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 Method Scenarios 1.Present an event that exaggerates an economic concept 2.Challenge the guest to discover that concept 3.Place the knowledge where they can find it 4.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

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 –

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 v2.0 Now 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 Attractions Networking

Upcoming Attractions New UI

Upcoming Attractions Re-implement Salamander features in Hellbender Miscellaneous features Game Master controls Add new scenarios Game art

Upcoming Attractions Guest Testing David Lamont’s Executive Education ETC Students & Faculty Friends and Family CMU Economic & Business Students

Upcoming Attractions Tuning 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