Presentation Outline - Concept
• Concept• Initial Work
– Game Design– Initial Prototype
• Latest Work– Game Refinements– Media
• Future Plans– Schedule– Final Game
• Risks
• Create a fun networked multiplayer business simulation game that can be educational both inside and outside the classroom.
Concept
Teaching MethodScenarios1. Present an event that exaggerates
an economic concept2. Challenge the guest to discover
that concept3. Place the knowledge where they
can find it4. Reward
1. Eureka moment!2. Improved ability in the game
Intended Audience
• Students in a classroom & casual players
Metrics for Success
• Helps students grasp some of the most difficult concepts in introductory economics– Give them a quiz afterwards
• People want to play it– Classroom
•Would you rather learn from our game, or from lectures and textbooks?
– Casual•How fun was it?•Number of downloads
Presentation Outline - Initial Work
• Concept• Initial Work
– Game Design– Initial Prototype
• Latest Work– Game Refinements– Media
• Future Plans– Schedule– Final Game
• Risks
In the beginning…
• Research– Determine what the gameplay
should be
• Prototype– Gameplay proof-of-concept
Research – Gameplay• Supply Chain Simulation• Realistic Economy
– Player actions affect others• Goal is simple, but way to get there is
not• Have something interesting to do
every turn• Avoid
– Conflict between story and mechanics– Players feeling disenfranchised too early– Too much randomness
A Supply Chain
RawMaterials SteelRubber
GiantRobots
Oil
FlyingCars
Copper
PlasticsTires
Silicon
Microprocessors
Smart BombsOtherInputs
OR Legs
IntermediateProducts
ConsumerProducts
Salamander v1.0
Presentation Outline – Latest Work
• Concept• Initial Work
– Game Design– Initial Prototype
• Latest Work– Game Refinements– Media
• Future Plans– Schedule– Final Game
• Risks
What have we been up to lately?
• Game– Theme – Colonizing Mars– Designed the supply chain– Implemented two economic models –
warehouse and market– First Scenario – Marginal Cost– Internal playtesting – 4+ hours of
gameplay!– Skyrates: powered by Gamenomic$
– Designed architecture for the new codebase• Media
– Touchscreen – Game trailer– Poster– Webpage – www.gamenomics.com
Theme
• Why is theme important?• Things we want in a theme
– Supply chain must make sense– End products don’t just disappear– Resources come from somewhere– Classroom friendly– Promote both cooperation and
competition– Allow for more than one winner
Our Theme
• Colonization of Mars– Acquire resources, produce goods, and
trade to build the first colony on Mars!•Players are establishing Martian industry•Martian colonists need goods•Resources are harvested on Mars•No sex or violence!•Players can cooperate and will compete•Players are rewarded for growing the
economy
Current Supply Chain
Salamander v1.0
Salamander v2.0Now with Economics!
First Scenario – Marginal Cost
1. What is Marginal Cost?2. Why is it important?3. Why is it hard to learn?4. How do we teach it?
Skyrates: Powered by Gamenomic$
Hellbender v0.1(Cryptobranchus
alleganiensis)
Media
Presentation Outline – Future Plans
• Concept• Initial Work
– Game Design– Initial Prototype
• Latest Work– Game Refinements– Media
• Future Plans– Schedule– Final Game
• Risks
Upcoming AttractionsNetworking
Upcoming AttractionsNew UI
Upcoming Attractions
• Re-implement Salamander features in Hellbender
• Miscellaneous features• Game Master controls• Add new scenarios• Game art
Upcoming AttractionsGuest Testing
• David Lamont’s Executive Education
• ETC Students & Faculty• Friends and Family• CMU Economic & Business
Students
Upcoming AttractionsTuning and Balancing
Presentation Outline - Risks
• Concept• Initial Work
– Game Design– Initial Prototype
• Latest Work– Game Refinements– Media
• Future Plans– Schedule– Final Game
• Risks
Biggest Risks
• Classroom vs. Casual• Reward structure doesn’t work• Instead of a game, we end up with an
economic model that could be used to make a completed game
• Things are taking longer than we planned– Game Design!
• Albith has developed Carpal Tunnel syndrome
• But the biggest risk of all is…
Things we could use help with
• Technical Help:– Java GUI!
• Guest Testing• Sound
Feedback from Quarter Presentation
• Good–Presentation clearly explained
project to naïve listeners• Bad–Presentation style–Need a strong one-sentence
explanation of the game–Need a metric for success for
casual players
Questions?
Thanks
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