https://tegd.arizona.edu/index.php?title=Special:NewPages&feed=atom&hideliu=&hidepatrolled=&hidebots=1&hideredirs=&limit=50&namespace=0The Educational Games Database (TEGD) - New pages [en]2024-03-29T14:49:07ZFrom The Educational Games Database (TEGD)MediaWiki 1.18.2https://tegd.arizona.edu/index.php?title=Battlefield_4Battlefield 42014-02-28T15:44:34Z<p>Maxathon: </p>
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<div>--Author: Chase Cagala 08:44, 28 February 2014 (MST)<br />
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== Game Information ==<br />
[[File:battlefield_1.jpg|right|thumb|Battlefield 4 splash screen.]]Battlefield 4, created by EA entertainment and DICE is now available to play for PC, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and the Xbox ONE. Battlefield 4 starts on the ground running into the action packed FPS and action game of the year as Sgt. Recker of the US spec ops squad “Tombstone.” With tension rising between the US, China and Russia, an assassination attempt is made after the Chinese presidential candidate. <br />
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Of course with the rising tension, the United States, is left with the shortest straw and is blamed. Sgt. Recker and Co are ordered to go on various missions including rescuing Chinese VIPS to find out what’s really going on in hope to find out what’s really going on. This will take Recker and Tombstone through some of the most breathe taking landscapes as you go through lush green environments, to treacherous snowcapped mountains to save Tombstone, the Valkyrie (your main base) and even the U.S from escalating global affairs.<br />
Mechanics overview<br />
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As it is a no brainer that Battlefield 4 is not the 1st game in its series, that doesn’t mean that DICE and EA failed to introduce to us new mechanics that have set some high standards for the genre of FPS (first person shooters). Amongst these improvements are spectacular graphics and beautiful environments, changes to the way squads and groups will work together in the multiplayer, Interaction with objects with in the game and simplified learning factors.<br />
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== Interface ==<br />
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[[File:battlefield_2.png|right|thumb|Browsing available multiplayer matches.]]Battlefield 4’s interface thrives strongly, with beautiful and stunning graphics that make interactions between the user and the game not only fun but easy as well. One of the most important aspects of an interface in modern FPS are the different classes and customization for these classes. Battlefield 4’s interface for class customization offers superb visuals, with simplified visuals that will minimize your time without the cluttered interface of Battlefield 3. <br />
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Character customization aside, the game also thrives in allowing the user to easily find games with specifications that are desirable to the user. The user can select what game type, how many people are in the game, what maps they want to play and even filter by specific damage modifiers. These changes also make it easy to find games with friends and most important games that won’t have you smashing your hang against your keyboard because you got thrown onto a losing team with several seconds before the round ends, much like Call of Duty players are accustomed to.<br />
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== Graphics ==<br />
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[[File:battlefield_3.jpg|left|thumb|A skyscraper topples in the Frostbite 3 engine.]]Battlefield 4, offers the most remarkable graphics on the market today, even for new gen gaming machines like the PS4 and the XBOX ONE. The game was developed on the new Frostbite 3 engine. The engine has allotted developers to create more realistic environments through use of high resolution, textures and particle effects. The system even introduces a networked water system, which is technology that is supposed to allow players to interact with changes in the environment at the same time, for example being on a boat and interacting with a wave. This system has also allowed DICE and EA to take interactions with the environment to a whole new level with devolution. A mechanic that allows players to completely destroy buildings on far more grandiose scale than has even been introduced before.<br />
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== Gameplay ==<br />
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[[File:battlefield_4.jpg|right|thumb|An example of the aquatic vehicle combat introduced in this installment.]]As you may be able to assume based on changes from the Frostbite 3 engine, that gameplay has changed drastically. Not only from the way a player can interact with buildings but the way players can interact with one another. In Battlefield 4, players will find themselves in teams in squads, with squad leaders that are randomly assigned. When players in a squad work together to take objectives, such as capturing or defending a point, that group will receive field upgrades, which will enhance the players ammo, accuracy and even sprint ability. Battlefield 4 more than ever encourages players to work together through class specific buffs. For example: In a typical multiplayer game in Battlefield 4, players will have less bullets than in previous games, so you will need to count on your support class to drop ammo backs and the same goes for your assault class dropping med kits. Doing so will not only benefit the individual but the group as well through experience points. <br />
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Battlefield 4 has always been a game that has thrived off of not only a solider interacting with players on the ground but through the use of vehicles as well. Battlefield 4 has introduced a whole new line of aquatic vehicles such as jet skis and battleships for levels with water (and there are a lot of them). What’s even better, is players can now swim in water, dive and shoot in the water. The recon class can conceal themselves in the water by diving, coming around an enemy battleship, plant C4 on them and detonate it for major points. In this way Battlefield 4 offers a whole new variety of game play styles that will keep players more addicted.<br />
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== Educational potential ==<br />
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The very idea of using a game as a tool of educating, is a very subjective idea to me. The intended audience would need to be very mature and understand what he or she should be looking for or taking out of the experience. That being said, Battlefield 4 has a lot of learning potential. In one specific way, it can be used to teach game developers how to take advantage of the Frostbite 3 game engine raising the bar and pushing innovations in the game market.<br />
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To a mature audience the game could also be used to show the seriousness and major effects of war. The story line of Battlefield 4 is a very dramatic one, riddled with violence and very intense scenes. In this sense this game could be used in a variety of ways. It could be used to influence a person who has wants to join the military to join or even do the very opposite. Battlefield 4 really shows an emphasis on teamwork and teams working together to accomplish a common goal.<br />
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Although it may not be the most practical of applications as a simulator, Battlefield 4 has many vehicles that players are able to interact with, such as fighter jets, Helicopters, tanks and other heavy armored vehicles. In a way, the way the player interacts with these vehicles are a decent way to simulate how these vehicles would work in real life, minus of course a few variables such as the way weather interacts with flying vehicles. All the same though, it can be used to inspire somebody to take a more realistic approach towards perhaps learning to fly etc. As far as I know though, this game has never been used to teach in the real world yet, that may also have something to do with it still being young.<br />
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== Conclusion ==<br />
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Battlefield 4, is a very fun game that I think anybody could get into. The graphics alone are simply amazing and I find myself often getting taken away by the beautiful lush environments and the way you can interact with them. The multiplayer aspect of the game keeps me addicted with fellow friends that leave me with more laughs and good times than frustrating ones. Battlefield 4 is a great game that I highly recommend to any fan of FPS and shooters alike.</div>Maxathonhttps://tegd.arizona.edu/index.php?title=AntichamberAntichamber2014-02-28T00:53:56Z<p>Maxathon: </p>
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<div>Antichamber is an abstract puzzle game developed by Alexander Bruce and released and early 2013. The player must explore a stark 3D environment that is populated with colored lights that paint the walls and floors along with faint animal sounds that build upon the unreal ambiance of the world. Currently Antichamber is released on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.<br />
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The game tasks the player with one simple goal: get to the exit. How to achieve this and why are left completely ambiguous to the player, but the game makes efforts to teach the player how its world works by introducing simple puzzles that require the player to use the rules and physics demonstrated to him or her. Additionally, after or before completing a puzzle, the player can find short philosophical pieces of text that relate to the previous or coming challenges. While finding the exit (and what lies beyond) is the only concrete goal the game introduces, the central theme of the game prompts the user to reflect on the nature of learning, progress, and the journey they take as they move through the world.<br />
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== Gameplay ==<br />
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[[File:antichamber_antechamber_1.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The antechamber. A partially revealed map and the exit are visible.]]<br />
== The Antechamber ==<br />
The game begins without introduction, dropping the player in the central hub “antechamber.” The walls of the room contain the controls and options, a map, and a list of placards that have been found by the player. Behind the fourth wall, which is made of glass, sits a short hallway with three doors with one clearly marked as “EXIT.” The controls are fairly standard for a computer game: w,a,s,d to move, space to jump, shift to walk, and the mouse for interacting and using the manipulator device (received later). The player can adjust options from this room, read old placards, and teleport to different location through the map.<br />
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[[File:antichamber_world_1.jpg|300px|thumb|right|In the world of Antichamber, rooms can occupy the same space as seen in this gallery.]]<br />
== The World ==<br />
The world of Antichamber does not follow an easily traceable linear path. In fact, many sections of the world seem to jump from area to area that would be impossible in a logical 3D environment. This feature of the over world frequently appears in individual rooms as well as a part of solving puzzles. One such area is a circular hallway that seemingly loops in on itself forever but eventually returns the player to an early location. Other rooms will have multiple entrances that, depending on which entrance the player uses, will deposit them into one of several areas that seem to all occupy the same space. Other features of the world include jump pads, disappearing floors, and cube-disintegrating force fields.<br />
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Antichamber's world layout frequently teases upcoming areas by allowing the player to look through glass walls and force fields and puzzles that are currently impossible to surpass. Due to the nonlinear progression of the game, it is possible for a player to complete Antichamber without discovering all locations or completing all puzzles. This can mean that the player can entirely avoid certain game mechanics involving the manipulation device if he or she is an exceptional problem solver.<br />
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== Cubes and the Manipulator ==<br />
[[File:antichamber_cubes_1.jpg|300px|thumb|left|A player utilizing the yellow gun's ability to move cubes.]]Cubes are colored obstacles that exist around the world that can either hinder or assist the player. At first cubes will be present only as a feature of the world but become a puzzle solving asset with the a cube manipulation gun. This unnamed device comes into the player's possession after completing a few introductory puzzles. The device allows the player to place cubes with the left mouse button and retrieve cubes with the right mouse button.<br />
As the player progresses the gun gains abilities and changes colors to reflect its current level of progress: blue, green, yellow, red, and black. The blue gun allows the player to pick up cubes as ammunition and to place them back down in a new location. This proves helpful for tasks such as jamming doors open and building stairs. The green gun lets the player click-and-drag to draw lines of cubes. In addition, forming a complete 2D shape with cubes will cause the shape to fill in, thus creating more cubes. The yellow gun gives the ability to force a cube to move to a new location without picking it up. The cube will quickly walk up walls and fly across open spaces to get to its new location (or at least as close as possible). Cubes that are touching each other will move together like a large amorphous blob. The red gun lets the player “suck up” cubes that are touching each other. Similarly, the red gun can deposit cubes in a large diamond shape that quickly spreads out from the central cube. This is useful for filling in (and clearing out) gaps that are otherwise unreachable by the player. The black gun's purpose does not play a role in puzzle solving, but its use is revealed later in the game.<br />
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== Puzzles ==<br />
[[File:antichamber_world_2.jpg|300px|thumb|right|One of many placards scattered through out the world.]]Early game puzzles primarily focus on teaching the player how Antichamber works. Rather than explaining the rules of the world, the player is left to fend for themselves and must discovered the illogical nature of the geometry in the world. Generally this involves leaving the player alone until they stumble across a peculiarity of Antichamber wherein they will find a black placard with an image and text that relates to the discovery. The short piece of text usually embodies philosophical concepts that are experienced in daily life. One such placard shows a picture of two men standing atop a mountain whom gaze up at the moon above. The text reads "No matter how high you climb, there's always more to achieve.” The relevance of this quote comes after the player slowly ascends a tall shaft only to discover another shaft they must once again climb. Through out the game the player will be asked to combine the lessons taught by previous puzzles so that their knowledge is tested. This usually means using combinations of the different colors of the manipulation device as well as understanding how to successfully navigate the unorthodox obstacles and layout of Antichamber.<br />
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== Educational Potential ==<br />
Antichamber is unlike other serious or educational games, being that it is entirely abstract with no central plot or a theme that is tied to real world historical events. The game also neglects to define a path or a line of progression for the player. Antichamber's educational potential arises from its hands-off approach to teaching the player. The challenges presented by Antichamber can be discovered in just about any order, so it is entirely possible that the player makes their time in the game much more difficult than need be by attempting tasks that are extremely difficult or even impossible until the player has progressed further in the game. This can mean the player lacks the proper equipment to complete a puzzle or the player has not properly learned a lesson about how the world of Antichamber functions. One such early concept requires the player to avoid looking at a door otherwise it will close, thus forcing the player to walk backwards through it. Should this simple puzzle never be solved then later puzzles requiring the comprehension of this mechanic will become exponentially more confusing when paired with other nuances of the game world.<br />
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Antichamber embodies the concepts of learning, doing, and perfecting. It requires the player to make observations about the world and to apply these observations to come to conclusions (to in turn solve puzzles). This type of scientific thinking emulates the kind of critical thinking and reasoning skills utilized in fields such as physics, chemistry, and computer science. At any time the player may return to the central map room that maintains a list of the completed challenges along with short quips to help remind the player what was learned when the challenge was completed. This room acts almost like a scientific journal that can be accessed whenever the player needs a gentle reminder of the lessons learned.</div>AlexThttps://tegd.arizona.edu/index.php?title=Kerbal_Space_ProgramKerbal Space Program2014-02-28T00:04:36Z<p>PatrickW: </p>
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<div>Kerbal Space Program is a sandbox-simulation game made by Squad. In this game, players take charge of the budding Kerbal Space Program, building rockets and manning interplanetary missions. Players try to explore the final frontier using engineering prowess, sheer luck, and catastrophic failure. The ultimate goal is up to the player’s imagination, but you can be sure there will be both successes and failures along the way (mostly failures). The game is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and it is currently in beta with updates coming regularly. Note the version I am reviewing is version 0.23.<br />
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'''GAMEPLAY'''<br />
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When the player starts off the game there are two modes to choose from Sandbox and Career. Career mode starts the player out with the bare minimum parts and can unlock more by performing research. Sandbox however gives the player access to the entire parts library and allows them to do anything they want. Regardless of which mode is chosen, the first thing players will do is construct a rocket.<br />
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Construction is one of the key components of Kerbal Space Program. Players will need to construct the appropriate rocket in order to carry out whatever their mission is in the game. Now there are a variety of part types the player can attach to their rocket. These types vary from capsules, propulsion, aerodynamics, structural, research, as well as other things. The design interface is quite simple with a drag and drop, snap on parts and symmetry tools making things very easy. The result is a system that allows for quick iteration. One other thing the game supports is staging. Staging allows for the rocket to jettison parts as they are used up. This is very reminiscent of the old Saturn-V rockets. Players can set up the staging using the staging tool on the right of the screen<br />
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[[File:TheKerbalX.0.21.1.png|600px]]<br />
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Once the player has their rocket designed, they can try to fly it. This composes the other half of the game. Players are about to “fly” their designs and perform missions (or fail spectacularly). The interface shows things that are important to flying the rocket. The first and foremost thing to see is the Nav-ball. This is important for navigation as it shows where the player’s rocket is pointed in relation to the planet as well as where their velocity vector is in relation to them. To the left of the Nav-ball is the throttle control and to the right is a G-meter. On top of the Nav-ball is the velocity meter which will show either surface velocity or orbital velocity. There is also an altimeter on the top of the screen which shows the altitude in relation to the body the player is orbiting. Players control their rocket using the keyboard controls to control throttle and steering. <br />
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[[File:Kerbal-space-program-10-700x403.jpg|600px]]<br />
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There is also a map screen players can access which shows what the orbital path of the rocket is as well as other bits of information useful for performing maneuvers. One thing player can do in the map screen is set up maneuver nodes which are like road directions for their rocket. When the player places a node, they can set up course changes and see where their changes will put them. This is crucial in setting up missions to other planets. Once the node is set, the game will give the player a countdown to burn, how long to burn, and which direction to burn.<br />
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[[File:Kerbal-Space-Program-3.jpg|600px]]<br />
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This is often the section that players will begin to have troubles with the game. There is quite a lot of information thrown at them and they are expected to pick it up very quickly. There are many times where the player will spectacular fail (often hilarious) due to some small design flaw or a lack of piloting experience. But honestly that is part of the learning experience. In my experience I learned more through the failures of my play than by reading things on a wiki. That said the game could use some better tutorials on how to fly rockets and perform maneuvers in space.<br />
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Once a player has a handle on their skills, there is quite of advance stuff they can take advantage of. There is an accurate physics system in the game, and many of the mechanics the game has are things that are used in real rocket science (i.e. aero-braking).<br />
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'''EDUCATION VALUE'''<br />
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With all the mechanics in the game, there is a lot of potential to teach people a bit about the science that goes on behind space travel. I personally see this game as a teaching tool for middle school and high school students to teach them about physics involved in space travel. They could learn many things such as escape velocity, gravitational force, and force in general. I don’t know of anyone who has used this but I do know that NASA has taken a great interest in the development of this game.</div>PatrickWhttps://tegd.arizona.edu/index.php?title=ReusReus2014-02-27T23:51:40Z<p>Maxathon: </p>
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<div>==General Information==<br />
[[File:Reus_Start_Screen.png|thumb|right|400px|alt=Reus start screen.|Reus start screen.]]Reus is a god game created by Abbey Games. It was released May 16, 2013. Reus is currently only available on Windows, but the game website says that Abbey Games is planning to release to more platforms in the future. Reus is a simulation and strategy game. In the game you control elemental giants on a barren world. You must use the giants' abilities to create a balanced world capable of sustaining peaceful human life.<br />
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==Gameplay==<br />
===Systems===<br />
The giants are used to play the game and achieve certain goals. There are four: Ocean, Forest, Rock, and Swamp. Each have unique abilities. One of the main systems in the game is biomes, which can be created by certain giants. There are five that you can make: ocean, forest, mountain, desert, and swamp. At the beginning of the game the world is covered in wasteland. Giants are also capable of creating sources for villages, such as plants, animals, and minerals. Different combinations of biomes and giants generate different sources. These sources are turned into resources by the villagers, specifically food, wealth, awe, danger, and technology. Achieving certain levels of these helps finish projects and sustain growth. Players can also make symbioses, which are advantages made by placing certain sources next to each other. These give boosts to the villager's resources.<br />
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===Mechanics/Rules===<br />
[[File:Reus_Creating_Desert_Biome.png|thumb|left|400px|alt=Rock giant creating a desert biome.|The Rock Giant makes a desert biome.]]Every time a giant uses an ability there is a recharge period before they can use another. Abilities are a sort of tile-lay mechanic in that you create something on one or more spaces in the world. When a village starts a project, you must use the giants to help them gather resources to complete it. Resource management is key as you only have a limited amount of space in and around a village. Completing projects also upgrades giants with ambassadors from villages, which grant the giants more abilities. Spaces already made can be upgraded by transmutation. In some modes of the game there is a time limit before the era ends.<br />
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There are no set rules to the game, but the goal is to sustain as much peaceful life as possible. This becomes easier the more you play, as you must play to unlock more abilities for the giants. This makes sense, because the giants are somewhat godlike, so they have the power to help humanity, but they don't have to do so. The giants are also elemental creatures, so the more of their element that there is, the more power they have. If any giant dies the game is over. This makes sense because each giant is essential and they all work together. For example without the swamp giant you couldn't make herbs, or without the ocean giant you couldn't make animals. <br />
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===Graphics/Interface===<br />
[[File:Reus_Village_Closeup.png|thumb|400px|alt=Close up of a village.|Close up of a village.]]The game is in 2D, with the player able to use the left and right arrow keys to move across patches of the surface of the world. The up and down arrow keys allow you to zoom in and out to see villages close up or the entire world. You can use the mouse to click on abilities for the giants, or use certain predetermined shortcut keys. There is also a HUD overlay over the world. The bottom left part shows the giants. The bottom shows the abilities of the currently selected giant. The top right shows information for a selected space of land such as symbiosis, transmutations, and amount of resources it's generating. The top left part of the HUD shows the total amount of food, wealth, and technology, time before an era ends, and how many villages, projects ambassadors, and wars there are. <br />
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==Educational Potential==<br />
[[File:Reus_Screenshot.png|thumb|left|400px|alt=Screenshot of game with HUD.]]This game could be used to teach about, resource management, humanity, and environmental health. Although it is not as in-depth as games like Sid Meier's Civilization, Reus still provides a simple way to explore the way your environment affects your growth, and that not everything is in one's control.<br />
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Reus has not yet been used in a classroom setting, but it could be. The simple graphics and controls could make it usable for middle school and higher levels. Teachers could explain real life examples of symbiosis between plants and animals as well as biomes. They could also relate the game to today's uses of resources to sustain life, and whether or not it needs to be altered. The game also teaches the lesson that you can't control everything. After an era ends or the player has helped the villages as much as possible, it's still up to humanity to survive.</div>DarianVhttps://tegd.arizona.edu/index.php?title=AgentSurefireAgentSurefire2014-02-27T23:44:35Z<p>BCarr: /* Environment */</p>
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<div>[[File:Title-screen.png|200px|thumb|right|Agent Surefire]]<br />
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Agent Surefire is a game created by ESET, a cyber security company best known for their NOD32 antivirus program. It was published online in 2010. The game is set in an office where the protagonist, Agent Surefire, is investigating a security breach, thought to have been conducted by the infamous hacker Cyrus. <br /><br /><br />
As Agent Surefire, your task is to investigate the office. This is presented in a point-and-click adventure style, with the main task being to locate clues regarding the identity, location, and activity of the criminal under investigation. You are also tasked with finding any other security violations (unlocked drawers, open computer terminals, etc.) that could cause any future security breaches.<br />
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= Gameplay =<br />
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==Navigation==<br />
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You move through the office with north, south, east, and west controls, and can reorient yourself to face any of these directions. There are many clickable items that you can further investigate or change the state of (open disk drives, turn off screen savers to access computer terminals, investigate the contents of wastebaskets, etc.). By clicking the “tag” icon, you enter tag mode, where a larger set of items become “taggable.” You can attempt to tag these items as violations, if you feel that they might be.<br />
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==Finding Violations==<br />
[[File:Violation-list-screen.png|200px|thumb|left|Agent Surefire]]<br />
Tag mode is the major mechanic of the game. In this mode, your mouse cursor becomes a tag, and you can attempt to tag several different things. When an item is chosen to tag, you’re given a host of options for categories of security violations. The object is to correctly identify what violation is occurring, netting you the maximum points. There is no penalty for attempting to identify something as a violation that is not (i.e. tagging a stapler as any violation won’t lose you any points, because it’s not a violation), but tagging something that is a violation incorrectly (i.e. a business document in a wastebasket as a “leaving computer terminals unlocked” violation) will cause you to not gain the maximum points.<br /><br /><br />
Every time you tag something as a violation, a dialogue will come up informing you whether or not you have correctly identified the item. It will then display the information regarding the correct violation on the screen. This is the major educational aspect of the game. It will inform you of what the violation means, give you information about the violation, and give you tips on how to avoid doing this in the future.<br />
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==Agent Gadget==<br />
[[File:Device-screen.png|200px|thumb|right|Agent Surefire]]<br />
Your main tool is your “Agent Gadget,” a small computer that enables you to communicate with headquarters, investigate objects in the environment (such as external hard drives), and get information about the items in your inventory. It is also the main means of delivering the story of the game. When you find a clue (or a certain time has elapsed, as it seems), headquarters will give you a call with an update on what’s going on in the investigation.<br />
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==Environment==<br />
[[File:Laptop-screen.png|200px|thumb|left|Agent Surefire]]<br />
The game is set in an office building. It is a very sterile building, exhibiting the colors in the ESET logo (turquoise, grey and white). The main investigation area is an office with several cubicles and drawers, among other items you are tasked with investigating (for example, a key to a drawer is located in a potted plant). There are computers around that all have ESET NOD32 antivirus installed on them.<br />
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=Educational potential=<br />
[[File:Violation-screen.png|200px|thumb|right|Agent Surefire]]<br />
Agent Surefire: Breach Buster offers a lot of information in an interactive way. This enables the company to share important information in a fun way. Here is an excerpt from the description of a “Possesion and/or use of software and/or storage media that management deems illegal and unsafe” violation:<br />
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“Users may not install any software that has not been tested by the IT department. Seemingly harmless e-cards, screen savers, games, or potentially very useful but free-of-charge software can indeed be spyware and/or may allow other spyware to slip in to the system”<br />
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This is something your casual internet user likely doesn’t know. While those who are experts in information security won’t find any new information, those with little experience will find the experience valuable.<br />
A practical application of the game would be in a business setting. New employees will be required to complete the game and pass a small test thereafter. It makes the process of learning corporate information security fun and inviting, while offering the benefit of informing employees and potentially eliminating several security breaches. Any business with sensitive information or a lot of employees, or any individual that works for such a business, can benefit from playing through this game.</div>BCarrhttps://tegd.arizona.edu/index.php?title=Surgeon_Simulator_2013Surgeon Simulator 20132014-02-27T21:25:44Z<p>TeDas: </p>
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<div>[[File:surgeon_simulator_2013.jpg|right|thumb|Surgeon Simulator 2013 Game Title]]<br />
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Surgeon Simulator 2013 was created by Bossa Studios at the 2013 Global Game Jam in January. In just 48 hours they were able to develop a darkly humorous over-the-top operation sim game where the player takes on the role of Nigel Burke. Nigel Burke is a would be surgeon whose clumsy hand are responsible for the lives of his patients. Surgeon Simulator 2013 can be purchased through Steam and can be played on PC. There is a Surgeon Simulator 2013 Jam Prototype in which it is essentially the demo version of the full game, which can be downloaded through the main website.<br />
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== Overview ==<br />
Surgeon Simulator 2013 is an over-the-top simulator in which the player controls a bumbling hand in order to perform rigorous task of complex surgeries such as open heart surgery. The player will be given a task of removing organs and bones with the provided surgical tools in order to help "save" the patient. At the same time the player must not allow the patient blood level to drop below zero as well as trying to keep the time score as low as possible. <br />
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== Gameplay ==<br />
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[[File:heart_surgery.jpg|right|thumb|Open heart surgery gameplay]]<br />
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===Goals===<br />
Surgeon Simulator 2013 does not have very many goals to achieve except for keeping the patient alive by keeping his blood level high and successfully completing the surgery. In the Surgeon Simulator 2013 Jam Prototype the player goal is to perform heart surgery. There is no instructions as to how to complete the heart surgery but one thing is sure, once you remove the old heart and place the new heart in its place the surgery is complete. You do not have to attach any arteries or have to replace any organs or bones you remove during the process. The process in which one goes through in order to perform open heart surgery is up to the player. In some examples, the player may use the hammer to smash open the rib-cage or they can grab the saw to cut threw the rib-cage. Either way, the player may experience different results that could either be helpful or damaging to the patient their trying to save. For instance, if the player decides to use the hammer he may be able to break open the rib-cage faster but then the bones will be scatter about and the possibility of damaging the organs as well. On the other hand the player may choose to use the saw try to cut through the desire bone but risk the chance of hitting the patient open body thus reducing his blood level. Essentially this game is an open-world sandbox where the player has multiple tools and must decide what is the best course of action to take.<br />
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[[File:Hand_placement.jpg|right|thumb|Key placement for Surgeon Simulator 2013]]<br />
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===Controls===<br />
The player will utilize both the keyboard and mouse to control the one hand that represents Nigel Burke. On the keyboard the player will control the fingers by using A, W, E, R, and Space keys to control each finger. The layout of the finger controls appear to be design to cater to the comfort of each finger, where A is the little finger, W is the ring finger, E is the middle finger, R is the index finger and space is the thumb. The mouse controls the movement of the hand while the left and right buttons control motion of the hand. The left button controls the rise or descend of the hand, in default the hand hovers over the patient and tools, by holding down on the left button the hand will slowly descend where it is currently hovering over. The right button turns the hand, by holding down on the right button and moving the mouse left or right, the hand will twist in those directions. You can go from palm up to palm down and vice versa. Another essential movement with the right button is moving the mouse forward and backwards while holding the right button. This causes the hand to bend at the wrist which allows the player have more access into certain areas. <br />
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===Difficulty===<br />
There is no difficulty setting for Surgeon Simulator 2013, but the challenge of the controls and the setting makes the game difficult. Minor bug issues in the game makes it difficult to control, such as collision detection or grasping of materials. In the Surgeon Simulator 2013 Jam Prototype, some of the more noticeable bugs is the cloth that is covering the open section of the body, when the hand is place on the cloth and try to be remove the cloth does not "attach" to the hand. In some instances the hand goes through the cloth and becomes stuck until the you maneuver about to remove the cloth. Issues such as grabbing makes it difficult as well. When pressing down on all keys not all of the fingers will close which makes it harder for you to keep the item in hand. Though this is the prototype version of the game so final game may differ.<br />
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[[File:surgery_completion.jpg|right|thumb|Finish screen]]<br />
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== Education Potential ==<br />
Surgeon Simulator 2013 would not be ideal for teaching surgeons how to perform life or death surgeries, but it can be use as a basic teaching aid for those who are interested in the medical field. This can be used to teach students the basics in procedures such as removing certain bones and maneuver about to reach the heart without completely emptying the body cavity. It can also be use to show the difficulty it can be to carefully remove internal organs and not damage the patient from within. This can show students that minimizing time and blood loss could result in better outcome for the patient.<br />
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On the other hand this game can be use to identify the faults and misconception of critical surgeries. For instance, can you perform surgery without removing any of the bones or organs. Or can the patient really be alive if you remove certain organ from them, if so what is that keeps them alive.<br />
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Another thing that is worth mentioning is the difficulty and patient require to play this game, it can teach students to be careful and try not risk a lot of damage all while trying to keep the time and blood loss low. For a student who wishes to become a surgeon, being patient and understanding the risk one has to take in order to save a life can be a crucial moment during any real surgery.</div>TeDashttps://tegd.arizona.edu/index.php?title=Enviro-Bear_2000Enviro-Bear 20002014-02-27T03:45:17Z<p>HenryK: /* Appearance */</p>
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<div>'''Enviro-Bear 2000''' was created by Justin Smith, with music by Roberto Ricioppo. It can be played for free on the PC, but also has a mobile version called Enviro-bear 2010 for $0.99. <br />
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The game has no official given genre, but I would say it is an Action Survival Simulator. In short, the game is played from the perspective of a bear attempting to eat large quantities of food. An additional twist is that the bear is driving a car, and proper operation of the bear's vehicle is vital to survival in the game. The theme and goal is that of survival; when enough food is consumed, your goal is to get to a cave (which is conveniently shaped and sized like a tunnel for cars) and hibernate. Play continues in this fashion; the bear wakes up and gathers food for the next year, and once again, seeks shelter to hibernate.<br />
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== Gameplay ==<br />
[[File:EnviroBear2000-1.png|200px|thumb|left|Eating fish is a great way to fill up before hibernating in Enviro-Bear 2000. Be careful, though, as they can still move around and disrupt other parts of the vehicle and inhibit your ability to drive. In the distance, another bear and his respective motor vehicle can be seen.]]<br />
[[File:EnviroBear2000-2.png|200px|thumb|right|The starting screen for Enviro-Bear 2000. Turn the ignition!]]<br />
====Grab things!====<br />
All interaction with the interface elements is done with the mouse. Your mouse cursor is represented as the bear's paw extending from the bottom of the screen. A left click will grab with the paw. Actions that, in other games, may be done with keyboard presses or by selecting options from a menu are done exclusively by physically pulling, pushing, grabbing, or moving something with the bear's paw. To go forward in your vehicle, for example, you must pull on the gas pedal with your bear's paw. To eat food, grab it with the paw and place it near the bear's mouth. By removing these levels of abstraction that are often taken for granted in other games, Enviro-Bear 2000 presents the player with a very unique gaming experience.<br />
====Drive a car!====<br />
To move, you interact with the four main apparatuses that are present in the car: the gas moves forward, the brake stops, the steering wheel turns your vehicle, while shifting gears between drive and reverse while stopped will make the gas pedal move you either forward or backward depending on what gear you're in. It works much like a regular automobile, though there is a degree of abstraction to its controls compared to reality (though not as abstracted as many other games which incorporate driving).<br />
====Hit things!====<br />
[[File:EnviroBear2000-4.png|200px|thumb|right|Berries are another method of feeding as opposed to fish. They are smaller, so they are less filling and, since objects can only be grabbed individually, this means <br />
more time spent eating as opposed to fish. However, they leave no residue when consumed.]]<br />
Another way to interact with the game world is by hitting things with your car. There are various objects in the game world, and they all produce unique results when hit with your car with sufficient force. Hitting boulders causes small rocks to fall in through the top of the screen. These rocks (and any other physical object that falls into the car) will disrupt the various parts of the vehicle; they may hit the steering wheel and cause you to swerve unexpectedly, or fall onto the gas pedal and cause you to lunge forward, often resulting in hitting another object and causing more objects to enter the car. One can remove these objects by throwing them off the left, right, or top parts of the screen (a representation of throwing them out the car's left or right windows or sunroof, respectively). <br />
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[[File:EnviroBear2000-3.png|200px|thumb|left|Some objects that fall into the car are more detrimental than others. A badger will not only jump around, making it hard to grab and remove while also ensuring optimal disruption of the vehicle's functioning, but will also eat any food it comes by at an astonishing rate.]]<br />
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====Eat things!====<br />
Running over lakes with hopping fish in them will cause fish to fall into the car. The consumption of these fish is vital to the ultimate goal of surviving the winter. However, the fish and their bones will disrupt the car's operation like any physical object present in the vehicle, so it is wise to remove them once they are consumed.<br />
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====Do it all again!====<br />
Play continues in this manner (to my knowledge) infinitely. However, the circumstances in which the bear finds himself are slightly more challenging every time. There is always a time limit within which the bear must find food and subsequently shelter. Also, every winter, there are random circumstances that make the game more difficult: such happenings include an early freeze, resulting in the ground being icy and slippery and therefore more difficult upon which to control a vehicle, as well as the lakes being over-fished, resulting in needing to feed entirely on berries. <br />
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== Appearance ==<br />
The game has an overall very cartoony feel to it. The visual assets are very simple and clearly two-dimensional in nature. Solid colors are used to fill a lot of the space representing an object in the game, with a few hand-drawn lines of darker or lighter shades used to grant a greater sense of depth and form. For example, the bear's fur is drawn as a single solid shade of brown, with a few lines of a darker shade of brown representing the corners of the bear's mouth and ears. The bear's paw extends comically from the bottom of the screen, stretched out in a manner that no anatomically-correct bear could ever hope to achieve. The "nom-nom" sound of the bear eating food alongside fish flapping with both an over-exaggerated sound and an exasperated look on the fish's face likewise contribute to the game's silly appearance. Accompanying these very simplistic graphics and sounds is a very happy-go-lucky string-instrument soundtrack.<br />
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[[File:EnviroBear2000-5.png|200px|thumb|left|Snow fills the car suddenly when the clock runs out. The rest is left to the player's imagination as the screen turns white and "Game Over" appears.]]<br />
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== Educational Value ==<br />
Despite the very simplistic appearance of the game, there is much that can be learned from Enviro-Bear 2000. Many of the elements of the game, when taken together, can provide a very grimly realistic insight into the struggles of the bear seeking food and shelter for the winter. From a scientific standpoint this, to a limited degree, can be used to teach about the nature of ecosystems. It can be said that the game gets fairly difficult as winters pass. The penalty for failure to achieve the aforementioned goals of food and shelter are, for the player, having to start all over from Year 1, and, presumably, for the bear, death (either by starvation or being frozen). The combination of harsh obstacles, including the successful navigation of the interface itself, give the player a firm lesson in time management. <br />
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Perhaps the comical nature of the game at a glance can also be used as a learning tool. After all, a documentary about bears or temperate forests or something of the like can be said to be "boring", but Enviro-Bear 2000 contains some of the very simple lessons such documentaries may teach while simultaneously being a fun game with a very simple interface (it can be said that the game is 'easy to learn but hard to master') alongside very simplistic and silly visuals. Perhaps young children can be taught the harsh lessons of an animal's attempt at survival in nature while also enjoying the simplicities of the game.</div>HenryKhttps://tegd.arizona.edu/index.php?title=Sid_Meiers_Civ_VSid Meiers Civ V2014-02-27T00:29:38Z<p>JoeSauber: </p>
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<div><br />
== Basic Information ==<br />
Civilization V (often abbreviated “Civ V”) is a turn based strategy game, where players take the role of a famous leader of a country. Currently only available on the PC, though earlier titles in the series, such as Civilization Revolution is available on XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 as well. Your goal throughout the game is to become the world leader in some way, either through military conquest, becoming a financial or scientific super-power, or becoming leader of the United Nations.<br />
[[File:Civ-5-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Civilization V's Logo]]<br />
<br /><br /> Throughout the game you expand your nation by settling new cities and make it more advanced by researching technologies. This is all done through managing resources that are near your cities: food, science/gold production, productivity, culture, and happiness. The resources each city can get depends largely on the area around the city. Cities near coasts and forests have an easier time producing food, while cities near mountains can mine more for producing buildings, ships, and more.<br />
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== Gameplay ==<br />
=== Rule How You Wish ===<br />
There are several different ways to go about playing Civ V in order to achieve a variety of victory conditions. Will you be a military power, and conquer your enemies at the cost of the happiness of your citizens? Will you choose to become home of the greatest scientific minds and create the International Space Station? Or will you choose peace over war and create the United Nations and attempt to stop conflict across the globe?<br />
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=== How It Works ===<br />
The game is turned base, meaning you and your opponents each take their turn one after another. Each turn your cities will get resources from nearby tiles equal to their population, which increases the more food you gather. Food will increase population, you use production from forests, hills and mountains to create buildings and units, and exotic resources like incense and gems will make your civilization more cultured. Some tiles can also produce research points for technologies, or gold which can be used for a variety of things. How you gather and use resources is up to you and how you decide to play. You might choose to prioritize production and create an army, or research technologies quickly in order to gain certain perks and advantages.<br />
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=== Tools At Your Disposal ===<br />
Since there are many ways to win, there are many choices you have to make to accomplish the goal you choose. Each city you have can work on producing one thing at a time, once one thing is completed you can immediately start work on another. Research is a civilization wide endeavor, and each city will contribute to the whole research effort. Gold can be traded to other civilizations for other goods, maintaining peaceful relations, or supporting nations that need help. Gold can also be used to rush a building or unit to completion. Once you have units you can use them to defend your cities from hostiles, or use them to explore the world and meet potential allies along the way, its up to you what relationships you decide to have. <br />
[[File:civ-tech-tree.jpg|thumb|right|Screen shot of Civ V's tech tree.]]<br />
<br /><br /> Once meeting other nations you are able to trade with them for exotic goods or help researching technologies. Friendly nations will also come to your aid if you are under attack. If you choose to go to war, you can attempt to take their cities by attacking them with military units such as knights, archers, infantry, navy vessels and even aircraft. War makes your citizens unhappy, and that can cause riots in the streets and halt production. Much of Civ V is a cause-effect system, with actions often having a cost associated with them. If you face a difficult decision, you also have access to advisers: scientists, generals, foreign relations officials and merchants can offer helpful advice on how to proceed if you need it.<br />
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=== Playing The Game ===<br />
The world of Civ V is divided into hundreds of hexagonal tiles. Each tile has a terrain type: grasslands, hills, forests, mountains, water and deserts are the most common types. Most tiles can have cities settled on them (the exceptions being water and mountains), and some building can only be built when near certain other tiles (you can only build harbors when there's a cost). You select your cities and units by clicking on them, which will bring up a list of available commands. <br />
[[File:civ-map.jpg|thumb|right|A screen shot of a map in Civ V, showing the nation's borders]]<br />
Units can move, some can create a defensive line or attack other units, others settle cities. Cities will show what they are producing, how much longer it will take, and the amount of resources they are gathering each turn. You can also have cities spend gold to finish what they're producing faster. Buildings will provide different bonuses to cities. Granaries improve food production, libraries and schools more science, markets produce more gold, etc. This allows you to make cities specialize in certain things, or make them more balanced and able to handle multiple projects at once, it all depends on what you're going for. <br />
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== Educational Potential ==<br />
The Civilization series has a lot of educational potential behind it, and covers a lot during games. At its core, it teaches critical thinking skills and decision making. There are also several subtle opportunities to learn. One thing is what I would call logical progression or process handling. This is most apparent in researching technologies, you can't have horseback riding if you don't know how to take care of animals, so you need to research animal husbandry. You can't build walls if you don't know how to gather the resources to build them, so you research mining, and so on. Another important potential for learning is the resource management, which helps facilitate planning skills.<br />
[[File:civ-civilopedia.jpg|thumb|right|A screen shot of the in-game Civilopedia, highlighting the wonder Teotihuacan]]<br />
<br /><br /> The Civilization games also offer information about the nations represented in game through the “Civilopedia”, Civ V's in game encyclopedia. Within you can learn more about nations and their leaders, the technologies that players research and even about the wonders of the world. Since the game doesn't force any of this information onto its players and is entirely optional to look through,it allows those interested in learning further to take a look, while those not interested in a particular subject can avoid it.</div>JoeSauber