[Dr. CKeymaster Rupees: 1,000 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

For your WEEK 1 QUEST, you’ll have to post once by 11:59 pm on Friday, September 9th, and again by 11:59 pm on Monday, September 12th.

In your first post, please introduce yourself to your classmates. Help us get to know you better! Compose a thoughtful introduction in which you cover the basics… which, at the very least, should include:
– Your name (what you like to be called)
– Your major or primary course of study at Rutgers
– Your interests and hobbies outside of class
– Something interesting (and perhaps out of the ordinary… and perhaps extraordinary…) about yourself

Then, tell us about your relationship with GAMES. In this second part of your introduction, tell us:
– Why did you take this course?
– What are you hoping to experience in this class?
– What kinds of games do you like to play? (Is there a specific genre you prefer? Board games, video games, card games, etc…? Any specific game titles? Note that this information might already help to determine who should be working with who once it comes time to form design teams.)

Once you’ve posted your introduction (by 11:59 PM on Friday) … reply directly to at least three of your classmates’ posts (by 11:59 PM on Monday)! Your reply should be thoughtful. (Be a human being, exchange ideas, and get to know each other!)

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi everyone!
My name’s Anna, my pronouns are she/her/hers, and I’m a junior majoring in Econ and English. I really like playing volleyball, reading, and watching anime/reading manga. Interesting fact about me: I listen to basically any music with lyrics and add it all to one playlist; now that playlist has over 200 hours of music on it (look up “monster’s inc” on Spotify).
I don’t play a lot of games, honestly. Past my pokemon phase, I spent more time with a book in my hand than a controller. But I do still watch a lot of Twitch gamers and find the variety of games out there fascinating. I mostly took this course to satisfy a requirement for my minor, but I also took a game design class in high school, and I want to expand on that knowledge. My favorite kind of games are card related: spit, Texas hold em, ERS, etc. My favorites usually involve a lot of quick thinking, quick hands, luck, or a combination of all three.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Anna, I enjoy reading manga as well, and am currently in the middle of reading One Piece. I am also listening to music practically all day, and my current favorite bands are Beach House and Deftones.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Anna! I thought your massive 200 hour playlist was super relatable– I also have a giant playlist with hundreds of songs in it, ranging from Disney movie songs to early 2000’s punk rock to rap. Spit is also an amazing card game and I will play *very* competitively with my siblings. Looking forward to meeting you this semester!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Anna!

I also enjoy reading a lot and am always open to new recommendations. Although I don’t read manga, I do read a lot of fiction. I always interested in reading manga but have never picked one up. Aside from manga, what are some of your favorite books?

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

I thought my rock playlist of 36 hours was impressive but I can only imagine the diversity of this playlist so I have to check it out. Other than that I love playing card games with my friends and it seems like spit may be a favorite for some in the class so I’ll definitely have to figure out how to play

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Anna!!
I also enjoy playing volleyball and listening to music. Though my playlists are as impressive as yours, music is always a must! I’d love to listen to your playlists sometime. If you like card games, you should try Rummy! It’s not a very quick game but it involves a lot of strategizing so I think you’d really like it. It was nice meeting you and I look forward to that playlist.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Anna!

It’s so cool that you have a playlist that big on Spotify, I will definitely check it out! I love making Spotify playlists and listening to them again at different points in my life. The name of your playlist is pretty cool too! Hope you have a wonderful semester 🙂

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Name: Bunbun1k
Major: Undeclared (planning for computer science)
Interests/hobbies: Writing, editing, poetry, fantasy stories, digital painting, pixel art, gaming, game dev
Interesting fact about myself: I like to eat salt on its own.

I took this course without realizing it was related to games. I thought collab writing would be something I’m interested in, but I’m pleasantly surprised to find that games are relevant to this course as well. As for experiences I’m hoping for… I’m hoping to pass this class.

I like to play MMORPGs and got into DnD about a month or two ago. I’ve played a lot of different titles. Some of my favorites are Disgaea DS, Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, This War of Mine, Dragon Quest, Etrian Odyssey, Suikoden Tierkreis, and Radiata Stories.

I’m also an indie game dev. I’m currently working on a few projects. I lead two of these projects; one is a visual novel in Ren’py, and the other is a single-player RPG. I’m mostly done (?) writing the RPG’s Game Design Document, and we’ve already started working on the demo. Both projects that I lead are three-person teams, plus some outsourcing.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Bunbun1k, I am also a big fan of MMORPG games. I grew up playing games like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV all day. It is cool that you are already a game developer, I have always wondered what it would be like to design RPG games.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi! Nice to meet you. I found it really interesting that I haven’t heard of most of the games you’ve played, but I looked up Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne and the electric-looking graphics look really cool! It’s also pretty cool that you design games in your free time and I’m interested to hear how you got into it. Besides that, I really enjoy graphic design and I would love to try pixel art one day! Looking forward to working with you this semester.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi!

I’ve never heard of the games you’ve mentioned but I just looked into them and they seem pretty cool! I also think it’s really cool how you’re a game developer. I’m not a very technical person but learning how to develop a game definitely fascinates me. I’m sure it takes a lot of trial and error and patience.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hey Bunbun1k, your background in game development is super cool. It’s not as cool as the salt, but it’s a close second. I think it’s really cool that you have previous game development knowledge and just happened to stumble upon this class. Part of me was on the fence about taking the class, but after finding out about how there would be a focus in writing for games, I was intrigued, so I can only imagine how cool this class must be for you.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Bunbun1k,

I think it’s fascinating that you develop indie games; it’s always something that I’ve thought about in my head but never really considered doing. I’d love to express my ideas someday but I don’t have any doubts that it is a multivariate commitment along the lines of communication, time management & problem solving. Perhaps someday I’ll have gained the courage to do after taking this class.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi everyone! My name is Vallika and I’m a Sophomore majoring in Computer Science. Outside of school, I love baking, singing, and playing volleyball.

One thing that people find surprising about me is how much I love Oldies (whether that be in music, movies, or video games). I love all kinds of games (card, board, video, and mobile). I don’t claim to know all of them, but I do really like old video games. I play current(ish) video games for their amazing graphics and SOMETIMES for their amazing storylines.

Some newer video games I love playing include: Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed, Need4Speed, Grand Turismo, and Rayman Origins. I took this course because I am a CS major with a passion/semi-talent for writing: videogame design is definitely a field that I can pursue, so I would like to understand their inner workings a little bit better. The kinds of videogames I enjoy are definitely story-based, so I want to learn what makes them so special, and how I can do it myself. 🙂

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Vallika! Nice to meet you. I also enjoy baking — my favorite thing to make is different types of bread from around the world like focaccia, bagels, and biscuits. I find it really interesting that you are able to tie your outside passions like writing to your Computer Science major and your future career path. Looking forward to working together this semester!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Vallika,

I’m also getting into older movies! There’s a theater not too far from my house that screens older 35mm films and they’re super interesting to watch. Assassin’s Creed is also great; I love AC3, AC4, Origins and Odyssey.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Vallika!
I also love volleyball but I’m not that good of a player. If I could, I would love to play on a team, but for now, I’ll stick to my backyard games with friends. I also loveeee oldies music, especially Paul Anka! My grandma and I are obsessed with Paul Anka and she even gave me a poster she won at one of his concerts. I see that you like Uncharted. Did you see the new Uncharted movie that came out? I haven’t seen it myself yet but some people have told me they were disappointed. I’d love to know your thoughts!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Vallika! I also love baking!!! I mostly bake around Christmas time, with my specialty being Pecan Pie Bars. Since I have gotten my internship and been taking summer classes, there hasn’t been much time to partake in baking. What are some of your favorites to bake?

As for old video games, I’m not sure if this qualifies but I also mentioned some like: Frogger, RallyX, Galaga, and not sure if you’re familiar with Dig Dug. Those are classics and my favorites!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Vallika!

You seem super talented! I also enjoy baking a lot and can RELATE SO MUCH to loving the Oldies, anything that’s vintage attracts me immediately. I was also a Computer Science major at one point and even work in tech but then I decided to pursue a different major instead.

I hope you have a wonderful semester!!!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi everyone, my name is Altay. I am a computer science major here at Rutgers. My hobbies include programming, exercising, and playing various video games. Something interesting about me is that I spend a lot of my time playing chess.
I decided to take this course because I have had a great interest in games since I was very young. I thought taking a game design course would be a great way to complete some credits while doing something fun. I am hoping to learn more about the process of how games are written this semester. I have played tons of different games in my life, but currently I like to play Chess or various video games like Dark Souls, DOOM, and Halo. I have always enjoyed RPG games the most as I am obsessed with the concept of leveling up my character and facing new challenges.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Altay,

I love the (new) DOOM games as well. I still haven’t beaten Eternal but I’ve really enjoyed it so far. I’m also an RPG fan, Skyrim and Mass Effect are probably my favorites.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Altay,

I’ve always been similarly fond of RPGs for the purpose you stated. Progression of games and the fulfillment it brings has always been of interest to me & I think RPGs are the most exemplary of this game design tenet, namely JRPGs that pit the player against a game world which forces character growth to overcome adversity.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Altay! It’s awesome that you’re into chess. I enjoy strategy games, but I don’t play chess often. Do you also like riddles, brain-twisters, and such? I used to come up with riddles for fun.

I enjoy RPGs too, often for the immersion and for feeling like I’m in a different setting. Leveling up and facing new challenges — that’s something I’ll have to keep in mind for my RPG project.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi everyone! My name is Maria and I am a junior in Chemical Engineering. Outside of my studies, I enjoy kayaking, thrifting, and listening to R&B music. Something interesting about me is that I am a twin and we are both left handed :). I took this course because I am working to complete the Business & Technical Writing minor, and this course satisfies one of those requirements, but also because I’ve enjoyed all the Writing Program courses I’ve taken previously. As for games I play, I wouldn’t consider myself an avid gamer, but I have dabbled in Minecraft in the past and I am a daily New York Times Wordle and Crossword player. I also like to play Scattergories with my family and friends and I have lots of warm memories playing it at family gatherings and holidays.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hey Maria, that is really interesting! I always wondered what it would be like to have a twin. Considering how you enjoy writing courses and a game like Minecraft, I’m sure you are very creative!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Oh my gosh Maria we have so much in common. I love Wordle (my streak is at 243 days right now) and I’m also a Business and Technical Writing minor. I saw your reply to my introduction earlier, and I’m also super competitive when it comes to spit. I’m willing to play you at any time lol.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

The NYT Mini Crosswords are awesome but feel so defeated when it takes me the whole alphabet to get a square I dont know lol. I think scattergories is an amazing game as well just because I can always win against my family. Besides the games, I love kayaking as well & one of the places Im dying to kayaking at is the Pictured Rocks in Michigan.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Maria!
I’m also a twin, but we are both right-handed. I love the NYT mini crossword and wordle, so I also play every night! Although, the mini crossword clues often frustrate me lol.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hey Maria, I think it’s really funny that you mentioned Minecraft because that’s a game that I know is incredibly popular, but I haven’t had too much experience with it. I just thought it was fun thing that you included just because it’s fairly relevant to what I’ve been thinking about recently.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Maria, me and my brother are both also left handed! We’re not twins though he’s two years older than me. Anyway, I also am a big fan of the Wordles,I do them everyday with my roommates as a competition.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hello everyone! My name is Gabrielle Petrillo, but you can call me Gabby! I am currently studying at Rutgers Business School with hopes to double major in Management and Marketing. Some of my interests and hobbies outside of class include shopping, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. Though my life seems very dull at times, one interesting fact about me is that I am an active puppy foster mom. Last summer, I fostered nine puppies at once and found them all forever homes. This summer, I only fostered one pup, and he found his forever home within one week!

I took this course because it seemed the most interesting and interactive out of all the writing course options. From this class, I hope to learn a bit more about the game design process as well as what goes into making a game successful and fun. I, myself, enjoy playing all types of games, including video games such as Fortnite, card games such as Rummy, and board games such as Clue. I actually have two gaming buddies in this class, Meeteeka Pandya and Jasmine Patel, that fuel my competitive nature and join me in game playing!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Gabby!

I’m so jealous to hear that you fostered ten puppies because I’ve wanted a puppy for the longest time. Although I don’t think I’ll be getting one anytime soon, you’ve definitely opened my mind up to fostering one. I definitely enjoy playing Fortnite with you and Jasmine, and I hope we can play Call of Duty again soon!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Gabby! I would love foster some puppies to keep my dog company, but one is the allowed limit in my house. My dog’s name is Nala, and she’s a Shetland Sheepdog (half Rough Collie, half Scottish water Shepherd) and she looks just like a baby Lassie! Since she’s a COVID puppy, she’s not very social yet (though she’s not unsocial, doesn’t bite, etc.), so let me know if you’re ever on campus with your foster pups!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

I will definitely let you know! I will probably get another foster pup around winter break time so I can be home with them!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Gabby!
Is there any way, any possible way, you could bring a foster puppy to my dorm? I need serotonin in the form of puppies stat. Also, I love Clue! It’s a tradition in my family for us to play any time we all get together (and considering how busy we all are, that’s kinda rare). It holds a really special place in my heart.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Next time I get one, I will definitely let you know haha!!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hey Gabby!

I always get super jealous when you send pictures of fostering puppies, they are the most adorable animals on this planet! Clue is one of my favorite board games, and I definitely love to play this plus so many other games with you and Meeteeka!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Gabby,
I think that’s so cool and so sweet that you’ve fostered that many dogs, it must be such a hassle. I couldn’t imagine even having that many dogs haha. Back at home I have two cats but I’ve always wanted to get a dog, just never had opportunity 🙁 Although I haven’t played Fortnite in a while, it’s definitely also one of my favorite games still to this day.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hey everyone! My name is Meeteeka and I’m currently a sophomore in the School of Communication and Information majoring in IT & Informatics with a minor in Critical Intelligence. Outside of class, I like working out, reading, shopping, and traveling. Something interesting about me is that I LOVE ranch, avocados, and spicy foods. I can without a doubt eat avocado toast for the rest of my life.

I took this course because it’s a more engaging and hands-on writing class which seems very exciting. By taking this class, I hope to understand the mechanics of game design and take part in designing my own! Although this class did seem a little challenging to me at first, I think it will be very fun. Some video games I enjoy playing are Call of Duty which I play with my fellow classmate Gabrielle, Fortnite, and Modern Warfare. Some board games I enjoy playing are Monopoly, Clue, Operation, and Mancala.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Meeteeka!
I love COD so much, but I only play mobile lol (in my opinion it’s better than any other version). What exactly goes into a Critical Intelligence minor? I’ve never heard of it before.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

I also play mobile as well lol because i don’t have a ps4. I’m actually taking my first critical intelligence class this semester and it’s basically about global security and privacy and it examines the concepts and practices used to identify intelligence that can be used by policy makers, military, security, and the police to advance homeland security. I hope that helps! 🙂

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Meeteeka! It sounds like you have great taste in food as ranch and/or hot sauce seem to make their way onto just about everything I eat (avocados in the right occasion of course). I also used to play Call of Duty & Fortnite with old roommates of mine! I was never very good at it but I thought it was at least a great way to spend time with them

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

HEY MEETEEKA!!!
I also love shopping and I especially love sending you all of my shopping haul videos. I miss our Call of Duty sessions in between high school classes but I know we will have more to come in the future! I’ve always wanted to play Mancala but no ones ever taught me so maybe one day you can teach me!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Meeteeka!

OMG I’m so glad to meet another avocado lover! They have become wayyy too expensive for me to eat them as often as I’d like here, so when I went down south over the summer, my vacation group and I made 15-avocado guacamole and it may have been the highlight on my week (just maybe). Ranch and spicy foods are also on my list. I have to say a combo of the two is the best it gets. By that I mean Buffalo wings with ranch, or a spicy buttermilk chicken burger with ranch/blue cheese. Yum!!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Meeteeka!

I absolutely ADORE ranch, avocados, and spicy foods. I agree with you, I most definitely could eat avocado toast for the rest of life everyday, especially if I could throw some bacon on there. You are probably the first person that I have met that is taking a Critical Intelligence minor, it sounds really interesting, considering I have never heard of it before today. I also love Clue and Monopoly, and I love gaming with you and Gabby too!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hey everyone, my name is Kevin and I am a Landscape Architect student at Rutgers & I commute! I enjoy going to the gym, playing ultimate frisbee, disc golf, hiking, classic rock, western movies, and that all I can think of off the top of my head. Something pretty cool about myself is that I got to meet Brandon Nimmo (Mets Player) about a week ago.

I took this course to fulfill my final writing requirement and the asynchronous learning experience helps with my schedule. I’m hoping to gain a deeper understanding of games in this course and hopefully how they came about/why people enjoy them. I enjoy physical games (sports) but some of my other favorites are rummikub with Grandma, poker, Super Strikers, RDR2, dye, Pokemon GO here and there, but can enjoy most games that can be played with multiple people.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Archive.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Kevin!
I also used to play Pokemon GO, it was super fun and I miss the period when it was really popular — I’ve been thinking about playing it again recently. I’ve also heard a lot of good things about RDR2, I definitely need to play it!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi everyone!

My name is Evan and I’m an ITI major with a minor in Business and Technical Writing. Outside of class, I love listening to music, playing guitar, editing videos, and practicing photography. I also work as a camera operator for Rutgers Athletics.

I took this course because it sounds like a lot of fun; game design has always been an interest of mine. I play a lot of video games, typically first-person shooters and role-playing games. Right now, I’m waiting on Modern Warfare 2 and working my way through Horizon Forbidden West. In this course, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of effective game design, while also refining my writing skills.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Evan!!
I love listening to music and I also play guitar!! I have been playing for a little over three years and I’m still learning but it’s definitely a fun instrument. It is so cool that you film and edit videos. I used to do something similar for my high school basketball team and it takes a lot of skill so kudos to you!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi everyone! My name is Julia (she/her) and I’m a biology major with a minor in Health and Society. Outside of class, I love to play video games, watch movies (horror) and listen to all kinds of music (mostly pop/rock). Something interesting about me is that I have an identical twin sister who also goes to Rutgers.

I found this course when looking to fulfill my writing requirement and was so excited to see a class centered around analyzing game design! In this class, I am hoping to learn and examine what effective game design consists of.
I like to play all kinds of games, but I would say I prefer video games. My favorite games are story-telling games, but I also like Horror, RPGs, etc. Some of my favorites are Minecraft, Animal Crossing, Splatoon, Night in the Woods, Ace Attorney, and Persona 5.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Julia!! Nice to meet you 🙂 I also love Animal Crossing! I have dabbled in Minecraft, but admittedly never get too far. Have you ever played Life Is Strange? I also love story-telling games.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Julia! My sister was also at Rutgers and was a bio major. I liked the Ace Attorney games and think I would like Minecraft and Animal Crossing. I haven’t played Persona 5 yet, but I played Persona 4 and enjoyed it. I like the immersion of Persona 4 and the uniqueness of the characters. Have you played visual novels?

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi there!

My name is Jasmine Patel (she/her/hers), but you can call me Jaz or by my full name, either works for me. My major is Business Management & Leadership, and I’m thinking of double majoring in Marketing, but that part is still undecided. I love to binge-watch TV shows, like right now I’m watching Gossip Girl, and I love to just hang out with my friends and discover new fun places to explore. Some fun facts about me are that my favorite football team is the Denver Broncos and I am a huge Marvel fan, so we are automatically friends if you are too.

I took this course for a multitude of reasons including making new friends, finishing my SOS core requirements, learning more about different games and the background behind them, and just trying a new type of course. I’m hoping to experience a new type of learning in this class and I’m hoping to see if this type of learning is beneficial for myself. I love to play all types of games, but more specifically card games and board games. Some of my favorite card games include Poker, Judgement, Phase 10, Uno, etc. and some of my favorite board games include Monopoly, The Game of Life, Clue, and many others. I’m looking forward to taking to class and meeting other people interested in this subject!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

HI JASMINE!!!
I am also a football fan as you know but I love the Jets! I also love binge-watching TV shows and I just finished watching The O.C. which is similar to a Gossip Girl type show. I mentioned in my response that I love playing Clue too so lets play sometime!!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hello everyone, my name is Dalen Saltzman, and I am currently a supersenior in my last semester at Rutgers. For context, I was supposed to graduate last Spring, but due to my major change back earlier in college and other covid related circumstances, I was unable to finish my minor in Business and Technical Writing, so here I am. Outside of class, my hobbies include listening to and making music. I am and have been part of an on-campus a cappella group called Deep Treble. I sing Tenor, and I also play guitar. Music has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, and I have definitely been influenced a lot by video game music as well (Legend of Zelda music is in my top tier of video game soundtracks). I also teach and practice Taekwando, and a range of other martial arts styles. I am currently a 2nd-degree black belt in taekwando, and I have been practicing since I was 4 (over 18 years!), which I think is pretty extraordinary.

The main reason I am taking this class is because it fulfills a requirement for my minor in Bus & Tech Writing. However, I chose this class out of the many options I was given because I have always had a love for video games, and I consider myself to be a somewhat competent writer. So, merging the two sounds like the perfect combination for me. By taking this class, I hope to better understand and appreciate all the hard work that goes into writing for video games. My video game experience goes way back, almost as long as I can remember. I grew up on the original Gamecube, playing games like Animal Crossing, Mario Party, Spyro, and plenty of other Nintendo-licensed games. My favorite series, though, has always been the Legend of Zelda games. Eventually, I was gifted a Gameboy Advance SP, which started my love for handheld gaming. As I grew up, I ended up cycling through the DS Lite, the DSi, the Wii, and now the Switch. It wasn’t until late middle school that I got my first PlayStation 3, and ever since, I’ve been a PS “fanboy.” Since then, PlayStation has become my console of choice. Nowadays, my favorite style of video game are open-world adventure games, like Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or God of War (2018). I also play my fair share of 1st and 3rd person shooters, including the Call of Duty series and my personal favorite, Overwatch.

I’m looking forward to taking this class with you all, and if anyone needs a new gaming partner (PS4/5 and Switch), hit me up and I’d be more than happy to share my gamertags. Thanks everyone!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Dalen!
I also love video game music – the Legend of Zelda soundtrack is very top-tier. I’ve found that the best way to study is to listen to video game soundtracks. I also grew up with the wii -> DSi -> 3DS -> Switch cycle. I definitely miss the DS/3DS era, but I love everything the Switch has brought to Nintendo.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Dalen! I love the puzzle-solving aspect of Zelda games. I haven’t played Breath of the Wild yet, but I imagine it’s as fun as the other Zelda games. My favorite Zelda game is probably the one of Seasons or Time. My favorite handheld is the 3DS — some of my favorite games are on there (for example, Etrian Odyssey). I have a PS2, but not any of the newer ones.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

My name is Jared, and I’m majoring in Statistics and minoring in Economics. My hobbies are watching and playing sports for the most part. An interesting fact about me is that I transferred to Rutgers from Michigan State. I like to play video games in my free time, but recently I haven’t been playing much. I took this course because I need it for my major, however I thought the topic of this course was very interesting. I hope to gain a newfound respect for video games and the thought that goes into them. I like to play sports games mainly, but I don’t mind playing other types of games.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Jared! I actually started my University experience at Loyola Chicago. Do you miss the midwest?! I moved there straight out of high school and it was a great opportunity. For financial reasons I had to come home, but I learned a lot about being on my own. As for sports, like Michigan, Rutgers has great college sports to watch!

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Hi Jared, nice to meet you! I also love watching and playing sports too. I grew up doing so with my father, and it’s become a comforting form of entertainment and passion. My favorites are football and baseball. Basketball is a close third, though.

However, when it comes to sports video games, I was never really the biggest fan. I bought every madden from when I was around 12 to 18, but after that I just kind of realized that I don’t want to be spending that much money on basically the same game each year. I understand there are lots of changes and nuances from iteration to iteration, but I guess it’s just not my style of game. My favorite sports game, though, is probable Blitz: the League. There’s just something about the extreme nature and goriness of it all that made young me really excited to play the game. Maybe that explains why I am the way I am though… oh well. Nice to meet you, good luck this semester!

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My name is Chris Kim. I’m senior major in JMS with a minor in creative writing. Right now I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to manage my two jobs and college, but for fun I’ve recently been playing a lot of smash bros with my roommate. I would say something interesting about me is over the summer, I spent two weeks solo travelling all over Italy. I won’t lie one of the reasons I took this course is because I need to fulfil some of my sas requirements. I don’t play a whole lot of video games, but the ones I have played and really enjoyed back in the day were all single player story based games.

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Hi Chris! Kudos to you for working two jobs on top of school. I am also managing a 30 hours work week, on top of classes. Currently in the “figuring it out” status as well!! Solo traveling Italy sounds amazing!! Have you been before? Also wondering if there were ever times you got nervous because you were on your own in a different country?! Again, kudos!!

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Hi Chris,

I can relate to your busy schedule, I also work two jobs and run my own business besides being a full-time student. It’s so cool that you went solo traveling in Italy – sounds like such a dream!!!

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My name is Kwabena Elkins, and I am currently a 3rd year political science major at Rutgers. Coincidentally, one of my most treasured hobbies is gaming, in addition to reading and exercising. I currently run a horror media club here at Rutgers.

I took this course primarily because it fulfills one of the requirements for the Business & Technical Writing minors; I did not know going in that this was a game design oriented class, but I hope to learn more about writing’s role in crafting profound interactive experiences as well as gaining a new perspective in writing. When it comes to video games, I consider myself an eclectic that finds all sorts of experiences fulfilling, whether they are single or multiplayer, or story based / competitive.

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Hi, everyone! Nice to meet you! My name is Kattie Castro. I am pursuing a major in Labor and Employment Relations and will be graduating at the end of this semester. Outside of class, I love doing puzzles (on my iPad, otherwise my neck ends up hurting after a long puzzle session) and journaling. I also enjoy spending time with my little siblings. Something interesting about me is that I am at least 10 years older than all my siblings. I have 5, with the youngest finally entering Kindergarten. Thus, aside from my job in Human Resources I am also a full-time big sister!!

I took this course to fulfill my writing requirement before graduating, but I have always enjoyed playing games. In fact, growing up my dad and I would bond a lot over them. I’m hoping to experience a variety of different types of games and learning about how their rules come together. They are fun, but must be complex to make.
I like to play all sorts of games! My favorites, however, in order are: Tetris, Frogger, RallyX, Galaga, Animal Crossing, Life Is Strange, Mahjong, Mancala, and Super Mario Bros.

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Hi Kattie, nice to meet you! I wanna say, Frogger and Animal Crossing are two of my favorite video games! I grew up with a GameCube, so I played Frogger Adventures and the original Animal Crossing. The og Animal Crossing is still one of my favorite games of all time. When New Horizons came out, I was ecstatic, and put in over 200 hours within the first month of it being released (it was the beginning of covid, I had nothing better to do). All that said, nothing beats the og Animal Crossing for me. It was nice to meet you, good luck this semester!

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Hi everyone!

I’m Tehreem and i’m a Journalism and Media Studies. Outside of class, I love film photography, yoga, embroidery, baking and watching films, lately I love watching k-dramas.

Something interesting about me is that I started my own software development company last year.

I took this course to fulfill one of my CORE requirements. I used to play video games a lot with my little brother back in the mid and late 2000s when we had a Playstation 2. When I got to high school, I enjoyed playing games on my smartphone more. Now I don’t play video games.

Playing board games, however, has always been a way to bond with my family. Since I’m Pakistani, Ludo has always been our go-to game for as long as I can remember! Scattergorries is also another favorite. I’m hoping to do well in this class and hoping that it connects me back to the good memories I had with video games again.

I hope everyone has a wonderful semester 🙂

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Hey Tehreem, it’s nice to meet you! I think it’s really cool that you started your own software development company, that’s really awesome. It’s very clear that you have lots of ambition, which is a great quality to have. I think it will also be an interesting combination on top of your journalism and media studies major.

I also wanted to say that I share your same passion for board games! Scattergories is also one of my favorite board games, along with scrabble. Board games are so fun and I think it’s very interesting to connect the similarities and differences between board games and our modern online and video games.

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