Interaksi Sosial dan Partisipasi Politik dalam Gim Persuasif Transnasional NationStates

Muhammad Rakha Landika Altaaf, Dr. Ririn Tri Nurhayati, S.I.P., M.Si., M.A.

2026 | Skripsi | Ilmu Hubungan Internasional

Abstrak Skripsi ini meneliti bagaimana gim persuasif transnasional NationStates membentuk dan menyimulasikan dinamika politik, serta implikasinya terhadap kenyataan sosial dan politik di dunia nyata. Di tengah krisis kepercayaan terhadap proses dan institusi formal, gim simulasi negara seperti NationStates hadir sebagai platform alternatif. Dengan menggunakan metode penelitian kualitatif digital ethnography atau etnografi digital, kuesioner, dan studi pustaka, penelitian ini menerapkan landasan konseptual persuasive games untuk mengukur kekuatan daya persuasif dari NationStates, serta memetakan dampaknya menggunakan tipologi partisipasi politik Ekman dan Amnå. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa gim NationStates memenuhi karakteristik persuasive games yang menekankan pada tingkat analisis sign, system, dan context, di mana seni persuasi terjadi melalui aturan main yang kaya akan simulasi kebijakan dan diamplifikasi oleh interaksi sosial yang berperan memperkaya pengalaman bermain sekaligus melanggengkan perhatian kritis para pemain terhadap isu-isu politik. Dampak dari karakteristik “persuasive games” gim mendorong pemain untuk terlibat dalam bentuk-bentuk partisipasi politik dan nonpartisipasi, yang secara simultan memberikan implikasi nyata bagi dinamika domestik negara asal pemain hingga politik internasional di dunia nyata. Skripsi ini berkontribusi pada literatur Hubungan Internasional dengan menunjukkan aktor nonnegara seperti gim dan signifikansinya dalam memengaruhi dinamika politik domestik dan hubungan internasional.

Abstract

This thesis examines the influence of the persuasive game NationStates on players’ political participation and its implications for the dynamics of international relations. Amidst a crisis of confidence in traditional formal processes and institutions, alternative games like NationStates offer players the opportunity to participate in simulations of political, governmental, and international relations dynamics. Employing digital ethnography, questionnaires, and literature review, this research applies the conceptual framework of “persuasive games” to assess the strength of NationStates’ persuasive characteristics, and utilizes Ekman and Amnå’s typology of political participation to map the forms of political participation undertaken by players. The findings indicate that NationStates embodies the characteristics of persuasive games by emphasizing the analytical levels of sign, system, and context. The game operates through an art of persuasion embedded in rules rich with policy simulations, a persuasive power that is further amplified by social interactions among players and within the community. Empirically, NationStates functions as an “introductory” game, where the social dimension of the community plays the most significant role in enriching the gaming experience while sustaining players’ critical attention toward political issues. The game’s “persuasive” nature encourages players to engage in various forms of political participation and non-participation, simultaneously carrying tangible implications for domestic dynamics in the players’ home countries and for real-world international politics. This thesis contributes to the International Relations literature by highlighting non-state actors, specifically games, and their significance in influencing domestic political dynamics and international relations.

Kata Kunci : Persuasive Games, Gim Daring, Simulasi Negara, NationStates, Partisipasi Politik, Nonpartisipasi, Politik Domestik, Hubungan Internasional.