TLDR Outline:

Super Quick Introduction on Spatial Presence, Social Presence, and Self Presentation (with links to more detail)

1. Classic RPG Character Creation → The Illusion of Independent Agency
   1. the characters we create reflect us, the magic decks and our play styles mimic personality traits
   2. fiction writers experience the independent thoughts, words, and/or actions of characters they create, similar to the way children experience their imaginary friends
2. Doll Makers, Piccrews, and OCs → The Proteus Effect
   1. making versions of ourselves in different styles (mostly for fun :3
   2. the theory the virtual and the physical intertwine, altering our behavior in "both" (multiple? endless?) worlds
3. Social Games, IMVU → Habitus
   1. aesthetic expectations and self-regulation within role-playing environments
4. Popular Gaming Skins and Loot → Self Discrepancy Theory
   1. in certain situations, we feel negative emotions when our "real" self is different than our "ideal" self
   2. how does this relate to gaming environments that provide "chances" to "unlock" physical attributes that may alter in-game appearance?

What is immersion? // Spatial Presence?

...there's also the term "place illusion", or the sense of being there

1. Elements that could contribute to creating a rich game environment
   1. Multiple channels of sensory information
   2. "Completeness" of sensory information
   3. Cognitively demanding environments
   4. Strong, interesting narrative, plot, story
2. Creating consistency between elements within the game

An increased sense of presence is often thought to magnify user effects (e.g., the extent to which user responses to virtual stimuli and virtual interactions resemble parallel responses to real-world counterparts) and, in turn, to increase the effectiveness of mediated environment applications (e.g., the practical use of such environments as tools for entertainment, learning, training, or therapy