“Table Talk”: Defining Metadiscourse of Analog Games

This paper discusses the communication in tabletop role-playing games that we call metadiscourse. Prior study of gaming and the act of play prove that the space is inherentlysocial. However, we speculate that, through metadiscourse, the social aspect of the tabletop role-playing game is central to g...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inActa Ludologica Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 96 - 107
Main Author Dashiell, Steven
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published University of SS.Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Faculty of Mass Media Communication 2021
Univerzita sv. Cyrila a Metoda v Trnave, Fakulta masmediálnej komunikácie
Subjects
Communication studies
Media studies
Philosophy
Social Philosophy
Social Sciences
Sociology
Sociology of Culture
Theory of Communication
tabletop roleplaying games
popular culture
sociology
game capital
discourse
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Summary:This paper discusses the communication in tabletop role-playing games that we call metadiscourse. Prior study of gaming and the act of play prove that the space is inherentlysocial. However, we speculate that, through metadiscourse, the social aspect of the tabletop role-playing game is central to group cohesion and perpetuation of the gaming subculture. Metadiscourse involves conversation not linked to the current game but could be cordial and relational, critical, or completely unrelated to the game. However, it is an informal conversation that would not occur if there was no game. In metadiscourse there are determinations of gaming capital, or elements of value. Participation in metadiscourse allows an individual to feel included in the game and gaming subculture. However, metadiscourse demonstrates a level of gaming capital through situatedness and affordances that can act as a gatekeeping function for individuals.
ISSN:2585-8599
2585-9218