Day Six

Today we were making our paper prototypes. In the experiential learning cycle we were on the active experimentation step of the cycle. We had to plan out our book storyline and branches before we could actually illustrate the pages and add the text. It took a long time, we spent the entire lesson on it. I'm sad to say that we didn't get the prototype finished. The planning was the most time consuming because it was the most important. After that it would have taken us a lot less time to make the actual book. Because we didn't get a concrete book finished, we couldn't really reflect on how it worked. So we thought about how we could have sped up the process of making it instead, and all the hurdles that we faced while making it.

Day Five

We took our Tate project further and analysed it. We wanted to see if it met criteria that makes for a good game. Things like goals, challenges and rules were discussed. This was a good place to stop and think about whether our book would work in the real world. We really took it apart, and analysed the details to see if there was something missing. In the end our book was deemed acceptable by the group. We also decided on a title for our book, Detective Dan.

For more, go here: http://sedar-b.blogspot.com/2010/02/formal-elements-of-our-interactive-book.html

Day Four

In the lesson we tried to work out how our game would work. This was more a reflective observations step in the cycle, even though we had not done a concrete example of our game yet. We visualised ourselves playing the game and in the end we decided it was way too complicated to be a board game and went back to the Fighting Fantasy choice book idea. I think this was a good choice, as we had spotted several problems with the idea that would make it virtually unplayable. The reflective observation really helped us to stop and think about the idea.

It was also neat that we got to meet Ian Livingstone and hear him talk about games and the industry. He was the creator of the Fighting Fantasy books and he made a big impact on me.

I went to talk to him after the lecture and introduced myself. He said hello and then asked this very simple question,

"So what games do you play?"

It completely threw me off. Ok, this is probably just me making a big deal out of it.. but what is up with people and that question? It's like asking me which books I read. I read everything that is good. In the same way that I play anything that is good. I'm thinking that I get asked it because I'm a girl. Maybe people want to know what attracts us to games so that they can create more content for us.

This guy has an amazingly annoying voice.. but he makes a few good points.