4 replies to this topic

[Magistrate]

I'll admit this is a little strange.

I'm looking for experienced input on a research topic I'm looking into for a very loosey-goosey project--I neglected taking this class during my sophomore year, so the expectations aren't high. I'm studying an aspect of video gaming culture--the online, RPG-oriented trading community--as a discourse community that practices "trading jargon." This basically means that I'm looking at the specific and unique language, methods of initiation, mechanisms/mediums of communication, and some other things about the trading community present in games like Diablo.

My tentative thesis is on the historical inheritance of discursive lexis in the aforementioned community. Meaning, I'm going to look at similar, older trading communities in similar or popular games and see how these may have affected the development of the trading jargon present in Diablo III. This would, of course, include Diablo III's predecessors, as well as some other games out there over the years.

I would really appreciate just a few minutes of your time answering the following questions to the best of your knowledge. As a writing studies project, I'm ethically allowed to use any potentially insightful gleanings here as primary material, since all of you are, more or less, a part of this community--so please, speak your mind, and know that your insights are valued.

• Are there any specific words--including acronyms (ex.: "LoH"), abbreviations (ex.: "DPS"), modified names (ex.: "occy"), or other jargon--that you found yourself using in Diablo II or I trading environments (games or channels) that you no longer use?
  
• Are there any specific words--see prior question for explanation--that you found yourself using in Diablo III trading communities that you did not in preceding games?
  
• Are there any specific words--see prior question for explanation--that you've used in other online games of a similar nature (loosely based association here, such as World of Warcraft) that you now see or use in Diablo III trading communities?
  
• Do you feel yourself separated from others when it comes to trading practices, such as understanding any trading jargon or other relevant information?
  
• What mediums do you use for Diablo III to communicate with potential traders besides the in-game auction house, if any? (Ex.: largely defunct d2jsp.com)

I'm posting this on several large, Diablo-based community websites to get the broadest possible aggregate feedback, so you may see or have seen this topic somewhere else. Again, feedback on some or all of the above questions would be greatly appreciated.

XOXO,
Maggie

Edited by Magistrate, 17 November 2012 - 12:37 AM.

[DerpySkulls]

You'd have a better chance at this if you based it on Diablo 2 and not Diablo 3. In d2 everything you are looking for is there, in d3 gold gold gold gold gold gold gold and i think i missed one more gold in there.

[thundersteele]

D3 has the AH, so most trades are now handled anonymously and without any exchange of words

[Magistrate]

Jaetch actually provided a lot of material here. Thanks for your very considerate replies.

[Daemaro]

Closed at request of original poster.