GI member and PhD candidate, Toben Racicot (English Language and Literature) braved the weather on January 25, 2023, to present a lecture on making loot in role-playing games (RPGs) more accessible and enjoyable. This was a part of the “Projects and Research by English Students” (PRES) lecture series run outside of the UW English Languages and Literature Department.
Racicot zeroed in on the design philosophy of “everything should be findable.” According to Racicot, “Loot, in its current state, is not accessible and is a barrier for new players wanting to experience RPGs.” He argued that reducing the scope of treasure tables to match player progression, assigning loot to monsters, and unifying loot tiers across the genre will shift gameplay away from optimal strategies and toward viable play. Viable play, in Racicot’s words, “empowers novice players, respects a player's time, and enables a difficulty that does not prevent new players from experiencing a game.”
To attend future PRES lectures, visit their EventBrite Page!
To learn more about Toben Racicot and his research, check out his profile on the GI website!