Original characters in RPG-based fan fiction
A case study in The Elder Scrolls fandom
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17814762 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Evgenia Amey (0000-0002-9892-3385, University of Jyväskylä, corresponding author), Fabienne Silberstein-Bamford (University of Jyväskylä), Xiaofei Yang (0000-0002-2713-9681, RMIT Europe) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-14 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Transformative Works and Cultures (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1941-2258 • E-ISSN: 1941-2258 |
| Publisher | Organization for Transformative Works (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.3983/twc.2026.3019 |
| OpenAlex | W7135401831 |
| Language | EN |
As part of a broader project examining fan fiction inspired by The Elder Scrolls role-playing game (RPG) series, we explore how players' engagement with the games as media texts and the fictional game characters is reflected in fan texts. Our analysis of fan fiction and associated metadata published on the Archive of Our Own (AO3) highlights the notable prominence of original characters (OCs) in RPG-based fan fiction. Fan-created narratives often mirror the player character's journey through the game world and their interactions with nonplayer characters (NPCs), offering insight into how fans reinterpret and expand upon the source material
Fandom · Game studies · Metadata · Narrative · Video game · Artificial Intelligence in Games · Comics and Graphic Narratives · Digital Games and Media
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |