Thursday, January 26, 2012

Unit 4: Updated Timeline (Gap Analysis)

I have updated my schedule to show that I have completed the outline, and the low-fi prototype. I have put the things that I am currently working on in dark grey, which helps me focus on what needs to be worked on now, versus what I can begin to work on later.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Low-Fi Prototype: Floor Maps






Outline w/ Bibliography


Cause and Effect: Design for Collaborative or Competitive Dynamics

Introduction
The Effect of Contemporary Social Games
  1. Self-centered and socially irresponsible: Unlimited personal gain without consequence
  2. Players collaborate without having to share or compromise
  3. Players compete purposefully with pre-determined opponents

Real Life
  1. It behooves us to form social relationships and be socially aware (not endless gain)
  2. In real life, people often have to sacrifice, share or compromise in close relationships
  3. Competition comes about between people
The Growing Impact of Social Games
  1. As games become more social and global, it would be healthy for games to be more realistic in their social structures
  2. Social responsibility would be something important to be considered in game design

Paper Body
  1. Popular Games of Today : Artificial Socialization

  1. World of Warcraft relationship roles of opponent and ally.
  2. Co-existing / “Separate-but-equal” alliances : lack of community influence
  3. Teams: predetermined without history
  4. Little Cave Hero : gifting without really giving

  1. Socializing through Games, Influence

  1. Super Mario World 3: Battle Mode:
  2. Social and massive games are prominent and increasing in popularity
  3. Ravenwood Fair: endless gain without consequences.
  4. Without responsibility, games only pose as being “really social” but miss the mark.
  5. In teams, the only responsibility is to be competent

  1. Real Life: Social Responsibility, Public Relations

  1. Noam Chomsky: structures that allow unhindered competition
  2. Competitive Strategies allow corporate entities to gain
  3. Social Responsibility is required to avoid animosity and keep system in tact




Conclusion: Structure and Meaningful Play

  1. Rules of Play: How does complex gameplay create meaning?
  2. Does gameplay affect culture?
  3. Storytelling and game design.





Bibliography

Bainbridge, William Sims. The Warcraft Civilization: Social Science in a Virtual World. 2010.

Chomsky, Noam. Powers and Prospects: Reflections on Human Nature and the Social Order. 1999.

Fischer, Claude. Inequality by Design: Cracking the Bell Curve Myth. 1996.

Salen, Katie and Zimmerman, Eric. Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. 2003.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Black Friday

Because my game  is about a mad rush to the top, and the competition comes primarily from the prospect of players getting in each other's way of success, Black Friday comes to mind, as an atmosphere where strangers who have no relationship with one another, suddenly recognize their roles as opponents and because of a time sensitive goal (getting the last supply of items at bargain price).
People who have no relationship with one another who suddenly come to exist in a claustrophobic space with a design that isn't made to accommodate that large amount of people unofficially brands people as opponents.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Unit 3: My Contribution to the Game World

What my game can contribute is experimental gameplay: hopefully breaking RPG, FPS, and other types of games out of the box with games where roles are predetermined and relationships are predictable. Hopefully my experiment will shed some light on some situations where the design of the game motivates players to act cooperatively and what, (besides a general need to succeed) causes players to turn against each other.

Though games like World of Warcraft create real-time, global interactivity and an element of competition between allies, my game hopes to blur the lines of friend and foe and implement design that has players both working with and against each other throughout the game. My hope is that this dynamic not only makes gameplay more complex and exciting, but also broadens the scope of discussion about the social impact of games, as games become more prominent in the entertainment industry.

Unit 3: Artistic and Technological / Design Influences

Portal and it's cartoony and comical silhouetted signs inspire my idea of using thought bubbles with meaningful pictographs over my characters' heads. The signs in Portal are simple yet so intuitive and understandable, text does not have to be present. They use simple arrows and well positioned stick figures, as well as universal symbols such as hearts and zaps of electricity. 










I am inspired by Katamari for the aesthetic style. The characters are very simple yet very charismatic. The colors used are very vibrant but not overwhelming. I would like to use similar, slightly pastel colors, but with more grays. I also like the large cell-shaded low-fi polygons. The game doesn't strive for realism, but is very stylized. My games aesthetic will be similar in these ways. 



As far as design, I am very inspired by the Legend of Zelda: The Four Swords, which requires teamwork in a maze of doors. Collaboration is required in this game, and collaboration will often be required in Vimana. Like in Zelda, Vimana will require that players find and use keys for doors. My game will differ in that collaboration is not always required, and it will sometimes be in different ways than in Four Swords. For example, in Four Swords, all players must push a large rock at the same time, I will not be borrowing that mechanic, but it will take more than one person to open a door, and it will require that players transfer keys to each other. 



I am inspired by Super Mario Bros. 3, Battle Mode, where players are engaged in real-time "combat" that does not consist of direct contact. Players utilize things around, like throwing battle shells or knocking the power block, in an effort to thwart their opponent. The atmosphere quickly changes and players think fast. They are not only against each other but also against the game itself.




For the premise of my project, I wanted to discover a game design that defies the typical given roles of ally or foe, and discover dynamic gameplay in a setting that is designed to bring about competition, collaboration and  personal relationships. I have been inspired by the writings of Noam Chomsky, and his analysis of power and social responsibility. 



Recently I have been inspired by Cirque du Soleil because like Katamari, it features weird people who seem kind of like magical creatures. Some of the acts of Cirque du Soleil feature people all in matching futuristic outfits. 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Unit 2: Revising my schedule

My revised schedule for Studio II and the MFA Thesis class is here:



So far, a solid start on the thesis has been made. Prototyping is next, and outlining of the written component. Documentation and research should be easy because I have been keeping a good blog of research, inspiring projects and food for thought on my topic. Just a matter of recording it all and seeing that it is organized accordingly. 

The part I'm actually not looking forward to is citing my sources, since there is such limited information on siting Internet resources, even in the MLA handbook. Hopefully with the help of my classmates, a formally cited bibliography will come together. 

Monday, January 9, 2012

Studio II Revised Statement and Abstract

Thesis Project: Skylab Vimana 




Thesis Statement

Skylab Vimana's unique game structure creates a social system that forces users to think about the impact their moves make on other players, for better or for worse.



Abstract
We are living in a high-tech, user-centered world where the levels of interactivity are increasing. Though technology gives us a sense of personal and independent agency, we are often found in close quarters with our peers, and often forget how our actions can affect others. Though we consider ourselves to be teammates with our colleagues and co-workers, but it becomes apparent that a competitive spirit yields gain.

Interactivity creates a great sense of connection between users. Currently, popular multi-player games do not always create interactivity that reflects human interaction in a fully realistic way. Rather than being able to rely on the designated roles of accomplice or enemy, my thesis game creates a social atmosphere in which collaboration is encouraged but antagonism is tempting. Skylab Vimana is a game in which characters find themselves sharing a claustrophobic and panicked space with their teammates, whose progress can cause the detriment of others. Players are described to be teammates but will soon find that they can get ahead at the expense of their peers.
Users will be able to fully view each other's actions in real-time and plan accordingly. In the real world, our actions are often noticed by others and influence their performance, especially in a collaborative or vocational environment, and certainly in the realm of economics. SV's gameplay aimes to recreate a more realistic social dynamic, promoting social responsibility. Players will be allowed to team up, and / or team up against other players in a freelance, real-time world that requires quick and critical thinking at any given second. The users will need to stay on good terms with their peers if they want help later. Some users will inevitably get the chance to move ahead of the crowd, but this will render them vulnerable to attack.

My hope is that the gameplay creates the experience of more personal relationships with fellow players. My prediction is that the level of influence that players can achieve in this game will create the sensation of being in close quarters with other players. This in turn will create an "intimate" atmosphere of social gameplay that will force players to consider their actions in direct relationship to the status of their peers.




Sunday, January 8, 2012

Welcome Back : Studio II


As I start Studio II, I have learned about the process for the next two quarters in Studio II and the MFA Thesis quarter. I have created a timeline of production for both quarters, including preparation for the review.

I am excited and ready to see my project become a product! My project is a multi-player game called Skylab Vimana. Please review my Thesis website thus far at : http://catie.bulbmedia.com/MFA

My statement and abstract will soon be updated in the next week to assume their (near-)final form for the remainder of the project.

Good luck to everyone!