The lonely world of Fallout 76: An analysis of the role of NPCs in identity performance

Abstract

This Bachelor thesis shows an analysis of the Pre-Wastelanders and Wastelanders version of Bethesda Game Studios’ online role-playing game Fallout 76 that was released in 2018. By using a mixture of textual analysis and autoethnography, I analyze the role that the presence of non-player characters plays in the ability of a player to perform an identity. Using concepts from the discourse surrounding non-player characters and identity, such as the performance of the self and James Paul Gee’s different identity types, I argue that allowing the player to actually interact with a more ‘narrative’ NPC also allows the player to form a more rounded identity in the gameworld. The two different versions of Fallout 76 are inhabited by two types of NPCs that vastly differ in their interactability, namely the functional and the narrative NPCs. Starting with an analysis of the functional NPCs I conclude that the main function of these characters is allowing the player to access the user interface of the game. Players can only perform actions and listen to these characters. This causes players to use their character as something resembling a vehicle instead of an embodiment of their real self in the virtual world. It causes a clear divide between the ‘real’ and the ‘virtual self.’ The narrative characters with their more developed dialogue systems, reputation system and characteristics that change while talking to the player show quite the opposite. The social situations that are created by narrative NPCs within quests offer the player the opportunity to play their role and form an identity. This means that the gap between the ‘virtual’ and the ‘real-life identity’ can be bridged by the ‘projective identity.’ Trough the analysis of the interactions with narrative and functional NPCs this thesis shows that NPCs can be more than just ludic type of entity. They could also be seen as stage builders. NPCs ground the player’s self to the gameworld and allow them to play their role in it. They create social situations and thus a stage on which the player can perform a self.