Wednesday, December 5, 2018

How Live Streaming is Impacting Dungeons & Dragons

With the rise of the Internet and improvements made in both available websites and technology, live-streaming has quickly become an up-and-coming area for the game Dungeons & Dragons.

Live-streaming allows all types of people to broadcast their games over the Internet. This allows people to gather and watch others playing games on a scale that could never have otherwise been realized. There are a number of platforms that can be used, such as Twitch, YouTube, or on the live-streamer's own website.

An advantage of streaming games this way is that it allows people to play with others no matter how far away from each other they are.

"I found a shop I was going to, it was in Pensacola. I could go and I could play there. When I moved back here, I got back in contact with the owner, and I was DMing over Skype and I was running games for them just because they didn't have enough people that could run games," said Zachary Travis, local player and game master. "They definitely weren't streaming on a popular Twitch channel, but they would record the games and play it in shop and people could watch it on their website."

A number of live-streams can easily be found online.
Erin Harris



Another draw for live-streaming games is the interactive aspect which allows watchers or listeners to connect with the people they are watching on a larger scale. Many platforms allow people to post comments as the games are happening live, allowing the players to see what the watchers are thinking or respond to them in real-time. It gives listeners a sense of getting in on the action.

"One of the best bonding moments with my brother was sitting down and playing Halo 2 together. There was a large portion in the late 2000s and early 2010s where no game had couch co-op. There's something you lose in gaming, period, when you aren't in the same room as people," said Travis. "These streams- just watching video of people, whether you know they're a celebrity or not, whether you recognize their names or not, you get this illusion of sitting with your buddies playing."

With tools becoming easier to obtain and use, more and more people are able to stream their own games. Performing an Advanced Search on Google for "Dungeons and Dragons live stream" returns a number of different available shows.

Wizards of the Coast, the company that currently publishes the D&D brand, had previously broadcast its official games as podcast but began offering a live streamed version in 2013. They now offer several games that can be watched live or found afterwards on YouTube. The team streams around 20 shows that are either sponsored by or produced by Wizards of the Coast and provides over 50 hours of content a week to its viewers.

While a limited amount of people can fit around a table,
the world of online streaming provides much more room.
Erin Harris

PAX, a convention that often features Wizards of the Coast sponsored D&D games and frequently live-streams them, was most recently held at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Google Maps reveals that while the interior of the center is spacious, many more people are able to access the game through the use of live-streaming.

Live-streaming games is not limited to just officially sponsored games. Critical Hit, for example, has been live-streaming their games for almost a decade. This team has their own website that also keeps archives of their previous games.

People who have grown up while playing D&D have seen the way live-streaming has changed the landscape.



"I've watched several live-streams. The use of the Internet and the use of all the live-stream versions- that technology now being so readily available has really helped bring D&D to where it is now," said Chris McNish, local player and dungeon master. "I started with first and moved to second edition and now we're what? Fifth? So it's changed dramatically."

Google Trends shows there has been a steady increase in searches for the term 'livestream,' though results for 'dungeons and dragons live,' has been growing more slowly.

Media such as the show Stranger Things may be responsible for some of this growth. People who want to play the game but do not know how or do not have people to play with can join in this way.


Even people that are far away can be brought
into the game through the use of streaming.
Erin Harris

"I like live-streams a lot, there's plenty that I do watch. They really have helped the hobby take off. Tons of people who come to this store to play, they've seen Critical Roll," said Joey Castellanos, Heath Springs game master. "I'm glad live-streaming has taken off for Dungeons & Dragons, that it has opened the doors for people to play and see what it's like."

Platforms cater specifically to live-streaming are continuing to grow. One result discovered through Google Advanced Search, a website called TechCrunch, showed that in the third quarter of 2017, Twitch had well overtaken YouTube in terms of growth.


"While I don't watch a lot of the streams, I think it's so good for the hobby to just have one of the biggest streaming networks that's competing with cable and YouTube, Twitch, a regular basis where people are going 'I need to be at my computer at this time so I can watch people roll dice and play pretend," said Travis.

Howard Fisher, chairperson of the Department of Communication at the University of Scranton, had some thoughts on this as well.

"I’ve even seen on social media that there are online-only groups where people from all over the country/world can get together and play a board game on the computer.  I haven’t joined one of those or watched it played, but I think that’s a wonderfully creative way of getting people together," Fisher said. "Anything that can broaden the fan-base is probably better in the long run."

Information found on https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/30/twitchs-concurrent-streamers-grew-67-in-q3-as-youtube-gaming-declined/

How Dungeons & Dragons Connects Different Generations

Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop role-playing game that is experienced and enjoyed by a number of people. Different versions of this game have been released, but the core game-play has remained the same. Something good about this is that people, whether they have played older editions or not- can jump into the game. This leads to a variety of people playing, particularly across different generations.

As new people are introduced to the game, the player-base continues to shift and grow.

"Player-base wise, when you come into the store here, we've got like what, sometimes 20, 25 people in," said Chris McNish, local game master and player. "When I was playing in school it was only a handful of us that played. It was more secretive at the time. Mainstream-wise it's really grown."

Games can be used for learning moments. Google News brought up results for a story about a teacher named Sean Duncan. Duncan previously played D&D and has his students design physical games which often have a focus on resource management. Games like this and D&D can help people understand what they are trying to simulate.

Besides resource management, games like this can also be used for teaching morals to younger players. Google Scholar uncovered an article titled "Imaginative Role-Playing as a Medium for Moral Development." This article discussed a study which was undertaken  than showed how games such as this helped students by acting as a 'moral training ground' in which to practice and develop these skills.
D&D allows people of all ages to play together on the same level.
Erin Harris


Many players that grew up playing earlier additions now have children who they are able to introduce to the game. Besides being able to use it for teaching purposes, it can also be used for bonding moments as well.

"My dad and his coworkers used to have board-game nights, and I heard 'board-game night,' so as soon as I was old enough to go, like 12, I would go," said Zachary Travis, local game master and player. "I got to go with my dad, and he talked to me like an adult and we'd get to stay out until four or five a.m. D&D was the biggest one because I got to paint my own mini, I got to make my own character, we'd go to the used bookstore and find me copies of the books."


When people play as their characters, it allows them to escape
from themselves and think like a different person.
Erin Harris
Imagination is something that can speak to people of all ages, helping to connect generations despite other differences that they may have. Google Advanced Search discovered the article "40 years later, 'Dungeons & Dragons' still inspiring players." This article looked at how D&D continued to spread its influence today, even in area such as video games. Official D&D video games have been released, which often encourage players to work together to overcome problems.

Howard Fisher, chairperson of the Department of Communication at the University of Scranton, had some insight into this as well. He uses D&D for bonding time not only with his daughter, but with his mother as well.

When  people can play games together across generations,
it allows them to forge stronger bonds.
Erin Harris
"It is father/daughter bonding time for us. We even managed to wrangle in my mother to play a bit of a dungeon with me and my daughter when she was visiting this past summer, and they both still talk about that experience, laughing about it and telling stories of their great adventure," said Fisher. "I see social media groups all the time that are advertising gaming guilds; some of the gaming stores in Scranton have sessions that include people of all ages, at least according to the Meet-Up groups I follow."

Joey Castellanos, Heath Springs resident and game master, felt that the core idea surrounding the game-play was what helped it to connect players."It helps connect because no matter the age, people can help tell a story together," Castellanos said. "D&D changes, but the core part of the game always stays the same. Explore, socialize, and slay dragons."


Information found on https://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/wotcdemo.html

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

How Should Celebrity Suicides Be Handled by the Media?


Covering suicide with too much detail can have a negative impact on consumers.

            People feel a certain connection to celebrities. Much of this is likely from media coverage; getting little glimpses of the lives of celebrities makes people feel like they know them. This can be good or bad depending on the circumstances. For example, when a pair gets married or someone has a baby, it can be a cause for joy for many consumers. However, there are certain times when this level of coverage may be harmful to readers.
One area this can be damaging is when a celebrity commits suicide. The death of a celebrity is always widely covered, but this type of death perhaps particularly so. Such coverage can have widespread effects.
People who are already at-risk for suicide may be put in more danger. People who are suffering from mental health issues- diagnosed or not- may be more likely to commit suicide after seeing someone else they admire do it. This is made worse when the story ends up on headlines or as breaking news on multiple news outlets. It is so prominent at this point that it is unavoidable. After the suicide of Robin  Williams, for example, suicide rates in the United States jumped nearly 10%.

Statistics found on https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/
This brings up the question of how this type of issue should be covered. It would be impossible to not cover the death of celebrities, and that would not be a good solution anyway.
One option for this would be to cover that the celebrity died, but just keep this as the headline. If the topic of suicide should be broached, it should be in the body of the work rather than being so front-and-center on the page.
Something else that might help is minimizing the detail of the death in the story. It is important to cover how it happened, and with the internet so readily available, it would be impossible to hide it completely. However, while the suicide should be covered, it may not be relevant to cover exactly how it happened. Such coverage may be seen as disrespectful by the family or could even inspire more vulnerable people to do the same.

Suicide is not something that should just be glanced over or something that people should be It is something that should be treated with respect, for the victim, for the family of the deceased, and for the people who were inspired by them.
made to feel bad about. This would just lead to even more people failing to get the help they need in order to better their lives. This does not mean it needs to always be up-front and in-your-face.
These may not be solutions that would help right away, as there would always be those who wanted to sensationalize the death. However, every little bit can help and everyone should strive to protect those who may not be in a position to help themselves.

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Dungeons & Dragons and Inclusivity

Dungeons & Dragons is a popular tabletop role-playing game that first found its footing in 1974. Having been around for close to 50 years, the game has been played by many people. More than 20 million people have played the game since 2004, BBC News reported. Having such a large number playing the game means that there are many types of people joining in. 
D&D has worked to be inclusive since the beginning, something that Eric Grein, D&D player and resident of Rock Hill, pointed out.
“When the game first started, it was creative minds who would come together to play the game in the first place; creativity wasn’t exactly a person’s shining attribute during that time,” said Grein. “There is a reason why for decades the game’s player base has been depicted by social outcast; people who- frankly- weren’t shown inclusiveness in their own communities and social groups.”
A look at the D&D 5th Edition Player's Handbook
Society has continued to grow and evolve since this time. People now more than ever are able to feel free to express themselves, including in terms of gender and sexuality. Wizards of the Coast, the company that owns D&D, realizes that they have a diverse spread of people playing and enjoying their game and are working to make sure that anyone who wants to play can feel comfortable doing so. They are working to do this in a number of ways.
One way this can be seen is in the fourth chapter of the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook, which discusses character creation. It addresses how players should not feel the need to follow what society expects for a certain gender.
“You don’t need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender.  ... You could also play a female character who presents herself as a man, a man who feels trapped in a female body, or a bearded female dwarf who hates being mistaken for a male,” the Player’s Handbook states.

A variety of people can feel comfortable playing
Jeremy Crawford, one of the designers behind the most recent edition of D&D, made note of this in an interview with The Mary Sue’s Michael Trice.
“D&D is loved by people of many different types, and that the game has long been a place to explore identities and to try on different ways of seeing things,” Crawford stated in the interview.
    While the cultural climate of today might be working to make recent changes more obvious, the various teams behind D&D have been working to address these issue for some time. Stephen Strom, a local D&D player, pointed this out.
“Older editions did have what I would call sexist notions,” said Strom. “The more recent editions as far back as three have already done away with these, however.”
These inclusions mean that a wider range of people can feel comfortable and included when playing the game. It is not just the creators that are taking notice of what is happening, but the players as well. Joey Castellanos, Dungeon Master and resident of Heath Springs, made note of this.
“In the most recent D&D edition, it has been clearly stated in the Player’s Handbook that a character’s gender can be whatever they want it to be. This is an example of Wizard’s of the Coast at their finest,” Castellanos said. “I, as a mixed-race straight male am happy that someone who is gender fluid or transgender can read that in the book- in ink- for the game we love.”

Two people preparing to play
People who have spent years studying the topics of sexuality and gender have commented on this as well. Jennifer Disney, director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program at Winthrop University, believed that this was a good move forward in terms of diversity.
“Anything that’s out there should be open- you shouldn’t have to be a male, or you shouldn’t have to be white to have access to all these things,” Disney said. “I hear that that’s an up-and-coming area, and it should be. Any sphere of life that’s interesting, there should be options and opportunities for all different kinds of people to participate in those spheres. And gaming is one of those.”
As society continues to change, games such as Dungeons & Dragons will need to as well. The team behind recent works has already made strides to help ensure that anyone who wants to play the game can feel comfortable doing so, and will likely continue doing so into the future.

Information found on https://www.statista.com

Thursday, September 27, 2018

The Publicity Test

The Publicity Test is a way to decide if an otherwise immoral action is worth committing. It does not look at the effect the action would have on others, but more on whether a person would want that action on public display or not.

There are various justifications for lying: "It's a small lie," "It won't hurt anyone," "No one will find out," and so on.

I value honesty and try to remain truthful, so at the moment I cannot think of a time I have needed to apply this.

There are different ways that journalists can be deceptive. They could lie to people they interview about keeping their anonymity, they could choose to cover things in a certain way in order to paint said events in different lights, they could go undercover in deceptive ways, or partake in other deceptive practices.

They could withstand this the Publicity Test if the person or company engaging in the acts decides that it is worth it to do, even if people find out.

This might apply to newsrooms for actions such as doctoring photographs or repeating content from previous stories.

Justification is how someone decides if something is worth it for them to do. It would take a lower level of justification for someone to decide to steal something than to kill someone, for example.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

MCOM 330 001 1

Public speaking is something that many people fear.  According to the Psychology Today website, public speaking often places above even death on lists of fears. Different methods can be used to overcome this fear.
Public speaking involves delivering a speech to a live audience, whether large or small. This process brings up feelings of fear and anxiety for many people. This is not a baseless fear.
Ben Harrison, Rock Hill resident, brought up a strong point.
“People have been killed because of their public speaking on their beliefs,” Harrison said. “People like Martin Luther King Jr., they were killed because they chose to speak about what they believed in.”
Even if people are not placed in danger because of their speaking, just the size of the audience can also be intimidating. The San Diego Convention Center, for example, is a popular place for holding events and meetings. When looking at pictures inside and outside of the center and getting an idea of its scope and size, it is easy to understand why people would feel intimidated why addressing an audience, especially in a large area such as this.
Since 2004, the top three countries searching for this term were the Philippines, the United States, and Australia. There are a number of facilities and programs based in the Philippines to help those who wish to become better public speakers or to help people overcome public speaking anxiety.
There are different reasons why people might fear public speaking. Professor Carie R. Ivanovski, professor of theater, dance, and public speaking at Winthrop University, has an idea of why this may be.
“I think people fear it because it makes them feel vulnerable,” Ivanovski said. “It’s something very personal, you’re letting the audience see you with no guard.”
Joey Castellanos, Rock Hill resident, also had some insight.
“People have always feared judgement,” Castellanos said. “They are always afraid of what people will have to say after they’ve finished speaking.”
It is possible for people with these anxieties to overcome them.
One article from 2018 called “Putting a Speech Training Program Into Practice: Its Implementation and Effects on Elementary School Children’s Public Speaking Skills and Levels of Speech Anxiety” suggested that using training programs could even be used to help children who had anxiety.
Sterling Steel, Rock Hill resident, believed that some anxiety could be overcome simply by remembering to listen.
“I think it’s important to listen to what everyone has to say,” said Steele. “The more you learn about what others think or say, the more you learn about yourself, too. It’ll help make everyone more comfortable with speaking up.”
Ivanovski had advice for those trying to overcome these issues as well.
“Practicing is my biggest piece of advice,” Ivanovski said. “Don’t be afraid to find your own way. Be yourself and find your own voice.”

For this story, I used a number of different Google Tools for finding results. A Google Search helped to find the Psychology Today report used.
Google Maps was used to view the inside of the San Diego Convention Center.