Brad's EDU 5863 / CMCT 6537 Production #5
In Gee's paper, under section "2. Simulations of experience and preparations for action' (Gee, 2003), it is noted that "effective thinking is viewed as the human actor seeing how the world, at a specific time and place (as it is given, but modifiable), can afford the opportunity for actions that will lead to a successful accomplishment of the actor's goals" (Gee, 2003, p. 3). In the context of video games, Gee notes that "gamers learn to see the world of each different game in a way that is distinctive to that game; but every game requires its players to see the virtual world in terms of how it will afford the sorts of actions they ('they' meaning a melding of themselves and their virtual character) need to take to accomplish their goals" (Gee, 2003, p. 4).
While my final marble game did not make use of movable objects such as boxes to enhance a player's ability to jump higher up, I designed my proof of concept game in such a way as to guide the user on the movement affordances within the game. For example, the player first spawns into the game on a baseboard and is able to freely move around using basic W, A, S, and D keys as can be assumed from playing countless other computer games with a keyboard. I then designed the game such that a green "starter" level makes use of basic movement mechanics, with a floating star collectible that requires the user to jump using the spacebar, another affordance commonly exhibited in keyboard based games.
Moving beyond this, I developed another pathway in which the user has to more critically analyze their given space, and adapt using aforementioned affordances (movement mechanics) to succeed and advance. For instance, I began implementing separate platforms that required the player to jump while in motion, and repeated this again with the modification of running speed required (although this mechanic was not explained or as easily presumed). Later, I implemented a vertically moving platform that is visible to the user from far away, which allows them to anticipate it as a necessary mechanic to achieve the increased height required for the final level. This particular segment of development builds on Gee's notion of "distributed intelligence via the creation of smart tools" (Gee, 2003, p. 4). While it doesn’t fall into the exact basket, seeing as how the user doesn't assign a group of soldiers to an area, my game was designed such that "the player gains competence through trial, error and feedback" (Gee, 2003, p. 5), feedback being a quick respawn.