Hi,

I'm beginning to work on ideas for my master's thesis (MA Literature and digital culture), I've got another two years so I'm really just spitballing ideas at the moment. Here are a couple of things I'm thinking about I'm trying to start a few discussions on the ideas with people working or even just interested in the industry. I'd appreciate any input you guys/gals/helicopters have.

1. Agile methodologies effects on narratives

The artistic process of the work is always being deferred in its course, does this negatively impact the fluidity of meaning but enhance the focus of world-building and characterisation?

2. Situating stories: Gameplay vs plot

How much of narrative is sacrificed to constraints of gameplay mechanics? How are these trade-offs decided?

Do players suffer narrative dissonance from the act of making decisions?

Luck, is it a real-life skill? And what effect does that have on a player's ability to sustain immersion in the game? (my own personal experience is that having a character who consistently fails at life can sometimes enhance immersion in the world. I had a dwarf rogue on Dragon Age who failed stealth at many humorous moments and so it became a highlight of the game for me and developed the character's presence)

I do have a couple more things to say but they're pretty incoherent musings about rhizomes and chronological dichotomy in narrative production. I'll leave it here for now because I don't want to spend forever trying to rationalise my thoughts. Also, I'm going to start a new play-through on Dragon Age.

Enchantment!