he does not find a knight to battle
the giant and free his sons, or otherwise hand over his daughter. When Yvain inquires why the
man has not requested aid from Arthur’s court, he receives the same answer Lunete told him
concerning Gawain. Otherwise Gawain would surely have aided him, because the baron’s wife is
Gawain’s sister. Therefore Yvain pledges to stay and fight the giant if the wicked creature turns
up early enough the next day. The giant turns up at the last possible moment before Yvain really
needs to leave in time to save Lunete. They do battle and the lion assists him ferociously. Of
course Yvain wins and he tells the baron to send the dwarf who accompanied the giant, together
with his sons and daughter, to Gawain, once that knight has returned to court. They should tell
him of what happened here today and name him the Knight with the Lion and say that they know
each other well. “For a kindness is wasted if one doesn’t wish it to be made known.” (de Troyes,
348) He then makes for the chapel in all haste.
Lunete has already been brought before the pyre when Yvain arrives. The women
present are already lamenting the loss of Lunete and her good advice. Quickly, the knight
engages in battle with the three accusers; although they demand that the lion should be kept at
bay, Yvain tells them that if the lion joins the fight as well, they should prepare to defend
themselves. Although heavily wounded, Yvain and his lion are victorious and free Lunete. She
and Laudine reconcile immediately and Laudine asks Yvain, not knowing who is, to stay and
recover from his wounds. Yvain tells her that he cannot stay, for he must first end the displeasure
he has caused his own lady, before his task is finished. Laudine praises his valour and when she
asks for his name, he tells her he is known as the Knight with the Lion. Lunete departs with him
and promises she will not reveal his real name, but will put in a good word on his behalf. She
then returns to Laudine. The lion is gravely injured and strapped to Yvain’s shield so that it
might act as a litter. They eventually find hospitality at a manor, where both recover from their
wounds.
In the meantime, Lord Blackthorn dies and leaves two daughters. The elder daughter
refuses the younger her share of the inheritance and both sisters take the matter to court. The
elder sister arrives first and enlists Gawain to her cause, upon the condition that she does not
disclose his identity as her champion. The younger sister asks Gawain as well, but he must
refuse. The king gives her forty days to find a champion when her sister does not relent and she
leaves in search of the Knight with the Lion, of whom she has heard at court. When the girl falls
ill, an acquaintance takes over the search and soon follows the path of Yvain’s many adventures,
until she finds him. Yvain agrees to pledge his service and they travel together until they come
upon the town of Dire Adventure where they mean to lodge. The people are quite rude and urge
them to leave before they can no longer depart of their own accord. Yvain ignores them and
eventually passes through the gate. He finds many maidens forced to work there; they are
dressed in rags and are being exploited grievously. They tell him they are ransom and tribute
from the king of the Isle of Maidens, who was defeated years ago by two sons of the Devil who
live here. Only after he was defeated in battle and promised to pay tribute, was he released and
allowed to leave. A similar fate would await Yvain. Yvain continues and is offered hospitality by
the lord of the manor; however, when he wishes to leave the next day, he must indeed defeat two
devils. His lion is locked away at first, yet manages to free himself and aids Yvain in combat.
They win, free the maidens and manage to leave their host’s daughter behind, although that lord
is very keen to marry her off to Yvain. After this delay, Yvain, the lion and the girl set out
quickly, still in time to aid the younger sister.
The younger sister is overjoyed when she sees the Knight with the Lion and they
immediately ride to court. The older sister, in the meantime, attempts to pry away the
inheritance. However, the king demands that she waits patiently until the day has passed, for he
does not like the elder sister’s cause at all. It is then that Yvain arrives. Both Yvain and Gawain
are not recognised by anyone, as they wear different armour from what they normally wear and
do not speak. Combat ensues, as the elder sister does not wish to concede to anything. The
knights battle until sundown and are in so much pain by that time that they wish to pause. There
is no clear victor as yet. Before leaving the battlefield, they commend each other for their great
prowess in battle. When they learn each other’s names, both demand defeat to honour the other
and the king is forced to intervene. He tricks the elder sister into reconciliation with her sister,
compelling her to share the inheritance as is proper.
After Yvain has healed from his wounds, he is determined to win back his love, for he
will die without her favour; he therefore sets out on his own for the spring and the stone. The
storm makes Laudine anxious, as she has no champion, so she seeks advice from Lunete. Lunete
tells her that the Knight with the Lion would surely come to her aid, if her lady would pledge all
that is within her power to his cause. Laudine takes the advice and sends out Lunete to bring her
the Knight with the Lion, which she does. Yvain comes to Laudine, who does not recognise him;
she pledges herself to his cause. It is only then that he reveals his true identity and they are
finally reconciled.
Translation
Yvain is a long and exciting story with fantastic occurences and multiple quest lines within one
major plotline. The set up for the story is quest-based and this similarity with CRPGs makes for
an easier translation. Just as with the start of Oblivion, the case study game could also begin with
an opening cinematic to lure the player in and introduce the game world and your overall storyarc. It is important to remember, though, that games and cinematics should be balanced very
carefully. Cinematics can be great to give a quick introduction, or help with a difficult passage.
The problem is that they take away game play because they are not interactive in nature. Due to
the length of the story and large amount of work that a complete translation of Yvain into a
computer game would cost, I will limit this part to several more subtle examples of translation.
There are a couple of difficulties within the story which, at first glance, may seem challenging to
translate. Freeman offers several techniques to work with these difficulties. Highlighted topics
are character-arc techniques, creating believable NPCs and creating player-toward-NPC
chemistry techniques. The only problem which cannot be solved by using Oblivion’s creation kit
is the jousts and mounted combat. This is an important component in chivalric tradition;
however, it is not as essential to the content of the various stories. Moreover, it is something
easily taken for granted by a player already, because it is part of the iconic concept of a knight
displayed through media.
Freeman explains the use of first-person character arc techniques to deepen a player’s
experience and leave him changed after playing the game. (Freeman, 255 – 268) This emotional
connection with the main character will make the game more memorable and have a greater
impact, also making it more enjoyable in terms of creating a good game-play experience. The
first thing a game designer needs to figure out to use this technique is what the character arc is
going to be. In the case of Yvain, it is rather obvious that the main character will be Yvain
himself. He is a knight of some renown in King Arthur’s court who looks up to the great knight
Gawain. He is also single and mocked by another knight, named Kay. Finally, he feels the need
to avenge his cousin’s shame. This is Yvain at the start of the story. Luckily, this starting point
presents a character type, a broad selection of gamers can still identify with fairly easily. At the
end of the game, Yvain has become a very successful knight. He has gathered fame through
battle prowess and good deeds, he has found true love with his wife Laudine and he is a very
special knight because he has a lion. These make for an attractive final character type. What
gamer does not want to be successful, special and beloved. The character arc for Yvain is in
essence an exciting success or initiation story.
It is not enough, however, to have a character people can identify with. Do not expect a
player to actively invest energy into identifying with your main character either, they need to be
lured in. One way of luring them in is through NPCs. Remember Kay and Gawain; they are
important characters who provide key elements to make people identify with Yvain, without
forcing them to do so. Several times during the story, Kay mocks Yvain. The first time is when
Yvain expresses his wish to avenge Calogrenant’s shame. The second time is when Kay does not
see Yvain present at the spring and the stone. Imagine the instant gratification a player would
feel when he defeats the knight who mocked him earlier on in the game. There is an emotional
bonding process through this interaction; it provides a meaningful closure for a mini-adventure
and it is a step up in character development through the overall character arc. Yvain has become
a better knight. The direct proof is the defeat of one of Arthur’s knights.
Gawain makes for a much longer investment to support the character arc, but also offers a
stronger bonding experience. In Arthurian literature, he is a paragon of knighthood. At the end of
the story, when Yvain ties in battle with this great knight, his physical prowess has withstood the
ultimate test. Early on, Gawain’s importance is already made clear. Yvain fears that Gawain
might be given the honour of avenging Calogrenant’s shame. Measuring up to him is actually
one of the reasons that Yvain sets out on his own. Throughout the story, Yvain is constantly
given opportunities to measure himself indirectly with Gawain. Think for instance of the miniadventures with the Giant, or saving Lunete from the pyre. The final major combat encounter
between these two knights acts as closure and proof.
After the fight with Gawain, Yvain is not yet done and the adventure continues for just a
little while longer. Although relatively short, this final part is very important. Reconciliation with
Laudine, his true love, brings Yvain true happiness. He is both a great and famous knight and has
a very beautiful wife who loves him. These achievements are very important from an educative
point of view, as knights are not just about defeating the biggest opponent. They are also
measured by the woman they obtain. The ongoing plotline with Laudine offers an unforeseen
goal, because the majority of players do associate knights more with battle prowess than love
interest. This development gives an interesting plot twist and a deepening of the main character.
It will also attract more female players to the game.
During the adventure, there are also lots of other opportunities to create a bond between
player and character. On a more basic game-mechanics level, the player gains an emotional
experience through direct character reward or punishment. Saving the lion from the dragon
grants a very nifty companion as a reward. Taking the spoils of a defeated knight works much
the same way as looting a monster in the original game. The added bonus in this instance is that
the player learns that a knight has a right to take his spoils, especially when emphasised by NPCs
surrounding him at such an encounter. Another subtle system to encourage a character to do
heroic deeds is to adjust the prices for which he buys goods from commoners in a city.
The emotional responses to Kay and Gawain described above will only work if they are
realistic characters. NPCs need to be interesting; if they are boring, they will only jar the flow of
the game. (Freeman, 46) Freeman suggests the use of a character diamond for every important
NPC, generally using four traits (or sides of the diamond) to describe them. Sometimes an NPC
can have more, sometimes less. It is important however, to let these traits shine through often
enough to keep the picture consistent. A character diamond also provides a good basis for further
emotionally enhancing NPC techniques.
Gawain is clearly a major NPC when it comes to story impact. He is there when the story
begins, he is a companion when the character is allowed to go roaming after his wedding and he
is the mystery knight near the end of the story. In between, Gawain resurfaces indirectly during
the mini-adventures, when other NPCs speak of him. An example Freeman offers up for a
character diamond is Heroic, Loyal, Honest and Ethical. Although it might be suitable for
Gawain, this type of character diamond is advised against, because it is very boring. (Freeman,
47) Instead, I’m contributing a more unique trait to make Gawain more interesting, namely
making him a ladies’ man. In Yvain, Gawain is portrayed as championing for women quite
frequently. He promises his service to Lunete, rescues the queen and even champions the elder
sister who wishes to disinherit her younger sister. The trait gives an interesting twist to what
might otherwise be considered a boring character. A lot of male gamers could identify with
wanting to be a ladies’ man but, at the same time, it also gives this perfect knight something of a
flaw which makes him more human. Other traits could be heroic, virtuous and amiable. He is
obviously heroic, for he is called upon often to defend the honour of women and is famed for his
battle prowess. He is virtuous when he offers Lunete his services for saving his friend and when
he reproaches Kay for his wicked tongue. When he accompanies the player during his freeroaming, he is amiable. Without his final trait, being a ladies’ man, he would be a little boring
though; it is this final trait, which helps players identify and empathise with him.
Kay is also an important NPC. He is an important and recurring character within
Arthurian literature and may well turn up during other adventures, should they be similarly
translated. For the purposes of this story however, the main emotional response should come
from defeating him. Due to his more limited role in actual game play, he will receive only three
traits for his character diamond. He is cocky, exemplified by the challenge at the spring and the
stone. He is rude, for whenever he opens his mouth, it is to slander someone else. He is brave, as
I do not recall him ever turning down a challenge. Kay is the odd one out in Arthur’s knights. He
does not act very gallantly, yet very much does belong within that group. Making him brave
redeems him a little, enough to accept him, not necessarily enough to like him. The fact he is
cocky and rude will only make the player feel better when he defeats him during game play.
Player-toward-NPC chemistry is another important technique which can be layered over
a diamond-based NPC and can be combined with NPC rooting interest techniques. Rooting for,
means that you identify or emphasise with an NPC. (Freeman, 128) Chemistry with an NPC
means that you actually want to be friends with him. (Freeman, 140) The difference is subtle, yet
important. Take Kay, for instance: you can identify with him and he triggers an emotional
response, but you probably won’t like him. Lunete is a very different story; she is the type of
character a player would like as a friend. She is smart and a bit of a trickster because she
manipulates the relationship between Laudine and Yvain. She is helpful when Yvain is stuck
between the portcullises and even gives him a magic ring. She is also vulnerable when she is
imprisoned in the chapel and utterly dependent on Yvain for her survival. This combination of
situations and traits makes for a multi-function application of techniques very similar to an
example given by Freeman:
1. You (through Jen, the character you play) rescue Citlali, and you’ll
protect her from many dangers during the game, as the beings who
trapped her there now try to find her and capture her again.
As was discussed a bit earlier, responsibility for an NPC makes us
identify with the NPC for whom we take responsibility. Thus it’s a
Rooting Interest Technique.
2. Taking responsibility for another character emotionally bonds you to
that character. It’s one of many ways of creating Chemistry between
you and that character, and is thus a Player Toward NPC Chemistry
Technique (see Chapter 2.11)
3. When you are bonded to one or more characters in a game, as you’ll be
bonded to Citlali, you’re more willing to participate in the world of
that game. Thus, this Taking Responsibility is also a World Induction
Technique (see Chapter 2.18)
4. When a player takes responsibility for another character, it actually
gives the player himself or herself emotional depth – just as taking
responsibility for a friend or a child in real life gives a person depth.
That’s because you need to expand your vision to see not just what you
need, buy what that other person needs. Thus, you taking responsibility
for Citlali is also a First-Person Deepening Technique. (see Chapter
2.21) (Freeman, 135 – 136)
Citlali can very easily be Lunete from Yvain, as she is imprisoned in the chapel and rescued from
her three accusers by Yvain. If he does not return in time for her rescue or does not survive the
battle against the three accusers, Lunete will die. Suddenly Lunete becomes a very important and
usable NPC for the computer game. A deserving role, as she is also an important character in the
original story. The only danger she poses, if not handled correctly, is that she might present a
more logical love interest for Yvain in the eyes of a modern audience.
Even with characters which appear less well-rounded than characters from a modern
novel, it is possible to create an emotionally engaging game-play experience. Of course the story
still needs to be good and the characters interesting, to make for an interesting and fun plotline.
Chrétien offers that in plenty, however, with a rich and interesting storyline. There are diverse
characters, unexpected situations and plot-twists for the less experienced in Arthurian literature.
Creating interest and motivation to follow Yvain through his adventures is something that should
be undertaken in subtle terms, not a forced homework session to make it to the end of the
adventure. Only through the use of those more subtle techniques can a story truly come to life
without interrupting game flow. “If you do your work well, the gamers will be drawn
emotionally into the game, but they will have no idea why. They will have no idea that you did
tremendous work over countless hours to cause that effect.” (Freeman, 38) Yes, translating
Yvain, or most chivalric literature for that matter, is an incredible amount of work. It still,
however, takes a whole lot less effort than designing and creating a computer game from scratch.
The experience a well-made game potentially offers is well worth the effort, simply because
most gamers will never experience this story from a book.
Conclusion
Game design is not easy, creating a good game-play experience even less so. Developing a good,
fun educative game-play experience is hard – but it is not impossible. A myriad of specialists is
required to produce a game and it is not cheap either. A lot of work and expenses can be saved if
a construction kit is used, such as provided with TES IV: Oblivion, or other game creation
software provided with an existing game. The basis for an educative game should still be a good
game-play experience; educative qualities come second. In order to obtain successful game play,
a game should consist of a formal system in which players engage in artificial conflict. This is
played out within the boundaries of a ‘magic circle’ and results in a meaningful outcome. It is a
voluntary activity with immersive qualities which requires a lusory state of mind and does not
have material gain as a primary motivation for playing. Interaction can occur on many levels and
between players, or between a player and the game itself. The computer game as a medium for
education is very promising, especially for the digital generation and has inherent translational
properties. Story-driven RPGs are the most suitable type of computer game for storytelling, as
they promote character development and focus upon narrative development before anything else.
Arthurian romance as invented by Chrétien de Troyes and chivalric literature in general would
do well for translation into a computer game. The adventure-based structure and linear set up
already sport similarities with the narrative structures used for CRPGs. Immersion is not attained
solely through cutting-edge technology; without a good story-line and interesting characters, the
game may still fall flat. The subtle use of emotioneering techniques will create an immersive
experience without the need for the newest game graphics and other technical tools to spice up
game play. Meaningful play and clever game design are essential to translating such stories as Le
Chevalier au Lion and can provide a fun and educative experience, without the player noticing
that he is playing an educative game. As people read less and play more, introducing chivalric
literature through the medium of computer games may be the next step forward in
communicating these medieval treasures and educating people along the way.
Bibliography:
Bartle, Richard. A. Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders Publishing, 2004.
Barton, Matt. “The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 1: The Early Years (19801983)” Gamasutra. Feb 23, 2007.
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20070223a/barton_01.shtml
Barton, Matt. “The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 2: The Golden Age (19851993)” Gamasutra. Feb 23, 2007.
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20070223b/barton_01.shtml
Barton, Matt. “The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part III: The Platinum and Modern
Ages (1994-12004)” Gamasutra. April 11, 2007.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1571/the_history_of_computer_.php
Bethesda Softworks Forums. Bethesda Softworks LLC. 2001. http://forums.bethsoft.com/
Brandsma, Frank. “De doe-het-zelf Middeleeuwen in Computerspellen.” Thema-nummer
Madoc; Kijk op de Middeleeuwen. Verloren. Nr. 4, 2008.
Calvert, Sandra L. “Cognitive Effects of Video Games.” Handbook of Computer Game Studies.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005.
Crawford, Chris. Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling. New Riders, Berkeley, 2005.
Freeman, David. Creating Emotions in Games. New Riders Publishing, 2004.
G4TV. “E3 2011 Live: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim E3 Gameplay Demo” Youtube. June 7,
2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic6dKnv3WdU
Haug, Walter. Vernacular Literary Theory in the Middle Ages: The German tradition, 800-1300,
in its European Context. Trans. By Joanna M. Catling. Cambridge University press,
1997.
Huizinga, Johan. Homo Ludens. Beacon Press, Boston, 1955.
Juul, Jesper. “Games Telling Stories?” Handbook of Computer Game Studies. Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 2005.
Lister et al. New Media; a Critical Introduction. Second edition, Routledge, London & New
York, 2009.
Malliet, Steven & de Meyer, Gyst. “The History of the Video Game.” Handbook of Computer
Game Studies. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005.
Peacher, Gillen, Livingstone and Smith-Robbins. Researching Learning in Virtual Worlds.
Springer London, 2010.
Prensky, Marc. “Computer Games and Learning: Digital Game-based Learning.” Handbook of
Computer Game Studies. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005.
Raessens and Goldstein. Handbook of Computer Game Studies. Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 2005.
Salen and Zimmerman. Rules of Play; Game Design Fundamentals. Massachusetts Institute of
technology, 2004.
Scott, Robin. The Elder Scrolls Nexus – Oblivion Mods and Community. 2001.
http://tesnexus.com/
Scrollworkstudios. “Nehrim Release Subbed (Unofficial)” Youtube. Jun1 11, 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zmeYRxwngM
SureAI. “SureAI” Homepage http://www.sureai.de/
Troyes, Chrétien de. Arthurian Romances. Trans. by William W. Kibler. Penguin Books, 1991.