[game_edu] Analog Games

[Erik Wesslen]

The question is do we want to emulate pre-existing mmorpgs, or encourage our 
students to explore their own creativity?

Erik


Quoting John Hopson <jhopson at microsoft.com>:


> 

> One potential tool for this sort of thing is the City of Heroes collectable

> card game (http://www.cohccg.com/).  The designers at Cryptic who make the

> related City of Heroes MMO consider the card game to be such a good model of

> the MMO's combat system that they use it to prototype changes to the MMO's

> mechanics before putting the changes into the game's code.

> 

> 

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: game_edu-bounces at igda.org [mailto:game_edu-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf

> Of Kevin O'Gorman

> Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2006 1:08 PM

> To: game_edu at igda.org

> Subject: Re: [game_edu] Analog Games

> 

> In my Intro to Game Design class, we play an analog game (Settlers of Catan

> or Diplomacy so far) and then I show them how we can prototype an FPS using

> plastic soldiers, action cards, tokens, hexmap, etc.  They are then split

> into teams and given a week to develop their own prototype using these

> supplies, or whatever they can come up with.  I find it very hard to get

> students to look beyond the shooters and fighting games they play on the

> consoles these days.  Everyone only thinks in terms of Final Fantasy, Tekken,

> and Halo.  Even in my 2D game development course, using Torque Game Builder,

> they want to make FPSs.

> 

> Anyway, they have a great time developing the prototypes and then we play

> them in class and quickly find all the design gaps and inconsistancies.  The

> good teams are quick to develop a fix on the spot.  We also look at

> re-balancing, challenge levels, etc.

> 

> 

> I've done a mini-version of this session at the Game Developer Expo at Wake

> Tech for two years now, and it is always a good time and a good learning

> experience.  You really haven't lived until you've played a Spanish

> Inquisition themed FPS that was developed in 20 minutes.  :)

> 

> Kevin O'Gorman

> Chair, Game Design and Development

>      kogorman at aiuniv.edu

>      404-965-8180

> American Intercontinental University, Dunwoody

>      www.aiudunwoody.com

> 

> 

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> 

> Message: 1

> Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2006 00:40:20 -0800

> From: "Beth Aileen Dillon" <beth.a.dillon at gmail.com>

> Subject: [game_edu] Analog Game Design Activities?

> To: "IGDA Game Education Listserv" <game_edu at igda.org>

> Message-ID:

>         <218b01990611160040l71362a45tec106c8f1eaef0 at mail.gmail.com>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

> 

> What kinds of activities do you have students do to either come up

> with game design ideas or prototype game designs when you don't have

> technology available?

> 

> - Beth

> 

> --

> Beth Aileen Dillon

> Editor, CMP's GameCareerGuide.com

> PhD Student, Simon Fraser University

> Communications, IGDA Game Education

> http://www.bethadillon.com

> 

> 

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-- 
Erik Wesslen
(248) 535-4089
ewesslen at purdue.edu