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Bjarke Alexander Larsen

Narrascope 2023

Don’t

Explain

“Don’t Try to Explain It”

Why Some Things Should Not Make Sense

(in games)

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Wrestling

Contemporary Philosophy

Mythology

Memes

???

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Hi, I’m Bjarke!

3rd year PhD Student at UC Santa Cruz

Studying how in ongoing livegames tell stories.

Master in Media Technology at Aalborg University (Denmark)

Made and studied narrative in games.

Programmer @ mobile games dev and experience with ARGs and Escape Rooms.

[Bj] ar like a sad pirate [ge]

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Games make no sense

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“Narrative Nonsense”

Something that does not make sense when framed in terms of the narrative,

yet is accepted in terms of the “game”.

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“Narrative Nonsense”

Something that does not make sense when framed in terms of the narrative,

yet is accepted in terms of the “game”.

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“Narrative Nonsense”

Something that does not make sense when framed in terms of the narrative,

yet is accepted in terms of the “game”.

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“Narrative Nonsense”

Something that does not make sense when framed in terms of the narrative,

yet is accepted in terms of the “game”.

Ludonarrative dissonance?

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In fact, League

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In fact, League

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In fact, League

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In fact, League

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In fact, League

But then how does the game even make sense?

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“don't think about it too hard”

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“don't think about it too hard”

…But why?

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Humans want things to make sense.

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Humans want things to make sense.

“Everything that is, we want to understand, grasp, claim, make useful”

Hartmut Rosa (translated)

Hartmut Rosa: “The Uncontrollability of the World” (2020)

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Humans want things to make sense.

“Everything that is, we want to understand, grasp, claim, make useful”

Hartmut Rosa (translated)

the desire to make the world controllable.

Hartmut Rosa: “The Uncontrollability of the World” (2020)

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Humans want things to make sense.

Why do we accept nonsense in games?

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let go

I will try to convince you to let go.

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Wrestling

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Wrestling

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Wrestling

Originally from carnival games (most likely)

Fights in sports arenas. At some point, became “fixed”.�“This is a spectacle: A Story.” - Barthes (1957)

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Wrestling

Originally from carnival games (most likely)

Fights in sports arenas. At some point, became “fixed”.�“This is a spectacle: A Story.” - Barthes (1957)

Jenkins: “Serialized fiction for men.” (2005)

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Wrestling makes no sense

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The Diegesis of Wrestling

Wrestling is “scripted”. But it is also part of the real world.

When “The Rock” stars in a movie, it can (and has) been referenced in-world by other wrestlers. Does that mean that all cinema is part of wrestling?

Accidents happen.

Wrestling is also “co-opting” the real world, and using it narratively.

It can do this because it runs in parallel to the real world.

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The Diegesis of Wrestling

This is Ric Flair, wrestler. �This is Richard Morgan Fliehr, born 1949

“If you shake hands with Ric Flair, you are shaking hands with two facets of Ric Flair: the actual and the fictional one. The actor and the character are the same”� - interview from “The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling” (1998)

It is impossible to define exactly where Ric ends and where Richard begins.

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The Diegesis of Wrestling

“Kayfabe”: “illusion of realness” (Smith, 2006), “insistence that the unreal is real” (Shoemaker, 2013)

Staying “in kayfabe” is assuming that everything in wrestling is not scripted.

(The term kayfabe, itself a form of carnival-speak for “be fake” (Shoemaker, 2013))

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The Diegesis of Wrestling

Wrestling is so obviously nonsense

This is the point.

It is part of the joy for wrestling fans to “suss out” what is scripted and what isn’t.

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The Diegesis of Wrestling

Wrestling is so obviously nonsense

This is the point.

It is part of the joy for wrestling fans to “suss out” what is scripted and what isn’t.

It is akin to a magic trick: You know you are being fooled, but that is the point.

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Video Games and Wrestling

Oliva & Calleja (2009) compared Wrestling with World of Warcraft

Long-running, storylines.
A strange, muddy diegesis, the real world breaking into the fictional all the time.
The “world” of warcraft also exists in parallel with the real world. It is influenced by real-world events.
It’s characters exit the bounds of the virtual in short stories, cinematics, fan fiction etc.

Fake rules, real fiction : professional wrestling and videogames (2009)

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Video Games and Wrestling

World of Warcraft is a live game.

Oliva & Calleja (2009) compared Wrestling with World of Warcraft

Long-running, storylines.
A strange, muddy diegesis, the real world breaking into the fictional all the time.
The “world” of warcraft also exists in parallel with the real world. It is influenced by real-world events.
It’s characters exit the bounds of the virtual in short stories, cinematics, fan fiction etc.

Fake rules, real fiction : professional wrestling and videogames (2009)

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Perennial Games

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Perennial Experiences

“continuing for a very long time; happening again and again”

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Perennial Experiences

“continuing for a very long time; happening again and again”

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Comics

Doctor Who

Wrestling

Star Trek

Tabletop RPGs

Actual Play Podcasts

Blaseball

World of Warcraft

Reality TV

Soap Operas

Destiny

League of Legends

Sports

Books Series

Fortnite

Second Life

Final Fantasy XIV

K-pop

Perennial Experiences

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Perennial Games

Comics

Doctor Who

Wrestling

Star Trek

Tabletop RPGs

Actual Play Podcasts

Second Life

Blaseball

World of Warcraft

Reality TV

Soap Operas

Destiny

League of Legends

Sports

Books Series

Fortnite

Final Fantasy XIV

K-pop

Perennial Experiences

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Perennial Games rely on nonsense.

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Questions in Perennial Storytelling

Repetition

Lohmann (2008), Bartle (2004), Karavatos (2017)

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Questions in Perennial Storytelling

Repetition

Diegesis

Kleinman et al. (2019)

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Questions in Perennial Storytelling

Repetition

Diegesis

Authorship

Swartjes (2010), Ryan (2018)

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Proposal:

Perennial stories can be understood as myths.

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Our Definition of Myth

Myths are stories by and for communities, to explain the world they inhabit, and these stories communicate their shared history, values, norms, and perspectives.

�Mythmaking is thus the active construction of these stories by the community telling, re-enacting, retelling, or experiencing those stories with each other.

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The Second Layer

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The Second Layer

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Leeroy Jenkins is a Mythological Figure.

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Why? Myth…

…Is able to describe the author/audience split in a more nuanced way.�

…Inherently deals with the diegetic muddiness of perennial games.�

…Explains repetition not as a negative for storytelling.��…Helps us understand why these games matter to people.

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Myth as a lens

Perennial games, stories or communities are not “myths”.

But myth provides a series of useful perspectives.

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Repetition

How can storytelling make sense in a world where major characters die every day?

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How can storytelling make sense in a world where major characters die every day?

Repetition

Myths function through repetition.

Retellings are how myths survive, propagate, and matter.

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How can storytelling make sense in a world where major characters die every day?

Repetition

Myths function through repetition.

Retellings are how myths survive, propagate, and matter.

See repetitions as retellings or ritualized re-enactments of previous events.

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Repetition

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Repetition

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Myths make no sense

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Mythology is real and not real.

They are stories spoken in truth but aren’t true.

What they say about people is true while their events might not be.

Cornell & Orman (2009), Krzywinska (2006), Geraci (2014)

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Mythology is real and not real.

They are stories spoken in truth but aren’t true.

What they say about people is true while their events might not be.

Cornell & Orman (2009), Krzywinska (2006), Geraci (2014)

Traditional mythology contradicts itself.

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Does Arthas Exist?

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Does Arthas Exist?

“For me there is a fundamental difference between the gods in WoW and the gods in real life.

The gods in WoW exist and the gods in real life do not”

- Participant in Aupers (2017) Survey

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Does Arthas Exist?

“For me there is a fundamental difference between the gods in WoW and the gods in real life.

The gods in WoW exist and the gods in real life do not”

- Participant in Aupers (2017) Survey

This is true in the fiction.

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Does Arthas Exist?

“For me there is a fundamental difference between the gods in WoW and the gods in real life.

The gods in WoW exist and the gods in real life do not”

- Participant in Aupers (2017) Survey

This is true in the fiction.

Players’ actions have fictional implications, too.

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It is both real and not real.

““Real Enough”: We are able to play as if we believe this could have been real.”

- Hong (2015)

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It is both real and not real.

““Real Enough”: We are able to play as if we believe this could have been real.”

- Hong (2015)

It is part of the perennial experience to

discuss what is real

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It is both real and not real.

““Real Enough”: We are able to play as if we believe this could have been real.”

- Hong (2015)

It is part of the perennial experience to

discuss what is real

That is what fans do when they argue about canon.

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Canon

That is what fans do when they argue about canon.

fan-produced work (fan fiction, fanart, etc).

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Canon

That is what fans do when they argue about canon.

“fanon”

fan-produced work (fan fiction, fanart, etc).

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Canon

That is what fans do when they argue about canon.

“fanon”

fan-produced work (fan fiction, fanart, etc).

Fanmade taxonomies of what is canon.

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Canon

That is what fans do when they argue about canon.

“fanon”

fan-produced work (fan fiction, fanart, etc).

Fanmade taxonomies of what is canon.

Watsonian: Inconsistencies must be explained through in-world explanations.

Doylist: Inconsistencies are probably authorial error.

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Nonsense builds community.

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People come together to understand.

Community Building

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People come together to understand.

Community Building

Fandoms discuss nonsense as part of the experience.

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People come together to understand.

Community Building

Fandoms discuss nonsense as part of the experience.

Mythology serves this function in society.

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Elden Ring

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Lore Communities

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Let Me Solo Her

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Let Me Solo Her

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Let Me Solo Her

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FromSoft Games are ridiculous

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Nonsense makes people talk.

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When we talk about the power word of mouth a lot.

Give people something to “mouth words” about.

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“Virality”

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“But I make single player games”?

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Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

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Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

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Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

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Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

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Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

91 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

92 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

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Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

94 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

95 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

96 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

97 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

98 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

99 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

100 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

101 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

102 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

103 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people that only exist in a labyrinth. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

104 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

105 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

106 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

107 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

108 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

109 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

110 of 167

Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

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Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

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Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

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Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

…large open plains with flying flower-things, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, there’s Chinese dragons and chickens and fake chickens who live in pockets, there’s fairies and different fairies, fire you can put inside bottles, and a room that looks like it belongs in Interstellar, there’s talking scarecrows and a giant whale with electricity monsters inside it. There’s poetry, there’s a Konga Line done by people who eat only gourmet rocks and cat-people. There’s Time Travel and ghosts that shoot fireballs and a windmill that lowers the water level. It has a song so powerful it can destroy an ancient family grave by summoning a lightning strike. It has several Dimensions and destinies and talking trees and old wars and royal families and elevators powered by the sun.

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Ocarina of Time is nonsense.

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Nonsense is memorable.

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The brain wants things to make sense.

Things that are incongruent can be intriguing.

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The brain wants things to make sense.

Things that are incongruent can be intriguing.

Many modern games aim for internally consistent, coherent worlds. �They want to explain everything.

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The brain wants things to make sense.

Things that are incongruent can be intriguing.

When done wrong, the worlds can become stale and predictable.

Many modern games aim for internally consistent, coherent worlds. �They want to explain everything.

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“Everything that is, we want to understand, grasp, claim, make useful”

Hartmut Rosa (translated)

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In trying to make sense of the world, we lose connection with it.

We can’t get too close, afraid it is going to affect us.�We maintain distance with it.

“Everything that is, we want to understand, grasp, claim, make useful”

Hartmut Rosa (translated)

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In trying to make sense of the world, we lose connection with it.

We can’t get too close, afraid it is going to affect us.�We maintain distance with it.

“Everything that is, we want to understand, grasp, claim, make useful”

Hartmut Rosa (translated)

“Resonance”

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“Half-controllability”

“Everything that is, we want to understand, grasp, claim, make useful”

Hartmut Rosa (translated)

“Resonance”

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“Half-controllability”

“Everything that is, we want to understand, grasp, claim, make useful”

Hartmut Rosa (translated)

“Resonance”

Nonsense is a moment where we are forced to re-engage with the game.

We lean in and ask questions. We’re present.

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Lacunae

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Lacunae

“A Toolkit for Encouraging Player Stories” (2022), Kate Compton, Jason Grinblat, Nina Kim, Emily Short, Tanya X. Short

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Lacunae

Leave unanswered questions

about the world.

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Lacunae

are great for community, too.

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Lacunae

are great for community, too.

Jacob Geller (2019) “The Decade-Long Quest for Shadow of the Colossus’ Last Secret”

Play Outer Wilds.

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Lacunae

are great for community, too.

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Developers are not immune to desiring controllability.

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Developers are not immune to desiring controllability.

Explaining is a natural urge.

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Developers are not immune to desiring controllability.

Explaining is a natural urge.

Creating deep, detailed worlds is often the mark of quality.

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Developers are not immune to desiring controllability.

Explaining is a natural urge.

Creating deep, detailed worlds is often the mark of quality.

Nonsense can feel like a mistake that needs fixing.

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A Word of Caution

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A Word of Caution

I am not saying we should

“make games nonsense on purpose”

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A Word of Caution

I am not saying we should

“make games nonsense on purpose”

More like

“Don’t worry when it is.”

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Ludonarrative dissonance?

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Generating Nonsense

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Generating Nonsense

Procedural Generation

Combining events in unpredictable ways.

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Generating Nonsense

Procedural Generation

User-generated Content

Combining events in unpredictable ways.

Players do not adhere to the fiction.

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Generating Nonsense

Procedural Generation

User-generated Content

Combining events in unpredictable ways.

Players do not adhere to the fiction.

Live Development

Affected by real-time activity.

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Generating Nonsense

Procedural Generation

User-generated Content

Combining events in unpredictable ways.

Players do not adhere to the fiction.

Live Development

Affected by real-time activity.

RIV

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Nonsense is emergent narrative fuel.

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Word of Caution�I am not saying we should

“make our games nonsense on purpose”

Focus more on this.

(I am not advocating for being ridiculous for being ridiculous’s sake. I am a little bit saying that but it also doesn’t really work if you try to force it. If things make sense, that’s good. That’s the norm, really. Standard. Dont mess with expected. But maybe, if you have something that you cant make sense of. Maybe consider leaning into it, instead of away from it)

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Word of Caution�I am not saying we should

“make our games nonsense on purpose”

Focus more on this.

(I am not advocating for being ridiculous for being ridiculous’s sake. I am a little bit saying that but it also doesn’t really work if you try to force it. If things make sense, that’s good. That’s the norm, really. Standard. Dont mess with expected. But maybe, if you have something that you cant make sense of. Maybe consider leaning into it, instead of away from it)

The more we learn about a world, the smaller it becomes.

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Word of Caution�I am not saying we should

“make our games nonsense on purpose”

Focus more on this.

(I am not advocating for being ridiculous for being ridiculous’s sake. I am a little bit saying that but it also doesn’t really work if you try to force it. If things make sense, that’s good. That’s the norm, really. Standard. Dont mess with expected. But maybe, if you have something that you cant make sense of. Maybe consider leaning into it, instead of away from it)

The more we learn about a world, the smaller it becomes.

Nonsense opens the boundaries.

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Word of Caution�I am not saying we should

“make our games nonsense on purpose”

Focus more on this.

(I am not advocating for being ridiculous for being ridiculous’s sake. I am a little bit saying that but it also doesn’t really work if you try to force it. If things make sense, that’s good. That’s the norm, really. Standard. Dont mess with expected. But maybe, if you have something that you cant make sense of. Maybe consider leaning into it, instead of away from it)

The more we learn about a world, the smaller it becomes.

Nonsense opens the boundaries.

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Word of Caution�I am not saying we should

“make our games nonsense on purpose”

Focus more on this.

(I am not advocating for being ridiculous for being ridiculous’s sake. I am a little bit saying that but it also doesn’t really work if you try to force it. If things make sense, that’s good. That’s the norm, really. Standard. Dont mess with expected. But maybe, if you have something that you cant make sense of. Maybe consider leaning into it, instead of away from it)

The more we learn about a world, the smaller it becomes.

Nonsense opens the boundaries.

Accept nonsense, Link.

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Thanks.

Bjarke A. Larsen ∙ @BjarkeAL ∙ mail@bjarke.it ∙ www.bjarke.it

I will take questions on Ocarina of Time.

And other things.

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PARKING LOT

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Witcher

Bovine Defense Force

Ive heard that story much more than any other exploit path note. why?

because its funny. weird. and nonsensical.

it is not canon in the Witcher Universe.

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As If (Saler, 2012)

Sherlock Holmes,

Lovecraft,

Lord of the Rings

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Disenchantment

the modern (mostly western) world has become increasingly secularized and non-religious, non-mystical and non-magical.

Aupers: Play is still sacred. It is magical and allow us a space to be part of the magic of a fictional world.

Max Weber (1864-1920)

We maintain a distance between play and reality for this to work.

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Aupers, Double nature of play:

“Play - in the frivolous meaning of the word - has become an alibi to cover up for the more serious, ultimately spiritual dimensions of play.”

Protected by a mantra of “it is just play”, players can allow themselves a safe space to engage and experiment with the sacred. The magic circle is thus legitimizing that which has otherwise been removed from society, and gives people a chance to “play” with the mythic, magic, the sacred.

Masquerade of Play

Because it is a game, because it is fiction, we may play with it.

But of course, it is not entirely fake. We know this too, and it is part of the reason why it works: The "real enough" nature of these worlds is crucial to making us feel more a part of them. The play is only there to uphold the masquerade, but we know well enough that even masquerades are real, too.

We get attracted by the fact that it is just play, it is pretend, it is ``just inside the magic circle''. But we stay because it is enchanting that which is outside, we stay because we, naturally, are outside the magic circle too, even as much as we use the circle to allow ourselves to play in the first place.

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The Masquerade of Play

“keep an ironic distance towards our playful behavior”

“play - in the frivolous meaning of the word - has become an alibi to cover up for the more serious, ultimately spiritual dimensions of play.”

(Aupers, 2015).

Because it is a game we may play with it.

The play is a trick we play on ourselves, to allow ourselves to enter a reality that is a little more magical than the one we otherwise would have.

A game is "real enough" to make us feel more a part of it. The play is only there to uphold the masquerade, but we know well enough that even masquerades are real, too.

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The Interaction of Wrestling

But it doesn't end here. Because wrestling is oddly interactive.

This is Daniel Bryan.

He was not scripted to win WWE

He did.�Because the audience wanted it.

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The Interaction of Wrestling

Wrestlers change the fight based on how the audience is reacting.

The outcome of the match is fixed, but the moves aren’t.

Are fans getting bored? �Pick up the pace.

Is the villain underperforming?�Let him show off a powerful move

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“The Loot Cave”

2014

2020

Good (2014), Gach (2020), Hornshaw (2021)

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“The Loot Cave?”

Good (2014), Gach (2020), Hornshaw (2021)

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Real and Not Real

Perennial Games also contradict themselves.

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The Two Layers

The First Layer

The construction of a fictional world.

…lore, canon, characters, geography, events…

The Second Layer

The making of lived myth.

…patch notes, YouTube videos, community discussions, memes, achievements, world’s first races, bugs, community members, livestreams, meta discussions, guide websites, e-sports tournaments…

bleeds into

affects

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The First Layer

The construction of a fictional world.

…lore, canon, characters, geography, events…

Aupers (2015), Geraci (2014)

World of Warcraft (2004-2022), League of Legends (2009-2022), Final Fantasy XIV (2013-2022)

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The Second Layer

The making of lived myth.

…patch notes, YouTube videos, community discussions, memes, achievements, world’s first races, bugs, community members, livestreams, meta discussions, guide websites, e-sports tournaments…