Environmental Impact on Role-playing Gamers

Does the physical setting that role-playing gamers are within, change the style and impact of the role-playing game sessions?

do gamers seated in upright chairs with a kitchen table, dining room table, or dedicated gaming table have a different play style or gaming experience than those seated on sofas, recliners, bean bags, or the floor? Does this change the therapeutic or educational impact on the participants?

Some variables to experiment with (after earlier base lines were already established in the earlier stages of the project):

• Room temperature
• Seating arrangements (square,rectangular, circular, etc.)
• Seats (stools, upright backed chairs, sofa, recliner, bean bags, floor, bench, etc.)
• Indoors or outdoors
• Lighting (bright, moderate, subdued, candlelight, various colors (color therapy influences?)
• Olfactory stimulus (scented candles, incense, basement mold/mildew, pine, etc.)
• Auditory stimulus (quiet environment well padded, noisy area, "echo-y" environment, relaxing background music, theme music related to situation in game, rock vs. classical (music therapy influences), speaking in low voices or whispers, loud voices, shouting
• Other related variables?