This is what the NineWomen's game shall be called. Amy and myself are working on turning it into a digital multiplayer version. Amy is handling the art for it, we are splitting the coding, and I am going to script the more complicated objects.
First we contacted NineWomen and got their permission to work on the project. Dana Dunn sent a memorandum of understanding for us to print out and sign. After we got that sent in, we FINALLY got the content for Thrive! on the 24th.
Amy is bringing together her concepts on the design, and we will soon be posting those to NineWomen for approval. I made up a primary list of functions and how they will work, and then put that to a hierarchy chart -hooray for tedious, frustrating, responsible coding practices. But uh-oh!
Neither Amy or I are seasoned coders, what a brilliant project to dive into but at least their deadline is 30 Dec. 2009. I'm pretty good with PHP, nice loose syntax there to work with. I don't know enough, however, to have included: keeping the connection open, user accounts on SQL, handling IP's, and other data-basing for the interactions that make it multiplayer, oh also did I mention we both need to learn flash? It's no biggie in the long run though, I have some nice new reference books AND I'm very good at learning coding/scripting and looking into what I need to use. I'll be sharing these with Amy and we can work out our learning processes together.
But until we can start working that out, scripting the current objects and testing them, and then collaborating our work -I've never worked with a group on coding or scripting before- should be time consuming enough.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
The Sword of a Thousand Truths
So, blizzard are a bunch of pricks apparently? The Sword of a Thousand Truths apparently exists. Ok, so it's actually called Martin Fury, rather anticlimactic if you ask me. A blizzard employee transferred the experimental item from his GM to his day-to-day account to prove its existence to his guild it seems? And they get pissed off when every day consumers abuse user rights. This certainly puts a damper on my speculation of being able to accept user generated content in MMORPGs.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
User Generated Role Playing
My favorite genre of game is the RPG. From Legacy of The Wizard, Ultima, and the original Final Fantasy to Lost Odyssey, Elder Scrolls, Fable II, and MMORPGs of today I have always loved this genre above all else. Although they started with "user generated content" as table tops, the scope user generated content for platform rpgs has been minimal.
Until recently, user generated content for games consisted mainly of hacks for advancing game play. Legacy of the Wizard was one of THE HARDEST games for the NES, and most people seemed to rely on the game genie for an extra edge to beat the final boss. Or imagine if you will beating Sephiroth with a zombified Aeris; ok she's not actually re-rendered as a zombie, that would be too awesome, but people do actually sell these hacks -just when my memory seemed to be telling me that the game shark codes had been free. On the bright side, this seems to have been discouraged in later years by memory cards corrupting with hacked saves, and Valkyrie Profile 2 will not accept a hack and play for more than 5 minutes running. But I digress, even with current gen console RPGs there is not a huge emphasis on user generated content. It is in MMORPGs that user generated content finds its welcome home.
MMORPGs have released updates that accepted what users had been wanting to see. They even hold contests for users to create the next class or quest. I can even see where an MMORPG may someday be able to take purely user generated content, from the users computer, and share it with other players in real time on main stream servers.
Until recently, user generated content for games consisted mainly of hacks for advancing game play. Legacy of the Wizard was one of THE HARDEST games for the NES, and most people seemed to rely on the game genie for an extra edge to beat the final boss. Or imagine if you will beating Sephiroth with a zombified Aeris; ok she's not actually re-rendered as a zombie, that would be too awesome, but people do actually sell these hacks -just when my memory seemed to be telling me that the game shark codes had been free. On the bright side, this seems to have been discouraged in later years by memory cards corrupting with hacked saves, and Valkyrie Profile 2 will not accept a hack and play for more than 5 minutes running. But I digress, even with current gen console RPGs there is not a huge emphasis on user generated content. It is in MMORPGs that user generated content finds its welcome home.
MMORPGs have released updates that accepted what users had been wanting to see. They even hold contests for users to create the next class or quest. I can even see where an MMORPG may someday be able to take purely user generated content, from the users computer, and share it with other players in real time on main stream servers.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Little Big Disapointment
There are various similarities and differences between the tool kits in "World builder" and Little Big Planet. The notable limitations that both share are in textures and colors. You can only use what colors the tool kit gives you, an you can only use what textures were familiar and known to whoever created the tool kit. This similarities in limitations stops.
Although there was a time limit to the man's musings in "World Builder," the only other limit was his imagination; he could make any thing he wanted to with box modeling and other tools and methods common to any 3D modeling program; which is meant to be stretched. Little Big Planet, however, is limited not only to textures and colors, but to what objects the creator has already made and given the user to work with; one interesting perk is that objects can be resized to ridiculous proportions with out loss of visual quality. There is also a gauge which measures and limits what the player can do in the world creator, similar to that in The Sims albeit more lenient. Not to mention the fact that you are limited to a 2D side-scrolling interface.
Regardless of these limitations to Little Big Planet, the players seem to stretch and apply their given abilities to produce interesting levels. There are even snippets of interaction meant to emulate the player imposing their will upon the level, but those are only provided solely by what objects the level creator wanted to player to use.Hard as any one tries, however, Little Big Planet just does not come away with "worlds" created, only shortly engaging stories created by the levels.
Even in "World Builder" there was no world created. What was created was a desperate man's endeavor to make a place where his comatose love could exist again. Although she could interact with any object she pleased there, and in any way she wanted to, there were no people to interact with. Even in her brief presence before her love, she only observed and did not truly exist, and so the world he made was not truly a world.
1: This video playlist
2: World Builder
3: Little Big Colossus
3: Little Big Calculator
Although there was a time limit to the man's musings in "World Builder," the only other limit was his imagination; he could make any thing he wanted to with box modeling and other tools and methods common to any 3D modeling program; which is meant to be stretched. Little Big Planet, however, is limited not only to textures and colors, but to what objects the creator has already made and given the user to work with; one interesting perk is that objects can be resized to ridiculous proportions with out loss of visual quality. There is also a gauge which measures and limits what the player can do in the world creator, similar to that in The Sims albeit more lenient. Not to mention the fact that you are limited to a 2D side-scrolling interface.
Regardless of these limitations to Little Big Planet, the players seem to stretch and apply their given abilities to produce interesting levels. There are even snippets of interaction meant to emulate the player imposing their will upon the level, but those are only provided solely by what objects the level creator wanted to player to use.Hard as any one tries, however, Little Big Planet just does not come away with "worlds" created, only shortly engaging stories created by the levels.
Even in "World Builder" there was no world created. What was created was a desperate man's endeavor to make a place where his comatose love could exist again. Although she could interact with any object she pleased there, and in any way she wanted to, there were no people to interact with. Even in her brief presence before her love, she only observed and did not truly exist, and so the world he made was not truly a world.
1: This video playlist
2: World Builder
3: Little Big Colossus
3: Little Big Calculator
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Temperature at Which Humanity Burns
"You'll be here for the White Clown tonight, and the ladies coming over?" cried Mildred.
Montag stopped at the door, with his back turned. "Millie?"
A silence "What?"
"Millie? Does the White Clown love you?"
No answer.
"Millie, does--" He licked his lips. "Does your 'family' love you, love you very much, love you with all their heart and soul, Millie?"
He felt her blinking slowly at the back of his neck.
"Why'd you ask a silly question like that?"
He felt he wanted to cry, but nothing would happen to his eyes or his mouth.1
As Anastasia said, ten years ago many people wouldn't have been able to predict what the world is today2. The future is the stuff of science fiction, as time will continue to prove. Ray Bradbury had not only an uncanny sense of fantasy that would inspire future, but an uncanny sense of the progression of society. In Fahrenheit 451 he portrayed "wall-to-walls" -television screens in place of walls- that provided interactive 'family' to households, and a mind numbing, consuming escape of reality. As Castronova preaches, people are motivated by wants and "fun"3.
Televisions and home entertainment centers continue to increase in size. People will grow more comfortable surrounded by fabrication, especially as it grows in its capacity for interaction. They will read less, exercise more through media interaction (thank you Nintendo), and natural selection will evolve sociologically and adapt to using our own technologies to aid it.
I don't doubt that office jobs will still be office jobs, McDonalds and Wal Marts will still be populated with part time employees. People will have to work to support their anti-reality habits; although software licensing and government regulations will probably have to adjust to allow for virtual sales and profits. My job, ideally, will be to program graphics and physics engines that will advance how real interactive media feels; or perhaps to devise against hacking that might collapse virtual and real economies.
Media synchronization will improve to provide reality relief away from home. Home entertainment will undoubtedly grow to take up entire walls, perhaps not as soon as in the next 10 years but soon. Considering I can remember a time when there were a limited number of iMax theaters in the world, I'm quite sure that iMax will replace normal theaters -my preference being the dome theaters.
1: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
2: Anastasia Salter
3: Exodus to the Virtual World by Edward Castronova
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Death of a Salesman. I mean MMO...
When Final Fantasy XI was announced to be an MMORPG, I was insulted by the break from the essence of the series, sickened at the death of a classic. Perhaps being a Final Fantasy Fan is just akin to being a Star Wars fan, because there are plenty of other things that Square does to bastardize its products and destroy itself; but when I say death of a classic, I mean that Final Fantasy XI can not become a classic game like its console predecessors.
Console video games can be held onto; exhumed from the depths of second hand markets; emulated; or recoded and released as special editions for newer consoles. They can be replayed and enjoyed for a long time to come, they can become classics. Original copies of classic games can even get more expensive than new generation games, I once found a deal of just over $70 for a CIB copy of Ultima: Warriors of Destiny for the NES, and Final Fantasy fetches similar high prices.
An MMORPG on the other hand, must have a death. At some point in time, the company running the server -that imperative part of the game- will find it unprofitable to upkeep the server. This may be due to an irreparable drop in subscriptions, or perhaps a more important project will divert attention away from the previous game's server; there is a chance that another company may purchase rights to upkeep the game for a time, but the same crippling situations will cause some company to pull the plug on an MMO, for every MMO. Even though it may die, an enigma of the MMO is that it can become legend -living on through videos, archived forums, and tales from the gamers who experienced its prime.
Although it remains largely undressed and even unknown by the bulk of MMO subscribers, this is also part of what makes the MMO. Any given MMO is a world complete with its own environment, species, society, culture, linguistics, politics, and currency. Much like ancient civilizations, the individual MMO will die to be replaced by another. It may fade out, or it may suddenly cease to be; but its inner workings can become the stuff of legend and curiosity to those after its time.
This is the premise of my study, the death of an MMO. I am going to play not one, but three MMORPGs to study what the MMO society is past its prime, what the mechanics and environment had to offer, what made it good, and why it is dying. My games of choice are Ultima Online, Runescape, and Guild Wars. Everquest would have been the obvious choice had reading Taylor not turned it into an issue of beating a dead horse; Guild Wars is a suitable replacement -although a newer game- because it languishes where its once parallel society, World of Warcraft, has flourished dramatically. I will follow up in the blog with a brief analysis of each world.
Console video games can be held onto; exhumed from the depths of second hand markets; emulated; or recoded and released as special editions for newer consoles. They can be replayed and enjoyed for a long time to come, they can become classics. Original copies of classic games can even get more expensive than new generation games, I once found a deal of just over $70 for a CIB copy of Ultima: Warriors of Destiny for the NES, and Final Fantasy fetches similar high prices.
An MMORPG on the other hand, must have a death. At some point in time, the company running the server -that imperative part of the game- will find it unprofitable to upkeep the server. This may be due to an irreparable drop in subscriptions, or perhaps a more important project will divert attention away from the previous game's server; there is a chance that another company may purchase rights to upkeep the game for a time, but the same crippling situations will cause some company to pull the plug on an MMO, for every MMO. Even though it may die, an enigma of the MMO is that it can become legend -living on through videos, archived forums, and tales from the gamers who experienced its prime.
Although it remains largely undressed and even unknown by the bulk of MMO subscribers, this is also part of what makes the MMO. Any given MMO is a world complete with its own environment, species, society, culture, linguistics, politics, and currency. Much like ancient civilizations, the individual MMO will die to be replaced by another. It may fade out, or it may suddenly cease to be; but its inner workings can become the stuff of legend and curiosity to those after its time.
This is the premise of my study, the death of an MMO. I am going to play not one, but three MMORPGs to study what the MMO society is past its prime, what the mechanics and environment had to offer, what made it good, and why it is dying. My games of choice are Ultima Online, Runescape, and Guild Wars. Everquest would have been the obvious choice had reading Taylor not turned it into an issue of beating a dead horse; Guild Wars is a suitable replacement -although a newer game- because it languishes where its once parallel society, World of Warcraft, has flourished dramatically. I will follow up in the blog with a brief analysis of each world.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Virtually No Morals
The Episode of Mr.Bungle is a questionable one to start up a debate on whether Game Designers are entirely responsible for moral actions within game environments. If one was being blatantly obvious they could say that the designers of lambdaMOO were entirely responsible for not coding limitations to the object of the VooDoo Doll, or even user content filters; which is an unfortunate foresight that is now ingrained with game designers -perhaps due to the influence of Mr.Bungle- and even the ESRB has to use this foresight by labeling warnings on any multiplayer game stating potential mature behaviors by other players. In this way, game designers have taken much responsibility for player decisions; but there is no content filter on life, nothing but upbringing and moral judgment that keeps a stranger in public from projecting profanity, say in front of small children.
There are certainly games that undeniably influence a range of moral decisions which are rated accordingly for raw content. Take Maple Story1 for example, it is rated Everyone 10+. The game content is mild and childish; there is playful killing involved that is no more graphic than stomping goombas; there are comprehensive curse filters that will star out profanities; there is even a spam filter for the sake of netiquette that makes the user moderate the rate of text entry. Despite the clear intentions of community content, however, there are still immature players who will make questionable decisions in the game regarding player experiences. They will go to extremes to find ways of cursing, they will degrade and harass other players, abuse world speech items to prompt abuse of other players, and persist to find ways of perpetrating social ineptitude.
Maple Story provides a mild example of morally exploiting design boundaries. With other games, there are other boundaries to be tested. In some Teen rated games, users may take advantage of suggestive outfits, or they use actions like crouching to simulate dry humping. These are common examples, and the moral stretching of the games limits depends of the mentality of the player abusing said limits.
Game Designers are certainly responsible for the raw moral content of their games, and for the coded point and click decisions necessary from npc or plot content. That is where the line stops; when it comes down to the moral decisions and actions that players take against other players, the acting players are responsible. There will always be idiots, social retards, and profanely bored people in the world, and there is no thorough method of censoring their questionable actions from public places or virtual realms short of active eugenics -which of course doubles back on moral decision making. In the end, those who make the decisions are responsible for what they do; and if you happen to be targeted, your actions in retaliation -whether it be to ignore, or perhaps log off for an amount of time passing their attention span- are an important factor in whether or not you become a "victim."
1: http://maplestory.nexon.net/Intro/
There are certainly games that undeniably influence a range of moral decisions which are rated accordingly for raw content. Take Maple Story1 for example, it is rated Everyone 10+. The game content is mild and childish; there is playful killing involved that is no more graphic than stomping goombas; there are comprehensive curse filters that will star out profanities; there is even a spam filter for the sake of netiquette that makes the user moderate the rate of text entry. Despite the clear intentions of community content, however, there are still immature players who will make questionable decisions in the game regarding player experiences. They will go to extremes to find ways of cursing, they will degrade and harass other players, abuse world speech items to prompt abuse of other players, and persist to find ways of perpetrating social ineptitude.
Maple Story provides a mild example of morally exploiting design boundaries. With other games, there are other boundaries to be tested. In some Teen rated games, users may take advantage of suggestive outfits, or they use actions like crouching to simulate dry humping. These are common examples, and the moral stretching of the games limits depends of the mentality of the player abusing said limits.
Game Designers are certainly responsible for the raw moral content of their games, and for the coded point and click decisions necessary from npc or plot content. That is where the line stops; when it comes down to the moral decisions and actions that players take against other players, the acting players are responsible. There will always be idiots, social retards, and profanely bored people in the world, and there is no thorough method of censoring their questionable actions from public places or virtual realms short of active eugenics -which of course doubles back on moral decision making. In the end, those who make the decisions are responsible for what they do; and if you happen to be targeted, your actions in retaliation -whether it be to ignore, or perhaps log off for an amount of time passing their attention span- are an important factor in whether or not you become a "victim."
1: http://maplestory.nexon.net/Intro/
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Rule 34
Rules are an important part of game design. They contribute to many aspects of multiplayer games, both within the game environment and out. They provide a certain level of conformity to an established environment, and you could even go so far as to say that it is human nature to establish rules, and even to compromise them.
Some factors to which rules build upon are the enjoyment of the game. For starters, rules make losing feel more justifiable; if the mass of players can pin point "why" they lost a game, it will be easier to return to the game and enjoy playing it again. Rules are also a bridge to conversation during game play; whether through discussing the rules and learning them together, or through debating the details, the rules are an irreplaceable part of interaction and game play. To some people, picking up a new line of logic and learning how to manipulate it -with the rules- are a strong attraction to multiplayer games.
On the downside, if rules are too complicated they can narrow the possible audience for a game. They can control the level of competition, and often the time frame of game play; this can be an element to keep general audiences coming back, or it can deter more competitive players. In the case of many TCG's and tabletop RPG's, the rules are updated frequently, and with many specific rulings on certain pre-established rules; this may appeal to those who enjoy those specific logic systems, but can also deter many players due to confusion or the monetary cost of keeping up with them.
Fluxx is a game with dynamic rules, yet it appeals to many types of players. Although strategy is minimal, the constantly changing rules appeal to those who enjoy following a new system of logic by simply keeping up with them, and having a hand in changing them as well. Since the basic rules are always draw card(s), play card(s), discard card(s) the game is not so complex that it would attract a selective audience, and its winning or losing terms are easily justifiable. Even the socialization during game play can be influenced by the rules as players keep each other up to date on the current set in play; an important interaction during game play to advance the game, as discovered in class. Fluxx is a prime example of just how important rules are to the design of a multiplayer game.
Some factors to which rules build upon are the enjoyment of the game. For starters, rules make losing feel more justifiable; if the mass of players can pin point "why" they lost a game, it will be easier to return to the game and enjoy playing it again. Rules are also a bridge to conversation during game play; whether through discussing the rules and learning them together, or through debating the details, the rules are an irreplaceable part of interaction and game play. To some people, picking up a new line of logic and learning how to manipulate it -with the rules- are a strong attraction to multiplayer games.
On the downside, if rules are too complicated they can narrow the possible audience for a game. They can control the level of competition, and often the time frame of game play; this can be an element to keep general audiences coming back, or it can deter more competitive players. In the case of many TCG's and tabletop RPG's, the rules are updated frequently, and with many specific rulings on certain pre-established rules; this may appeal to those who enjoy those specific logic systems, but can also deter many players due to confusion or the monetary cost of keeping up with them.
Fluxx is a game with dynamic rules, yet it appeals to many types of players. Although strategy is minimal, the constantly changing rules appeal to those who enjoy following a new system of logic by simply keeping up with them, and having a hand in changing them as well. Since the basic rules are always draw card(s), play card(s), discard card(s) the game is not so complex that it would attract a selective audience, and its winning or losing terms are easily justifiable. Even the socialization during game play can be influenced by the rules as players keep each other up to date on the current set in play; an important interaction during game play to advance the game, as discovered in class. Fluxx is a prime example of just how important rules are to the design of a multiplayer game.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Cheating is Circumstantial
Cheating is an inveterate part of playing games. I remember playing go fish with my dad, lying about the cards in my hand when he asked, then waiting a few turns to ask for them; he taught me that trick. This is the most important aspect of cheating, being able to do so well. It is not only important to the cheater, but also to the other players when cheating is maintained as a part of enjoyable game play. This may seem unorthodox, but it is true nonetheless. This holds true in MMOG’s, there are many methods of cheating in video games, as defined by many players.
There is blatant hacking, which in moderation can level gamers looking for the "get rich quick" version of gaming, or it can have unwieldy results on the servers. They can create custom character stats, and they can vac hack to aid farming. It is not too harmful if done covertly, and although it may be complained about extensively by players who can't hack, it is only that individual gamer's choice in optimizing their experience. On the extreme, there have been hacks in the past that crashed servers. Of course this technically details editing their software with your own, which is copyright infringement.
Less honorable than hacking is the purchase of characters from other users. This is again just that particular players method of getting the most out of their gaming experience, albeit cheaply. On the downside for the player in question, they will have to spend time adapting to the account that they just purchased. This even stretches to sale of in game currency, and items for physical money. It is also an illegal resale according to the user agreements of many MMOG's.
There are certain misconducts in MMOG's that are the result of social ineptitude, often viewed by the victims as cheating. These include kill stealing, and hand in hand with this is "ownership" of virtual space; that is to say, which character has the right to be in a farming area due to being there first. Although not technically cheating, it is a blatant disregard for the socialization of multiplayer gaming.
Last but not least are exploits and glitching. These are often techniques used to take advantage of discrepancies in the game. This may be a sniping spot some hundred feet in the air, or an environmental tweak in which a boss character may become physically stuck. Again, these are not technically cheating, but are often proclaimed as such by players who do not know how to take advantage of them.
A mix between misconduct and exploiting is Kazzak Does Stormwind1. The players kited him2, and were banned for such repeated actions.
In the end, cheating in MMO's has come down to what is fair or unfair to specific players. It is a dynamic definition that is dependant on any one individual's outlook and circumstances.
1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl0VWJdE01M
2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stYUrIk8Iu0
There is blatant hacking, which in moderation can level gamers looking for the "get rich quick" version of gaming, or it can have unwieldy results on the servers. They can create custom character stats, and they can vac hack to aid farming. It is not too harmful if done covertly, and although it may be complained about extensively by players who can't hack, it is only that individual gamer's choice in optimizing their experience. On the extreme, there have been hacks in the past that crashed servers. Of course this technically details editing their software with your own, which is copyright infringement.
Less honorable than hacking is the purchase of characters from other users. This is again just that particular players method of getting the most out of their gaming experience, albeit cheaply. On the downside for the player in question, they will have to spend time adapting to the account that they just purchased. This even stretches to sale of in game currency, and items for physical money. It is also an illegal resale according to the user agreements of many MMOG's.
There are certain misconducts in MMOG's that are the result of social ineptitude, often viewed by the victims as cheating. These include kill stealing, and hand in hand with this is "ownership" of virtual space; that is to say, which character has the right to be in a farming area due to being there first. Although not technically cheating, it is a blatant disregard for the socialization of multiplayer gaming.
Last but not least are exploits and glitching. These are often techniques used to take advantage of discrepancies in the game. This may be a sniping spot some hundred feet in the air, or an environmental tweak in which a boss character may become physically stuck. Again, these are not technically cheating, but are often proclaimed as such by players who do not know how to take advantage of them.
A mix between misconduct and exploiting is Kazzak Does Stormwind1. The players kited him2, and were banned for such repeated actions.
In the end, cheating in MMO's has come down to what is fair or unfair to specific players. It is a dynamic definition that is dependant on any one individual's outlook and circumstances.
1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl0VWJdE01M
2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stYUrIk8Iu0
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Risk...or was it Guess?
The experience of playing Risk was the most unique board game experience I've had -which is of course, one of its strengths. Risk was one of the first board games with non-linear movement1; that combined with the multiple game components, and the unique strategies involved it was quickly a game that corporations wanted to license, and that people wanted to buy.
Among its strengths are the universality of human ambition to conquer and gain. It is a challenging game, as opposed to games based around gambling or movement as dictated by a die or spinner. Although Go, Chess, Stratego, or Checkers also require strategic know how and provide a healthy, enjoyable challenge, they have the restriction of being two player games; Risk outshines these by providing an environment that can accommodate up to 6 players, or more if it is altered and played by house rules. In more recent times, another element of universality has been added to Risk by releasing special editions of it pertaining to specific themes: such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Transformers2. Despite the necessity for strategy, there are still random elements to even out game play; these include attack success based on the roll of dice, the ability to gain armies by drawing cards and attaining poker like combination, and the fact that territories are distributed randomly based on what cards are dealt at the start of the game. This makes it more appealing to weaker players.
All of these are certainly elements that make the game of Risk an ongoing classic, but it is not without drawbacks. The game play itself, and the accompanying rules, are quite confusing to pick up. The limitations to attacking each turn need to be more clear in the rule book; also, starting a game and just running with it through the rule book from there is no simple matter to a group of inexperienced players. My experience playing in class, with two other people who had not played the game before either, was interesting but not engaging. There were many details to the rules that we did not get to, and keeping track of the protocol of our turns in how much we did read about was tedious at best. The best possible experience of learning the game would probably be to have a well seasoned player guiding a group of new players through the turns.
In summary; Risk needs to have an abridged and clearly written set of rules, but is other wise a stimulating and fun board game.
1: http://www.hasbro.com/risk/default.cfm?page=history
2: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/24292
Among its strengths are the universality of human ambition to conquer and gain. It is a challenging game, as opposed to games based around gambling or movement as dictated by a die or spinner. Although Go, Chess, Stratego, or Checkers also require strategic know how and provide a healthy, enjoyable challenge, they have the restriction of being two player games; Risk outshines these by providing an environment that can accommodate up to 6 players, or more if it is altered and played by house rules. In more recent times, another element of universality has been added to Risk by releasing special editions of it pertaining to specific themes: such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Transformers2. Despite the necessity for strategy, there are still random elements to even out game play; these include attack success based on the roll of dice, the ability to gain armies by drawing cards and attaining poker like combination, and the fact that territories are distributed randomly based on what cards are dealt at the start of the game. This makes it more appealing to weaker players.
All of these are certainly elements that make the game of Risk an ongoing classic, but it is not without drawbacks. The game play itself, and the accompanying rules, are quite confusing to pick up. The limitations to attacking each turn need to be more clear in the rule book; also, starting a game and just running with it through the rule book from there is no simple matter to a group of inexperienced players. My experience playing in class, with two other people who had not played the game before either, was interesting but not engaging. There were many details to the rules that we did not get to, and keeping track of the protocol of our turns in how much we did read about was tedious at best. The best possible experience of learning the game would probably be to have a well seasoned player guiding a group of new players through the turns.
In summary; Risk needs to have an abridged and clearly written set of rules, but is other wise a stimulating and fun board game.
1: http://www.hasbro.com/risk/default.cfm?page=history
2: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/24292
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
What world did I live in?
edit:: The previously dead link has been replaced, should have used photobucket in the first place sorry
I remember owning Candyland as a child. Its greatest merit to me was that it was pretty; I can honestly say that I learned no lessons from Candyland, nor did I ever feel any sense of achievement if I won. As for the standard lessons one might say it provides for children: I already knew color identification by the time I could play it; and my mom ran a daycare service from home as early as I can remember, so sharing my things and taking turns were not strange concepts to me either. It was probably bought for me out of obligation to the social norm -oh, she needs Candyland- but no one seems to know who bought it.
I also remember playing Cootie, and other standard preschool games. Aside from the lessons they seem to teach on the surface, they provide early experiences with greed and gambling, and all carry undertones of gradual "advancement" as set forth by the "rules" and "environment;" in other words, acclimating people at an early age to inhibited growth under government and societal standards. If you go back and take another look at the board for Candyland, you can see a few metaphors and social stereotypes:
As long as I can remember, I would go down into the basement at my grandparents' house and watch the men playing pool rather than staying upstairs with the women; yes, that quaint segregation actually happened. The game mesmerized me, and I learned to anticipate the physics involved in kinetic energy, and to strategize where and when they would pick out shots to block. Beyond that, I have always been a people watcher; and from watching my Pop-pop, uncle, and father playing I learned appreciation for the game being played, for the players, for the human interaction, and for the strategy involved; rather than developing a one track mind for competition and winning, regardless of how structured said competition may have been with normal children's games.
I remember owning Candyland as a child. Its greatest merit to me was that it was pretty; I can honestly say that I learned no lessons from Candyland, nor did I ever feel any sense of achievement if I won. As for the standard lessons one might say it provides for children: I already knew color identification by the time I could play it; and my mom ran a daycare service from home as early as I can remember, so sharing my things and taking turns were not strange concepts to me either. It was probably bought for me out of obligation to the social norm -oh, she needs Candyland- but no one seems to know who bought it.
I also remember playing Cootie, and other standard preschool games. Aside from the lessons they seem to teach on the surface, they provide early experiences with greed and gambling, and all carry undertones of gradual "advancement" as set forth by the "rules" and "environment;" in other words, acclimating people at an early age to inhibited growth under government and societal standards. If you go back and take another look at the board for Candyland, you can see a few metaphors and social stereotypes:
- Two aryan children, a daughter and a son to make up a normal white-picket-fence American family
- Avoid the pimps (Lord Licorice), the whores (Princess Lolly), and the burn outs (Gloppy); as there are no shortcuts to land near them
- On the other hand, strive to be acclimated with family (Gramma Nut), prom queens (Queen Frostine), and government officials (King Candy)
- Shortcuts become non existent later in life.
As long as I can remember, I would go down into the basement at my grandparents' house and watch the men playing pool rather than staying upstairs with the women; yes, that quaint segregation actually happened. The game mesmerized me, and I learned to anticipate the physics involved in kinetic energy, and to strategize where and when they would pick out shots to block. Beyond that, I have always been a people watcher; and from watching my Pop-pop, uncle, and father playing I learned appreciation for the game being played, for the players, for the human interaction, and for the strategy involved; rather than developing a one track mind for competition and winning, regardless of how structured said competition may have been with normal children's games.
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