The Invisible Rules of Role-Playing The Social Framework of Role-Playing Process

Abstract

This paper looks at the process of role-playing that takes place in various games. Role-play is a social activity, where three elements are always present: An imaginary game world, a power structure and personified player characters. In a nutshell, all role-playing activities about imaginary people acting out in an imaginary environment; the power structure is needed to differentiate these activities from free make-believe and children’s play. After the basics, the paper moves on to discuss the various components in detail, going through how rules, goals, worlds, power, information and identity function in role-play. While the paper does not lead to a simple conclusion, it seeks to present a solid foundation for further research.