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- Post thoughts on what we played in class
GETTING OVER IT
- – Was it fun? Yes, I enjoyed it and I could spend more time playing it.
- What were the player interactions? The player controlled a hammer which you used to propel yourself upward a mountain with obstacles in the way.
- How long did it take to learn? I still haven’t learned the controls, especially because I was on a track pad, but the concept was easy to understand.
- What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? My lack of understanding of the controls made it difficult because that’s the whole premise of the game, if you don’t understand the controls you can’t progress in the game.
- What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I like the idea of failing and trying again, there’s no luck so you can hone your skills and get better.
- Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I wanted to switch to an actual computer mouse, but didn’t have that opportunity.
- If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? To be honest I don’t think I would change anything about the actual game. The whole point of the game is to be simple and difficult. I feel like adding stuff to the game would take away the goal of the developer.
- Is this a game you would play again? Yes ! I feel like I didn’t get enough time with the game and I want to play it more and actually make progress.
- Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.- Im not exactly sure, especially since they don’t actually have any character development but I guess you start at the bottom and the game ends when you get to the top.
- What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game? Since theres no NPC’s or multiplayer its only posible to collaborate with yourself and get better. The competiton is with the player and themselves, if they fail in game they fail themselves. Its a mental battle about trying again.
- What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? Not sure about the metaphor I only played for a bit but I’d say its about not giving up and trying again. The mechanics are super simple with only 1 form of control and I think thats what makes it standout.
- Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.-
A difficult game
You will fail and try again
Skills grow as times pass
CALVIN BALL
- Was it fun?
I didn’t have alot of fun, theres no actual game.
- What were the player interactions?
The players passed the ball and created the game themselves, I wouldn’t even credit the game as Calvin ball.
- How long did it take to learn?
Calvin Ball took 4 seconds to learn. Learning the other players’ rules is what took some time to understand.
- What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
When Mason (me) made a rule, he instantly won the game. The game’s structure is flawed from the start.
- What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
I like it when people aren’t specific with rules and you think outside the box to get past those rules.
- Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
Not really, you can do whatever you want in this game.
- If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
I would have some kind of structure for the kind of rules that are made, but then again that takes away from the freedom of the game.
- Is this a game you would play again? Not unless I was extremely bored. I’d play rock paper scissors before this game. The game can literally end on the first turn.
- Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
Theres not a clear act structure but I guess it would come with adding more rules as the game goes on until the game is over.
- What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
The competition is against the people youre playing with and the collaboration comes from trying to make a fair and fun game with the other players.
- What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
I guess the metaphor has something to do with giving the players complete freedom. The game’s mechanics standout because there are none lol.
- Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
I dont like this game
there is no structure to follow
there are better games
- TOWNSCRAPER
- Was it fun?
I didn’t play it but I don’t think it looks very fun.
- What were the player interactions?
The player clicked the screen and could either make a building or destroy it.
- How long did it take to learn?
Not very long because there are only 2 things you can do.
- What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
I think I would get bored after 2 minutes with just clicking the screen.
- What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
I guess the best part of the game would be the noises and not even the gameplay.
- Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
Have more options for buildings and structure.
- If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
I would add different kinds of builidings, new terrain so you dont just build over the ocean and could maybe go underground.
- Is this a game you would play again? Nope. It doesn’t seem fun and I think there are way better options.
- Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
- Start over the water
- Make a cute little city
- keep making that cute city cause the game doesn’t end
- What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
Actual no competition anywhere, you collaborate with yourself and your creative mind to keep clicking the same button.
- What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
The metaphor is to never be satisfied and always want more, probably. The mechanics stand out because they’re extremly simple.
- Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
super simple game
click and click and click and click
the city grows large
- Read/Play: Cow Clicker, http://bogost.com/writing/blog/cow_clicker_1/, The Graveyard, Townscaper https://youtu.be/hqq25n6cQqo?si=leLV3KMoWNIXzbaM
- Questions:
- What are the issues Ian Bogost raises about social games with Cow Clicker?
Bogost brings up the point of how simple and absent-minded games nowadays are. People will absent mindedly click their screens in order to get “rewards” that help you click more. He then mentions microtransactions that just let the user click more. There’s no skill or story, it’s just clicking.
- How do social games like FarmVille enframe friends?
Farmville-like games use your friends to their own benefit. They have you invite friends to play the game so the player can get rewards. The rewards are miniscule and you can’t even play with your friends, you can just send them some materials and thats it. They didn’t make the game for you and your friends, they made the feature to have you get more people to play their game.
- How do social games destroy time outside of the game?
They destroy time outside the game because you constantly need to log on to collect the rewards, or else you can progress. Most games you can get on once a day and play for a little bit and still progress, but in these social games like farmville you have to log on every couple of hours to collect resources and progress in the game.