BlameThePixel!

So I'm doing my Coursework project for my Communications Studies class on "Group dynamics of online video-gaming", which is sweet, because I get to play CoD4 as college work Anywho, part of the project requires a questionnaire. This is where you come in. If you could, can you answer the following questions for me? Thank you.

1. What motivates you when playing online video games?
2. What actions would you take if your team wasn’t pulling its weight?
3. What would you describe as your role in the team when playing online?
4. In online video gaming, how much of a active part do you play in group discussion when:
a. Playing with friends?
b. Playing with strangers?
5. If someone on your team was trying to lead the team, what would make you follow his lead?
6. Which style of leadership would most motivate you while playing games online and why?
7. What style of leadership would you use if you were trying to lead a team of players and why?
8. To what extent would you say that a team leader is vital to the success of the team?
9. Would you say that leaders online assume their role or are given their role? Elaborate.

1. What motivates you when playing online video games?
Fun.

2. What actions would you take if your team wasn’t pulling its weight?
Make them, or do as much as I can to pull a victory.

3. What would you describe as your role in the team when playing online?
Whatever is needed the most.

4. In online video gaming, how much of a active part do you play in group discussion when:
a. Playing with friends? Alot, friends you know, require active discussions yes?
b. Playing with strangers? Same as above

5. If someone on your team was trying to lead the team, what would make you follow his lead?
If his strategies were good and he knew the ins and outs of the games ways of proper leadership.

6. Which style of leadership would most motivate you while playing games online and why?
A leader of the nation/team who does his part in the war to pull a victory.

7. What style of leadership would you use if you were trying to lead a team of players and why?
Supply directions and give aid to those that are critical to the success of the plan.

8. To what extent would you say that a team leader is vital to the success of the team?
I dunno. Depends on the game. (I'm talking mainly Space-Cowboy Online/Ace Online

9. Would you say that leaders online assume their role or are given their role? Elaborate
They are voted, sometimes popularity vote wins, which can be either a good or bad thing. Good, because the well known previous leader was known to do excellent, which is fine but then again there are times when people joke around and vote for the worst player for leadership. And then John was a zombie.

1. Enjoyment of the game, ability to be creative by making maps and tracks and things, and the ability to interact with friends.

2. It depends on the nature of the game. I might consider looking for new team mates among my friends.

3. Usually just a soldier. I don't really have leadership skills, but I make a good leader when I have the superior knowledge or skills.

4. a) A medium amount. I dislike small-talk, so I have a habit of being quiet unless I have something worth saying.
4. b) Similar to above, perhaps a bit less. It's harder to come up with things worth saying when it's strangers.

5. I'd tend to follow someone if they're my friend and I enjoy being around them.

6. Something a bit casual, remembering that enjoying the game is the most important thing, and helping each other's skills out. Because anything other than fun is not in the spirit of video games, and pushes people away rather than leads them

7. Same as 6.

8. As Pio said, it depends on the game. In some games, the team has to go all-in on one mission at a time, so the leader has to decide what to do. In other games, small groups of members could have small successes on their own without any say from their leader.

9. Some assume it, some are given it. It depends on the circumstances and the personality of the leader. Some people may have a desire to be the leader all the time, and so they always try to assume the role. Others may be popular players who are always given the role, even if they weren't actively seeking it.

1. Having fun, passing time, procrastinating.

2. Switch classes to get rid of a particularly tricky opponent or chokepoint. A bit of shouting either through text or voice to point out the objective/focus too but that never works

3. Typically run and gunning, so a nice assault/soldier class who has an all round ability. If you know the eb and flow of the game (reading the map, recent kills by who and what weapon, listening to sounds) and the level design is good, you can sprint in, get your kill and be gone. I love that sort of gaming

4. a) If friends are talking, I'm talking.
b) If strangers are talking and I'm not being shot at, I'm talking.

5. If they sounded authoratitive, I'd help but if it was apparent it wasn't going to work, I wouldn't follow.

6. A stirring speech and unshakeable belief that we're better than the other side will get me going.

7. See above

8. Unless the game dictates a leader is picked (a la Battlefield 2 with the commander position), the game can be won without anyone having more power than the other. You provide your skills and share your information.

9. People online are probably more likely to assume the role because what they're doing, who they're playing as, is detached from themselves. Any sense of possible failure won't deter them because they can just discard and ignore it. Of course if you're physically playing beside someone, especially someone you know, it's more difficult. Effectively you lose the anonymity of the net and you can become shy. Then again, leading people who are right next to you whilst you play a game offers a crapload better communication and you're more likely to succeed.


All of this was answered with DoD: S, CoD4, TF2 and CS: S in mind. All the MMOs I've ever played were with groups that weren't that organized and were casually inclined...

1. What motivates you when playing online video games?
fun and accomplishment, but the former much more than the latter.

2. What actions would you take if your team wasn’t pulling its weight?
try and help them understand what steps to take to improve, also try and beef up the weakpoint of the team

3. What would you describe as your role in the team when playing online?
i prefer to be in the thick of things pushing back the front line, but i'm perfectly happy contributing less actively to the assault by healing or defending locations.

I much prefer to approach the objective of a particular game than to run about on an aimless rampage killing the opposing team.

4. In online video gaming, how much of a active part do you play in group discussion when:
a. Playing with friends?
quite a bit of voice and textual chat
b. Playing with strangers?
usually text chat only, much less frequent

5. If someone on your team was trying to lead the team, what would make you follow his lead?
a clear strategy and/or innovative ideas - "lets all go spies and cloak, they'll wonder where we've gone"

6. Which style of leadership would most motivate you while playing games online and why?
leading by example

7. What style of leadership would you use if you were trying to lead a team of players and why?
mostly suggestion and setting a strong example or guiding the team down specific routes, as these are the approaches i feel most likely to be accepted by people i dont know very well

8. To what extent would you say that a team leader is vital to the success of the team?
If the majority of the players in a team are experienced and of a similar mindset, they can accomplish goals effectively with little communication - however a similar team with a well defined leader will likely triumph in a contest.
A leader is not essential against a team of random people, but will benefit greatly if playing an organised group.

9. Would you say that leaders online assume their role or are given their role? Elaborate.
This varies a lot across games, in some games i've played leaders have decided to form a team and begun from the standpoint where they are the leader and they are looking to fill ranks, or sometimes if a group of people play together often they will know who among them are better at leading and nominate this person to take charge.

The above styles tend to function much better then when a person from a randomly assembled group attempts to assert a measure of control over players that he or she is mostly unfamiliar with.




Mostly based on experiences playing WoW and TF2.

speaking of gaming and TF2, if anyone of you have it i'd recommend you hop on over to www.coltsplayground.net - its a server when i'm an admin and i currently spend far too much time. Its right on the UK backbone and has a great selection of custom maps to check out. We're even starting up a ctf_rugby league soon. If there's enough players on here we could probably enter a BTP team


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Thank you, I've gotten all the responses that I needed (Just shy of thirty).

Thank you

WAIT!


1. What motivates you when playing online video games?
Playing by yourself is boring, and it's almost as bad as masturbating.

2. What actions would you take if your team wasn’t pulling its weight?
Well, I'm a terrible when it comes to playing online, so all I could do is have fun.

3. What would you describe as your role in the team when playing online?
"guy who gets ass raped"

4. In online video gaming, how much of a active part do you play in group discussion when:
a. Playing with friends?
Alot more than playing with strangers. Normally we would create plans to scare out the strangers.

b. Playing with strangers?
Keep silent.

5. If someone on your team was trying to lead the team, what would make you follow his lead?
If I believe that the action they want to take is the best option.

6. Which style of leadership would most motivate you while playing games online and why?
The kind where I don't have to really listen to the leader.

7. What style of leadership would you use if you were trying to lead a team of players and why?
A humorous style.

8. To what extent would you say that a team leader is vital to the success of the team?
A leader can make the game fun, or a living hell. It's a personal preference.

9. Would you say that leaders online assume their role or are given their role? Elaborate.
Assuming the role, normally. If someone has alot of experience with the game, and they know what they're doing, they'll assume the role and teach others to play.

TOO LATE!

Seriously, that is the final, final, entrant that I'm accepting.