Week 1 Discussion Questions

1.) In your opinion what should every game have? Why do you like your favorite game?

I believe that there are a few key factors that every game should have, things like competition, interaction, replayability, and a good hook. I like my favorite game because of it’s adaptability. Despite the rules staying the same, the game is able to change and variate depending on the people playing it, which I think keeps it interesting and fun.

2.) List the games you’ve played and currently play

3.) Can you apply the three act structure to your favorite game? What is it’s pacing and how long do you find yourself in each act?

Yes, I would say that the three act structure can be applied to my favorite game. The pacing of the game really depends on the players. While the first act usually starts off slow, it can also pass rather quickly if the players know what they are doing. Then you’re faced with the second act, which is what usually takes up the majority of gameplay. It’s easy to get “stuck” in the second act, especially as players get more competitive and rules sometimes get more complicated. Once you reach the final act, the game usually moves relativley quickly until it’s over, but not always. Sometimes the win can come seemingly out of no where and the game is over just like that. And other times, you can see it coming miles and miles before it actually does.

4.) When coming up with ideas where do you find you start, with the metaphor or the mechanic? 

I don’t know if I would say that I really have one method I use more than the other. I think that my process involves a lot of mix and matching. I come up with a handful of metaphors and a handful of mechanics, and from there I sort of see what works with what and what I can put aside for something else. Although if I had to pick one I start with more than the other, I would say I tend to go with the mechanics of a game first, and then the theme.

5.) Over the course of this semester, who would you like to collaborate with and why?

Someone I would like to collaborate with over the course of the semester would probably be my brother. He’s always been someone I can brainstorm with when I get stuck on something, and a part of that is because his brain functions sort of opposite of the way mine does. We balance out pretty evenly, and I think that he’s someone who could push me in a different direction and help me create something new.