Cultural Differences: How they might affect MechScape
Written by zepherusbane

Hello again everyone, this is Zepherusbane with my latest article for MechScape World. It's been a few weeks since my last article and since then I spent some time away from home where the cultural differences were quite noticeable. That experience reminded me of some of my past trips to other countries and also made me think about how Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG's) seem to so easily take in players from all over the world and still manage to provide a good gaming experience for numerous cultures. I also started thinking about how those cultural differences might affect game play in MechScape and how a smart game designer might make use of cultural differences within their games; that is what I will discuss in this article.

The users of MechScape World are from all around the world, we've had visitors from 172 different countries. One thing I'm sure you've noticed is that other people have different mannerisms and ways of communicating from the ways you might be used to. Yes, on the web there tends to be some universal things also (like people understanding what "lol" means for example), but the base cultures for many countries are quite alien to one another in many ways.

Some cultures are high context meaning that to follow along with what people are attempting to communicate to you; you must pay much more attention to what is behind the words being spoken. Japan has a high context culture. If you were to ask a direct question in Japan you might hear a very evasive answer rather than a direct "yes" or "no". For example, if you asked "Can you schedule a flight from Narita to Hong Kong for me please?" you might get the answer "that will be very difficult" instead of a no if there were no flights available.

In a low context culture such as the United States, you would have just been told "no" or possibly "no, there are no flights with open seats". Low context cultures tend to come off as blunt and rude to people from high context cultures. People from high context cultures come off as evasive or may be seen as telling lies to someone from a low context culture.

These differences are further complicated by the way different cultures like to get things done. There are two major types, monochronic and polychronic. Monochronic cultures tend to focus on only one task at a time while polychronic cultures like to multi-task. This can prove to be difficult when trying to do business across cultures that do not share the same type. For example, if you were from a polychronic culture you might be more likely to take a phone call in the middle of a business meeting, a person from a monochronic culture might find that insulting.

There are many other types of differences which I won't go into here to avoid boring those of you who don't find this kind of thing as interesting as I do. Suffice it to say that there are many different levels of cultural differences. What's more important to you is how this affects you and the game we have all been awaiting for so long.

I feel it's safe to say that in MechScape there will be players from all walks of life and all different cultures. All those difficulties in communication that I mentioned above will also translate into difficulties dealing with other players in the game. Also, since the game is written by mostly British people it's safe to say the cultural "feel" of the game is likely to be oriented or slanted in that direction. However it should also be noted that the Head of MechScape is Brazilian and the Content Development Team Leader, Alex Janaway, served in Kosovo and Iraq so it's possible they brought some cultural differences to the game from their experiences.

One thing I think Jagex could do to seriously improve game play would be to ensure they put distinct cultural differences into different areas and non-player characters in the game. They have done some of this to a very limited extent in RuneScape, but the underlying culture still shines through. For example, Jagex may have really improved how things work by making one of the races a monochronic, high context culture while making another a polychronic, low context culture.

Players would need to learn how to interact with the non-player characters in totally different ways to be successful. It could also bring in an element of high adventure to those people playing the game that don't get the chance to travel the world and experience cultural differences in real life. It might also serve to prepare people for those cultural differences when they do encounter them in their jobs or school and help them to be more aware of those differences that can divide people. With understanding of cultural differences people can bridge that divide and can be successful in business or personal relationships despite these differences.

So what do you think? Are you from a high context culture or a low context culture? What differences have you noticed in your friends on MechScape World or in other MMOG's that you play? As always I'm looking forward to your comments and criticism.


-Zepherusbane


MechScape and Community News

Official concept art provided by Jagex
Jagex has provided MechScape World with a 4th MechScape Concept Art, Desert City. They are probably giving us another treat today, so keep your ears open! (Read More)

MechScape Song "New Beginnings" Provided by Jagex
On top of the concept art "Desert City", Jagex released a song "New Beginnings." Check it out now! (Read More)

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Jon Hare, a well known video game creator, has join Jagex as Head of Publishing. (Read More)

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Previous Issues:
MechScape Post #18: The Economy of an MMORPG
MechScape Post #17: Influences on MechScape
MechScape Post #16: MechScape Moderation
MechScape Post #15: The MechScape Environment II
MechScape Post #14: The Community of MechScape
MechScape Post #13: Codename MechScape
MechScape Post #12: The Importance of Music to MechScape as a Game
MechScape Post #11: How MechScape Will Appeal to an Older Demographic
MechScape Post #10: "Dynamic" Combat in MechScape
MechScape Post #9: Freeplay in MechScape
MechScape Post #8: The Future of MechScape World
MechScape Post #7: Situational Awareness: How the Concept Applies to MechScape
MechScape Post #6: Removing the Need To RWT
MechScape Post #5: The Hype Surrounding the Release Date of MechScape
MechScape Post #4: Gerhard's Influence on MechScape and Jagex
MechScape Post #3: A Great MechScape Flood?
MechScape Post #2: The MechScape Environment and Concepts
MechScape Post #1: MechScape Clan Leadership

Footnotes
Contributors: Dirk, Ed5, Ren (Content Research Team); Pipinowns, zepherusbane (Writing & Editing Team).
Disclaimer: The views expressed by members of staff do not necessarily represent the view of MechScape World.

I never really thought about this before, but I can imagine how hard it is to develop a game to be played by everyone without offending a few cultures. This was an interesting article.

Hmm... This game will be primarily used by low-context cultures, such as England and America. So, I'd imagine that there'd be some more blunt answers than avoiding answers. But they should have a fairly good mix.

very interesting read, i wonder if there are any americans working at jagex.

if so, there should be a good mix but some americans are mono chronic and others are poly chronic so there can be a difference between one american and the other

dont forget people who are 2 cultures or more at once, like me

aw come on! You covered high/low context cultures, poly/monocrhomatic, I was hoping for more! not boring for me lol! But those were good examples.

I guess it's because I've had a big interest in this as well. In the scifi universe I'm creating, I'm hoping culture to be one of the dfferentiating aspects of my scifi. As you pointed out, you would typically expect any fiction to be written in the culture of the creators. I think it's more unrealistic when it comes to scifi because things will change, cultures will merge and influence each other, and new customs will surface as well. So I'm trying to create a new culture almost from scratch.

I also though you made a good point in saying that a big way they could present different cultures is of course through NPC interaction. Differing expectation, different ways of communicating to you, even their animations of course. To follow along with something else you said, it would be great if you success in a quest, for example, depended on how much you tried to understand someone culture. And not something stupid and simple like "bow when you meet" or "we like hot foods," but hopefully something a bit more involved, to add to the challenge, and if you don't....you fail.

Good read.

I remember when a member from Australia, not sure who said they get chips with their mcdonalds meals. I had no idea what they are, then I found out they were french fries.

It was a very interesting read but I wouldn't imagine myself getting offended by anything said by an NPC that would go against my culture.


I've been stalking around these forums for a couple of months now. Finally decided to register.

Yeah very interesting but surely it can't be too hard just think of something so game like it couldn't possibly offend any known culture, but still it's an interesting point!

i think most of us in the us will understand what you are thinking

sorry if i sound racsist but most of us can tell we are not all retarded in the usa!

Interesting article; got me thinking. I'll post some more thoughts in a bit



Welcome to MSW.

Pretty sure that was Sofee.

Good job on the article, an interesting read.

Interesting read. Not the best but it was different.

depends. First it depends on the level of offense. That "o-word" is thrown around so much without much thought; it can mean really offending someone like making them insulting, or it could in fact mean just bothering or disturbing someone (I thought that was an exaggeration from common use but apparently it's in the dictionary.)

and then you have to remember many people get be irritated by the smallest things, and THEY don't consider the other person's intent or honest mistake, while they want everyone else to consider their position. so sometimes you have to be really careful, because many times the offending party should have known better.

Mechscape may only have an issue if the humans have different cultures. Alien cultures won't be a problem unless they're too strongly based off an existing one and then it's like "well why are we the aliens" or the "evil aliens"?

for some random examples. if you have a culture that seems Indian for example, and are Hindu or seem to be, you have to make sure they don't eat beef. If you have some that seem Japanese, it would look quite odd and disturbing if they were really huggy, or some CEO or government official was hanging out with lower-class. If a certain culture has a strong feeling towards specific color like ALWAYS being the color of death, sorrow, stuff like that, for example, if wouldn't be right if one of their offices, ship interiors, etc., were decorated with that color being quite dominant.

A good read. I personally hope if Jagex decides to incorporate culture that they do so in a "non-stereo typical" way that just makes the game seem like it's for little children.

The idea is pretty sweet. Different landscapes and lifestyles can also influence cultures, so depending on where you are in mechscape, you could encounter some very different ways of communication and possibly different sets of morals. Very good read also

I guess i never thought about this aspect of the game. Good editorial.

Interesting read. I think that all different alien races would have different cultures, with maybe the mortiga being a monochronic and low context whereas the pliigi could be polychronic and high context. It would make the game much more interesting.

Thanks for all the comments everyone.

I thought the ad on the page when I came in here just now was quite appropriate to the subject too, he he.. It was an add for "online cultural training for the global organization"...

@sp3c: Yes, I could talk about this subject much more but I think it's fun to see what everyone else thinks rather than push all my own ideas out there. :)

@lord john: I agree, I don't like the way Runescape just incorporates sterio types mostly for it's "cultural" background in NPCs for example.

@nerdboyxxx: You make a good point about the landscapes and lifestyles, even what colors people associate with different things like death can be affected to the landscape a person grows up in. Some cultures think of red being for one thing while another might think of black for the same thing .

@killrrhubarb: That's exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for in MechScape, variation not just by race though, but by where people live and grew up. So, not all humans should share the same culture for example, nor should the Motiga or Pliigi