Reflection through interaction : An analysis of the relationship between the players’ moral choices and the characters’ development in the computer game Dragon Age: Origins

The aim of this essay is to investigate the function and development of non-player characters (NPC) in the TV/computer game Dragon Age: Origins. The NPCs are analysed in order to see if their development is affected by the player character’s (PC) background and interactions. The game’s ethics is also investigated by studying how the NPCs treat the PC and what significance they give to his background and actions. The results show that the NPCs are affected by the PC’s interactions, and furthermore, that they are round characters, which is unusual in TV/computer games. The NPC Alistair and the PC are vital for the game’s story, while the NPCs Leliana and Morrigan have a moral and psychological function. The NPCs are moral indicators and by either opposing or accepting the PC’s actions they show their own personality. The game’s norm is created by the player/PC. Also, the game sheds light on the player’s moral actions and gives the player a chance to reflect over his/her choices and the consequences thereof. The results give way to a discussion on how games like Dragon Age: Origins can be used in learning. Through interactions and by letting the player project his/her own identity onto the PC, TV/computer games can show the consequences of actions. Since the player is not only told the story, but ‘lives’ it, the moral choices faced in the game make the player practice being responsible and facing moral dilemmas as if in real life, hence enriched by new experiences