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Workshop 4 – Antillion Text Adventure Game

During the workshop this week I asked my tutor if I could pair up with another person in order to create the R&D File and the Realisation of the concept for this semester, it was accepted and so me and the other group member began to work on ideas for development and possible Output Formats.

Initial ideas started with a mobile application which could enable users and community moderators to vote up news stories which otherwise wouldn’t get any spotlight on mainstream media. The idea behind this was to be a voice for the people, fitting into the category of  and to highlight potential news either deemed unworthy for mainstream news outlets, or something which has too much of a scare or risk factor for the general public. This idea was great in principal, and during the workshop we already began to think about conceptual art and how a system like this would function, but after realising the intensity behind creating a service like this, and with knowledge on the subject area being minimal, the idea felt impractical despite it being something a lot of people would want.
After those ideas were disbanded, we decided to go back to the drawing board and work on something which could be achieved as a realistic product. The idea that came out was a mobile game, something which could fulfil the need of rewarding entertainment, whilst still having a purpose, this is why we decided on a text adventure based game.

The idea behind choosing a text adventure game wasn’t based solely on our ability to make it, more so whether it fulfilled needs that people had, we decided that whilst the game may be considered only useful for entertainment purposes, that it actually provided more than just that.  After researching text adventure games we found that the users playing them, described what they took away from them and what it offers for potential demographics. We broke down the demographics into 4 groups, these were:
Adventure Game Fans, Nostalgic Adults, Literature Fans and Puzzle Game Fans. These are all appropriate demographics, which we can later explore, the research we found out will be used later in the R&D file but overall I feel as though the progress made today is substantial and a great continuation so far from the initial R&D File proposal.

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Workshop 3 – Proposal Document Assessment

During the third week our lecture involved European Connections and highlighted work other students have done in collaboration with universities across Europe. This lecture was also an opportunity to sign up to another collaborative program between a university in Finland and the University of Lincoln. It was refreshing to see collaborative programs that have run within the same course I’m doing, and whilst I may not take the opportunity it’s still nice to see projects other students have had a hand in creating.

During the workshop this week the proposal form for our project was assessed, evaluating whether it’s: Achievable, Potential output formats, and room for improvements. The proposal for my product was accepted and I was given some advice on how to visualise it and make it a reality.

The proposed idea is a retro text based adventure game inspired by early works such as: Adventureland, Zork and Planetfall. The aim is to release this game on mobile devices however I feel as though within the time-frame the direction to take with this is to visualise the end product using After Effects and Photoshop to make stills and a video. The video will highlight how my game will work, and the stills will give a more in depth look at the imagined product. I also feel as though I may create a website to host the product and generally give it more context which is thematic and  appropriate to my product.

Overall I feel as though the project as a whole is engaging and interesting enough to want to continue pursuing throughout the semester. Whilst certain elements may change, it will all be noted and justifications will be given behind my choices, the R&D file will also be updated as further development happens.

 

 

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Workshop 2 – Project Proposals and Conceptual Designs

During week 2 the lecture outlined the documentation needed for our R&D File, this was to ensure that the current ideas were achievable and could be further approved by our tutors for creating the end product. Understanding the documentation behind creating a media product and how to pitch professionally feels like a good skill to get to grips with, not only is is applicable in academia but it’s a great skill to know for the industry too.

During the workshop this week, our group was working on Padlet again and further evidencing research on our blogs. The group was also given the project proposal form to fill out for next week, detailing: The name of the product, what it is that we aim to create, timescales, budgeting and more.

The idea me and my group member are working towards is a mobile game which aims to bring back an old genre of text based adventures with the added benefit of modern technology.

Overall I feel as though the proposed project is something me and my other group member are passionate about and can work towards without a change in mindset and ideas. If the ideas do change throughout the process of creation, all this will be documented in the R&D file to be submitted in week 8.