From: steiner@bert.eecs.uic.edu (Karl Steiner)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: SURVEY: Interaction in VR
Date: 25 Aug 92 14:07:49 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug26.011601.22217
Organization: ICE Lab, U of I at Chicago
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu



Hi - my name is Karl Steiner. I'm a researcher and graduate student in
the Interactive Computer Environments Laboratory at the University of
Illinois at Chicago.  One of the areas we are studying is how people
cooperate and compete via networked computers, and how best to support
these interactions.  While virtual realities requiring expensive
hardware and supporting only one or two people are well known and
studied, little research has taken into account the experiences of the
thousands of people who participate in multi-player games.

That's where I need your help.  I'm hopeful that some multi-player
game participants will take the time to complete this survey of 45
questions and possibly correspond via e-mail.  I'd also appreciate any
information from MPG moderators, programmers, and support personnel.
Please note that my final goal will be the publication of my findings.
No participants names will be used, but the collected data and
anecdotes may be included in my written research.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Thank you for taking the time to examine and complete this survey. I
am interested in gathering data from participants in on-line
multi-player games that support real-time interaction in text-based
virtual worlds.  Since I am collecting anecdotal and experiential
data, be sure to provide enough information to explain your answers.
Please precede your answers with the question number.

E-mail your replies to steiner@bert.eecs.uic.edu.
--------------------------------------------------------

1    In which text-based, on-line, real-time, multi-
     player games do you participate?  What are the 
     services or servers that support them?

2    How often do you play on-line multi-player games 
     (MPG)?

3    How much time do you spend on MPGs?

4    What game provides the richest support for player 
     interaction? If this is difficult to determine, then 
     what is your favorite game and why.  (The following 
     questions refer to the answer you choose here)

5    How often do you interact with other participants in 
     this game?

6    In what ways does this game provides support for 
     player interaction?

7    Why do you interact with other players in this game?

- - - - -

8    What information do you give to other players about 
     the APPEARANCE of your character?

9    How is this information useful?

10   How is this information transmitted? Are there 
     commands specifically for this purpose? List all the 
     ways.

11   When and how often do you provide this information 
     (e.g. at the start of a game, every time you play, 
     in certain situations, other...)?

12   To whom  do you provide this information (e.g. to 
     everyone, to anyone who requests it, only to allies, 
     other...)?

13   When and how is this information presented to other 
     players?  Must they request the information, or is 
     it presented automatically?

14   Is there a better way to present this information? 
     How?

15   Does your character look and act like you?

- - - - -

16   What information do you give to other characters 
     about the STATE OF MIND of your character (e.g. 
     angry, happy, jocular, sad) ?

17   How is this information useful?

18   How is this information transmitted? Are there 
     commands specifically for this purpose? List all the 
     ways.

19   When and how often do you provide this information 
     (e.g. at the start of a game, every time you play, 
     in certain situations, other...)?

20   To whom  do you provide this information (e.g. to 
     everyone, to anyone who requests it, only to allies, 
     other...)?

21   When and how is this information presented to other 
     players?  Must they request the information, or is 
     it presented automatically?

22   Is there a better way to present this information? 
     How?

- - - - -

23   What information about other characters do you find 
     useful?  Please list as much as you can think of.

24   How do you use this information?

25   What means are built into the game system for 
     accessing some or all of this information?

26   What methods outside of the game system do you use 
     to access some or all of this information?

27   Are there better ways to access this information? 
     List and explain all the ways.

28   Are the commands available in the game rich enough 
     to support the types of interactions you desire.

29   How are they deficient.

30   How could they be improved.

- - - - -

31   Do you make plans with other characters?

32   Are these plans generally short term (one game 
     session), long (multiple sessions), or both?

33   In what situations do you make plans? Please 
     describe some of the plans you have made.

34   How do you communicate these plans to other players? 

35   Does all the planning take place within the game 
     system or are other means also used (e.g. electronic 
     mail, telephone, others)?

36   Do you need to trust the characters with whom you 
     make plans?

37   What information do you use to evaluate the 
     trustworthiness of other players?

38   What information do you use to evaluate the 
     truthfulness of statements other players make?

- - - - -

39   Do you recognize other characters by character name, 
     player name, character description, or some other 
     means?

40   Is it possible to impersonate another character?  
     How?

41   How would you detect an impostor?

- - - - -

42   Tell me a story about interacting with other 
     characters in an on-line multi-player game.  The 
     story can be about an experience you had, the way in 
     which you play, or the other people with whom you 
     play- whatever you think is interesting, amusing, 
     enlightening or valuable.

43   Is there any other good stuff about character 
     interactions and presentation of self in a virtual 
     world that you would like to add?

44   Would you be willing to communicate via e-mail on 
     some more specific questions concerning MPGs?  If 
     so, please provide me with your name and e-mail 
     address.  Your confidentiality will be respected and 
     your name will not appear in any distributed data or 
     findings.

--------------------------------------------------------

Thanks again!  Please e-mail completed surveys to Karl 
Steiner.

Internet  steiner@bert.eecs.uic.edu
GEnie     K.STEINER 
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds