Theory and Practice of Game Design Class - The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game - page 43

Prototypes were created for the games that students were designing. Rules were put
online a week before they were to be played by the other guilds (see Figure 4.5).

No MMO is made up of a single game mechanic where players are only required
to do one thing to achieve a single result. There are many different types of
mini-games built into them. There were mini-games in this class as well.
Students played Senet , their own game prototypes, PvP as I ' ve just described,

and a final PvP tournament we ll get to shortly. I learned to write scripts by

watching TV and movies. I learned to write and design video games by playing
them. Ample opportunity to play a variety of games was a cornerstone of the
MC, just as it is in an MMO.

'

After the prototypes were played and analyzed, it was time to pitch their ideas to
publishers. These publishers were role-played in this class by two fellow faculty
members, Edward Castronova and Norbet Herber, both familiar with video game
design and the gaming industry. They listened to the pitches and then in character
critiqued them. This was a good idea of what the students might expect should
they decide to pursue careers in the commercial video game industry. I ve tried to

do this with every class I teach where students have a final project. When I teach
screenwriting, I bring in actors to read selected scenes aloud. Doses of the real
world can be inspiring and encouraging. If they scare off someone who is uncertain
if they

'

' ve found their dream career path, it ' s better to do it now than later.

At last, the final proposals were due and XP rewarded. Another way that the
classroom experience mapped directly to games occurred when there were a
number of graded assignments along the way. Video games would be incredibly
boring and discouraging if the only reward came after defeating the boss mob on
the final level. Incremental rewards are terribly important for keeping players
engaged.

One final point: Games s performance by attrition. While you

could lose XP and even a level in some early MMOs like Everquest , today a
player is always gaining XP when he is victorious. This way of looking at
achievement has something to teach us educators. Letter grades

“ grade � a player '

— the way we

align them as penalties for failure and how our educational system focuses on

achievement learning can hinder student progress; the direct opposite of
experience points mounting to the stars. We will explore this important
difference later on.

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