Fix 3-4

Leveling Up

 

As I have recently progressed into Level 36 in the Settlers online game, I have a sense of accomplishment, but at the same time have a little discouragement when I realize how much effort needs to go into reaching the next level.  As with many games, each level incrementally increases in required experience points.  As reaching a new level is rewarding, it is also a reminder that you need to try harder if you want to see the next level.  This is exactly what is meant by “virtuous circle of productivity” (McGonigal, 2011, p.53).  A large task at first is too much, but slowly build toward it – and the next level seems a little more realistic.  I suppose this could be a metaphor for education.  As an educator, I found more success with slowly building up the skills of a student, rather than just throwing them into advanced work.  However, I did have the occasional student who wanted to jump right in to the advanced lessons.  It is probably good that games have the ability to limit the challenge.

To reflect more upon the Settlers game – one must consider game play under normal circumstances, and then under circumstances such as ours when we have a limited amount of time to reach a certain level.  As reaching level 40 may be a reasonable goal – adding the time factor may slightly increase the urgency of completing tasks in a timely manner.  However, due to the nature of Settlers, many limitations on the game prevent a player from progressing too rapidly.  Some examples include the limited resources that are available to use on certain buildings.  In order to meet the task of creating a Crossbow Maker, I must not only obtain the 2500 granite for the building, but an additional 3500 for the titanium smelter that is required to manufacture the crossbows.  Since granite is not readily available to mine, you must rely on a search or purchase the granite which is very expensive due to its rarity.  As time would eventually provide the means to obtain the granite, trying to level up by May offers a little more of a challenge. 

Clear goals and actionable steps 

There are many different levels of goals to achieve in the Settlers game.  Some clear and some not so much.  In particular, the goal of leveling up is the most obvious.  Others include the production and balance of products and resources needed to sustain a functioning colony.  In the Settlers game, the depletion of resources is factored in to keep players returning – hence adding to that little bit of obsession or addition that may evolve. I have player a similar game called roller Coaster Tycoon.  As the goal of this game was to build and maintain an amusement park, the system gave you a little more freedom in management.  As the rides you built would shut down and stop producing funds, there was a way to schedule maintenance personnel to make repairs.  This way, if you walked away from the game for a few hours, you would not return to find all of your resources gone for good.

In terms of actionable steps, I believe game very clearly defines this through the interface and task window.  Especially with adventures, subtle hints to accomplishing the adventure are noted in the description.  As the primary goal is to win the battle, each adventure offers a new way to critically think and approach the battles with strategy.  

Feedback

The feedback system in Settlers is designed to provide the gamer with a sense of feeling like part of a colony.  Messages from the King and other avatars in the game explain the purpose for the various missions, tasks, or challenges you face throughout the game. In terms of control, you decide what tasks to complete and in which order.  In some cases, tasks requested of you take time, while other may immediately provide you with an accomplishment from already having the necessary items in your inventory to meet the objective of the task. Most tasks offer some reward, and in most cases, the reward is relevant to the task accomplished.  You may delegate Crossbowman to the King, but he rewards you with more crossbows.  

Most feedback is encouraging in a positive way.  Other games may offer a more realistic approach, perhaps military games where a captain is barking orders at you – screaming for you to win the war.  More dramatic, but also not necessary for this type of game. 

Mastery

There are many aspects of the Settlers game to master.  First is the art of trade.  In order to succeed, you must understand and acknowledge the various values of such resources and items.  If a player is not fully aware of a resources true value, they can quickly lose much of what they worked so hard for.  As time has gone on, I have realized why certain items cost more in this game.

The mastery of war.  This particular topic has much controversy tied to it. Some players use strategy guides or step by step instruction on how to win a war, while others strategically match the strengths of one type of warrior with the strengths of the other - as I call it, trial and error.  One feedback system that was not mentioned earlier, is the ability to mouse over a camp and recognize what warriors are guarding the camp.  It also provides some tid bits of info that hint to how the warrior will go down.  This is also evident in the expedition fights and their various levels of rank.  Mastering the attack plans comes with advancing through the various adventures provided.  

Finally, mastery of building placement.  As you progress through the game, you see the impact of building location on how the resources are sustained.  Particularly, the location of storerooms are vital to success.  Higher (in demand) resources such as gold mines, should be close by a storeroom, while residence have no benefit near the storeroom buildings. Mastering this understanding helps to streamline the performance of the settlers and improve your inventory.