Hi, my name is Caroline and I'm an undergraduate student working on a research project concerning the localization of MMOs. I have a few questions I'd love for any role-players or players of localized versions of the game to answer. Although some of these questions are geared toward role-players, I am interested in any type of player's response! Most of the questions focus on role-playing, but the crux of my project concerns cultural variations in localized versions of the game and how international players respond to that (both in terms of RP and non RP). Any anecdotes or anything else you care to share would be much appreciated.

• Does your cultural background have an influence on your role-playing? By cultural background, I mean family background, ethnic background, traditional culture (religion), or popular culture. I believe that role-players make a conscious decision about what aspects of their culture they choose to draw influence from. Please elaborate on any aspects of your culture that you have made a conscious decision to draw influence from.

• If you do not feel that your cultural background influences your role-playing, please explain where you draw inspiration from

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• Have you ever employed any traditional myths (myths, stories, legends, traditions, etc.) in your role-playing that are derived from your cultural background? Please give an example if applicable.

• Or do you choose to stick to Blizzard's lore? (I recognize that WoW's lore alludes to many cultural references, but I believe that if Blizzard chooses the myth to be a part of Azeroth, then for the purposes of role-playing you ignore that reference and stick completely to what is given to you in game.)

• Have you ever played a localized version of the game? A localized version of the game means that it was meant to be played in other countries with language packs and certain content edited to better fit the target country's culture. If yes, which version? (North American, EU, China, etc.)

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post.

welcome to the most boring thread ever.
/thread

What's to say? It is another poorly designed student survey. Sadly, the poster appears to have a legitimate toon on a PVP server, which means she should know what garbage the RP questions are.

Caroline, to be fair, you may not be aware of how a localization plays. It is just like playing a regular version of WOW, but in a different language. Servers in China are mainly PVP, with a scattering of PVE. The localization has a couple of quirks involving how bones/death/body parts are depicted. That is really more of a matter involving graphics than role play. Raids and BGs are the same as NA/EU counterparts, they didn't get reworked into being yet another Journey to the West or Three Kingdoms clone for the Chinese market.

RP, to the slight extent I might be said to do it, is limited to in game factors. My Tauren druid tends to say "moo" at log in and gushes about fishing being a source of both fish and balls of string. That probably says more about my sense of humor than it indicates a desire to role play.

Most of my play time is on a server where I may be the only foreign player. The main influence culture has in that context is that I have a macro to tell people I'm a foreign player and can't read Chinese. Despite the temptation, I have not yet created a macro to explain that I can use chopsticks.

no RP servers in WOWCN

rawr~

In answer to you questions:

Quote :

Does your cultural background have an influence on your role-playing? By cultural background, I mean family background, ethnic background, traditional culture (religion), or popular culture. I believe that role-players make a conscious decision about what aspects of their culture they choose to draw influence from. Please elaborate on any aspects of your culture that you have made a conscious decision to draw influence from.

No I don't believe so, though perhaps in some opposite ways. In all the times I have role played, I have never used my family background or cultural values. I have no religious beliefs, though I can imagine that perhaps if I did, I might feel wrong breaking any of those beliefs even in a role playing situation.

Quote :

If you do not feel that your cultural background influences your role-playing, please explain where you draw inspiration from.

If anything I probably use the opportunity to imagine my character doing things perhaps I would never dream of doing, or have no means of doing, or with personality quirks that are purely derived from observing other people. I have also RP'ed both male and female characters. It's quite hard to keep remembering to role play such quirks initially when they are so foreign to you, but after a while they become semi-natural when you jump into character. My inspirations tend to come from the setting, my equipment in the game setting, and various observations of humanity's quirkiness in the real world.

Quote :

Have you ever employed any traditional myths (myths, stories, legends, traditions, etc.) in your role-playing that are derived from your cultural background? Please give an example if applicable.

Nope, sorry. I use the mythology of the game world, and if lacking, make up tales of my own.

Quote :

Or do you choose to stick to Blizzard's lore? (I recognize that WoW's lore alludes to many cultural references, but I believe that if Blizzard chooses the myth to be a part of Azeroth, then for the purposes of role-playing you ignore that reference and stick completely to what is given to you in game.)

In the case of WoW, yes. I mostly just stick to Blizzards lore, however, as a character in the game, I would be unaware of much of it - especially if you follow the story through. Much of it is only related to you through quests etc as you progress through the game, though you can imagine that there would e much common lore that would be passed on through stories when growing up in such a place. The rest I just use the setting and various places and mobs that I have seen or heard of - especially when my character relates his (or her) dangerous and risky adventures into the unknown.. the places you would have been told scary stories about when you were young.

Quote :

Have you ever played a localized version of the game? A localized version of the game means that it was meant to be played in other countries with language packs and certain content edited to better fit the target country's culture. If yes, which version? (North American, EU, China, etc.)

I previously played in Europe (English) - purely on the RP servers. Now I play using the Chinese localised version, but there are no RP servers. I would be unable to RP in Chinese anyway - kind of hard unless you can read and speak the language fluently as every item, every quest, every signpost is only semi-legible. About the only thing I would be able to RP here would be a mute that couldn't read.

Yes. I'm a strict RP'er and my cultural upbringing as mormon has always said it's best to adapt to new situations in life. For example the other day I was in Goro crater and some guy claiming to be Turok tried to bully me. I grabbed my BFG and went to town on him (I rp duke nukem).