Monday, August 27
\nIntroduction to the course and to college
\nARG Development Team Picking<\/p>\n
Wednesday, August 29
\nIntroduction to games: What are \u201cgames\u201d and what is \u201cplay\u201d?
\nReading (due today): Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) Introduction, Chapters 1 & 2
\nWriting (also due today): Pick one of your papers from your last year of high school (or a college application essay). Reread it. Name three things you did well, three you struggled with, and choose three writing goals for this semester. (See Baseline Assignment sheet.) All written assignments should be uploaded to Blackboard as .doc or .docx documents. Comments will be returned electronically with grade packets in pdf form.<\/p>\n
Monday, September 3
\nPunishment and Rewards: The Basics of Game Design
\nReading: Reality is Broken (RIB) Introduction
\n\u201cAuthentic Accountability\u201d (Blackboard)
\nARIS: Sign up with an account on the ARIS website (http:\/\/arisgames.org). Use your Richmond email to do this \u2013 Dr. Bezio will add you to an empty game as an editor using this email.
\nPlay: Pokemon GO (get to at least level 3).<\/p>\n
Wednesday, September 5
\nIntroduction to F.E.A.T. and Source Types
\nIntroduction to ARIS Software
\nReading: RIB Chapters 1 & 2
\nDev Team Day! Brainstorm possible game ideas.
\nPlay: Now that you have an ARIS account, choose one of the existing ARIS games on campus and play it for a couple of hours. Take notes on what you liked, what you didn\u2019t like, etc. You may have to search by title for one of them: Zed Vs. the Dead, CSI: Richmond, Monster Hunter, DevTeamPrime, DevTeamAlpha, Robin\u2019s Hood, The Richmond Plague, College is Broken, Venom, Dev Team Se7en, Dev Team Ei8ht.
\nARIS: Write up a paragraph on your Dev Blog about your thoughts and reactions to the ARIS game you played.<\/p>\n
Monday, September 10
\nLIBRARY LAB DAY – Meet in Boatwright Library
\nReading: RPS Chapter 3
\nWriting: Choose a game you would like to research (NOT Monopoly) and get approval for it from Dr. Bezio before class (due by 5pm Sept. 7th). Bring the game\u2019s title, developer, and year of publication to class for Library Lab, along with a short list (5-10) of things about it you find interesting. (Make sure it is a game you have played or will play before you finish your paper \u2013 it can be one from class, either that we\u2019ve already played or that we will play later in the semester.)<\/p>\n
Wednesday, September 12
\nMonopoly Day
\nReading: RIB Chapters 3-5
\n\u201cSecret History of Monopoly,\u201d Pilon (link on Blackboard)
\nWriting: Exhibit Summary Due (see F.E.A.T. sheet for assignment)
\nARIS: Begin posting to your dev team blogs with things that strike you as good ideas \u2013 texts, images, links to other games or sites. (One blog post due today.)<\/p>\n
Monday, September 17
\nSettlers of Catan, Day One
\nReading: RPS Chapters 4 & 5
\nResearch: Find one Fact Source & one Argument Source for yourself, and one Fact Source and one Argument Source for your partner.
\nARIS: Post one (350-1,000 words) proposal for your part of the ARIS game on your dev team\u2019s blog. What will you need to research in order to make them happen? What kinds of games or stories are they \u201clike\u201d? What are your inspirations (positive or negative)? What are the goals you have in your ideas? Post to the dev blog.<\/p>\n
Wednesday, September 19
\nSettlers of Catan, Day Two
\nReading: RIB Chapter 6
\nARIS: Post a comment on one other person\u2019s proposal with feedback on their ideas (choose \u201cempty\u201d proposals first so that everyone has at least one comment on each of their proposals). Say what you like about it, what you think might be a problem, and one suggestion for how it fits with another idea (either one discussed by the group, one in another proposal, or an idea of your own). This should be at least a paragraph in length.<\/p>\n
Monday, September 24
\nRPG Games (Zork & Werewolf)
\nPlay: Play Zork (At least an hour. Take notes.) (link on Blackboard)
\nReading: RIB Chapters 7 & 8
\nWriting: Close Reading Due for \u201cGamer\u201d Paper
\nARIS: Comment on a second person\u2019s proposal (one paragraph). If there are proposals without comments, choose one of those to make your second comment.<\/p>\n
Wednesday, September 26
\nWhy do we play games? How do games \u201cmake\u201d us want to play them?
\nReading: RPS Chapters 6 & 7
\nPlay: PacMan (at least 30 minutes) (link on Blackboard)
\nARIS: Comment on a third person\u2019s proposal (one paragraph). There shouldn\u2019t be, but if there are proposals without comments, choose one of those.<\/p>\n
Monday, October 1
\nReading: RIB Chapters 9 & 10
\nPlay: The Oregon Trail (Try to succeed\u2014play five times or until you win) (link on Blackboard)
\nWriting: Argument Summary Due for \u201cGamer\u201d Paper
\nARIS: Revise your proposal in light of the comments you received. This should be a new post.<\/p>\n
Wednesday, October 3
\nRead: Jenkins & Cassell \u2013 \u201cFrom Quake Grrls to Desperate Housewives\u201d (Blackboard)
\nYee \u2013 \u201cThe Locker Room Utopia\u201d (Blackboard)
\nAnderson & Levene \u2013 \u201cLara\u201d (Blackboard)
\nARIS: As a team, pick three \u201cfavorite\u201d proposals (or less). You can discuss this on the blog or in a team meeting, but someone needs to ultimately make a post stating the 1-3 \u201cfavorite\u201d ideas.<\/p>\n
Monday, October 8
\nWork Day! Plan to try to outline the major beats of your game and determine a win-condition (or set of win-conditions) and a loss-condition. Start a list of possible objects and characters that you will need to put into ARIS.
\nReading: RIB Chapters 13 & 14
\nWriting: Summarize a Game Theory from Rock, Paper, Scissors or Reality is Broken (see \u201cGamer\u201d Paper packet)
\nARIS: Have one team member post your \u201cworking idea\u201d to the blog. This can be in paragraph or outline form, and will probably be pretty short. It can (and probably will) refer to one or two proposals that your team has decided to adopt. (Do this at the end of the workday in class.)<\/p>\n
Wednesday, October 10
\nPlay: PORTAL DAY ONE!!! Who are you? Where are you? What is going on? (No spoilers for those of you who might already have played the game.)
\nPlay: Test Chambers 00-10
\n(IF you are having trouble and can\u2019t spend too much time solving the puzzles, you may find a walkthrough here: http:\/\/www.ign.com\/wikis\/portal\/Walkthrough. I STRONGLY recommend that you try to solve them yourself first, just because it\u2019s more fun that way. If you are playing on a computer, USE A MOUSE. The trackpad will make some of the later test chambers difficult.)
\nWriting: Outline and annotated bibliography due for \u201cGamer\u201d Paper<\/p>\n
Wednesday, October 17
\nDraft Day! Bring in a draft of your \u201cGamer\u201d Paper, along with the achievement packet for the paper. We will be workshopping your papers in peer groups in class. (Also upload a copy to Blackboard.)<\/p>\n
Monday, October 22
\nPORTAL Day Two
\nPlay: Test Chambers 11-17
\nARIS: Have one team member post a timeline for your team\u2019s development process. What are your deadlines or \u201cmilestones\u201d for each element of the game? Every team member should also post their own personal milestone timeline.<\/p>\n
Wednesday, October 24
\nPortal Day Three
\nPlay: Finish Portal
\nWriting: Completed \u201cGamer\u201d paper due. Bring in your marked-up draft from Peer Review Day to hand in to Dr. Bezio. Your paper should be uploaded to Blackboard before classtime.
\nARIS: Post a list of things you need help finding in order to make YOUR job on your dev team easier (everyone will post). What kind of story are you telling (mystery, adventure, sci fi)? What kind of mechanics are you using? What games are you imitating? What things do you want to try out?<\/p>\n
Monday, October 29
\nFPS Games, Complex Plots, and Games as Social Criticism
\nPlay: Bioshock Infinite: Lighthouse through Raffle Park
\nReading: Videogames and violence articles (there are four of them) (Blackboard)
\nWriting: Choose a second game that you feel compares in some useful way to the game you worked on in your \u201cGamer\u201d paper. It might be the game that inspired your first game, it can be a sequel to your first game, or it might be an unrelated game from the same place, that uses the same mechanics, or which has a similar story element (or something else), or it might have a completely different approach to the same core goal or theme. However, it is very important that the two games share something, but also that they have significant or meaningful differences. (When in doubt, talk to Dr. Bezio.)
\nARIS: Keep providing updates and comments throughout the process. Remember that you can earn points for non-assigned blog posts!<\/p>\n
Wednesday, October 31
\nPlay: Bioshock Infinite: Blue Ribbon through Battleship Bay (take the gondola to Soldier\u2019s Field)
\nWriting: Do an Exhibit Summary of your chosen second game.
\nARIS: Everyone should start writing up one \u201ctest doc\u201d a week (starting with the first due Nov. 5th). You should either play your dev team\u2019s ARIS game or \u201cwalk through\u201d the game in the program, looking for bugs, plot holes, things that feel \u201cweird\u201d or don\u2019t make sense, missing pieces of information or collectables\u2026 whatever. Your \u201ctest doc\u201d should note what you think\/know is wrong, as well as at least one suggestion of how to fix it. It should walk step-by-step through the game, with \u201cokay\u201d or \u201cgood\u201d written where things don\u2019t need to be fixed.<\/p>\n
Monday, November 5
\nWork Day! It\u2019s time to be polishing things up! Make sure everything is getting into ARIS! Start doing \u201cfull\u201d tests by playing through the game \u2013 and yes, if that means you have to go wandering outside to make it happen, GO OUTSIDE. Take notes as you play through. Play in groups and talk about the experience as cooperative or competitive. Post thoughts to your dev blog.
\nReading: RIB Finish
\nARIS: For ARIS, writers should have all the major beats drafted and be working getting the text polished. Artists should have some images or ideas for images\/audio\/video and know WHAT they want, even if they haven’t made\/found it yet. Designers should have the whole game outlined and know what the challenges are, even if they haven’t been polished or finalized yet (for instance, it might say “trivia question here” instead of having the actual question). They need to know that there are “pickups” or “GPS checkins” in particular places. Programmers should have a basic sense of how many steps there are in the whole game and the order (if there IS an order) they go in. Producers should have the whole “game plan” sorted out, know what needs to be done next, and should be working on “testing” a little more heavily than the other roles. Producers really need to make sure that their comments are HELPFUL, not negative or stressful to other team members… here’s where leadership skills come in! Remember to post a test doc!<\/p>\n
Wednesday, November 7
\nPlay: Bioshock Infinite: Soldier\u2019s Field through the Aerodrome (meet Daisy)
\nWriting: Do a Close Reading on your second game.<\/p>\n
Monday, November 12
\nWork Day!
\nWriting: Compete a preliminary outline and annotated bibliography for your \u201cGame Critic\u201d paper.
\nARIS: Test doc 2.<\/p>\n
Wednesday, November 14
\nPlay: Bioshock Infinite: Finkton Docks through the Factory (to the piano scene)<\/p>\n
Monday, November 19
\nWork Day!
\nWriting: Draft of your \u201cGame Critic\u201d paper due to your partner in class (and uploaded to Blackboard). You will give a copy to someone else from class and take it home over the weekend.
\nARIS: Make sure you\u2019re posting final copies of documents, files, etc. on ARIS and to your dev blog for feedback. Give feedback to other people whose ideas mix with yours. Test, test, test. Test doc 3 due today.<\/p>\n
Monday, November 26
\nPlay: Bioshock Infinite: Prosperity Plaza through Memorial Gardens, back to the gate at Comstock House (with Songbird)
\nARIS: Get your game into sort-of playable shape by next class!
\nWriting: Return your draft comments to your partner (who will turn them in with the final version of their paper).<\/p>\n
Wednesday, November 28
\nQA Day
\nARIS: Half of each team will play through the OTHER team\u2019s game and provide feedback to the remaining members of the other team. In the industry, this is an \u201cAlpha Test.\u201d Work through the games out loud. Team members not playing should keep a list of problems and try to fix them as best they can. Team members should post about their experience testing and fixing. Remember to post to your blog about what went right and wrong (for Dec. 3)!<\/p>\n
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 BY 5PM
\nWriting: Final \u201cGame Critic\u201d paper due.<\/p>\n
Monday, December 3
\nPlay: Bioshock Infinite: Finish
\nARIS: Alpha-test doc.<\/p>\n
Wednesday, December 5
\nGame to Cert! (In other words, turn it in!)
\nWork Day or Play Day? (The class will decide.)
\nARIS: YOUR BLOG IS DUE TODAY. Any changes or updates made to the blog after noon on December 6 will not be considered for achievements.<\/p>\n
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7
\nARIS Paper due by 5pm on Blackboard<\/p>\n
Self-Reflective assignment are due December 11 by noon on Blackboard (instead of your final exam\u2014there is no exam in this class).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Monday, August 27 Introduction to the course and to college ARG Development Team Picking Wednesday, August 29 Introduction to games: What are \u201cgames\u201d and what is \u201cplay\u201d? Reading (due today): Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) Introduction, Chapters 1 & 2 Writing (also due today): Pick one of your papers from your last year of high school […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1710,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/fys100-15\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/fys100-15\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/fys100-15\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/fys100-15\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1710"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/fys100-15\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/fys100-15\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/fys100-15\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}