Connecting to a Game WorldWhat are we doing? For this project, you’ll be creating a game avatar for yourself using software of your choosing, and writing about how the visual you’ve created relates to you and your experiences as a gamer (or in general). Another way to approach this is thinking about inserting your likeness into a game world you relate to that parallels your experiences/attributes in the “real world.” This will be done in two components:

● The Visual Component: You will create a visual to represent yourself in the game world. The ways in which you can do this are nearly endless. See below for some potential approaches.

● The Written Component: You will be writing a paper of roughly 4­6 pages in length (a minimum of 1,000 words) explaining the representation of yourself you’ve created.

How are we doing it?● In short, you’ll— 1.) create an avatar, 2.) write about why and how you created the avatar you 

did by touching on the tools you used to create your avatar and why, 3.) draw connections between your experiences (with either life or gaming) and how they relate to the image you created, or how they inspired your design.

● For the Visual Component, you have nearly endless options for how to proceed. Here are some (but certainly not all) potential approaches:

○ You can choose to draw a unique avatar.○ You can edit images together to combine elements of other characters. ○ You can use character creation software found in free games like Second Life or World 

of Warcraft, DC Universe, or anything you can think of.. ○ You can choose to relate to a character you’ve already created as well, if you desire, 

should you be an MMO fan. ○ You can also choose to relate yourself to an existing character in a game world, but I will 

require you to do more than simply print a picture of a particular character and be done for this visual element of the project. You’ll need to edit the character in some way to make your presence more obvious in the character’s appearance.

○ You have complete control over the visual component and how it’s made. This 

can be confusing, so I strongly encourage you to ask questions if you feel lost!● For the Written Component you’ll need to think about what you did in the Visual Component, 

and why. Here are some questions you might want to discuss in your project (not all of these are guaranteed to apply to you, but at least some of these should come across in your work). NOTE: Many students in the past tried to use these questions as a chance to stitch together a bunch of disconnected answers as if it were a paper. This is not a good approach.

○ Does the character look like you? Why or why not?○ Is your character realistic? Fantastical? Why?○ What colors are you using? Is this character big (like Wreck­It Ralph)? Small (like Toon 

Link)? Powerful (like Kratos)? Emotionally fragile (like Cole Phelps)?○ Who are your characters’ enemies? Why?○ What game or kind of game is your avatar they in? Is it a twitchy FPS (like CoD)? A 

stylish indie platformer (like Thomas Was Alone)? An artsy experiment (like Journey)? What might this say about you or the avatar?

○ Who/what might your final boss be? How does that relate to you and the struggles you’ve faced in your life?

○ Does the avatar you’ve created have a history of some kind, and how might that relate to your own history/experiences?

Why Are We Doing This Project? This is a common, and typically unspoken, concern. This semester, you’re going to be exploring games, writing, and research in a variety of ways, and a good way to start out is by making connections between yourselves and games using the written word and visual/design software. Being able to synthesize design skills with writing is an important skill and one we will be building on this semester. In many ways, this project is a smaller version of many things we’ll be working on all semester, so like a good game, this project serves as something of a “tutorial level”—a relatively low­stakes space to do some experimenting, get comfortable with relating to and writing about games, learn some fundamental concepts about writing and research, and start out by relating yourself and your experiences to videogames or hypothetical game worlds.

LogisticsYou will complete three drafts (all three of which we will workshop in class), followed by a final draft. All (4) will be due to me on the final due date.

● Requirements: ○ Written Component

■ 1,000 word minimum for the written component. ● This is a hardline minimum. Not meeting the required 1,000 words 

(which does not include headers or marginalia) will result in steep penalties to your project’s grade.

■ NOTE: Successful projects will be closer to 4­6 pages■ Formatting (VERY IMPORTANT):

● Times New Roman font, 12 point size, MLA header, Double spaced○ Visual Component

■ You must create an avatar for yourself. ■ You can use any number of approaches to creating an avatar, but you must 

include an image/drawing/render/visual of some kind to present the avatar you’ve created.

Assessment ModelThis semester I will be making some changes to the way I assess your writing, and as such, I want to be completely transparent about my process here. When assessing your writing, I will provide you with responses to the following questions in regards to the written and visual components of your project. 

1. Does the written portion of this project clearly connect the writer’s real world experiences with digital worlds?

2. Does this project present a novel approach to avatar creation and/or excellence in design?3. Does this project use the narrative genre to make connections between how the avatar was 

designed, the world of the avatar, and the world/experiences of the writer?4. Does this project illustrate mastery over fundamental elements of writing, such as structure/order 

of content, grammar, punctuation, word choice, and use of sources when/if applicable?5. Does this project show clear signs of the drafting process, including multiple drafts, 

decision­making skills in adding or altering content, and proofreading content?

This is what’s known as a “heuristic” model of writing assessment and focuses on the parts of what you’ve done and how they come together holistically to create a complete project rather than breaking it up exclusively into individual parts. In the past, I’ve used a number­based scale but always found myself uncomfortable with the way the scale operated (what makes part of a project a 37/50 instead of a 38/50?). Thus, I’ve decided to alter my approach this semester. I’ll be asking for feedback on this model this semester, but I hope this means I can respond more specifically about the success of elements of this project I’m trying to assess and give better feedback to you as a writer. Your assessment sheet will provide a letter grade, however, so you’ll have something to go and know how room to improve there is.

OutcomesAlso, in an effort to be even more transparent, you can see on the right the goals of what we’ll be doing in this unit based on the Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing. Thrilling stuff, I know, but nonetheless, this project targets the Outcomes/Habits of Mind on the right, and intersects with the following overall course goals: 

1. Using videogames as a lens to explore argument, composition, and research to encourage curiosity, engagement, creativity, and flexibility.

2. Experience with, and knowledge of, composing in electronic environments.

3. Experience with a range of genres as a reader and creator, in both written and digital forms.

4. Encouragement to compose multiple drafts of projects and reflect on the process of writing and composing in new ways.

Drafts and Due Dates● (Shitty) First Draft Workshop: Friday, January 17th● Second Draft Workshop: Friday, January 24th ● Third Draft Workshop: Friday, January 31st● FINAL DRAFT AND ALL PREVIOUS DRAFTS DUE: Monday, February 3rd

Seeing the Game World Procedurally What are we doing? 

For this project, you’ll be procedurally analyzing a game (or set of games) of your choosing using Ian Bogost’s procedurality as an analytical lens. It can be any game(s) you so desire, as long as it is one(s) you are familiar with it, have access to, and can play through again for this project—no going based on memory for this one. I’m expecting close analysis here, and that’s not something I expect you to attempt to do from memory alone. 

How are we doing it?In short, you’ll— 1.) choose a game (or a few games that all represent a specific subject matter) to analyze, 2.) analyze the game’s processes through Bogost’s procedurality, 3.) make a claim (or claims) about how the game(s) successfully or unsuccessfully represent a “real world” concept through gameplay mechanics and/or processes and why/how that representation matters. 4.) bring in at least 4 external sources for support of your claims about how the game(s) processes succeed or fail in their representation (this number can include Bogost) 5.) take and carefully select screenshots to help illustrate your points  6.) analyze the game in question procedurally using the research you conduct. 

Why Are We Doing This Project? All too often, we play games without thinking about them. Sure, videogames are all about a fun, challenging, and/or immersive experience, but videogames are built on computer code, and that code constrains what is possible in a videogame. Games also contain all sorts of systems—economies, gameplay mechanics, story elements, and far more. This project is intended to help you see some of the underlying systems at work within the games you love and the games you play. That said, I don’t want this to be, become, or seem like a project designed to “make you hate videogames.” I’m not asking you to tear them to bits, and you do not, and should not, hate a game to make the points you’re making—analysis does not have to mean “ripping to shreds,” nor should it. You should be engaging thoughtfully with a game (maybe even one you truly love) and examining the underlying rhetoric/processes in it.

LogisticsYou will complete a proposal (which we will meet in a conference for), 2 workshop drafts, and a final draft. All (4) of these items will be due to me on the final due date.

Requirements: 1,750 word minimum for the final written component, 250 Words for Proposal.This is a hardline minimum. Not meeting the required 2,000 words (which does not include headers or marginalia) will result in steep penalties to your project’s grade. NOTE: Successful projects will be closer to 8­10 pages. Formatting (VERY IMPORTANT): Times New Roman font, 12 point size, MLA header, Double spaced.

AssessmentThese questions will serve as the foundation for my feedback to you and my assessment of your work for Project 2. When assessing your writing, I will provide you with responses to the following questions in regards to the written and visual components of your project. 

1. Did the writer bring a thorough proposal for Project 2 to our conference, including a tentative outline of content and sources?

2. Does this project clearly introduce and engage with Bogost’s notion of procedural rhetoric as it relates to a specific game or set of games?

3. Does this project successfully integrate research as evidence for the author’s argument regarding a set of processes in a chosen videogame or series of videogames? 

4. Does this project successfully integrate screenshots from a videogame or series of videogames with the alphabetic text to make the two into a more cohesive whole?

5. Does this project illustrate mastery over fundamental elements of writing, such as structure/order of content, grammar, punctuation, word choice, and use of sources when/if applicable?

6. Did the writer clearly participate in the drafting process, including being present at peer workshops, providing multiple drafts of this project, demonstrating decision­making skills in adding or altering content, and skillfully proofreading the final content?

Drafts and Due Dates● Proposal (or “First Draft”) Due for Conferences: Monday­Friday February 17th­21st● “Second Draft” Workshop: Friday, February 28th● “Third Draft” Workshop: Wednesday, March 5th● FINAL DRAFT AND ALL PREVIOUS DRAFTS DUE: Friday, March 7th

Creating a Game World of Your Own What are we doing?

For this project, you will need to create a functioning game (using tools of your choice), a visual                                   advertisement for your game that clearly targets your game’s specific audience, and a 1,000+ word                             reflection on this process building on Jesse Schell’s Elemental Tetrad. You will be discussing why you                               chose the game engine you did, what went into creating the game you made, and any additional                                 documentation for it. I will not be restricting what approach to game design you take, however. That is                                   up to you. I recommend using a text­based game and tools for creating one, however, those looking for                                   a challenge or interested in knowing more are welcome to toy with Unity or Blender to create their                                   games.

How are we doing it?In short, you’ll— 1.) come up with a game idea, 2.) define and elaborate on Schell’s Tetrad as it relates                                       to your game, including a Theme, Story, Technology, Mechanics, and Aesthetics, 3.) choose game                           creation software that you are comfortable with and works with your game idea 4.) create your game                                 using the available tools 5.) create an advertisement for it (a web ad, app icon, trailer, game box,                                   and/or poster), 6.) write a reflection of 1,000+ words which makes all of the above choices clear and                                   focuses on defining the Elements in Schell’s Tetrad in your game, the process of making your advertising                                 materials, and who your game’s audience. 

Why Are We Doing This Project? This unit and project encourage you to think about videogames as electronic texts created through a series of stages and a synthesis of alphabetic text, images, audio, and video— the direction most writing and creation you do takes regularly. This project also asks you to consider your audience carefully and gain experience with new kinds of production software, and how the elements of a game work together to reach a specific audience, just like successful writing does. In this unit we will explore Jesse Schell’s Elemental Tetrad as a means of designing/discussing the game you’ve created. This assignment and unit are designed to focus on the importance of an audience and audience awareness. Every game needs a player, and every piece of writing has an audience. Finally, this project is meant to be fun. So, have fun with it!

LogisticsYou will be required to provide evidence of at least 1 previous draft of all of your materials, followed by a final draft. This means a total of 6 items (2 drafts of your game [Alpha and Beta], 2 drafts of your advertisement, and 2 drafts of your written component) minimum. Additional drafts will not be required, but are strongly advised.

● Requirements: ○ 1,000 word minimum for the written component. 

■ This is a hardline minimum. Not meeting the required 1,000 words (which does not include headers or marginalia) will result in steep grade penalties.

■ NOTE: Successful written components will be closer to 4­6 pages in length○ A Functioning game○ A Visual Advertisement for your game (a poster, game box, magazine ad, 

trailer, or another idea you come up with and/or run by me)○ Formatting (VERY IMPORTANT):

■ Times New Roman font, 12 point size, MLA header, and Double spaced

AssessmentThese questions will serve as the foundation for my feedback to you and my assessment of your work for Project 3. When assessing your writing, I will provide you with responses to the following questions in regards to the written and visual components of your project. 

1. Did the advertising component of this project have a clear target audience and did the creator account for their audience with the elements of its design (font, images, colors, etc.)?

2. Is the medium of the advertisement appropriate for the style of game and audience the author chose?

3. Does the author’s game successfully integrate images and audio into the game to appeal to the author’s chosen audience?

4. Does the written reflection clearly discuss the Theme, Story, Mechanics, Aesthetics, and Technology that inform this game’s design?Does the writer clearly articulate what the process of creating this project (the game and advertisement) entailed, including what went well and did not?

5. Does this project illustrate mastery over fundamental elements of writing, such as structure/order of content, grammar, punctuation, word choice, and use of sources when/if applicable?

6. Did the writer clearly participate in the drafting process, including being present at peer workshops, providing multiple drafts of this project, demonstrating decision­making skills in adding or altering content, and skillfully proofreading the final content?

Drafts and Due Dates● Conceptual Workshopping: Friday, March 28th● Second Draft: Conferences— Monday­Friday— March 31­April 4● Game Alpha/Advertisements Workshop: Monday, April 7th ● Game Beta/Advertisements Workshops: Friday, April 11th ● FINAL DRAFT AND ALL PREVIOUS DRAFTS DUE: Monday, April 14th

Planning the Perfect Heist: Designing Procedural Documentation

What Are We Doing?For this project, you will be tasked (individually, or in groups of 2-4) with developing procedural documentation for a level of the game Monaco (preferably one of the first 2-3 to make reaching those levels easier in class). This will be done in two parts: (1) a walkthrough of one of the levels of the game with one character per group member accounted for, and (2) a reflection on the process of creating a walkthrough for one of Monaco’s levels, and the use of another student’s documentation. (NOTE: groups of more than 1 will all need the Steam edition of the game to play together simultaneously and will write instructions for multi-player heists, not a single character.)

How Are We Doing It? In short, you’ll: 1.) Play the first few levels of Monaco. 2.) Choose a level you want to design documentation/a walkthrough for. 3.) Play the level again with documenting the completion of a level with a specific goal in mind (How do you get all the gold? What’s the fastest way through the level? Which character(s) work best in a given level? etc.). 4.) Play through a level, this time relying on someone else’s documentation. 5.) Write a reflection on the process of designing procedural documentation for the game, and using the documentation crafted by your peers (What worked? What didn’t? What elements do you value in documentation, be it your own or someone else’s?)

Why Are We Doing This Project? How many times while playing Braid, Papers, Please, Thomas Was Alone, Little Inferno or any game did you need to check something online to get past where you were stuck? If the answer is “more than none,” you’ve engaged with a shockingly prevalent form of writing within the gaming community that goes by a fancier name in other contexts: procedural documentation. For our final project we will be making videogame play our main focus and taking part in a common composing practice in gaming that translates directly to countless contexts, including the development of wiki pages, study guides, and professional writing among others.

LogisticsRequirements:

● 500 word minimum reflection on your experiences playing, writing documentation for, and working with someone else’s documentation of, a level in Monaco.

○ (1 per person)○ This is a hardline minimum. Not meeting the required 500 words (which

does not include headers or marginalia) will result in steep penalties to your project’s grade.

● 250 word minimum documentation describing how to complete your level in a given way.

○ (1 per group). ○ See above regarding word count.

● Formatting: Times New Roman, 12 pt, MLA header, Double spaced.

AssessmentThese questions will serve as the foundation for my feedback to you and my assessment of your work for Project 4. When assessing your writing, I will provide you with responses to the following questions in regards to the written and visual components of your project.

●● Is the audience of the author’s walkthrough

easily identifiable and present a specific goal indicated and integrated throughout the written text (Speed run? Best character(s) for a level? 100% gold in a level?)

● Are author’s instructions easy to understand and demonstrate appropriate clarity and structure?

● Does the author integrate images into their instructions in a helpful way for the reader/audience? Are images successfully illustrating the processes being discussed here?

● Does this project illustrate mastery over fundamental elements of writing, such as structure/order of content, grammar, punctuation, word choice, and use of sources when/if applicable?

● Did the writer clearly participate in the drafting process, including being present at peer workshops, providing multiple drafts of this project, demonstrating decision-making skills in adding or altering content, and skillfully proofreading the final content?

Plans and Due Dates Week 15

● Monday, April 14th○ Project 3 officially due.○ Play Monaco in class.

● Wednesday, April 16th○ Play Monaco in class.○ Begin procedural

documentation in class.● Friday, April 18th

○ Play Monaco in class.○ Develop procedural

documentation in class.○ Test procedural

documentation.

Week 16

● Monday, April 21st○ Play Monaco in class.○ Test procedural

documentation.● Wednesday, April 23rd

○ Play Monaco in class.○ Finish procedural

documentation in class.● Friday, April 25th

○ Project 4 Due.○ All revisions due.○ Final Course Evaluations.