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

Last week, you were asked to find and listen to any episode of The Game Design Roundtable podcast that struck you as especially interesting. The conversations that stemmed from your reflections were wonderful!

This week, you have been asked to listen to any episode of The Game Design Roundtable podcast that was recommended by a classmate in last week’s forum (or either of the podcasts I recommended in our screencast).

Before 11:59 pm on Friday, February 10th, post a reflection of your listening experience here. Include (1) the episode you listened to, (2) why you selected it, (3) what you learned, (4) who you would recommend check out this particular episode.

Then, before 11:59 PM on Monday, February 13th, respond to at least three of your classmates. Remember to be conversational! (Did anyone take you up on YOUR podcast recommendation? What did you find surprising or interesting about the podcast they listened to? Does it relate to your own interests? Does this mirror your strengths as a game designer, or does it tap into an area that is outside of your expertise?)

Have fun!

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

For this week I listened to podcast episode #177, “Tomer Perry, Ethics and Political Theory” that was recommended by Joeun. I chose this by his description of how it discusses how to use games in a classroom to further an education/lesson. As I want to be a teacher, I am very interested in how games can further the lesson that was just taught. The game can allow for a deeper understanding and connection to what they just learned. Perry discusses how he would assign a reading and discuss it in class but then he realized that he needs to make his classes more interesting and that usually cannot be done if there are just readings and discussions. He talked with other professors and tried to see what can be done to change the way that they all teach. He then mentions that he wants to combine for his love of game design into a Pedagogy which I think is quite fascinating. Not only does this resonate with me towards combining teaching and what I am fascinated with but he shows how he does that. In his case he uses a game/simulation to discuss different types of ethics and what is morally correct. After listening to this podcast, I got ideas that I will be able to use in my classroom in the future based on the lesson and like I said before, I want to be able to have my students have a better understanding of a topic. I would most likely do a game or simulation at the end of a difficult lesson. I would definitley recommend this podcast to other future teachers or anyone who wants to hear on different ways to deal with ethics and morals in different situations. I found this podcast episode to be very fascinating, thank you to Joeun for recommending this episode!!

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hello Erin! I really enjoyed reading your response. This podcast episode seems very interesting and I can se how it resonates with you as you want to be a teacher. Games are a great way to get children to engage and learn in the classroom. I think it is very important to keep in mind, as games can be utilized to make just about any assignment or topic more fun and interesting. I could see how this podcast would be especially helpful to teachers, as it is important that they make sure the children are actually learning. Like you said, a great way to do this is through games!

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Erin!
I’m glad you enjoyed my suggestion. Being a teacher is a hard job as you have to foster learning and check that the information is learned. Incorporating games into learning is a great idea because it allows for continuous attention to be held by the players, which are the students. Understanding can also be checked by how the students play the game and if they understand the directions. It is great that you strive to be a teacher who implements this type of learning:)

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Erin! I really liked your response and how you chose it based on a connection you had to your life goals of being a teacher. It is fascinating to see how games can each teach us an important lesson in different ways and varies by person. This is especially interesting as I have noticed that one game can have many lessons. And depending on the player as a person, they can take something completely different away from the game than others do. Considering how popular gaming is today, I think it’s a great idea to take things you learn from games and put them into your lesson plan in order to appeal to your students a bring something relatable, yet complex, to the classroom.

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Erin, I hope by the end of this course you actually can design lesson plans with this idea in mind as that sounds very cool. It was also an unexpected topic from the title of the podcast. I think (and from your summary, probably what Perry thinks) games work well in classrooms because there’s automatically interaction, motivation, and something new for students to work with, elements which would have to be otherwise generated by the teacher. Although I also remember not liking some game like activities we had to do in school, so maybe those teachers didn’t really think deeply about game design as they should have. Maybe you should give them some tips.

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

I listened to Game Design Round Table #240, Ryan Scott Aims for Balance-able, Not Balanced. When I saw the title of this podcast, I was immediately interested and knew I had to listen. Ryan Scott, a guest on the Podcast gives his opinion on making things ‘balancable’ and not balanced. I like this, because I think it leaves a lot of creativity and freedom for the game designer. We all have a different idea of what balance is, so this allows the designer to use this to their advantage and simply do what is best for them and their team. Ryan Scott discusses a few phases of the game design process that he goes by, and he stresses the importance of “creating variety and choices.” There is a lot of truth in this, as when people collaborate and put their ‘minds’ together, a lot of good can come out of it. The more ideas and opinions, the more options and variety. Scott states, “balance is about player experience, it’s about serving the player experience.” Scott also stresses the importance of keeping the player in mind when designing the game, making changes, etc., so throughout all of the steps of the game design process. The changes must make sense, and the player must understand why the changes were made or why the game was designed the way it was. While Scott acknowledges that balance is important, he believe ‘balanceable’ is a more obtainable, open-minded term, in which the designer has the autonomy to freely create what is in their vision to create. He doesn’t believe that the game designer should be so caught up with balance, and in turn, ruin their creative vision. Therefore, although balance is important, it is not everything and shouldn’t be what is solely focused on.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Megan.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Megan.

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Megan,

This podcast reminds me of Schell’s of the elemental tetrad! There was such an importance on keeping a balance of all four elements but in reality, they should be balanceable with one another. Along with the changes being made, if there is a change to one of the tetrads then there ahs to be a change to the others so all keep this balanceable way of game design. I agree, balance is important but it is not the most important thing ever.

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Megan, this sounds like a really interesting podcast! The idea of balancing a game is something that I have a lot of experience with from the player’s side. A lot of games, especially the ones with a competitive scene, see a lot of balance issues. As you say, however, balancing the game from the design stage is not necessarily the best way to think about creating the game because you might not have all the information needed (like different playstyles or hidden tricks that players discover themselves). Instead, being able to balance the game through updates and reworks seems to be a better approach – at least, however, you need to make the game balanceable so that you can actually do this.

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Megan! The podcast you listened to sounds very cool! Game balance is something that interests me because I play games such as VALORANT which have complex abilities so it is important for developers and game designers to keep the game balanced and each agent and their abilities balanced. I agree with your point that everyone has a different perception of what balance is and I have seen it many times in my experience playing games. I have seen people call a character unbalanced because their utility and abilities are far better than any other character in the game and I have seen others disagree with this view and it is interesting to see how many different ways there are to balance a game. I found it surprising that the podcast actually discussed not focusing too much on balance because I think sometimes it can be overlooked, but when I really thought about it I understand that focusing on one aspect of a game too much can actually ruin the game designer’s vision. I thought that was a really interesting part of the podcast you listened to. Overall, I thought the topic of the podcast was super interesting and I definitely think it would be something that I would listen to!

[AniParticipant Rupees: 715 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi! This podcast sounds really interesting. I like how you mentioned how balance gives designers the ability to be creative because there is a large room for interpretation. I wonder what some of the characteristics Ryan Scott says to make a game balanced. To me, I would assume that a balanced game is one that gives all the players an equal chance at winning or an even playing field. It is also interesting how you talked about how too much of anything can ruin the vision of the game. This makes sense because if a game was designed with too much of any one element, it can create an imbalance and make the game no longer fun. I can’t imagine a game that had way too many characters or way too many rewards! The purpose of a game is to be engaging and enjoyable, so at the end of the day, it is up to the designers to create specific goals to make their vision come to life.

[ShamarParticipant Rupees: 280 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Megan,
This podcast sounds very interesting, so I’m interested in hearing more about embedding creativity in a game that promotes the concept of balancing. When I think of balance, I think of how the designer goes about designing a game, whether they’re trying to balance creativity and a story in which both will create a common theme of a game. The concept of balancing is essential because it allows creators to utilize their way of creativity in the game, allowing players to explore their creativity and gain a form of engagement in creativity given to the players.

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Megan, based on your description of this podcast episode I am really intrigued by the topic and think that you portrayed the gist of the podcast very well. I find that balance is extremely important in game as it ensures that a game is equally challenging as well as enjoyable. I like how you mention the important of creating variety and choices as it ensures that players get a unique experience within their game, as well as giving them some control of how theie gaming experience will go which aids in the concept of balance.

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

This week, I listened to episode 249 “DIVING INTO MOBA CHANGES AND UPDATES,” which Ethan recommended last week. I chose this because it focuses on games like League of Legends, which is the main video game that I play currently, and I wanted to learn more about the design process and its history. During the episode, one thing that stood out to me was the discussion about adding new champions and how that impacts the landscape of the game. The thing with MOBA games is that when a champion is added, the entire game can shift because each champion interacts uniquely with other champions. The champion must be designed in such a way that it can interact with all other champions and not feel unbalanced, which I thought was fascinating to think about. At the same time, introducing champions will definitely impact the playing landscape, bringing weaker champions back into the mix, which I thought was really intriguing. The game is thus in constant flux, which engages players by providing variability.
I also agreed with the speakers when they said that having a lot of champions is a defining aspect of a MOBA, and is what makes them so addicting for certain players. I personally am someone who likes to collect champions, their skins, and also the knowledge of playing them. I think it’s a really fun experience, being able to test your skill and knowledge against others. Overall, this podcast definitely allowed me to gain a better perspective on why I like playing League and how the game has kept its relevancy after all these years.

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hello Christopher. I enjoyed reading your response. I can see how this podcast would appeal to you and others who like League of Legends. I know a few people who play or have played this game, but I have never played it myself. However, I am intrigued as I feel like I have heard a few people in this course mention it, so it must be a very good game. I had to look up what MOBA games are – Massive Online Battle Arena (I never would have got that, Lol). I like how you bring up the idea of multiple champions, or winning. This is very important, as there must be some type of reward in order to keep the player playing. In nearly every popular game, there is some type of reward after reaching some type of status, whether that be based on the number of levels completed, the score, etc. In order for games to keep their relevancy and remain popular even after many years says a lot about the game itself, and shows it is kind of timeless!

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Christopher,

I have never heard of this game but I find it very interesting how all of this games has backgrounds for all of the the champions. With this being said, I think it is important to add more as the game goes along because that allows for the ideas to be endless. The introduction of these ideas allows for more ways to grow and expand in this game. As you said, variability seems to be a very important to keep attention and interest in the game. A game does not constantly need to be changing but it does have to keep up with different times and keep and build attention.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Christopher! As someone who also plays League, I found your summary of the podcast really interesting. As you said, each champion, when newly introduced to the game, has the ability to change the scope of the game entirely. It really is a constant changing meta that needs attention by it’s designers in order to keep the game balanced and fair for everyone. For example, a couple years back, when the item Ardent Censer was meta, almost all support users were half forced into playing utility supports. Regarding characters, when the most recent champion K’sante was released, tank champions had a lot of impact in the top lane as they needed to match the newly released champion. He is also picked very often in pro play, which shows his impact as a top lane tank. Although champion designs in MOBAs cannot be perfect at the state of release, the constant adjusting and balancing from the designers show just how much effort it takes to balance a MOBA.

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Christopher!
I also chose to listen to this podcast after reading that it was about MOBA games, as I was interested in learning more about League. It is very interesting to see the impact of small changes like champion buffs or nerfs that affect playyers’ desire to continue playing the game. As the podcast mentioned, Riot has advanced the way they revise and renovate the game to fit to players’ requests and to optimize player retention, which I found impressive as a player myself.

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Christopher!
I also chose to listen to this podcast since it focus on the game league of legend and its updates. And it is also the main video game that I’m currently playing. I’m glad that you find out the issue of balancing characters. I remember in the podcast, the hosts said it will take more than half year to balance a character after this character is created. Also, you point out that a lot of champions is a defining aspect of a MOBA. I believe it is one of the most important feature of MOBA games. I believe stuffs like character skins are also one defining aspect of MOBA games since each skin provides background story to character that it belongs.

[ShamarParticipant Rupees: 280 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Christopher,
The game you mentioned in your post sounds interesting, and I’m eager to play it and see what it’s about. It’s vital to add more to a game than just ending it because it allows players to expand their interests more in the game than just a story. Games like this will enable them to interact with other players to see what they have in common, share their accomplishments and differences, and challenge each other to see who’s a better player and showcase their knowledge in skills. It is better than creating a game that’s based on a story, in which the player’s objective is to find out the outcome of the story rather than exploring the significance and the enjoyable moments of the game.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Christopher! I’m really glad you enjoyed the podcast. One thing that I liked that you mentioned in this post is that the podcast kind of reinforced why you liked the game so much. I also enjoy getting new skins, playing new champions, and trying out different team comp. I think the competition aspect and trying to outsmart the other team is what motivates us to keep playing and gives us that constant challenge in any situation during the game, making every update a fresh new start for us. Great post!

[AniParticipant Rupees: 715 RupeesRank: White Sword]

This week I listened to episode #224, “SCOTT NICHOLSON TALKS ESCAPE ROOMS.” I saw a classmate recommended this episode last week, and the title immediately grabbed my attention because I love escape rooms! Thinking about the aspects that go into designing an escape room sounds extremely fascinating. I would imagine creating the puzzle and clues, such as riddles, locks, codes, and other things is probably one of the hardest parts. Especially because the designer has to ensure that the puzzles are challenging enough but also solvable. In this episode, I learned about some examples of escape rooms and puzzles that have used mechanics to cleverly support themes. For instance, in the episode, Nicholson talks about a particular escape room where players were trapped in a speakeasy and unable to get out. The story was that the owner of the speakeasy wanted “only the smart ones to stay and all the dumbs ones out” (Nicholson 24:41). One of the challenges that were incorporated in this escape room was to earn enough money through gambling to bribe your way out. Throughout the game, the players had to pretend like they were in the role of someone who was in a casino trying to figure out a clue so they can win blackjack and ultimately escape the speakeasy. Nicholson continues to say how some teams did not realize that they had to actually play the “role” out and didn’t make it past the gambling bit. This just goes to show how immersive some games are designed, where the players actually have to take on a role outside their space, and thinking outside the box is the only way they can succeed. I would recommend this episode to anyone who is equally intrigued by escape rooms as I am! The episode gives you the inside scoop into the thought processes that go into creating these intricate games, so if that is something that you are interested in, definitely give it a listen!

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hello Ani! I also love escape rooms, I may have to listen to this podcast on my own time. The process of creating an escape room is fascinating! There is that balance of the escape room being a challenge, but also being solvable. I also like how you bring up the idea of the player taking on another ‘role.’ I believe this is very much seen in many games, especially in an escape room type of game. When you think about it, in order to complete an escape room properly, you must remain calm and think outside the box! I am someone who kind of panics in stressful situations, but when in an escape room, I take on a different role and manage to calm myself down and truly think and work toward solving the challenge.

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Ani,

I have never done an escape room but after reading your post I will definitely have to give this a listen before I do one! I love figuring stuff out and investigating different things like this so I cannot believe I have not done one yet. For me, the more immersive the game design is, it seems there is more thought and care about the actual performance of the game. It is nice knowing that these escape rooms are thought about very carefully so that people have a very hands on experience in them. I really need to try an escape room sometime!

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ani! I think the topic of the podcast you listened to is so cool! I think escape rooms are so cool, even though I am terrible at them. I have only done one, but I had no clue what was going on. I am terrible at finding clues and I think the most unimportant items are super important which ends up throwing off my entire team. However, I still think they are super cool to watch and see how each riddle, puzzle, and clue matches together. In addition, it is also hilarious to see an entire group hyper-focused on something as inconspicuous as a book facing a different direction. I agree with your point that the riddles and puzzles need to be challenging, but also solvable because not only would it be boring if it is impossible, but it would also frustrate players and might even negatively impact their experience. I think this podcast definitely goes outside of my area of expertise as I am completely unaware of how to make a good escape room as I can barely get through one myself. I am not the best at riddles and likely even worse at making them solvable yet fun. I definitely think this is a podcast I would listen to because even though I may not be good at escape rooms, I find them fascinating and I love to see the breakdowns of each puzzle, riddle, and clue. I think your response was super interesting and I loved learning more about the podcast!

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ani!
I also love escape rooms. I really like your description of “designing immersive games”. The process of escaping from the room is actually like a process of solving puzzles. We must carefully observe the details in the room to escape. This requires player to have a high level of concentration. In addition, I remember that Schell’s lens also mentioned the problem of space. I think the game of escape room can be a good example of space.

[ShamarParticipant Rupees: 280 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ani,
After reading your post, I’m interested in listening to this podcast since I enjoy playing escape room games. The integration of a story and challenging puzzles is what makes games like this quite interesting because there’s always a twist that challenges the odds of you winning, which makes the game more difficult for you to solve the mystery.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hello Ani, I loved this post. I loved this post. I always wanted to try an escape room, but I was too afraid of failing. Your explanation of designing an escape room filled with obstacles sounds so fun. I think I’ll listen to this podcast and decide if I really want to participate in one now!

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

This week, I listened to “Gaming the past with Jeremiah McCall”. I picked this podcast because i am really into retro games, and like to learn about them every chance I can get. Listening to the podcast, I learned that historical games are examples of history. Game designers put their own arguments into games about the past, and we can learn a lot from playing them. Jeremiah grew up loving games, and was around during pretty early editions of dungeons and dragons. Computer games became very important to him early on, and he had been a gamer since the Atari 2600. He is the only one to have written a book about how using video games in the history classrooms called gaming the past. Adapting games in the classroom has had a fair amount of pushback from parents, and Jeremiah knew his field of history, and he always thought very carefully about what he thought that kids were getting out of the game playing experience. For his roman republic course, his game tried to capture the reality of roman politics. Republic of Rome the game is unwieldy for using in a classroom. The idea was that you if you competed too much with the aristocrats, enemies of the republic would gang up of the kids, and everyone would lose the game. This is a pretty cool example of how he used games in his history class, and it’s one that I would have like to experience in high school. I would probably recommend this podcast to teachers everywhere in the country, as they can get a better idea of how playing games in a classroom setting could benefit their students. This could help change the opinions of many teachers who may have had negative opinions on games in the classroom before.

[JasmineParticipant Rupees: 320 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Scott,

I enjoyed reading your response. I think McCall’s book is useful in giving advice on how to use games in the classroom. I think it is a great idea of his to incorporate games in history classes considering that history can be difficult for some children to stay engaged with. I agree his book is a great recommendation for teachers around the world to use.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

This week I listened to episode 184: Narrative Designer Edwin Mcrae, that was recommended by Christopher last week. After reading Christopher’s post last week, I wanted to listen to the full podcast to listen to the perspective of a narrative designer. I personally have a lot of interest in story within games, as most of the games I play are games with intricate stories. A good story within a game helps with immersion for the player and provides an experience. Throughout the podcast, narrative designer Edwin Mcrae said during the podcast, “what’s the experience you want your player to have?”. He also stated that he uses glyphs during his designs to approach the narrative – glyphs are smaller details that hint at the overall story, details that allow the player to piece things together while playing. I think I somehow understand what this means, as when the player has to take the initiative and explore in order to figure out the story. As they stated in the podcast, players do not want to be read a novel. They also mention how narrative design is kind of a gray area as there aren’t really fixed steps into this approach, and the designers have to find out ways to make the narrative efficient. It was really interesting listening to the perspectives of narrative designers, and while I was listening to the podcast I had many aha-moments when I realized that glyphs were used in almost all of the games that I play, and I was able to piece what was said in the podcast into my personal experience. I think people who love story, not just game narratives, but books, movies, or even writers in general, would really have a wonderful time listening to this podcast.

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Rachel,
I’m glad you enjoyed the podcast and I completely agree that this podcast is for people who enjoy stories of all games. I found the concept of glyphs really insightful, and I also realized that they are a part of a lot of the games that I played. Designing the story of the game is a lot more intricate and delicate than I realized, which is why I really liked this episode.

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Rachel,
I might have to take a listen to this podcast sometime soon. I think that a games’ story is a very important factor that will keep players coming back to the game. Having a good story will keep players wanting to play to see how the story unfolds, and a good story will help fully immerse a player in a games world. Although I did not know what they were before, the use of glyphs throughout a games story seems like they can help the player figure out what is happening for themselves, slowly over time, rather than having everything exposed to them at once. If everything were exposed at once, why would a player want to keep playing your game? The use of glyphs in a games story can help hint at things, which will help keep the player curious.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Rachel! I also chose to listen to this podcast as I was really intrigued on the ways that a story could be implemented into a game. One of the most interesting things to me was the glyphs that you mentioned and how they sort of act as hints along the way for the players to piece together the story over time. I also liked how it tells a story in a way that isn’t displayed out to you and uses game elements to motivated the players to find out more in the story.

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Rachel, I agree with you completely that a game’s story is extremely important in a game and something that definitely draws me in and keeps me interested. A games story invites a sense of curiosity from a player as they want to learn more about the story such as what’s going to happen next and if there are any surprises awaiting. It makes the game fun and exciting and keeps the player intrigued because it makes the game feel more real. A story can take a game from good to great because it adds a sense of fantasy to a game that keeps a player hooked and I always look for a good story line when looking for a new game to try out.

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Rachel!

I found your post, and this episode, interesting because, like you said, I like books and therefore the story aspect of games are my favorite part. However, games are not like books, but they can do something that is completely different which makes them so compelling. For example, some games have multiple endings or storylines, and even side stories completely separate from the main plot. Exploring all the options and unraveling a bigger world is very exciting in my opinion.
You also mentioned glyphs, which I never heard of, but I was familiar with. I think glyphs are what makes games so intriguing as they spark interest and evoke curiosity in the game. Narrative design seems really complex but also a fun area to create and expand upon.

[RobertParticipant Rupees: 300 RupeesRank: White Sword]

The podcast episode I listened to is 177, about a professor using game design in his ethics course. The professor realized that traditional methods of teaching, such as reading and discussion, were not enough to keep his students interested and engaged. He wanted to combine his love for game design with teaching to create a more effective learning experience for his students. The professor uses a game simulation to teach ethics, allowing students to experience different ethical scenarios and better understand the material. The use of game design in teaching stood out the most and made the learning experience more enjoyable. The point system in the course was similar to a game-like experience, where students were in control and motivated to pursue more points.
Using games as a way to teach a class can benefit not only the teacher but also the students. Rather than just listening to lectures and reading materials, students can actively participate in their own learning process through games and simulations. It also creates a bridge between creativity and assignments because students can notice that the teachers are creative and it will help them work more creatively. I do recommend this podcast to others who want a unique view on a way to teach a class.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Robert! I think that the podcast episode you chose is definitely interesting, as it in a sense relates to us in this class right now. Our class mostly focuses on game design, but while we are learning about game design, we are also learning about effective ways of communication and teamwork (as we read about this week, chapters 25 and 26) and also honing our writing skills and analytic skills as this class primarily is a writing class. Just like the professor in your podcast episode used game writing to teach ethics, we are being taught writing with game design as the subject. As you said, using games as a way to teach a class is definitely beneficial – me personally, I really enjoy this class as I am interested in the subject of game design, even if I necessarily do not like writing. It helps me become a bit more engaged in the course. It’s really interesting how games can be used in a variety of places, as most people would not think that game and learning would go together.

[RobertParticipant Rupees: 300 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Rachel,
Thank you for responding to my post. I agree that this class helps us as students express ourselves in unique ways. I also enjoy playing games and writing so it combines two things that I really like. There has been a big shift in people’s views on games recently because they can be profitable and there are studies that say playing games as kids increase coordination and problem-solving.

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi! I think this podcast topic was fascinating because I like to see when teachers use nontraditional methods to teach their students! Not every student is a reading and discussion type of learner and I like seeing teachers incorporate other methods for students who may learn better with hands-on methods. I think a game simulation to teach ethics sounds super fun and that sounds like something I would find super interesting if I was a student in that class! I love classes that are nontraditional. I am in a class where we do a lot of scenario-based debates, open discussions, and teamwork and it is so refreshing when I am used to lectures and discussions. I think this topic mirrors one of my strengths because I love using nontraditional methods to expand ways to teach people and I think this is a great podcast for that. A scenario such as what this podcast is describing breeds creativity and allows for both the teacher and the students to enjoy the class more and see it from a different view. I think the podcast you chose was super cool and I would definitely listen to it. I also thin your description of it was great and you did a good job reflecting on the information that was discussed in it. Great job!

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Robert,
The podcast that I listened to was very similar to this, though mine talked about the benefits of using games in history classrooms, rather than ethics classes. Although while I would say that some of the traditional teaching methods mentioned like discussion and reading would be enough to bore students, the use of games in the classroom can effectively facilitate learning by getting more people involved. With more active participation in the classroom due to these games, more students will be able to have a fun time while learning topics that to most would seem boring. By making the learning experience a bit more enjoyable, this can also help in teachers building healthy relationships with their students.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Scott.

[RobertParticipant Rupees: 300 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Scott,
Thanks for replying to my post. I believe that games can work. in. any situation no matter the class Especially in lower-level classes, for example, kids can play math games to learn basic math. As well as this I saw a video of a history teacher teaching the students about history using Skyrm I think. The students were all very involved and attentive. So This could be a solution for spicing up the lectures.

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

This week I have decided to listen to Podcast #244: Round Table on Matching Player Expectations which was recommended by a classmate in last weeks discussion. This podcast peaked my interest from the title as I believe that matching player expectations is one of the hardest things to do in game design because of how advanced and detailed games are today so the expectations from players are very high and it takes a lot of effort from game writers to meet and even exceed those expectations. During this podcast they talk about how , as a game writer/maker you are bound to make mistakes but that those mistakes allow for adjustments to be made to the game to eventually find a perfect balance. They speak about how mistakes in game making is essential to the process as getting feedback from players is what helps them to ultimately meet their expectations and provide a well balanced game. Prior to this game, the title made me think that a game maker has the task of making the game to meet the expectations of the players the first time they put it out and therefore was surprised that they actually look forward to and account for mistakes to allow them to make changes that ultimately translate into meeting player expectation. This is a very strategic way of going about game making as it ensures that the game will eventually be successful and meet the players expectations as the players will quite literally be telling the game makers what they need to change in order to do exactly that. Moving from this thought, a quote from this podcast that stood out to me was, “if you are building a game that is intended to last for many years, you need some level of complexity and depth”. This appeals to what I had stated earlier about games today being so advanced which causes players to have these high expectations. Therefore if gamemakers today want to build a successful game, they must go beyond the basics and what has already been done or replicated. They must push the envelope farther and create a new and complex experience for gamers that gives players a new and unique experience that challenges them and makes them come back to keep playing. I acknowledge that due to the vast amount of games that are out there today, that it is a difficult task to makes something that is completely new to players but as expectations from the players continue to become greater, game makers must think critically and rise to the challenge in order to provide for these players and create a successful game.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Alexis.

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Alexis, it also surprises me that keeping in some mistakes can act as a step towards meeting expectations, since it does seem a little counterintuitive. Although, it also reminds me about how sometimes people will say that a company (any company, not just in games) will make a purposefully controversial statement just to generate publicity of a sort, because even if people are not talking favorably about them they are still talking about them. While this may not translate 1:1 for games, since people might actually take the feedback about mistakes as a reason to not play the game, that aspect of interactivity might be a part of what they’re looking for. Also, if designers show that they are willing to take feedback, it can also attract players as they know they can get more of what they like.

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Alexis!

I also chose this episode for the second discussion.I think they do not expect to meet player expectations the first go around because it is impossible to know how people would react, and you are undoubtedly bound to disappoint someone. I think this is why so many games have updates to fix bugs, maybe expand on options, and just respond to the feedback they have received now that the game is released. Like you said, they now have a much higher chance to meet player expectations but I do not think it is, or ever will be, definite. For example, for aspects such as story or theme, one cannot simply chang post-production without just creating a completely new game. There are times where player expectations can really just not be met, but this shortcoming can be used as a learning experience for other games.

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

For this week, I listened to episode #249 “DIVING INTO MOBA CHANGES AND UPDATES”. This episode was recommaned by Ethan. I choose this episode because as with Ethan, I’m also a League of Legends player. And I highly recommand those who are the audience of MOBA genre games to listen to this episode. In this episode, three hosts taking League of Legends as an example to discuss the development of MOBAs, the core mechanics of MOBAs, and the effects of game updates on these mechanics. Last week, Ethan already introduced us to the consequences of game updates mentioned in the episode. The effects of game updates can be both good and bad. The good effects, for example, can make the game more “fresh” and maintain the player base. The bad effects, for example, are that some players are unable to adapt to the new characters, new versions, and new equipment, and thus give up the game. By listening to this week’s episode, I learned about the core mechanics of MOBAs, the QWER four ability mechanic. In League of Legends, the keys Q, W, E correspond to the three skills of each hero, and the key R corresponds to the Ult of each hero. The host told us that the reason why the QWER mechanic is suitable for League of Legends but not for games like Overwatch is because shooting games usually involve moving with WSAD and shooting by clicking the mouse. If we add the QWER four abilities to a shooting game, few people will be able to handle it. This is because in shooting game, people are already using WASD keys to move and click the mouse to shoot, people won’t have extra fingers to click other keys. However, League of Legends only needs to control the movement of characters by clicking the mouse on the ground, so the QWER mechanism is very suitable for League of Legends. Players only need to press four buttons to attack heroes. Therefore, I believe this indicates the fact that the same mechanism cannot be appplied in different genres of games.

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

This week I decided to listen to episode 190: CONS, KIDS, GAMES, AND NAMES based on Christiana’s recommendation. I decided to watch this one because I have always been curious about the different considerations that go into making an adult game versus making a game designed for children. The podcast was very interesting and I liked that there were many different types of questions that covered a lot of different topics. In addition, one cool topic they discussed at the beginning of the podcast was conventions or CONS as per the title. Different conventions such as PAX East and Gen Con were discussed as well as what they target, such as Gen Con being a primarily tabletop game convention. I thought this was interesting because I have actually been to PAX East and I thought it was super interesting. There were many different types of games, such as Nintendo games, Dungeons and Dragons, ARK, and many more and panels can be very beneficial for up-and-coming game designers who want to learn more. I thought it was very interesting when educational games for kids were being discussed. One thing I learned was one of the ways that game designers find out how to design a kid’s game is by actually sitting with kids and studying what they like. One of the game designers in the podcast discussed how he would just sit and watch kids play and see what excites them or how they like to play. I thought this was an amazing take on making a game because you need to actually know your audience and need to know what will work best for them, and in this scenario, you need to know what kids like. Something else I learned was that companies need to consider their names alphabetically when choosing a name. One of the game designers discussed how they picked the name “Artana” because A would appear higher on an alphabetical list of game companies and also because the word “art” was important to him. I had never thought about it that way and I thought that was quite interesting. In conclusion, when listening to this podcast I learned a lot about conventions, how kids’ games are made and what goes into them, and the process of naming games and companies. I would recommend this podcast to anyone who is interested in making kids’ games and wants to learn more about gaming and conventions as those were what the podcast was primarily about.

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Izabella!

It’s cool that you took me up on my recommendation! Especially since you focused on aspects that I had really not, such as conventions. When I think of conventions, I think of it as a place where like-minded individuals come together to enjoy the same interest. I never thought about how it can also become a place for one to learn if one is curious and new to it. I think I underestimated the usefulness of conventions and its value in creating and drawing in new game dseigners.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

This week, I decided to listen to EPISODE 184: “Narrative Designer Edwin Mcrae” which was recommended by Christopher last week. I chose to listen to this episode because when reading through Chris’ discussion post last week, I was very intrigued on how the aspect of storytelling in game design was analyzed. I wanted to know the different ways that games implemented story lines as games can deliver stories to the audience in ways that novels and words can not. Something I learned about was jigsaw storytelling which uses story glyphs that cover different hints and clues that tell a story. Ultimately, once you add those clues together, the player is able to comprise a story themselves. I really like this approach and think it really implements a challenge and keeps players on the edge of their seats. It also gives players incentive to work harder and take extra steps in a video game. They also talk about hiring a indie narrative designer and say that people need to know what kind of story they want to tell. “No matter what sort of game you have, it’s telling a story of some kind.” I would recommend this to people who are interested in game design in general as storytelling is a large part of many games and is an important element to understand. I would also recommend this to those who like writing and creating stories in general as this could open new ways for them to express their stories.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ethan! I also listened to the same podcast, that was recommended by Christopher. I feel like a lot of people who find interest in writing and in stories in general definitely found this podcast interesting. Personally I listened to this podcast as most of the time my favorite aspect of games is story, but this is a podcast that can intrigue people that aren’t really interested in games as well. It shows people how stories are developed in general, and present games as a way of telling the story. And in each game, there is a different way to tell the story – which adds so many options to storytelling in general. It was really interesting to see how the designers each had their own ways of telling the story they want to tell.

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Ethan, this sounds really interesting, especially the idea of story glyphs as I’ve never heard that particular concept before. I also wonder about the quote that “no matter what sort of game you have, it’s telling a story of some kind.” I feel like in a lot of our discussions here about simpler phone games that don’t really seem to have a story, we’ve had a hard time coming up with deeper elements. It’s easy to think about what the game is trying to achieve in general, which is usually just to be a fun and convenient game or something along those lines, but it’s harder to find coherent stories. So I’m wondering whether there is a way to find a story in those games, or whether its possible to make a game without a story.

[JasmineParticipant Rupees: 320 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ethan,

I enjoyed reading your post. I find it interesting how a game designer can use the method of jigsaw storytelling that uses story glyphs that cover different hints and clues that tell a story. I think that clues throughout a game help unveil the story being told. The anticipation of wanting to know what is going to be discovered in the story keeps players engaged.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

I chose the recommended podcast #214 Game Themes with Will Thompson because I was interested in the controversy surrounding it. The podcast discussed the game, Scramble for Africa, the game is about colonial European powers going into Africa and extracting resources. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the game because it reinforces negative stereotypes of indigenous people. Because of the nature of the game, it can reduce people to just obstacles and it dehumanizes them. Listening to this made me think, can video games have such a powerful influence on people’s minds? Even if it is just a game? One of the podcast hosts explains how part of the reason why this game was never published was because of today’s Zeitgeist, today people are more aware of these issues and feel more of inclined to speak up against it. I think that the game could have been successful if the game designer focused on telling the narrative of the indigenous people. Another way to make the game educational in this way is by having creators a part of the game development team who are from a diverse group, this will add authenticity to the game.

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Destiny,
I remember reading about “scramble for Africa” and being pretty interested in the controversy that it created. This goes to show that even though just a video game, a game’s theme has the power to cause outrage in people if the designers are not careful. The fact that the game is about European powers going into Africa and extracting resources could obviously be offensive to some people. You provide a great point how negative stereotypes of African people were being reinforced by this game, which would ultimately lead to the dehumanization of these people. While I feel like games should be able to push the boundaries as to what their themes are about, the feelings of groups of different types of people should obviously be heavily considered before making a game like this.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hello, I think it is so important to consider the ideas of different types of people and to incorporate them and their authenticity into the game play experience. A great point the host states is that most people have no clue about the culture and are only familiar with tropes presented through media. This is why collaboration is so important and diversity amongst your team is so beneficial to the game.

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

The episode I listened to was #7, EXPERIENCE & REPLAYABILITY WITH SCOTT LEWIS, as recommended by Kangwei last week. I chose to listen to this because I started wondering about which type of game I appreciate more, experience-based or replayable, and I would really have to say it depends on the game. I thought it was interesting that one idea brought up was how financially viable experience-based games were in comparison to replayable games. Since experience based games can be played less often and tend to require more time invested into each round of the game, it can away people who would rather like a game they can play frequently and with less effort. Experience based games, as mentioned in the episode, tend to be more complicated, but still the time needed to absorb this might be a barrier to a lot of people either because they don’t have the time or just would rather not spend it. Although this is a game design course rather than a game marketing course, as we read in the Fullerton chapter this week that is an essential part of the game – if the game doesn’t reach an audience it’s not great for the future of the people involved – but there can sometimes be a different set of priorities for people who design games and people who play games. Even if these people overlap, because the game you are designing could actually be one you don’t want to play if you were just assigned to it. Hopefully not though. I would recommend this episode to someone who maybe has more of an opinion on this than I did since I just said “I like both.” Maybe it would be interesting to hear the other side that way.

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Pragya!
I am glad that you pick the episode I recommanded last week. I really like your analysis about the difference between experience based game and replayable games. The experience based games are more time consuming and have richer content while the replayable games just like “fast food”. I never think of that the designer of these types of game might not be willing to design these games. Thanks for reminding me on that.

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

(1) the episode you listened to, (2) why you selected it, (3) what you learned, (4) who you would recommend check out this particular episode.

I listened to episode 244: ROUND TABLE ON MATCHING PLAYER EXPECTATIONS. I selected it because when responding to classmate earlier this week, I came across this recommendation. I was intrigued by the discussion of toxicity in games, because I have never thought of that in relation to the game designer.

In the podcast, it was mentioned that when one has the possibility of people interacting with real-life people, one has the possibility of it becoming toxic. However, one cannot really account for this. One must must design their game as if all their players have good intentions because, ultimately, the majority will. Trying to forsee other players’ response and prevent their actions will only serve to detract from the game.

I would recommend this game to anyone who plans on allowing player interaction in their games, but also those who game design in general, as attempting to meet player expectation is a problem applicable to all game designers.

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Christiana!
Although I have not listened to this podcast, your commentary and review of it intrigued me. Predicting players’ expectations is a big part of a game designer’s job to create a game that would meet/ exceed these expectations. I was interested in the point you have mentioned about predicting player to player interaction, and how a game designer could have no real control over it. That is true, but they can be prepared for both ends of the spectrum, where the interactions may go greatly or badly. Even if that were the case, how do game designers facilitate or even start to address toxic players in player interaction?

[RobertParticipant Rupees: 300 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Christina,
Awesome post! I have had so many experiences with toxicity in games. I believe a lot of it comes from the ability to talk to people and not have any repercussions. As well as this most games that are toxic are online winning-based games. So no one likes to lose, which creates a lot of competition. Therefore, if someone is doing badly on your team people feel the need to be. toxic. People also do not like to own up for losses so they are toxic instead. Finally, there are a lot of toxic people out there but playing the game for the game is so much better than paying any attention to the silly people online.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hello, this podcast sounds so fascinating. I never thought about this point of view when considering the mindset, I need to keep when constructing a game. I believe that when creating a game, you cannot pay attention to the few potential bad apples that may slip through the cracks and play the game negatively. If you design it this way the game may be too restricted and not fun for users. Great post!

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

I listened to the podcast: episode 249 “DIVING INTO MOBA CHANGES AND UPDATES”.
This was recommended by Ethan, but I chose this because of the relation to MOBA. I chose it hoping that it would talk about League, which is a game I’m familiar with. To my luck, they did talk about League a lot. I was amazed as to how much more complex the game design of League is. Because it is one of the few PC games I play, I did not know that it has been the most popular MOBA game for a decade, meaning there is not much competition out there. It was a shocking mention of the 100+ characters and how Riot Games is able to keep new updates, but also keep their players engaged into the game. Something interesting mentioned in the podcast was that Riot had made mistakes with their game design updates, but from those mistakes they have learned to rework their characters in a way that it would make their players happy. Their mistake was reworking characters in a way that it made players who usually main a character not want to play them anymore. The complexity of MOBA game design is very interesting to hear, as game designers must learn balance as they update their game to keep it relevant.

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Joeun,
I also decided to listen to this podcast this week, and I also found it really insightful, teaching me things about League that I never knew before. I also thought that the bit about updates and making mistakes with champions was interesting and also something that I experienced before. You can’t make every champion perfect and can’t account for the numerous ways that they can be played, which is why it’s so important that the game is able to rework itself. Since MOBAs are so complex and expansive, they definitely need to be heavily monitored in order to ensure a positive playing experience.

[AniParticipant Rupees: 715 RupeesRank: White Sword]

I have never played the game League of legends, but based on what you said, it sounds really interesting! Some of my friends are obsessed with that game, so learning about the complexity and mechanics that go into this game sounds pretty interesting.

[ShamarParticipant Rupees: 280 RupeesRank: White Sword]

The podcast this listened to was episode #273, “DAVE SCOTT TALKS EVERYDAY HEROES.” I chose this podcast because it would be a topic regarding character development in today’s gaming world. However, the podcast involves David and Dirk interviewing Dave Scott, Head of Evil Genius Games, about the mechanics he used within his games, with Everyday Heroes being one of his games. His idea of game design is not to replace anything but rather utilize the tools you have to make the game more engaging to players, such as the significance of implementing class systems to give players the ability to create their players. He also uses chase mechanics in his games. One of his games requires no distance but involves the capture and escape points where complications are implemented to create a challenge for the pursuer. In this case, the pursuer has to overcome the difficulty. Otherwise, the escapee can make it to the escape point. What I found insightful in this podcast was his desire to develop games that recreate scenes from his favorite movies, such as RoadHouse, which involved serious discussions with his team about whether to make his game seem realistic or a theme of fantasy. This is an essential aspect of game design in communication because Scott shares his ideas to allow his team to express their input and make decisions in pursuing his ideas.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Shamar! I really liked the mechanic implementation that Dave Scott introduces as he includes elements that make players more engaged. I think many players that enjoy games tend to enjoy the game where they have control and preference. So when I saw that he uses things such as class systems and chase mechanics, it brings a whole new dimension and includes the player into the “design” process. I also liked how he uses inspiration from movies that he likes in his own games, making it a more personal experience and possibly a personal experience for his audience as well. Great post!

[JasmineParticipant Rupees: 320 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Shamar, Dave Scott idea of not to replace anything but rather utilize the tools you have to make the game more engaging to players. Is a shared idea of Isaac Vega whose podcast I listened to this week. I find class systems in games like NBA 2k and or Madden. I too find it insightful that Scott to recreate games based on his favorite movie scenes, that gets me brainstorming for the team game design project coming soon.

[JasmineParticipant Rupees: 320 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Before 11:59 pm on Friday, February 10th, post a reflection of your listening experience here. Include (1) the episode you listened to, (2) why you selected it, (3) what you learned, (4) who you would recommend check out this particular episode.

The episode I listened to was #277 Diving Into Cards as a Crossroads. This podcast interview with game designer Isaac Vega discusses components of card games. He shares that deck building most fascinating ways of utilizing cards, allowing players more playing options or resources. Vega explains limitations when designing around card, and taking consideration for not only players but the designer itself about what challenges that may possibly occur and how to avoid them. I learned that his game City Remnants was a combination of all the mechanics he had enjoyed at the time, being that he had just found out about the board game industry. Whereas, with his game BioShock he focused on representing the theme. Death of Winter was more about the players experience and their decision making in the game. I would recommend particular episode to a game designer seeking advice or research on card and or board games.

[AniParticipant Rupees: 715 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi! This podcast sounds really interesting. I feel like designing a card game takes more work than other games because they don’t have the automatic advantage of retaining players’ attention. I like how you mentioned the limitations of card games because I think that’s a topic most people don’t consider when it comes to game design. In addition to what you mentioned, I think some other limitations can include balance to ensure that no player has an unfair advantage. I will definitely give this episode a listen!

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