Here I intend to examine how role playing games, in particular online role playing games, alters the social networks formed by those who play them. I will look at older pen and paper role play games (RPGs) such as Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) as well as newer games based on computers, such as Might and Magic and World of Warcraft.

A role play game is any game where the players assume a role other from that which they occupy in normal life. It is usually marked by some sort of special and unrealistic characteristic, such as a capacity for magical spells or cybernetic implants, neither of which is regularly available in ordinary life. There are many varieties of role play game, but the most popular and well known are those that descend from Dungeons and Dragons, so these are the ones I will be concerned with here.

Now the most popular games are computer games, of which an entire genre is devoted to RPGs, and which have become increasingly popular. The original dungeons and dragons, however, is what is known as a pen and paper game meaning that only a pen and paper is required to play it. As a side note, this is not in fact true- it also requires several dice. Still, in an era devoted increasingly to the computer, the older games remain surprisingly popular.

Pen and paper RPGs generally involve a small group of players, generally 4-7, gathering regularly to play. Because these games involve long term character progression, it makes it difficult to introduce new players to an ongoing campaign and so a group, once formed, rarely changes until it disbands. On the other hand, the close cooperation required of players in the game will serve to bring them closer together and form a strong sense of teamwork. This means that DnD players are usually much closer to each other then is usual for a group of friends, and so it can be very easy for one person to expand their network of contacts to include those of their friends. However, because at heart the purpose of the game remains playing out an entirely different character it is not unusual to find that it is used as a form of escapism, and the players prefer not to discuss their life outside. This serves to make them even more isolated because they build no contacts during the game, thus effectively wasting time that could have been used in another more inclusive hobby. In the end it depends on the characters of the players, and seems to have no impact other then to bring like-minded people together. So if the group is very social, it will greatly aid the expansion of their social networks. If it is introverted, then it will do nothing for them.

Computer games are an entirely different matter. Single player games such as Might and Magic may e dismissed out of hand, as they are no different then any other games and the impact of games as a whole is not under discussion. However, MMORPGs are a completely different matter. There are many forms of MMORPG, but without exception they allow or, more usually, encourage players to form player-run organisations. Usually called clans, or sometimes guilds, these organisations allow players to band together to aid each other and to compete with the other groups. Most of the players of these games use them as a form of escapism, fleeing from the drudgery of normal life to a place where their efforts are rewarded. In RPGs, everything you take visibly contributes to your growth as a player, and your status can instantly be seen by the items you use and your skills in combat. Once in the game, though, it is highly interactive and the anonymity provided by the internet encourages interaction on an equal level. It is easy to form friends, although such friendships are extremely fluid and liable to shift without warning. Clan members, however, usually form close bonds of mutual support, willingly lending a hand to another member or leaping to their defence.

Sometimes, although it is the exception rather then the rule, membership in a clan or friendships formed online will extend to real life. This is the exception because there are simply so many people, from all over the world, that it is highly unusual to meet someone online that lives geographically close to you. Still, many people do continue acquaintances formed in a game through instant messaging such as MSN messenger or ICQ. It isn't common for one player to introduce two others in an online game, because there is really no need nor reason to. Thus while a large number of contacts will be built up in the course of normal interactions, few of these will lead to a second level of contacts, and even fewer will ever be contacted to outside of the internet.

So online games can provide a great aid to the formation of social networks, although these networks are usually quite distinct from those formed outside the internet. However, these two worlds will often overlap, as online and offline friends will be contacting the player with using the same email address or messaging account.

While pen and paper role play games have really had no effect on social networking, massively multiplayer online role play games have. MMORPGs allow people to come into contact with far more people of similar interests then they would in real life, and leads to building a large network of contacts online although few of these carry over into real life. As people gradually shift more and more of their operations over to the internet, it is really only natural that their social life should shift with it, and so it should perhaps not be surprising that so many contacts are formed in online games. So in conclusion, MMORPGS greatly stimulate the growth of social networks on the internet, although they have little impact on real life. Pen and paper RPGs also have little to no impact on ordinary life save perhaps to extend the effects of an otherwise normal social gathering.