Culture at the Epicentre

So I've actually learned a considerable amount since my last post, and I'm beginning to think that my research could potentially take a slightly different turn. It's far too late tonight to go into too much about the handful of books that I've got all this from, so I'm basically summarizing what I've interpreted from it thus far.

When I've been looking into the relation between character and player, there always seem to be a connection with spatial awareness. So from what I've gathered, there seems to be a relation between all three. Not only that, but I've also come across the inclusion of story. Story has been discussed as a fuel for creating a good character, both visually and as a personality - in driving the player to want to know more about a character. This refers to who the character is, where they come from, their values etc. etc. Ultimately, this is their culture.

However the character's culture is often - in terms of the fictional word - determined by the environment and situation in which they live. A character who lives in an urban environment is likely to have a different culture to one from, let's say, the mountains. I've noticed that several theorists have claimed that characters from a more fantastical world and a fantasy culture are more relatable to players as the lack of realism means they have less expectation about what the character should be, and by extension the world in which the character lives. 

It is through a playable character that the player interacts with the environment within the game, and so the character is fundamental to the spatial awareness. Without the character as a vehicle, the player cannot explore this space, thus heightening the importance of the character to player relation. Of course, as I've established before, the character's culture affects how or why the player may or may not associate with them. 

Although some people have said in my survey that there is no particular impact on them because of a character's culture, it is inadvertently connected to creating both an engaging, individuated character whose role you would want to assume because something about them enticing you to do so, and a rich world to which that character should suitably fit. If not, then there is the risk of the player feeling detached because the character is designed impractically. Practicality is another aspect that has come up in my research, albeit briefly. 

In other words, within the fictional world, story, space, character and player are all interconnected in some way. To me culture is central to these, present in each aspect, because ultimately it affects the design beyond the fictional world (i.e. characters created by designers of different cultures and how they are perceived/accepted across different cultures) and the whole experience. 

To summarize, culture - both real and fictional -forges a character with whom a player can relate. Through this, a player can engage fully with the world they are put in through the eyes of their character and uncover the story through interacting with the environment in which the character lives.