The Other “Half of the Picture:” Implementing Sound in ‘Reacting To The Past’ (RTTP) Higher-Ed Roleplay Games

Abstract

My capstone project seeks to implement sound design in Reacting to the Past (RTTP) – a specific genre of higher-education, historical roleplay games. The usage of audio as an educational tool in RTTP is significantly underdeveloped and should not be overlooked. Its implementation has great potential to further improve student learning in the RTTP game experience, as sound is a sensory realm that holds immense sway over human emotion. My research will examine RTTP game design and how sound has been implemented in other mediums. This analysis will inform my sound design as I develop real audio prototypes, which will be used in the first test of an RTTP game in development regarding the Pentagon Papers scandal of the Vietnam War era. I will then examine the game results and student feedback, from which I will compile a list of recommendations for how audio can be implemented in other Reacting to the Past games.