Embodied Encounters: A Case for a Virtual Tabletop (VTT) for Role-Playing Games (RPGs) with First-Person Perspective (1PP) in VR.
This thesis explores the potential for using virtual reality technology to create an online virtual tabletop (VTT) for role-playing games (RPGs) that will induce a sense of avatar embodiment. The aim for this study is to evaluate the subjective experience of playing RPGs from a first-person embodied perspective in an immersive virtual environment. Combining the rules and gameplay mechanics of tabletop RPGs with first-person perspective (1PP) in VR, this project tests the degree of avatar embodiment experienced using an adapted version of the standardized Avatar Embodiment Questionnaire proposed by Gonzalez-Franco and Peck. Playtest participants reported that the ability to play in the first-person embodied perspective induced a sense of avatar embodiment for diegetic gameplay, which is currently not possible with existing VTT options. These findings could be used to inform the development of the next generation of VTTs.
