An analysis of persistent non-player characters in the first-person gaming genre 1998-2007: a case for the fusion of mechanics and diegetics

This paper describes the results of an analysis of persistent non-player characters (PNPCs) in the first-person gaming genre 1998-2007. Assessing the role, function, gameplay significance and representational characteristics of these critical important gameplay objects from over 34 major releases provides an important set of baseline data within which to situate further research. This kind of extensive, genre-wide analysis is under-represented in game studies, yet it represents a hugely important process in forming clear and robust illustrations of the medium to support understanding. Thus, I offer a fragment of this illustration, demonstrating that many of the cultural and diegetic qualities of PNPCs are a product of a self-assembling set of archetypes formed from gameplay requirements

DOOM: SCARYDARKFAST

A close examination about what is considered the most important first-person video game ever made and its influence on how we play games toda

<i>Histoplasma</i> seropositivity and environmental risk factors for exposure in a general population in Upper River Region, The Gambia: A cross-sectional study.

Robust surveillance of Histoplasma species is warranted in endemic regions, including investigation of community-level transmission dynamics. This cross-sectional study explored anti-Histoplasma antibody seroprevalence and risk factors for exposure in a general population in Upper River Region (URR), The Gambia. Study participants were recruited (December 2022-March 2023) by random household sampling across 12 Enumeration Areas (EAs) of URR. A questionnaire and clinical examination were performed; exploring demographic, clinical and environmental risk factors for Histoplasma exposure. One venous blood sample per participant was subject to IMMY Latex Agglutination Histoplasma test to determine presence of a recent IgM response to Histoplasma. Seropositivity risk factors were explored by multi-level, multivariable logistic regression analysis. The study population (n = 298) aged 5-83 years, demonstrated a positively skewed age distribution and comprised 55.4% females. An apparent seroprevalence of 18.8% (n = 56/298, 95% CI 14.5-23.7%) was measured using the LAT. A multivariable model demonstrated increased odds of Histoplasma seropositivity amongst female participants (OR = 2.41 95% CI 1.14-5.10); and participants reporting involvement in animal manure management (OR = 4.21 95% CI 1.38-12.90), and management of domestic animals inside the compound at night during the dry season (OR = 10.72 95% CI 2.02-56.83). Increasing age (OR = 0.96 95% CI 0.93-0.98) was associated with decreased odds of seropositivity. Clustering at EA level was responsible for 17.2% of seropositivity variance. The study indicates frequent recent Histoplasma exposure and presents plausible demographic and environmental risk factors for seropositivity. Histoplasma spp. characterisation at this human-animal-environment interface is warranted, to determine public health implications of environmental reservoirs in The Gambia. The study was supported by Wellcome Trust (206,638/Z/17/Z to CES) and a University of Liverpool-funded PhD studentship (to TRC)

Story as a function of gameplay in first person shooters and an analysis of FPS diegetic content 1998-2007

The relationship between game content and gameplay remains underexplored. High level debate about the relative narrativity of games remains common, but there is a gap in the understanding about the particularities of how diegetic objects relates to the business of managing player experience and behaviour at the heart of gameplay. The first half of this thesis proposes a new model for understanding gameplay as a network of affordance relationships which define supported actions. The theoretical focus upon supported actions rather than object characteristics enables a better understanding of the framework of gameplay created by a complex system of interrelated objects. In particular, it illustrates how the essential ludic structure of first-person games can be described in very simple terms, thus defining a discontinuity between complexity of experience and simplicity of structure. It is proposed that story is a primary means of managing this discontinuity to provide an immersive and seamless experience.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

DOOM: SCARYDARKFAST

In December 1993, gaming changed forever. id Software’s seminal shooter DOOM was released and it shook the foundations of the medium. This is a book about what is considered the most important first-person game ever made; about the blueprint that has defined one of the most successful genres of digital gaming. Pinbeck brings together the complete story of DOOM for the first time. It sets the scene with a discussion of the early days of first-person gaming and the video game studio system. It discusses the prototypes and the groundbreaking technology that drove the game forwards, and offers a detailed analysis of gameplay and level design. This is followed by sections on DOOM’s contributions to wider gaming culture: online multiplay and the mod scene, and consideration of the many ports and sequels the game spawned. This close analysis sets the scene for an extensive discussion of the first-person gaming genre, focusing upon DOOM’s status as a foundational title, using this analysis to offer a means of better understanding how the genre has developed since 1993. Pinchbeck draws extensively from primary data: from the game itself, from the massive fan culture surrounding the title, and from interviews with the developers who made it. It is this level of access to the process of development through the reflections of some of gaming’s most celebrated individuals that gives the book a very particular focus and drive. It aims not only to be the definitive work on DOOM, but a snapshot of a period of gaming history, a manifesto for a development ethos, and a celebration of game culture at its best