ABSTRACT
A sense of subjective involvement can enliven what might otherwise be dry, objective study. Games may be especially helpful when the readers are trying, like anthropologists, to understand the circumstances of people who lead very different lives, encouraging us to project our minds into the experiences of others. Experience suggests, however, that credibility is less a problem than credulousness in games like this. The game acquires a “reality” of its own, despite the wholly fictitious nature of the exercise. As in “Dungeons and Dragons” or major league baseball, it is difficult to moderate the enthusiasm of certain players with the plea that “it's only a game!”. A basic purpose of the exercise is to bring the player to terms with the sublime attitudes and subjective dispositions. Consider also the extent to which different groups are involved: Presumably the people of Alpha and Beta are most thoroughly and intensely engaged.
