Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=483https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2947Gamelog #5 Entry #2 Gameplay: It took a while for me to realize that the levels are timed. It does not seem to matter if you eliminate all of the bricks or not, the goal is to gather points. However, the more bricks eliminated the more points. The level ends when the time is up, whether there are still bricks or not. In my first round, I scored just over 600 points. Round two gave me about 40 more points, but I still died on the same level. I was able to clear several levels of bricks within the time limit though, which I had not been able to do my first time through the game. I really liked it when I discovered I was able to start on any level. Therefore, I was able to start on that particular one that was very troublesome where I continuously died. It was not necessary for me to spend all of my lives (balls) on it, but I had the option. From there I was able to go on to higher levels. It was nice because I got a chance to experience all of the levels without having to spend the time to beat them in order. I can now go back, try the game in order at my own pace, and not get frustrated at the prospect of never seeing a level because the previous one is too difficult. Design: At first, I thought that some of the levels had too many solid objects. There were solid walls that spanned almost the entire screen and it was very difficult to get around and eliminate the bricks behind it. It occurred to me though that this is where skill comes into the game, and it is no longer based on just luck. If you use the cannon balls and other power-ups to eliminate the close bricks, then it should be possible to angle the ball so it goes further back in the screen where the power-ups cannot reach. Trying this method out, I found that I was much more likely to eliminate all of the bricks in a level before the time ran out.Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:38:06 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2947&iddiary=5561https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2947BreakOMania Gamelog #5 Entry #1 Summary: Break O Mania is a remake of the classic arcade title BreakOut. It has the same basic goal of destroying all of the bricks in each level by hitting them with a ball while controlling a paddle. Once you cleared a stage of all bricks, you go on to the next level. This version has many different power ups, such as the fireball that you can cause to explode several bricks at once, but there are also negative effects that can harm the ball. Gameplay: Because this game is similar to the traditional Break Out and I was familiar with its basic concept, I did not read the directions before my first round. I discovered that this game has key renovations from the original that kept me on my toes. I was shocked when I received power-ups and was able to do things, such as cloning balls, launching cannonballs, and shooting missiles. Other rewards included gems that lead to points, paddle speed up, and double barrel guns for the paddle to help destroy bricks. It also threw me for a loop when I ended up with one of the games punishments: reversal of paddle direction, paddle slow down, or completely stopping the paddle. However, there were still the basic loss of a ball and loss of the game. All of these new features gave the game a little bit of unique spice to set it apart form the traditional game. I did not like a few of them, but as a whole, I think they present new and interesting challenges that I enjoyed trying to overcome. I was shocked when I was actually able to complete five levels before dying. It is the best I have been able to do for any game I have played for this class. Even when I did die, it did not give me the same discouraging feeling that other games have given me. I was able to last much longer (time wise) and get through more levels than any other game (my previous record was level three). I have not been able to figure out what it is about this game that I seem to be missing in other games, but I actually want to play my next round of this game.Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:55:21 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2947&iddiary=5548https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2602Gamelog #4 Entry #2 Gameplay: My second time around with Gradius was slightly better than the first. Instead of trying to advance through the playing field, I set up my own goals. I selected a two player game (even though I was the only one playing) and compared my score results through several rounds with player one only able to shoot and player two able to shoot and maneuver. To my surprise, and probably no one else’s, maneuvering does help. However, when I play it does not help that much. On average, my scores were so close that the difference is most likely negligible. On multiple occasions, I actually did better when I did not try to maneuver. I cannot even imagine the volume that speaks about how poor my skill level is. I lost interest in comparing my own scores fairly quickly since they were relatively consistent. After that, I was able to convince my roommate to play with me. She and I are at very similar skill levels; she only has a little more experience with video games than I do. Although neither of us did very well (with very little improvement), it was nice playing with someone just as bad as I was. There is no way I would have been able to stand playing with our other housemate. She is just too good; it would have been a futile effort on my part. For the most part, Gradius was much better the second time around. Unfortunately for the creators, this is not a game I would ever by for myself. Design: My score comparisons reinforce my previous point of needing different levels of difficulty. I know other games have this feature, but I think all games need it. Games may have plenty of the first seduction, the design of desire, but if they do not have enough of the second seduction, the design of pleasure, then the players are never going to continue to play. If a player dies three times within the first five minutes of playing a game, there is not enough design of pleasure. Players will become discouraged and will not be willing to reenter the magic circle. I believe that with difficulty levels, players will not be discouraged when they start out, and when they progress to a higher level of difficulty the pleasure of being successful will be all the greater. A downside of using an old system like this is that when I finally did want to play with my roommate we were actually just comparing scores after we had each taken our turns. Two players do not actually get to play at the same time in a team (like in the class demo for the PS2) or against each other. This greatly limits the kinds of interactions players can have with the system, which I assume is why later systems changed this. In the few games I have played, I always enjoyed them more when my friends and I could team up against the game. I much preferred fighting a common enemy than fighting each other. This version of Gradius does not allow that type of play, a very disappointing feature.Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:22:58 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2602&iddiary=4953https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2602Gamelog #4 Entry #1 Summary: Gradius is a classic horizontally scrolling “shoot ‘em up” game where the player controls the spaceship Vic Viper and must battle waves of enemies. Throughout the game, collection of power-ups enables Vic Viper to better engage enemy ships in combat. Once through the multitude of waves, the player faces off with a boss, a giant craft, which takes more effort and time to defeat. Gameplay: I was able to notice a link between my gameplay and the section of the book that talks about flow. The book discusses a balance between the player’s skill level and the challenges presented by the game. If the skill is high and the challenge low, the player experiences boredom. If the challenge is high and the skill low, the player experiences anxiety. Only when both are high or both low does the player experience flow. I would have to say that I fall into the Anxiety category. I felt as though I had no control over the game. Whether I tried very hard, weaving around, or simply sat and fired, I consistently got the same distance before I die. It felt as though the attacks were never ending and I was unable to get my bearings straight before the next attack (and usually death) occurred. The power-ups also did not feel effective enough to actually increase my fighting ability. I really think this game would benefit from letting the player choose a difficulty level. As a novice to this type of game (and in general all video games), it started out excessively strong. More than half of my deaths can be attributed to concentrating on the enemy ships so much that by the time I saw missiles from the ground bases it was too late to evade. The game was a complete sensory overload. I was so frustrated with it that I could not wait for my 45 minutes to end. I have to find some way to make the next session flow better or it will drive me nuts. This is also a perfect example of what not to put into my own game. My game is being aimed at young and inexperienced players, so it will need to begin slower and gradually increase the difficulty, not start out so demanding that the player dies within the first minute.Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:18:23 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2602&iddiary=4941https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2331Gamelog #3 Entry #2 Gameplay: When I first started playing round two, I could tell I was a little rusty after not playing for a few days, as if I had forgotten every thing I had learned. After a little while, however, I was able to get farther than the first time I had played in a shorter amount of time with fewer deaths. Although I am getting into the flow of video games a bit more, I still prefer board games. I do not think it has anything to do with being able to play them better and winning (I do not have very good luck with board games), but I really like them. I think it may be a different kind of social interaction. With video games, there may be talking among the players, but everyone is staring at the television screen because if something is missed, the player may die. However, with board games I feel there is more face-to-face interaction. Instead of lined up in front of the TV, players circle around a board and a player will not instantly die if they look up from the board at another player and miss a move. I do not know if this is exactly it, but it is something to consider. When I mentioned to my friend that I do not have as much fun playing video games as I think I should, she said it was something the culture we are raised in teaches us we should enjoy, but that she does not care for video games either. I had never thought of it that way. Each time I check out a new game, my apartment mates get so excited. They all want to play and are so jealous that I get to play for homework. I, on the other hand, look to the game playing with a bit of distaste. I much prefer spending my time designing and building the game for our project. Design: I fond it interesting that the music in Zelda bothered me, but I did not find the music in SMB3 as bad. I do not know why that would be because it is still the same thing repeated over and over. I liked how the music was able to set some of the atmospheric mood. At one point when a friend was playing, it was not even necessary to see what was on the screen to know when he had entered a dramatic level and there was danger that may jump out at any moment. Many of the outside levels had lighter, more upbeat music that were relatively indistinguishable. Inside the castle, though, with lava and spiraling fireballs the music was much more serious. When I first started playing the game, I did not realize that it was a race against the clock. If there had not been an audio indicator when time was running out, I never would have noticed that there was a clock at the bottom of the screen. I was much too focused on trying not to die to pay attention to the rest of the screen. I think the audio indicator is a marvelous idea for this game. Players are likely to become so absorbed that they forget to check how much time is left. If the clock were the only indicator of remaining time, I am sure many players would lose their lives due to careless inattention. Something I fond odd about the structure of this game was that once a level had been completed, the player could not go back and replay it during that game. They would have to completely died and restart the game to do the level again. That seems like a poor design feature to me because if a player likes one specific level, they may want to play it repeatedly. However, there really is not much to do in each level and there is a time limit so it seems a little pointless to play the same level multiple times.Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:33:39 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2331&iddiary=4504https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2331Gamelog #3 Entry #1 Summary: Super Mario Brothers 3 (SMB3) is a single or multiplayer platformer in the Super Mario Series. As Mario (or Luigi), a player passes through multiple levels within each of eight worlds. At the end of the first seven worlds, Mario confronts Koopalings (Browser’s children) and retrieves the wands of the kings of seven worlds. In the eighth world, Mario discovers that the stolen wands were a distraction by Browser so he could kidnap Princess Peach, and so Mario must rescue the princess. Throughout the game coins are collected for points and enemies are most often defeated by jumping on them. Gameplay: Although the story line of SMB3 is very basic, it is a classic. As broad as stories have become for video games, Mario and Luigi continue to reappear (for example, even the Wii has Super Mario Galaxy). Princess Peach will always need saving, and Mario and Luigi will be there to get the job done. These characters and others in the game have become cultural symbols (appearing on lunch boxes, backpacks, and clothes) shaping the standards by which we judge all other games. I enjoyed playing SMB3 and actually noticed myself learning tricks to the game. After several rounds of repeated deaths, I finally started to pick up on the necessary timing, or required speed to make a jump or defeat an enemy. I particularly enjoyed the power-up of acquiring the raccoon tail that slows falls and may also be used as a weapon. I knew I was supposed to be able to fly (or at least slowly fall) when I had the tail, but I still lost my life several times before a friend pointed out how to fly. He was also the one who told me that the spinning maneuver I discovered was a defensive technique. I am sure it would have taken me twice as long to figure these things out if he had not helped. I started each new level out very poorly, and often lost all my lives forcing me to start the entire game over completely. This became discouraging at times; however, as I continued I was able to see progress. Reaching a new level was very rewarding (not only in receiving valuable cards, but also as a sense of personal accomplishment) and motivated me to continue playing. Video games have never held a deep sense of fascination for me; I am taking this class in an attempt to understand the draw other people feel to them. SMB3 has done a better job conveying this phenomenon than any other game I have played so far.Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:22:23 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2331&iddiary=4458https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1967Entry #2 Gameplay: I enjoyed my second round of Mario Party much more than my first. The company was just as great (mostly the same people), but I did not feel as lost in the games. Instead of going down to the Mini-game Stadium, we went to DK’s Jungle Adventure. This board made much more sense to me because we were not going around the same path over and over again. There were intersections where we had to choose which direction we wanted to go, hazards in the form of Browser and rolling boulders, and a clear goal of collecting stars and coins to earn the golden bananas. Even though several of the mini-games were the same as before, I had less trouble with them this time. There was less confusion because I had seen them before and I had a better idea of what was supposed to happen. In this round, there were only three of us playing so the computer played the fourth role. We still felt like the computer had an unfair advantage even when we made the computer play on a more difficult level, so as a group we decided to gang up on the computer. We always rooted against the computer almost as though a common enemy created a stronger bond between us. Whenever ghosts gave us the option we stole coins and even stars from the computer. We were all very happy when the computer did not finish in first place. Design: I found I had problems with the view in many of the mini-games. In the racing game, Slot Car Derby, the view was back far enough so the whole track could be seen, but I found that the avatars were too small because of this and I could not always keep track of which one was mine. The view of the diving game, Treasure Divers, also caused problems because the screen would zoom in only to encompass the avatars. This made it so when a player was diving you were unable to see the location of the treasure chests. It is difficult for players to figure out which way to go because of this. Only when they reached the edge of the screen did the view zoom out to encompass more area. There must be a medium between these two extremes, and I hope I will be able to find it for my game. With time, two other features of the game began to wear on my friends and me simply because they were always the same. At first, the music is okay, upbeat and almost unnoticed. After a while, however, it becomes annoying hearing the same thing repeatedly, especially when we would take a break and there is no variation. It did not occur to us at the time to put the TV on mute, but it would be nice if there were a wider variation so we would not want to mute it. The animation of moving Toad, on both DK’s Jungle Adventure and Yoshi’s Tropical Island, was the same every time he moved. Both my roommate and I got tired of watching it. It does not take that long to run through it, but it would be nice if there were a way to cut around it. When the game is first starting, there is dialogue between all the characters. If you have heard it before, it is possible to skip by pressing “Start.” It would be nice if there were a feature similar to this for the repeat animations.Sun, 20 Jan 2008 19:48:56 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1967&iddiary=3853https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1967Gamelog #2 Entry #1 Summary: Mario Party is a board game style video game designed for one to four players. Contrary to many board games, the goal is not to be the first person around the board, but to collect as many stars and coins while traveling the board. Coins are earned by landing on certain spaces (blue) or winning mini-games. They may also be lost by landing on red spaces or loosing mini-games. Stars may be bought for twenty coins or stolen from other players. The player with the most stars at the end wins. Ties are broken by the number of coins players have. Gameplay: My first expedition through Mario Party was down into the Mini-Game Stadium. I had never played before, but my friends assured me there was nothing to it. I enjoyed games such as Shy Guy Says and Bombs Away, but did not care for Platform Peril and Bash ‘n’ Crash. In Bash ‘n’ Crash, I had trouble moving my character around and felt like I was just moving in circles. In Platform Peril, I fell early and wanted another try, but this game does not allow that. I suspect I just need more practice with both of these. I felt that with Shy Guy Says and Bombs Away less experience is necessary with video games to be successful, and so they are friendlier for beginners. A fair number of games in the stadium had a dominant streak of luck however. At one point in our journey around the board, I was in the lead, but I felt it was undeserved. I had not really done anything; it was pure chance. I suppose this is not a bad feature for a game. This way almost everyone has a chance to be in the lead at some point; however, I felt that it would have been more satisfying if I had actually earned the lead. The game itself I could just as easily leave than play. There are other games I have found much more engrossing, however I thoroughly enjoyed the social network that formed while playing this game. I get along with my apartment mates and talk to them frequently, but we rarely do anything together. I invited them to play with me and everyone had a wonderful time. There was comforting of those who lost mini-games and reassurance to those who become frustrated by the sheer random chance of the game. We had to take turns playing because there were not enough controllers for everyone, yet even the spectators were very involved. Everyone hurried back after our food break and there were a few intense discussions over the outcome of a few games. Although I am hoping for a more enjoyable experience with the actual game in my next session, I could not hope for better company.Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:29:26 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1967&iddiary=3848https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1609Gameplay: I still liked the game for its stress on puzzle solving abilities, as well as reflexes and hand-eye coordination. However, there were times when I would get stuck in a room and could not get out. After about five minutes of turning in circles and listening to the same music repeatedly, I finally just restarted the game. Even with my moments of difficulty, I did become so involved with the game, moving through the different rooms looking for rewards, that I did not realize how long I had been playing. I spent at least twice as much time playing in this session than was required. I understand now how people can become addicted. The game has a way of sucking you into its own world to the point where you almost do not notice anything else. As people began to pass through the room though, I felt a little disconnected staring at a TV screen. In my last session playing, I did not feel as separated probably because my roommate was involved with her own work and there was no one else in the room. However, this time I felt a need to defend my game playing, as though other people would think poorly of me for playing a video game in the middle of the day. At one point, I said to a housemate “I’m not addicted to video games. I’m just playing this for a class.” We talked about the class for a bit, and then I returned to the game. Design: The reward structure and conflicts in this game are closely linked. Rewards involve gems, weapons, and other useful objects. Gems can also be cashed in at the store for other weapons or renewed health. Objects that are more valuable are earned upon the completion of difficult tasks, whereas simple tasks are rewarded with less valuable items. Figuring out a path through corridors without being crushed by a giant bolder leads to the retrieval of a sword. The player earns a special token as proof of success after defeating a very dangerous spider twice the character’s size. Throwing a rock or chopping grass earns you a single gem. Conflicts are created by the desire to obtain rewards. Players confront creatures in the game endangering their own lives because once the creature has been conquered the player is rewarded. Even without the added reward, there would still be conflict because the creatures are continuously trying to kill the player. Challenges are also present in the absent of dangerous creatures. Upon entering certain rooms, iron bars drop and the play must figure a way out if they wish to continue playing. The only problem I have been able to discover with my limited experience of this game is that the conflicts and rewards can become so distracting that I loose sight of the overall goal of the game.Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:09:10 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1609&iddiary=3469https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1609Summary: Zelda is a single-player role-playing game that takes place in the kingdom Hyrule. The story centers on the adventures of Link, who is summoned by the Great Deku Tree to break a curse. Link eventually breaks the curse, but is unable to save the Deku Tree. The creator of the curse Ganondorf, king of the Gerudos, plans to conquer Hyrule and Link must stop him. The fairy Navi assists Link on his quests. Gameplay: This is the first video game that I have actually sat down and tried to play for any extended period. I had some trouble figuring out what all the buttons did, but I discovered a short training session that helped immensely. The more fluid my movements became, the less frustrated I became. The little map in the bottom right corner was not very clear so I had some trouble figuring out where I was supposed to go. Then once I was going in the right direction, I got very annoyed when a character told me I could not pass because I did not have a sword and shield. I thought Navi should have told me that in the first place. It would have saved time. I found it interesting that if I approached the same character several times without doing anything in between, they told me the same information. However, if I went to other characters for information or I gathered equipment and then returned to a character from earlier, I often received update information. When I started playing, I was under the assumption that I would always receive the same information, but then I accidentally re-approached a character and got new information. It felt very rewarding figuring this out (even if it was by accident). This may be a single-player game, but I did not feel like I was playing alone. I continuously talked to myself, characters on the screen, and my poor roommate who was trying to do her own homework. (I actually think she was a bit amused watching me flounder on my first video game.) I also like that so far the central focus is not on combat. Some of the training sessions imply future combat, but the focus in the beginning seems to be geared more towards puzzle solving and searching. Overall, I have had fun playing this game and look forward to my next session with it.Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:49:05 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1609&iddiary=3327