互動說書與神話式線上角色扮演遊戲：故事情節、角色、與互動行為研究

Abstract

本研究根據互動說書系統之發展現況，針對其情節設計與玩家互動之平衡進行社會面向之探索；由於網路環境造成娛樂型態及研究趨勢的轉變，研究藉由觀察神話式線上角色扮演遊戲中，玩家與情節的互動、玩家與玩家的互動等，意欲探索線上互動說書之設計議題，以及情節、角色與玩家互動行為。 在理論架構部份，研究針對線上互動說書的設計方面，探討Campbell之英雄的旅程、Propp之角色功能理論、與Manninen以線上遊戲為應用對象所整理的Habermas之溝通行動理論為基礎架構，彙整出神話式線上角色扮演遊戲中故事情節、角色、與互動行為之典型。 研究方法方面，則以脈絡式探索為主，共招募22位玩家，以線上遊戲《天堂》為研究環境；脈絡式探索的情境腳本則根據任務分析與讓研究對象填寫使用者日誌來擬定。根據探索資料，透過工作模式中的流程模式呈現玩家在各故事章節中之行為，透過文化模式呈現角色職業的現況，透過程序模式呈現玩家所進行之典型互動模式，並以親和圖分析方法進行工作模式之合併。 研究發現在神話式角色扮演遊戲中，每個玩家都可能具有英雄特質，各種幫助者則是由該項能力強大的角色來擔任；在故事情節上，則發現玩家未曾經歷與「拒絕」相關之情節，「啟蒙階段」的情節亦與故事原型差異較大，因而得知線上互動說書在情節設計與玩家互動經驗之平衡上，可藉由非玩家角色之加入，讓情節更有豐富度；其次，角色屬性與任務類型的相符程度將亦能提昇玩家的互動經驗；在互動行為方面，則是以工具性行動、策略性行動、溝通性行動為典型。

By observing an online interactive storytelling environment (a mythical Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), this study mainly explored the design issues of game story plots, players’ character types, and the interacitons between them from a qualitative perspective. Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey”, Propp’s “Character Types”, and Habermas’s “Communicative Action Theory” were adopted by the present study as the theoretical framework to analyze and to discuss the study results. 22 recruited players participated in a contextual inquiry process. The scenario-based tasks pre-developed from task analyses and user diaries were the primary tools to induce players’ behaviors while they interacted with an online role playing game “Lineage”. At the end of the data collection, five work models were generated. The flow models showed the interaction relationships among players and plots; the cultural models presented the cultural factors in affecting the status of role characters; and the sequence models illuminate the typical procedures and steps of the interaction behaviors. All work models above were consolidated by using the affinity diagram approach. The results indicated that each player view themselves as a Hero role during the journey no matter which avatar type he/she choosed that the belonged role characteristic and function is predefined by the system. Same to the Helper role, the system-assigned characteristic of the avater is not the key issue. The stronger or powerer abilities the player’s avatar has, the higher willingness a player may be as a Helper. As for the story plots, there is no “Refuse”plot in a mythetical MMROPG environment. In comparing with other stages of Hero’s Journey, the plots of Initiation stage stands to be substantially different. Finally, the Instrumental action, the Strategic action, and the Communicative action are the three main interaction forms in a mythetical MMROPG environment. Based on the study results, the present study propse the following suggestions to the designers who plan to develop an online interactive storytelling environment: NPCs play an important part to enrich the story plots; the design of avatar role is critical for the enhancement of the player’s interactive experience. It needs to consider the match level between different role attributes and the task types.