The MDA framework presents eight example Aesthetics, "the desirable emotional responses evoked in the player, when she interacts with the game system." They are as follows:

• Sensation (Game as sense-pleasure): Player enjoys memorable audio-visual effects.
• Fantasy (Game as make-believe): Imaginary world.
• Narrative (Game as drama): A story that drives the player to keep coming back
• Challenge (Game as obstacle course): Urge to master something. Boosts a game's replayability.
• Fellowship (Game as social framework): A community where the player is an active part of it. Almost exclusive for multiplayer games.
• Discovery (Game as uncharted territory): Urge to explore game world.
• Expression (Game as self-discovery): Own creativity. For example, creating character resembling player's own avatar.
• Submission (Game as pastime): Connection to the game, as a whole, despite of constraints.

All categorization is arbitrary and imperfect; the concept which I am about to present, Transformation, overlaps to some degree with many of the above, which I will explore. It may also be the case that this idea is not well-bounded by MDA.

Transformation (Game as catalyst for personal development): The sense that one's understanding of oneself and/or the world one inhabits has changed, irreversibly.

What I value most in art and experiences of any & all forms is Transformation -- not mere exposure to new ideas, but incorporation of them into a new version of myself. This comes in many forms: non-fiction pieces of writing (The Timeless Way of Building and What Should We Do with Our Brain?), documentaries (The "Beauty" episode of Explained), important personal experiences in real life (taking the bus alone for the first time, breaking up with a long-term partner) and in videogames (being caught stealing loot that my whole party was supposed to share in Everquest), to name a few.

A life is measured in thousands of these important moments, and in no case is the moment taken in isolation -- it works to recontextualize unresolved thoughts that had come from elsewhere, only resolved as the result of a particular pressure or provocation.

MDA's Aesthetics are 'desirable emotional responses,' and it may be more accurate to say that Transformation is something a little beyond that. It is not simply the emotional response which I value, but the longstanding impact that it has on my life: see precursory tenet Art is Life-Changing.

Initially this Tenet was entitled Transformation Through Comprehension, but as MDA separates Aesthetics from the Dynamics which evoke them, I think it might be useful to similarly break down cause and effect.

This thread is focused on identifying simply What is Transformation? and not How is it best achieved?

I believe I've done just that.

Just to reiterate, Transformation refers to the transformation of one's self, or perspective of the world around them.

To say that art may 'evoke' this is taking too much credit, assigning cause-and-effect too directly.

Art may be a vehicle or catalyst for personal transformation, which I find is perhaps its most beautiful duty.

Transformation is one aspect of the meaning of life.

Revisiting Jack's latest letterclub 'Correctness, Progress, and Timeless Truth,' I realize that I just made the same division that he already did! Where I identify Transformation as separate from a discussion of how to achieve it, Jack has already likewise separated the existence of a timeless truth from discussion of process and practice:

QuoteI have been thinking a lot about this 'timeless truth'! We both read 'The Timeless Way of Building', which addresses it directly, but I've also been seeing similar ideas in other things I've been reading. Maybe for now I will just share some quotes from these readings, and connect it to process and practice next time...

One last thing I'd like to say is that initially this was called Transformation Through Comprehension, a distinction I'm sad I removed; in retrospect it seems to me it indicated that not any transformation is legitimate -- only transformation which comes from an improved comprehension (of the truth, of reality), that the important transformation is more like growth, more like one step in the 'pursuit'.

follow-up discord conversation

[jack] i dont understand this last part of your forum thread, it seems to contradict itself or i cant make sense of what you are sad about

Quote from: droqen on April 03, 2022, 04:33:21 PMOne last thing I'd like to say is that initially this was called Transformation Through Comprehension, a distinction I'm sad I removed; in retrospect it seems to me it indicated that not any transformation is legitimate -- only transformation which comes from an improved comprehension (of the truth, of reality), that the important transformation is more like growth, more like one step in the 'pursuit'.

[droq] what I'm sad about is that there is no directionality to the Transformation, just a change
The part of transformation which is 'towards the center' is lost, which maybe makes it more like an ephemeral Aesthetic (some enjoyable 'signal') than it is a... vital step towards a timeless way?[/quote]

[jack] ok that makes sense, i dont get that from 'transformation through comprehension' though haha

[droqen] makes sense 😅 i'll add this conversation and hopefully something will come through