Interesting Times - Modeling Time in Multi Player and Massively Mulitiplayer Role Playing Games

Time is a key concept in the design, playing and study of games and can be viewed from multiple perspectives, e.g. the player and the game world. Here a comprehensive, iteratively developed model of game time, based on empirical games research as well as recent theory, is presented. The model is tested in practice and its applicability across tabletop, digital and other forms and formats is demonstrated. Special emphasis is placed on multi-player and massively multi-player games, as well as role playing games, as these feature complex game time behavior that cannot be explored in existing models of game time. The model includes seven viewpoints of game time, and allows for the mapping of time as an interactively created and non-linear feature of games and gameplay.