A Can of BEEEANS

so I found the “steps for beginners” page on construct and went to the platformer section and I learned that when making the platformer on construct you are able to adjust the gravity, jump height, speed, etc. I learned also that there are a few special behaviors that you can add to make different kinds of platforms you can add the “jump-thru” behavior to make it so that the player character can pass through the platform from underneath but when standing on top the platform will act like a solid (link for the page).

Summary

I decided to analyze brawl stars which is a mobile game made by the company supercell, who are renowned for creating high quality, long living, and overall fun mobile games such as; clash of clans, clash royale, hayday, boom beach, and brawl stars.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements
The Basics	____________________
Name of the game	Brawl Stars
The platform	Mobile (phones)
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes)	at least 50 hours
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why?	I would create a more realiable way to earn new fighters (brawlers)
Players	NOTES
How many players are supported?	depending on the gamemode you play it could be either 3 or 6 or even 10
Does it need to be an exact number?	yes, to start a match the server needs the exact amount of players to be connecting relative to that game mode
How does this affect play?	it just determines how long you have to wait before matches, and also increases the difficulty in certain gamemodes
Some types of player frameworks:Single Player – like Solitare.Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.	Brawls stars really has 2 different gameplay frameworks, in most gamemodes it is a 3v3 team competition game but the is a showdown mode where it is free for all
Objectives/Goals	NOTES
What are the players trying to do?	in some game modes such as gem grab or bounty the main goal is collection of an item, but in hot zone its territorial accquisition, etc.
Some common objectives include:Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).
Rules/Mechanics
There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.Progression of Play – what happens during the game.Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.	there is really no way to divide brawl stars game play as its a beat’em up strategy game.
Controls	NOTES
What controls are used?	you have 3 on-screen joysticks one for movement, another for aiming your basic attacks, and one more for aiming your super.
Was there a clear introductory tutorial?	yes, when you first download the game and open it the game will take you through an introductory battle that explains the game controls
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller?	no I found the controls to be quite easy to use and understand
Resources & Resource Management	NOTES
What kinds of resources do players control?	players control their health and ammo
How are they maintained during play?	if your health reaches 0 you die and if you run out of ammo you have to wait before shooting again
What is their role?	to keep everything fun, if every match had a bunch of immortal beings running around endlessly shooting that wouldn’t be much fun
A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)Time (game time, real-time, or both)Known information (like suspects in Clue)
Game State	NOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player?	you are able to see how much ammo you have left, how charged your super is, and what all players health is friend and foe alike
A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.
Sequencing	NOTES
In what order do players take their actions?	brawls stars is a real time game meaning if you stand still your gonna die because nothing is stopping the enemy from killing you
How does play flow from one action to another?	its a real time game every one moves at the same time
Some structures include:Turn-based – Standard board game technique.Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.
Player Interaction	brawl stars is all direct conflict
Some examples:Direct Conflict – I attack you.Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.Trading – I’ll give you this for that.Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.
Theme & Narrative	NOTES
Does it have an actual story structure?	well its complicated the game technically does have a story but that story does not affect gameplay or the game itself besides determining the theme for the next season
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)?	no
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play?	no because while there is a story it doesn’t affect the game
Does it have emotional impacts?	no
Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)?	no
The Elements in Motion	NOTES
How do the different elements interact?	well players don’t like getting shot, and there are certain abilitys that allow you to shape the playing field
What is the gameplay like?	if you were playing gem grab it would go like this, you spawn in and you and your teammates head for the gem spawner in the middle of the map and have an intial 3v3 fight from there it would be just collecting gems, killing the other players to collect their gems and once your team collectively reaches 10 gems you need to hide so that the enemys can’t take all your gems
Is it effective?	yes
Are there any points where the design choices break down?	no not really
Design Critique	NOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices?	because they wanted to make a game that would last awhile
Why this set of resources?	because it makes for interesting gameplay
What if they made different decisions?	the game may have fallen off soon after realease
Does the design break down at any point?	nope
Graphics & Sound	NOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics?	yes for instance when you activate your gadget that affects your next attack a blue halo appears above your head warning the enemys if they are paying attention
Did you find any bugs or glitches?	no me personally but there used to be a way to teleport outside the maps
What about sound?	yes the game has a great main soundtrack
Can you spot any technical shortcuts?	no
Various Stages of the Game	NOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play:	look for bugs or glitches
What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?	you overcome the enemy using guerilla warfare
Is the game fair?	yes
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience?	the game was designed to be replayable over and over again
What is the intended audience?	all ages
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun?

BE WARNED SPOILERS AHEAD

Formal Elements
	______________________
Name of the game	Subnautica
The platform	PC, xbox, PS, switch, etc.
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes)	at least 7 hours
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why?	I wish the game was more informative about where you are supposed to go, I mean I get it’s an alien world and your stranded of course you not going to know where you need to go but i often find myself confused.
Players	NOTES
How many players are supported?	1
Does it need to be an exact number?	yes there can be only 1 player (unless you mod the game because there are several working multiplayer mods)
How does this affect play?	subnautica is a single player, exploration, sandbox game
Some types of player frameworks:Single Player – like Solitare.Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.
Objectives/Goals	NOTES
What are the players trying to do?	your overall goal in the game is to cure yourself of a virus that has put the planet on lock down so you need to cure yourself, build a rocket, and leave. (also there’s a giant alien gun that shoots down ships until confirming that the virus has been cured so don’t even try to escape until you get yourself cured)
Some common objectives include:Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).
Rules/Mechanics	the game can be divided like this: beginning – your ship crashes to an alien planet then the game starts you begin collecting resources and scanning wreckage to construct a base and advanced equipment such as large O2 tanks and diving fins. middle – the middle begins once you hear the rescue ship sunbeam’s messages they send you coordinates for a small island and ask any survivors to meet them there, you make your way to the island and discover a building the sunbeam then enters the atmosphere and is automatically shot down, you then learn of the virus and the middle of the game begins. end – you finally have become cured and you disable the gun tower you then construct a rocket and launch yourself into space.
There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.Progression of Play – what happens during the game.Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.
Controls	NOTES
What controls are used?	well you know buttons and stuff on controller its all the buttons but on computer its only some buttons, listen i really don’t know how to answer this.
Was there a clear introductory tutorial?	yes there is after you put out the fire inside your life pod you are introduced to the controls and the mechanics soon follow
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller?	very easy although I rarely find controls hard to understand however street fighter controls are evil there’s no tutorial and you have no conformation you’ve even input anything and the combos are so hard to do and its impossible for a new player to even understand what button they hit if they somehow accidentally pulled off a combo.
Resources & Resource Management	NOTES
What kinds of resources do players control?	you are in control of your health, hunger, thirst, oxygen levels, base power, vehicle power, base integrity, vehicle hull integrity, battery power levels, crafting materials
How are they maintained during play?	they are maintained through the fact they do not fix themselves if you are too low on oxygen then you black out and drop some of your items or your vehicle might break causing you to lose all your expensive upgrades because you forgot to repair the hull, etc.
What is their role?	the role of subnautica’s resources is to keep you working making sure that you always have to work and be aware
A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)Time (game time, real-time, or both)Known information (like suspects in Clue)
Game State	NOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player?	you are able to see your health, hunger, thirst, and oxygen as well as a few items within your hotbar you can also see the world around you as well as the creatures in it, however you cant see forever due to ocean fog
A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.
Sequencing	NOTES
In what order do players take their actions?	well to progress in the game you need to be able to travel deep into the planet so certain areas are unforgiving, hard to reach, and most likely you will die when you arrive so the game is segmented by the fact the you require depth upgrades for your vehicles
How does play flow from one action to another?	subnautica is a real time game so there is almost noting you have to wait for.
Some structures include:Turn-based – Standard board game technique.Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.
Player Interaction	because subnautica is a single player game there is no player interaction however in describing the interaction between the player and enviroment it is direct conflict as most everything is trying to kill you
Some examples:Direct Conflict – I attack you.Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.Trading – I’ll give you this for that.Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.
Theme & Narrative	NOTES
Does it have an actual story structure?	yes subnautica does have a story as i described it earlier
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)?	no not really.
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play?	the story does influence how you play as the drives you forward deeper into the planet progressing the story.
Does it have emotional impacts?	not really I mean this big (and i mean really big) fish dies
Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)?	whats en media res?
The Elements in Motion	NOTES
How do the different elements interact?	player eats small fish, bigger fish attack player, player attacks bigger fish, huge fish eats player, player respawns. also like resource gathering and stuff but that bit was funnier.
What is the gameplay like?	basically you swim around exploring, collecting, eating, building, and ten collecting more and more until you get cured and leave
Is it effective?	yes
Are there any points where the design choices break down?	some parts such as the fact that subnautica while beautiful isn’t very well optimized and there fore create very low frame rates on certain devices
Design Critique	NOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices?	because they wanted to create a beautiful alien world for the player to explore
Why this set of resources?	because its more realistic and results in longer play times
What if they made different decisions?	if they made different design decisions it just wouldn’t be subnautica
Does the design break down at any point?	not really besides what I mentioned earlier.
Graphics & Sound	NOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics?	yes it pairs really well especially the “leviathan class” creature they all have incredible designs that really make them what they are such as reefbacks being majestic gentle giants and the reapers being huge terrifying monsters that will make you scream.
Did you find any bugs or glitches?	I recently watched a speedrun of the game and there are quite a few spots on the map where you are able to clip through the geometry
What about sound?	subnautica really thrives on ambiance and really delivers in that field
Can you spot any technical shortcuts?	no not really.
Various Stages of the Game	NOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play:	to look for any unique design choices
What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?	you overcome many challenges as there are various “leviathan” class predators that guard key locations vital to completing the game. the only option is to sneak around them. (I mean you can kill them but that takes like 20 minutes just to kill one)
Is the game fair?	yes the game is fair no task is to difficult really
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience?	there isn’t really much repeatability to subnautica as it has a linear story and takes a long time to complete
What is the intended audience?	any age though they should be pretty tolerant to scares
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun?	you collect resources, and no its not really fun but its necessary to progressing.

“Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr and Lana Turner” by classic film scans is licensed under CC BY 2.0

“Analysis gave me great freedom of emotions and fantastic confidence. I felt I had served my time as a puppet.”

Hedy Lamarr

SUMMARY

this week I played videogames wrote an analysis on one and reflected on how to stay mentally healthy during covid.

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

• I played minecraft

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY, PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

• Set a timer
• Spend 15 minutes in this ‘room’

• Review the How to Practice Self-Care During COVID-19 infographic for 5 minutes (Click for larger PDF version)

A few ways you can take care of yourself is to 1.) get your daily D.O.S.E of happiness 2.) set goals for yourself 3.) take time for yourself, do things you enjoy.

ARCADE

• I played minecraft, risk, subnautica, and destiny 2 this week

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

• I learned many things this week one lesson I learned while playing subnautica is how impactful a well placed jumpscare or scary monster can be when the game starts by lulling you into a false sense of security.
• in terms of problems i solved? none, I played videogames.

Summary

I chose Minecraft because on the surface its a simple game about blocks, but as begin to lean in you realize the subtle details that have created the world’s best selling game. the reason Minecraft works inst the fact that its well marketed or it has a great story (there’s no story) its the sense of freedom that the game gives you the training wheels are off from day one and that freedom is why more and more people continue, start, or return to playing Minecraft.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements
The Basics	REMINDER: PLACE YOUR RESPONSES IN THIS COLUMN (DELETE THIS MESSAGE BEFORE YOU WRITE)
Name of the game	Minecraft
The platform	xbox, playstation, pc, switch
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes)	>300 hours
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why?	in terms of the base game Minecraft is a masterpeice but its differences in the versions of games that i have trouble with, for instance the windows 10 and console versions of minecraft all run on minecraft bedrock edition while the java download of minecraft is reserved for pc, if i could change some thing it would be unifying all versions of the game to just one single “minecraft version”
Players	NOTES
How many players are supported?	you can have as many players as you like on one world so long as the server your playing on doesn’t crash
Does it need to be an exact number?	no, the maximum amount is the number at which the server crashes
How does this affect play?	well the more players you add obviously the more Lag will be generated
Some types of player frameworks:Single Player – like Solitare.Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.	there is really no one way to play minecraft which is one reason i love it so much, the fact that you can play single player or with friends or you could even find a server that is dedicated to PvP, team games, building, or puzzles games. if you look hard enough you can find a way to play minecraft in the style that fits you
Objectives/Goals	NOTES
What are the players trying to do?	the ultimate goal of minecraft is to beat the ender dragon.
Some common objectives include:Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).	as I mentioned earlier there is no one way to play minecraft and any of these listed answers would work but lets think about the base game, “what are we trying to do?” and that’s just it the goal of the game is whatever the player says it is, sure the ultimate goal is to defeat the ender dragon. but thats not where the game ends sure after that the credits roll, but the thing is that the game isn’t over after the end sequence you wake up in your house the game is over when you say it is, and that is why minecraft is a masterpeice
Rules/Mechanics	NOTES
There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.Progression of Play – what happens during the game.Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.	like i said, and i hate to beat a dead horse, there is no one way to play minecraft and you can take as long as you want but if i had to set strict rules for myself and break up minecraft into parts here is how i would structure it: – the begging of the game starts from the moment you spawn in and the world is loaded, this time is spent gathering materials including iron, diamonds, and enchantments. – the “progression of play” or the middle part begins when you enter the nether this realm serves as a trial of strength and endurance, with the lava, extraodinary terrain, and the unforgiving and powerful enemies that make their home here finding and obtaining blaze powder (which is very important for the rest of the game) – the resolution, the resolution is when the players steps into the end dimension and faces off aganist the ender dragon should the player succeed the game is “over”.
Controls	NOTES
What controls are used?	since minecraft is available on many many devices i’m not going to list the inputs but i will list a handful of out puts such as break, place, use, and attack
Was there a clear introductory tutorial?	No, there is no tutorial enabled, which is unfortunate really the lack of a clear tutorial (there is one but you have to go into settings and turn it on though) is most likely why you don’t see many new players because if someone has absolutely never heard of minecraft or doesn’t have much video game experience they will probably feel overwhelmed and quit before they finish the game
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller?	once you know the controls they are relatively easy to understand and use properly
Resources & Resource Management	NOTES
What kinds of resources do players control?	the resources the player controls are (yet not limited to) armor, equipment, their inventory, their health, their hunger, and the world around them being able to shape it however they please
How are they maintained during play?	I don’t really understand this question but i’m interpreting it as “how do the players resources stay relevant throughout the game?”; the players resources stay relevant because armor and tools have certain amounts of durability and always need to be either repaired or replaced, and block are our most important asset allowing to control the environment.
What is their role?	the resources the player find throughout the game have one role, to help progress the goals of the player.
A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)Time (game time, real-time, or both)Known information (like suspects in Clue)	yes, those are resources, I have to be honest I don’t really understand this question.
Game State	NOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player?	the player is able to see anything within their field of view they are also able to see their current health hunger and all the items within their hot bar
A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.	In minecraft you are able to see many things like your hot bar which contains a just a few items that are immediately accessible to the player yet represent just part of a larger inventory, when it comes to things that are by obscured in some way or another there really aren’t any examples i can think of besides for the fact that the nether a faint fog effect
Sequencing	NOTES
In what order do players take their actions?	spawn, get wood, make a crafting table, make a pickaxe, get stone, make stone tools, make a furnace and then whatever the player wants to do
How does play flow from one action to another?	quite easily, you complete one action and move to another one provided you have the right tools
Some structures include:Turn-based – Standard board game technique.Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.	minecraft is a real time game meaning everything happens as fast as the player can make that happen
Player Interaction	there is no one way to interact in minecaft as its a game of infinite possibilities and therefore no one way to interact with the game
Some examples:Direct Conflict – I attack you.Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.Trading – I’ll give you this for that.Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.
Theme & Narrative	NOTES
Does it have an actual story structure?	no, minecraft does not have a story structure
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)?	nope absolutely not absolutely not comparable to any historical event
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play?	no the story does not have any affect on the game play
Does it have emotional impacts?	no, because it doesnt have a story
Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)?	no, also i’m sorry for all the answers being the same but there is absolutely no story in minecraft
The Elements in Motion	NOTES
How do the different elements interact?	tools can break blocks and hurt things, and blocks can create buildings and barricades
What is the gameplay like?	minecraft is a sandbox game and focuses around gathering materials, hunting, and building
Is it effective?	the game play is very effective as minecraft is the worlds best selling game
Are there any points where the design choices break down?	only one aspect of the game I feel could be improved upon and that is the fact the minecraft has very unintuitive combat often when engaging in combat with another player the player who is able to click faster usually comes out the victor
Design Critique	NOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices?	the designers went with a minimalist art, animation, and design style as it was intended to be a sandbox game and sandboxes don’t need to be overly complicated and there fore allowed for them to add more and more things to the game.
Why this set of resources?	because the block game is about B L O C K S
What if they made different decisions?	it would be really weird to see minecraft but everything was like a circle
Does the design break down at any point?	nope
Graphics & Sound	NOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics?	yes the games art pairs very well in the sense that they are both… well… blocky
Did you find any bugs or glitches?	it might be a bug, or it might not but when combining items using an anvil the two same exact items but rearranged in a different orientation may cost less experience
What about sound?	for most part minecraft has great audio but there are a few sounds are feel out of place for example eating and drinking are both really loud and end in a loud burp
Can you spot any technical shortcuts?	the entire design of the game is a technical shortcut, by using a minimalist art style there are no complex animations
Various Stages of the Game	NOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play:	is this about the game or is it the play like a developer thing?
What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?	with a sword, shield, bow, and food
Is the game fair?	yeah its fair, but be careful when fighting someone you know can click faster than you can
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience?	minecraft has a high amount of repeatability as the game really never ends but along with that every new world brings a blank slate for you to do as you please
What is the intended audience?	all ages
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun?

“‘Be shapeless and formless.. like water’ (Bruce Lee)” by Akinini.com is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“Have a mind like water.”

― David Allen,  GTD

SUMMARY

in summary this week i practiced using the construct 3 engine, continued to learn how to code using javascript, and gained a better understanding of what makes us happy.

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

I began working through the DOM and Events folder but got stuck during the second lesson, but i have learned that within the code there are 3 ways in which certain objects can be single out or extracted.

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

• I learned that construct 3 has a game developing process similar to the website scratch which is that is using prebuilt blocks for the creator to use instead of having to manually create code, and that it runs in a browser which is very cool.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

• very simple easy to understand tutorial, overall i like this program

OUTSIDE (PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

• Set a timer
• Spend 30 minutes in this ‘room’

• Review this infographic for 5 minutes (Click for larger PDF version)
• If you want, read more at  bananatreelog.com/blog/daily-dose-of-happiness-chemicals

to maximize your daily dose of happiness you should take a cold shower, make a to-do list, eat, socialize, exercise, listen to music, among other things that make you happy.

STUDIO (CREATIVITY)

What I created in construct was a game where instead of shooting enemies who are charging at you, you are the one who has to get close to them. the objective of the game is to survive as long as possible as defeat all the enemies but watch out because every 30 seconds a larger enemy will spawn and if you don’t defeat him before the next one spawns both enemies will be restored to full health (was a bug now its feature).

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I learned that game development is not a easy, quick, or painless procedure the game I created be it basic still took me almost 3 hours to create including trying to fix bugs and improving small aspects of the game.

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

I found the construct 3 exercise to be very fun and had A great time working on my project, exploring and seeing what the engine was capable of.

Who is one of your mentors?

Matt Samson is one of my mentors as well as my 4th and 5th grade teacher at Hansen elementary. (this isn’t him this is just the photo on his page(I don’t think hes ever been to space))

I don’t know when his birthday is (I forgot)

he was born somewhere in Alaska. (its starting to sound like he dosent exist but he does I would know)

Personal Success Definition

I success as being given a job and doing it well and effectively

Matt Samson was my 4th and 5th grade teacher at hansen elementary, I believe that he succeeded at teaching because he was able to make almost every kid in that class enjoy working and learning in his classroom and inspiring us to go beyond the minimum.

Skills for Success

Matt had to master teaching and entertaining while just being a very likable person, he used these skills to encourage kids to want to learn and to do well.

How They Used These Skills

Matt used those skills to teach in a fun non-overbearing way that made the kids in his class want to learn and to continue to grow.

Challenges Overcome

Matt had to teach me and several other kids who lets just say weren’t great students, as well as having to teach and grade and micro manage kids who got off task (it was me) along with the less than amazing pay that teachers get considering what they do.

Significant Work

while this website and the camp have expired, Matt hosted a camp every summer AT HIS OWN HOUSE where kids could come and learn how to use programs to record and create music.

http://sonicsprout.squarespace.com/matt-samson

Resources

unfortunately for me he switched schools for work and so I cant really find all that much regarding him as far as resources go, i can be the source and say that he did in fact exist.

Teens are overwhelmed, partly because they don’t yet have the skills to manage the unprecedented amount of stuff that enters their brains each day.  – from LifeHacker.com

“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”

“You can do anything, but not everything.”

― David Allen, (GTD) Getting Things Done for Teens: Take Control of Your Life in a Distracting World

SUMMARY

• I did this assignment and a few others and stuff

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

i completed the objects practice

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

You are going to learn to develop your own version of David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) process in this ‘room.’

I learned that there are 5 steps to getting things done when it comes to ideas you need to capture, process, organize, review, and engage that idea.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

• Set a timer
• Spend 15 minutes in this ‘room’
• Rewatch David explain ‘Maps’ from 19:57 to 21:16 of the video

Examine Two GTD Maps: Basic and Detailed

1. Detailed map by guccio@文房具社 icensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
2. Basic map from BiggerPlate.com embedded below

GTD-based Trusted System

• Examine and pick a trusted system from the 4 options listed below to ‘capture’ your work
  • A trusted system is your method for managing your tasks in a way that you consistently get things done

OUTSIDE (PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

OPTIONAL EXERCISE

• Read Getting Things Done for Teens: Take Control of Your Life in a Distracting World by David Allen

STUDIO (CREATING MAPS)

• Set a timer
• Spend up to 15 minutes
• Then watch David Allen summarize the steps
  • “Very simple folks! …
    1. Just WRITE STUFF DOWN
    2. Decide the ACTIONS and OUTCOMES embedded in them
    3. Get yourself a MAP OF ALL THAT so you can step back and take a look at it.
    4. And then, basically, you USE THE MAP TO DECIDE, “OK, here’s the course that we’re going to go on.”
    5. You then LAUNCH the ‘ship’ on a trusted course in the short term, as well as on the long horizon that you’re moving on.
    6. And then, on a regular basis, you need to REASSESS, “OK, we need to take in NEW DATA, CLEANUP, RECALIBRATE, and REFOCUS for the next leg of the journey.”
  • It’s that simple…”
• ‘Capture’ all the ACTION ITEMS you can in your GTD Trusted System

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

i learned how to take control of ideas and how that lists are really important

• this week had good content

“Binary code” by Christiaan Colen is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

When asked the most important thing I should teach my students, the MIT student I was interviewing simply stated , ‘ teach them logic.’ – Mr. Le Duc

SUMMARY

• this was fun and i enjoyed this assignment

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

• Set a timer
• Spend up to 15 minutes in this ‘room’ on either ONE of the scripting languages below, Javascript or C#  (NOT BOTH)

PlayCanvas

• https://www.sololearn.com/Course/JavaScript/
• I completed the overview and can now execute write, console, and alert commands as well as write comments

Unity

• https://www.sololearn.com/Course/CSharp/

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

• flow charts are easy to understand
• bubbles with one round side and one flat side mean to wait
• an oval represents the start of the flow chart
• the “terminator” shape represents the end of the chart
• the square with round edges is a process
• the diamond shape is a decision
• the rectangle with the wavy line is a document

Mr. Le Duc’s Flowchart Shape Guide

More Flowchart Creation Resources

• http://capitalcomtech.info/2017/02/28/design-elements-flowchart/
• Design Elements Flowcharts (PDF)

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

• Set a timer
• Spend up to 15 minutes in this ‘room’
• Watch Mr. Le Duc’s How to Save Your Draw.io File to Your Google Drive Tutorial
• Try to create your own game flow for one of your game ideas
• Use Draw.io and save in your Google Drive
  • We will share these in class, soon
• https://app.diagrams.net/#G1EHEYVqkZ9MoHUSLidFlt64JCMbFIJ1x1
• sometimes its hard to decide what type of bubble to use.

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

• Set a timer
• Spend up to 35 minutes,
  • 20 minutes watching Elizabeth Gilbert
  • 15 minutes walking

• Watch Elizabeth Gilbert discuss creativity and genius
• Go for a walk outside and think about what she said, if you can safely
• Write anything you found interesting and useful in your reflection
• DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

STUDIO (GAME DESIGN)

• Set a timer
• Spend up to 60 minutes in this ‘room’ on either ONE of the game engines below, (NOT BOTH)

PlayCanvas

• Start Daniel Wood’s, PlayCanvas Tutorial 1 – Getting started with PlayCanvas
• For extra support, explore PlayCanvas Tutorials: https://developer.playcanvas.com/en/tutorials/
• Work for no more than 60 minutes\

Unity

• Start the Unity tutorials
  • https://learn.unity.com/course/beginner-design-unity-game-development-course
• Work for no more than 60 minutes
• DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

• playcanvas confused me.