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My Experience with Gaming
07/21/2013
There was a time in my life when I was introduced to gaming at the arcade and game system level. I remember being excited to play Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga at an arcade. There was no hesitation to just jump into the game and try to figure out how I could progress through it. I learned to play by simply attempting to stay alive in each game format. To this day, whenever I see either game, I take a few moments to play each one.
There was much excitement when a few at home gaming systems came out in the market. My parents started with a Texas Instrument computer, which included a few games. Next Atari and then Nintendo. I loved my Nintendo and would spend hours playing Mario Brothers. I had little to no interest in the other games. The pleasure of advancing through each level, saving the princess, and starting in a new world was gratifying. But like everything in life, some good things must come to an end. When school began, my Nintendo gathered dust sitting in a corner of my room. Every now and then I would play again, but I felt like I did not have the time or patience to play for hours.
After years away from playing video games, I was excited to buy the Wii. Now in my adulthood, I thought that I would have time to play some games instead of watch television. At first, the thrill of learning how to play the various games kept me coming back for weeks. Then, the thrill was gone. I bought more games and tried to gain that initial thrill, but I lost that magic feeling. Another gaming system that gathers dust in my media cabinet.
Now I wonder if I have the time and dedication to play games as part of my schoolwork. I find it easy to play a quick game on my phone, but will I be able to hold a high level of interest playing on my Wii or online? How do the games that I select keep the player engaged in play? After the initial excitement of playing games, will I find it valuable to continue to play after my assignment is over?
07/21/2013
There was a time in my life when I was introduced to gaming at the arcade and game system level. I remember being excited to play Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga at an arcade. There was no hesitation to just jump into the game and try to figure out how I could progress through it. I learned to play by simply attempting to stay alive in each game format. To this day, whenever I see either game, I take a few moments to play each one.
There was much excitement when a few at home gaming systems came out in the market. My parents started with a Texas Instrument computer, which included a few games. Next Atari and then Nintendo. I loved my Nintendo and would spend hours playing Mario Brothers. I had little to no interest in the other games. The pleasure of advancing through each level, saving the princess, and starting in a new world was gratifying. But like everything in life, some good things must come to an end. When school began, my Nintendo gathered dust sitting in a corner of my room. Every now and then I would play again, but I felt like I did not have the time or patience to play for hours.
After years away from playing video games, I was excited to buy the Wii. Now in my adulthood, I thought that I would have time to play some games instead of watch television. At first, the thrill of learning how to play the various games kept me coming back for weeks. Then, the thrill was gone. I bought more games and tried to gain that initial thrill, but I lost that magic feeling. Another gaming system that gathers dust in my media cabinet.
Now I wonder if I have the time and dedication to play games as part of my schoolwork. I find it easy to play a quick game on my phone, but will I be able to hold a high level of interest playing on my Wii or online? How do the games that I select keep the player engaged in play? After the initial excitement of playing games, will I find it valuable to continue to play after my assignment is over?
Potty Game: Candy Crush
07/23/2013
I chose Candy Crush for my “potty game”. I downloaded the game onto my iPhone to make the game accessible in most situations. Since I always take my phone with me wherever I go, I would be able to play this game at any time as long as I have a few moments to play. I honestly know minimal information about Candy Crush.
Before summer break from school, I would see and hear students playing the game before or after class began. My ears heard student conversations as background noise and I did not put much attention to the details of their conversations. They discussed strategies to play the game and how to pass different levels, but again I was engaged in game play, so I ignored the noise. Now that it is my turn to play the game, I wish I had tuned into my students conversations as a way to get a general idea of the game that I am about to play.
Our directions for gaming were to play the games without human help. I do not foresee this to be a problem at the moment. My first experience after opening the application on my phone was seeing a board game starting at level 1. Once I selected the level, a screen appeared with directions to earn a targeted score of 300. At this moment, I am unsure how to play the game and hope to quickly catch-on.
A male character appears on the screen once I am in play mode. He seems to be a circus director. Directions appear at the top of the screen stating to “swipe this candy to the left to match 3 of the same!” An image appears below to indicate the action that is needed. I have the option of skipping this guided introduction but would rather play along as I fear that I may miss some important information. After three trials of making 3 or more matches of candy, I am left to try it on my own. I successfully completed the level and attained a score of 4,200.
The target for level 2 is 1,900. Again I am given directions to match 4 candies with an image of the desired action. I am shown a new candy that is striped, not solid in color. A purple striped candy along with two purple candies in a straight line will give me a line blast. A line blast is when an entire line disappears and I earn more points. Play continues and again I am left to try a game on my own. I am given 12 moves to attain a targeted score of 1,900. If I pause or hesitate to move, the game flashes a set of colored candies on the screen. This is how the game helps the player make appropriate choices. I was able to match 4 candies of the same color which produced a striped candy, but I also noticed that I created a solid green candy that when matched to 2 other green ones, it would flash and break a set of candies. Overall, I was able to get two line blasts on my own. When the allotted moves were done, the game found other line blasts and I earned more points. Level 2 score is 8,800. I’m wondering which direction the line blast will clear the candies. Line blasts seem to break candies either in a horizontal of vertical line, but how does the game decide on the direction?
Level 3 is a bit different than the previous levels. I am given the direction to reach a targeted score of 4,000 in 18 moves. This time the game is asking the player to try to achieve a “T” or “L” shape match. With assistance, I am able to make the “T” shape with all of the same colored candy. When this occurs, I see a yellow candy that appears to be in a wrapper. This is the same type of candy that I saw in the previous level. According to the directions, this will clear lots of candy. The candy seems to pop twice, breaking more candy in one move. Level 3 score is 17,080.
The next level is about mixing two special type of candies to create a giant one. The two special type of candies are the same color, but one is a striped candy and the other is in a wrapper. In combining the two special candies, the striped one enlarges and breaks an entire row both horizontally and vertically. I only am given one trial and then begin the level with 14 more moves with a target score of 4,500. I was unable to mix the two types of candies since I could only find a way to create the striped candy. Regardless of this pitfall, I reached a score of 15,180.
Level 5, match 5 candies. When a player matches 5 candies of the same color, it turns into one chocolate candy with sprinkles. This is like a magic candy because if you mix it with any colored candy, it will remove all of the candies in that color from the game board. I tried to create the magic candy, but I was unable to find a way to match 5 candies in a row that were all the same color. The game somehow created a magic candy.
It seems that as candies are eliminated, it causes other candies to fall and possible match up with the same color. When this occurs, the same rule of matching similar colors applies and I gain more points. As I try to find patterns in the game, I find that taking my time to create my matches will help in the creation of a magic candy. Like chess, I have to think about my moves and look three moves ahead to maximize my points. This makes for an interesting discovery about the game. I could mindlessly try to match three of the same candy or use a strategy to create a magic candy. Level 5 score was 54,200.
After 5 levels of play and detailed notes about the game, I decide to take a break. I realized that having a strategy will add a new dimension to the game.
07/23/2013
I chose Candy Crush for my “potty game”. I downloaded the game onto my iPhone to make the game accessible in most situations. Since I always take my phone with me wherever I go, I would be able to play this game at any time as long as I have a few moments to play. I honestly know minimal information about Candy Crush.
Before summer break from school, I would see and hear students playing the game before or after class began. My ears heard student conversations as background noise and I did not put much attention to the details of their conversations. They discussed strategies to play the game and how to pass different levels, but again I was engaged in game play, so I ignored the noise. Now that it is my turn to play the game, I wish I had tuned into my students conversations as a way to get a general idea of the game that I am about to play.
Our directions for gaming were to play the games without human help. I do not foresee this to be a problem at the moment. My first experience after opening the application on my phone was seeing a board game starting at level 1. Once I selected the level, a screen appeared with directions to earn a targeted score of 300. At this moment, I am unsure how to play the game and hope to quickly catch-on.
A male character appears on the screen once I am in play mode. He seems to be a circus director. Directions appear at the top of the screen stating to “swipe this candy to the left to match 3 of the same!” An image appears below to indicate the action that is needed. I have the option of skipping this guided introduction but would rather play along as I fear that I may miss some important information. After three trials of making 3 or more matches of candy, I am left to try it on my own. I successfully completed the level and attained a score of 4,200.
The target for level 2 is 1,900. Again I am given directions to match 4 candies with an image of the desired action. I am shown a new candy that is striped, not solid in color. A purple striped candy along with two purple candies in a straight line will give me a line blast. A line blast is when an entire line disappears and I earn more points. Play continues and again I am left to try a game on my own. I am given 12 moves to attain a targeted score of 1,900. If I pause or hesitate to move, the game flashes a set of colored candies on the screen. This is how the game helps the player make appropriate choices. I was able to match 4 candies of the same color which produced a striped candy, but I also noticed that I created a solid green candy that when matched to 2 other green ones, it would flash and break a set of candies. Overall, I was able to get two line blasts on my own. When the allotted moves were done, the game found other line blasts and I earned more points. Level 2 score is 8,800. I’m wondering which direction the line blast will clear the candies. Line blasts seem to break candies either in a horizontal of vertical line, but how does the game decide on the direction?
Level 3 is a bit different than the previous levels. I am given the direction to reach a targeted score of 4,000 in 18 moves. This time the game is asking the player to try to achieve a “T” or “L” shape match. With assistance, I am able to make the “T” shape with all of the same colored candy. When this occurs, I see a yellow candy that appears to be in a wrapper. This is the same type of candy that I saw in the previous level. According to the directions, this will clear lots of candy. The candy seems to pop twice, breaking more candy in one move. Level 3 score is 17,080.
The next level is about mixing two special type of candies to create a giant one. The two special type of candies are the same color, but one is a striped candy and the other is in a wrapper. In combining the two special candies, the striped one enlarges and breaks an entire row both horizontally and vertically. I only am given one trial and then begin the level with 14 more moves with a target score of 4,500. I was unable to mix the two types of candies since I could only find a way to create the striped candy. Regardless of this pitfall, I reached a score of 15,180.
Level 5, match 5 candies. When a player matches 5 candies of the same color, it turns into one chocolate candy with sprinkles. This is like a magic candy because if you mix it with any colored candy, it will remove all of the candies in that color from the game board. I tried to create the magic candy, but I was unable to find a way to match 5 candies in a row that were all the same color. The game somehow created a magic candy.
It seems that as candies are eliminated, it causes other candies to fall and possible match up with the same color. When this occurs, the same rule of matching similar colors applies and I gain more points. As I try to find patterns in the game, I find that taking my time to create my matches will help in the creation of a magic candy. Like chess, I have to think about my moves and look three moves ahead to maximize my points. This makes for an interesting discovery about the game. I could mindlessly try to match three of the same candy or use a strategy to create a magic candy. Level 5 score was 54,200.
After 5 levels of play and detailed notes about the game, I decide to take a break. I realized that having a strategy will add a new dimension to the game.
07/24/2013
Today is travel day. I begin my vacation to the Mediterranean by flying to Barcelona, Spain. This will be a long day that includes an overnight flight. I am delighted that I have Candy Crush to keep me busy.
Level 6 is about removing jelly. Jelly are transparent cells containing candy inside of each cell. The concept is the same as before, I need to match the same color of candies to break the jelly. I scored 44,460 in this level. A common occurrence after I finish a level is the score and three colored start. Do the stars always light up or is there a trick that I do not understand? I also unlocked a new booster, the lollipop hammer. I wonder what this is and what does it do?
On level 7, I wanted to know what the purpose of the lollipop booster. Immediately after starting this new level, I used the booster by selecting the icon and a lollipop came onto my screen. Once I selected my first move, the lollipop hammered the area crushed a section of candy. I decided to save the lollipop boost for other levels of play. I would rather be cautious than too eager to use these boosts. The game ends with a score of 144,120 and I unlocked another booster of extra moves (5).
I am not sure if the score that I am earning is due to recognizing the patterns that I see within the game or because I am just doing well in this game format. Continuing on to the next level, I now notice the star meter on the left side of the screen. As I earn points during play, the meter begins to fill. Each start has a placement in this meter and as my points increase, the meter fills with a gold color. The red star is at the bottom of the meter, the green is in the middle, and the gold star is at the top. As this level is completed, colored fish swim through my screen, adding points to my score, and unlock the jelly fish booster.
Although I did not use the fish booster, I did notice that one of the candies was an orange colored fish. When I swiped it with a striped candy, the icon changed to three fish that swam in the board game. These fish changed a few candies to stripes and they burst soon after changing. The fish swam in the last levels. I did not make a connection to why they swam in the middle of the game, especially when I did not use a colored fish to match with two other candies of the same color. But, I welcomed the fish since they would either break some candies for me or change some of the candies to stripes or ribbons.
Episode 1 is complete after progressing through 10 levels. Level 11 begins with a challenge that I was not anticipating, to bring down the ingredients. There is only one cherry and I need to find a way to bring it down to the bottom. My initial strategy was to bring the cherry straight down by eliminating the candies directly below it. The problem with the strategy is the after a few moves, the cherry would be stationary since there were not enough candies below it to break in a group of three. What appeared to be a simple task took 26 moves to complete out of 50. The following level was similar, but now I had to bring down three cherries and one hazelnut by only using 35 moves. I began with the same strategy as before and was able to bring three cherries down in 21 moves. Creating combinations with the candies allowed for more candies to break, thus allowing for the cherries to drop quickly. The hazelnut needed to drop from the top row in 14 moves. A small part of me was getting nervous when I noticed that I had five more moves and I still had the hazelnut in the game. Finally with one move to spare, I brought the hazelnut to the bottom row.
My initial thought was about the level of difficulty is that the game is increasingly becoming more difficult with each level of completion. The most difficult levels for me were the ones that asked for the removal of the jelly. Not all of the candies are inside of jelly. The goal is to break the jelly and move on to another section. Limitations on the number of moves a player can make produced a panic when I saw the countdown of the number of moves available. My first loss in the game was due to the jelly level. I missed two jelly blocks and could not progress to the next level. I am allowed a retry of the level since I am allotted five lives in the game. I used three lives to win this level and I am mentally and emotionally exhausted.
What motivated my game play?
Today is travel day. I begin my vacation to the Mediterranean by flying to Barcelona, Spain. This will be a long day that includes an overnight flight. I am delighted that I have Candy Crush to keep me busy.
Level 6 is about removing jelly. Jelly are transparent cells containing candy inside of each cell. The concept is the same as before, I need to match the same color of candies to break the jelly. I scored 44,460 in this level. A common occurrence after I finish a level is the score and three colored start. Do the stars always light up or is there a trick that I do not understand? I also unlocked a new booster, the lollipop hammer. I wonder what this is and what does it do?
On level 7, I wanted to know what the purpose of the lollipop booster. Immediately after starting this new level, I used the booster by selecting the icon and a lollipop came onto my screen. Once I selected my first move, the lollipop hammered the area crushed a section of candy. I decided to save the lollipop boost for other levels of play. I would rather be cautious than too eager to use these boosts. The game ends with a score of 144,120 and I unlocked another booster of extra moves (5).
I am not sure if the score that I am earning is due to recognizing the patterns that I see within the game or because I am just doing well in this game format. Continuing on to the next level, I now notice the star meter on the left side of the screen. As I earn points during play, the meter begins to fill. Each start has a placement in this meter and as my points increase, the meter fills with a gold color. The red star is at the bottom of the meter, the green is in the middle, and the gold star is at the top. As this level is completed, colored fish swim through my screen, adding points to my score, and unlock the jelly fish booster.
Although I did not use the fish booster, I did notice that one of the candies was an orange colored fish. When I swiped it with a striped candy, the icon changed to three fish that swam in the board game. These fish changed a few candies to stripes and they burst soon after changing. The fish swam in the last levels. I did not make a connection to why they swam in the middle of the game, especially when I did not use a colored fish to match with two other candies of the same color. But, I welcomed the fish since they would either break some candies for me or change some of the candies to stripes or ribbons.
Episode 1 is complete after progressing through 10 levels. Level 11 begins with a challenge that I was not anticipating, to bring down the ingredients. There is only one cherry and I need to find a way to bring it down to the bottom. My initial strategy was to bring the cherry straight down by eliminating the candies directly below it. The problem with the strategy is the after a few moves, the cherry would be stationary since there were not enough candies below it to break in a group of three. What appeared to be a simple task took 26 moves to complete out of 50. The following level was similar, but now I had to bring down three cherries and one hazelnut by only using 35 moves. I began with the same strategy as before and was able to bring three cherries down in 21 moves. Creating combinations with the candies allowed for more candies to break, thus allowing for the cherries to drop quickly. The hazelnut needed to drop from the top row in 14 moves. A small part of me was getting nervous when I noticed that I had five more moves and I still had the hazelnut in the game. Finally with one move to spare, I brought the hazelnut to the bottom row.
My initial thought was about the level of difficulty is that the game is increasingly becoming more difficult with each level of completion. The most difficult levels for me were the ones that asked for the removal of the jelly. Not all of the candies are inside of jelly. The goal is to break the jelly and move on to another section. Limitations on the number of moves a player can make produced a panic when I saw the countdown of the number of moves available. My first loss in the game was due to the jelly level. I missed two jelly blocks and could not progress to the next level. I am allowed a retry of the level since I am allotted five lives in the game. I used three lives to win this level and I am mentally and emotionally exhausted.
What motivated my game play?
- Time is a huge factor in this game. I am able to analyze each move without being timed. Compared to Bejeweled, I was not pressured to complete the level in one minute. I have the time to think of a strategy to use in the game.
- Rejection of defeat. Moving though most levels in the game successfully, I was determined to finish on a high note. I did not want to stop playing the game with an incomplete challenge. I must finish!
- Strategy. Utilizing strategic moves to create combinations of colored candies. These combinations assist in eliminating a large amount of candy. If possible, I try to match five candies of the same color because I earn magic candy.
07/25/2013
I finally made it to Barcelona, Spain and am ready for some adventure. My plan while on vacation is to play every day in order to gain at least one level in the game. Potentially, I will be successful on a total of 36 levels.
I played 8 levels today until I was locked out of the game. I did not have enough lives to continue to play, so I must wait 13 minutes before the game will allow me to play again. The last few levels dealt with the jelly candies. I’m beginning to improve my strategy with the jelly, but I kept losing lives because I had one or two jellies left in the game when my goal was to get rid of all of the jelly in the game board. Another challenge has been the part when I have to bring all of the ingredients down in a limited number of moves. Finding combinations at times is easy, but trying to find two other candies with the same color is a challenge. The game does try to assist during the game, but at times I thought that I found a better move within the game. Why would a game mislead a player? Is this the intention of the game or is it my imagination that is playing tricks on me? I will test my assumption on my next attempt. There is a high possibility that I am wrong, but I would like to try the game using the hints that they provide to see which method is more efficient.
I finally made it to Barcelona, Spain and am ready for some adventure. My plan while on vacation is to play every day in order to gain at least one level in the game. Potentially, I will be successful on a total of 36 levels.
I played 8 levels today until I was locked out of the game. I did not have enough lives to continue to play, so I must wait 13 minutes before the game will allow me to play again. The last few levels dealt with the jelly candies. I’m beginning to improve my strategy with the jelly, but I kept losing lives because I had one or two jellies left in the game when my goal was to get rid of all of the jelly in the game board. Another challenge has been the part when I have to bring all of the ingredients down in a limited number of moves. Finding combinations at times is easy, but trying to find two other candies with the same color is a challenge. The game does try to assist during the game, but at times I thought that I found a better move within the game. Why would a game mislead a player? Is this the intention of the game or is it my imagination that is playing tricks on me? I will test my assumption on my next attempt. There is a high possibility that I am wrong, but I would like to try the game using the hints that they provide to see which method is more efficient.
08/03/2013
Levels with clearing all of the jelly is my challenge. Level 19 had to be repeated four times before I successfully passed. A new challenge at Level 20 included a timer of one minute and reaching a targeted score. Before moving to the next level, an announcement pops on the screen to congratulate the player of completing Episode 2. The first level after completing the previous episode begins again with jelly. The appearance of the jelly is now in block form. In order to break the jelly, three of the same colored candies must be vertical or horizontal and must be touching the block jelly. After 30 minutes of playing, I lose all of my five lives and am locked out of the game for 30 minutes. If I want to get more lives there is an option to ask friends on Facebook, which is not an option at this point, or buy more lives for the low price of $0.99.
New Learning:
At first glance, one minute seemed too quick. As I began to play the game, one minute felt like five. The concept of being limited in time forces a person into a panic to try to complete the task at hand. This reminds me of teaching. Many of times, teachers are asked to think of the amount of time that they give students to answer a question. Although we would like to think that we give ample wait time, most teachers will only give 10 seconds to respond, which I would attribute to the silence in the room.
However, the pressure to do well in a timed task can also lead to more engagement in the task. The reason why one minute felt like five was due to my focus in completing the level. I ignored the time at the beginning of the game. I tried to make combinations quickly and continued to attain as many points as possible. I did not focus on the targeted points mainly because I did not want to divert my attention for a single second to a different area on the game board. After being in a deep concentration for more than 30 seconds, I glanced at the timer and noticed that I still had about 20 seconds left to play. My whole state of mind changed. I was more relaxed in my body posture, I took my time making decisions on my next move, and I did not feel anxious of completing the task. Once I felt that the goal was attainable, my demeanor changed and I could enjoy the game again.
Levels with clearing all of the jelly is my challenge. Level 19 had to be repeated four times before I successfully passed. A new challenge at Level 20 included a timer of one minute and reaching a targeted score. Before moving to the next level, an announcement pops on the screen to congratulate the player of completing Episode 2. The first level after completing the previous episode begins again with jelly. The appearance of the jelly is now in block form. In order to break the jelly, three of the same colored candies must be vertical or horizontal and must be touching the block jelly. After 30 minutes of playing, I lose all of my five lives and am locked out of the game for 30 minutes. If I want to get more lives there is an option to ask friends on Facebook, which is not an option at this point, or buy more lives for the low price of $0.99.
New Learning:
At first glance, one minute seemed too quick. As I began to play the game, one minute felt like five. The concept of being limited in time forces a person into a panic to try to complete the task at hand. This reminds me of teaching. Many of times, teachers are asked to think of the amount of time that they give students to answer a question. Although we would like to think that we give ample wait time, most teachers will only give 10 seconds to respond, which I would attribute to the silence in the room.
However, the pressure to do well in a timed task can also lead to more engagement in the task. The reason why one minute felt like five was due to my focus in completing the level. I ignored the time at the beginning of the game. I tried to make combinations quickly and continued to attain as many points as possible. I did not focus on the targeted points mainly because I did not want to divert my attention for a single second to a different area on the game board. After being in a deep concentration for more than 30 seconds, I glanced at the timer and noticed that I still had about 20 seconds left to play. My whole state of mind changed. I was more relaxed in my body posture, I took my time making decisions on my next move, and I did not feel anxious of completing the task. Once I felt that the goal was attainable, my demeanor changed and I could enjoy the game again.
08/19/2013
I now have a new habit throughout the day. In the morning, I grab my cell phone and begin to play Candy Crush. I try to focus my eyes in order to complete one level. At times I am locked out of the game due to losing too many times. I must wait for my next life to be available. At times, I track the minutes and begin playing even if I can only play once. Before I go to bed, I take one last opportunity to play again. A few times I noticed that I waited 30 minutes or more to play again before I was able to get myself to fall asleep. This is becoming an addiction. I am addicted to Candy Crush. Is this going to continue when I return home?
Now that I have confessed to this addiction, I must state that I am on Level 56. I have been on this level for two days. I do not know what strategy to use in order to pass this level. I feel completely lost. I had a similar feeling when I passed too many levels and was locked out of the game for 24 hours. Again, this level has the jelly. The strategy that I must figure out is how to break all of the jelly, but with a catch. The jelly filled candies begin to fill with chocolate. The chocolate cannot be broken easily. The candies in the chocolate cannot be moved to create combinations, they are stuck inside the chocolate until I break the chocolate. In order to break the chocolate, I must align three of the same colored candies above it and then it will break the chocolate. This method also works when I align the same colored candies on the sides of the chocolate, but not below it. The strategy which seems to work is creating as many combinations as possible. If I can find a way to create five candies of the same color in a row, then I will earn a magic candy. Then selecting a colored candy next to the magic candy will crush all of that candy color from the board. The better choice is to match the magic candy with a striped candy. The reasoning is that the magic candy will turn all candies of the striped color into striped candy. Once they all turn into striped candy, they all explore and break more candies in the game board. I will try to use this strategy on my next play session.
I now have a new habit throughout the day. In the morning, I grab my cell phone and begin to play Candy Crush. I try to focus my eyes in order to complete one level. At times I am locked out of the game due to losing too many times. I must wait for my next life to be available. At times, I track the minutes and begin playing even if I can only play once. Before I go to bed, I take one last opportunity to play again. A few times I noticed that I waited 30 minutes or more to play again before I was able to get myself to fall asleep. This is becoming an addiction. I am addicted to Candy Crush. Is this going to continue when I return home?
Now that I have confessed to this addiction, I must state that I am on Level 56. I have been on this level for two days. I do not know what strategy to use in order to pass this level. I feel completely lost. I had a similar feeling when I passed too many levels and was locked out of the game for 24 hours. Again, this level has the jelly. The strategy that I must figure out is how to break all of the jelly, but with a catch. The jelly filled candies begin to fill with chocolate. The chocolate cannot be broken easily. The candies in the chocolate cannot be moved to create combinations, they are stuck inside the chocolate until I break the chocolate. In order to break the chocolate, I must align three of the same colored candies above it and then it will break the chocolate. This method also works when I align the same colored candies on the sides of the chocolate, but not below it. The strategy which seems to work is creating as many combinations as possible. If I can find a way to create five candies of the same color in a row, then I will earn a magic candy. Then selecting a colored candy next to the magic candy will crush all of that candy color from the board. The better choice is to match the magic candy with a striped candy. The reasoning is that the magic candy will turn all candies of the striped color into striped candy. Once they all turn into striped candy, they all explore and break more candies in the game board. I will try to use this strategy on my next play session.
Game Play Analysis: Candy Crush Saga
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The Beginning
08/25/2013
After much deliberation and apprehension to playing a multi-player game online, I selected League of Legends. After seeing so many peers selecting this game, I thought it might be an enjoyable experience to learn the game in a safe environment. I know a few gamers who get together with their friends and they are brutal with new players. I spoke to Evelyn N. and she mentioned that she had a difficult time with her first attempt. She was harassed by other players and told to quit the game. Since this was my fear, we decided to become allies and play a game together as a form of moral support.
Downloading the game took an extremely long time. I was ready to start playing, but had to wait about an hour and a half. Evelyn N. and I set a time to play in the evening in order for my Mac computer to finish downloading. Evelyn N. and I decided to call one another as a form of support. We both logged-in and I was able to set-up a game and invite her to play. Like many other games that I have played in the past, I didn’t bother to look at a guide or tutorial, I simply jumped into the experience. Unknowingly, this would be one of many pitfalls to my game play. After selecting my character and spells, I joined the game and was ready to begin. Not only was I excited to play with a friend, but I looked forward to the opportunity of learning something new, either in gaming or about myself.
Being thrown into the game, I saw my teammates for this particular event. Two of the players immediately began to run and Evelyn N. and I stayed behind. She had given me a few clues on how to move my character, but for some reason, I could not follow along. My character refused to move. Hit many keys, Q, W, E, R, ALT, the arrows for up, down, left, and right. Nothing seemed to work. Evelyn N. asked me to follow her, but how? Messages began to appear on the screen about inactivity and being banned from the game if I continued to be inactive, but I could not control the situation. Eventually I was able to find my teammates by clicking on the characters’ image on the bottom right screen. By doing so, I was able to meet my team, but I still could not move on my own. After numerous deaths, the game was over and we were defeated.
My pitfalls:
Once the game was over, I was able to discuss these pitfalls with Evelyn N. We shared our experience within the game and realized that we both needed more practice. We also had a desire to have play time during our next class session. Although I was brutally defeated in the game, I wondered if there was a method to change the dynamics of the game. Upon starting a game and selecting the level of experience, would it be possible to only invite players who have a limited number of play sessions? For instance, only include players with less than 10 gaming sessions, thus creating a learning environment which helps in the development of skills and allows more experienced beginners to enjoy their game without frustration?
08/25/2013
After much deliberation and apprehension to playing a multi-player game online, I selected League of Legends. After seeing so many peers selecting this game, I thought it might be an enjoyable experience to learn the game in a safe environment. I know a few gamers who get together with their friends and they are brutal with new players. I spoke to Evelyn N. and she mentioned that she had a difficult time with her first attempt. She was harassed by other players and told to quit the game. Since this was my fear, we decided to become allies and play a game together as a form of moral support.
Downloading the game took an extremely long time. I was ready to start playing, but had to wait about an hour and a half. Evelyn N. and I set a time to play in the evening in order for my Mac computer to finish downloading. Evelyn N. and I decided to call one another as a form of support. We both logged-in and I was able to set-up a game and invite her to play. Like many other games that I have played in the past, I didn’t bother to look at a guide or tutorial, I simply jumped into the experience. Unknowingly, this would be one of many pitfalls to my game play. After selecting my character and spells, I joined the game and was ready to begin. Not only was I excited to play with a friend, but I looked forward to the opportunity of learning something new, either in gaming or about myself.
Being thrown into the game, I saw my teammates for this particular event. Two of the players immediately began to run and Evelyn N. and I stayed behind. She had given me a few clues on how to move my character, but for some reason, I could not follow along. My character refused to move. Hit many keys, Q, W, E, R, ALT, the arrows for up, down, left, and right. Nothing seemed to work. Evelyn N. asked me to follow her, but how? Messages began to appear on the screen about inactivity and being banned from the game if I continued to be inactive, but I could not control the situation. Eventually I was able to find my teammates by clicking on the characters’ image on the bottom right screen. By doing so, I was able to meet my team, but I still could not move on my own. After numerous deaths, the game was over and we were defeated.
My pitfalls:
- I did not do the tutorials before playing the game. This would have been a valuable experience in order to move my character and possibly fight my enemies.
- Mac vs PC issues. Most of my work for this course has been on a Mac, but I am more familiar with PC. In the moment, I forgot about the CTRL key, leaving me immobile during the game. Afterwards, I downloaded the game onto my PC in hopes to feel more comfortable with my device.
- Teamwork. I did not feel like a good team member. Evelyn N. was very helpful in her directions and support, but I was unable to help my team in any battles.
Once the game was over, I was able to discuss these pitfalls with Evelyn N. We shared our experience within the game and realized that we both needed more practice. We also had a desire to have play time during our next class session. Although I was brutally defeated in the game, I wondered if there was a method to change the dynamics of the game. Upon starting a game and selecting the level of experience, would it be possible to only invite players who have a limited number of play sessions? For instance, only include players with less than 10 gaming sessions, thus creating a learning environment which helps in the development of skills and allows more experienced beginners to enjoy their game without frustration?
Anticipation Sets In
08/26/2013
I could not wait to ask the question to Bill, “Will we have class time to play League of Legends?” Others in the class must have had the same mind frame and much to my surprise, Bill allowed our class session to transform into a play date. I included my name on both class sessions in order to attain gaming time. Honestly, I did not want to play without a friend, so I was reluctant to play this game without their assistance. My intention was to play the tutorials before our gaming session began. The reality was that there was no time to do a tutorial since I was rushing to finish dinner before my session actually began. No tutorial meant that I was once again lost on what to do within the game. Would I be able to move? Could I navigate through the game on my own? Will I be able to engage in a battle and fight with my teammates? These questions rushed to my mind as I began to log in to my account.
Class began by meeting in meetingwords.com. Ian took the lead and began the process of inviting others to play. Once again, I called Evelyn N. during the session for moral support. A few connectivity issues at the beginning from a few players delayed the game. Each time a person lost connectivity during the selection process of our characters, we were booted out and had to wait. This only occurred a few times and it allowed me to settle-in and mentally prepare for the game. Once we were ready to go, Patrick (Berenger), Evelyn N (Neusom)., and I (Bibis1016) formed our team against Ian (StrictlyPandas), Pam (PowderPuff), and Tricia (Babymae). There were two teams that were formed all from Cadre 16! This put more at ease since most of us were newbies to gaming with League of Legends. We decided to use the chat feature within the game since toggling back and forth with meetingwords was too much to handle.
Let the games begin! This was my sentiment, but my screen went away. My teammates said that they saw my character in the game, but I had no game screen. I only could see my desktop images. I wondered if my internet booted me out somehow, so I began to launch the game again. ERROR message! I was running the game, but couldn’t find it. I relaunched and soon was able to join my team. During the time away from the game, I felt useless. Unable to play, I was not able to help my team. I pride myself in being a team player, but technical difficulties prevented me from starting the game.
Compared to my first experience, this one was a bit more rewarding. Navigating though the game was easier, I can actually move my character on my own and am able to find my teammates. Although the navigation was a bit easier, my character seemed to run away from the action due to clicking too much when moving my character to a new location. At a certain point in the game, Patrick said, “Evelyn, stop running.” I’m assuming that he was referring to me since my character was aimlessly running in all directions without purpose. Avoidance seemed to be a theme for my play session. I would avoid battle as much as I could because I did not know how to successfully engage in a battle with the enemy. Each time that I approached the other team, I would get slaughtered. I still do not understand how to properly engage in a battle. About an hour or so of gaming, a message appeared that we were defeated. Feeling a sense of relief, I felt that I could relax a bit and laugh about my experience.
Pam had mentioned on MeetingWords that we should use Skype or hangouts to interact with one another. I agree with her thoughts. Having Evelyn N. on the phone added to the experience and I felt a sense of community. I was able to talk to her as well as hear her excitement during the game. Feeling at ease with my teammates allowed me to dive into the gaming experience and become open minded about the process. I learned that I definitely need to do a tutorial to learn how to battle others.
08/26/2013
I could not wait to ask the question to Bill, “Will we have class time to play League of Legends?” Others in the class must have had the same mind frame and much to my surprise, Bill allowed our class session to transform into a play date. I included my name on both class sessions in order to attain gaming time. Honestly, I did not want to play without a friend, so I was reluctant to play this game without their assistance. My intention was to play the tutorials before our gaming session began. The reality was that there was no time to do a tutorial since I was rushing to finish dinner before my session actually began. No tutorial meant that I was once again lost on what to do within the game. Would I be able to move? Could I navigate through the game on my own? Will I be able to engage in a battle and fight with my teammates? These questions rushed to my mind as I began to log in to my account.
Class began by meeting in meetingwords.com. Ian took the lead and began the process of inviting others to play. Once again, I called Evelyn N. during the session for moral support. A few connectivity issues at the beginning from a few players delayed the game. Each time a person lost connectivity during the selection process of our characters, we were booted out and had to wait. This only occurred a few times and it allowed me to settle-in and mentally prepare for the game. Once we were ready to go, Patrick (Berenger), Evelyn N (Neusom)., and I (Bibis1016) formed our team against Ian (StrictlyPandas), Pam (PowderPuff), and Tricia (Babymae). There were two teams that were formed all from Cadre 16! This put more at ease since most of us were newbies to gaming with League of Legends. We decided to use the chat feature within the game since toggling back and forth with meetingwords was too much to handle.
Let the games begin! This was my sentiment, but my screen went away. My teammates said that they saw my character in the game, but I had no game screen. I only could see my desktop images. I wondered if my internet booted me out somehow, so I began to launch the game again. ERROR message! I was running the game, but couldn’t find it. I relaunched and soon was able to join my team. During the time away from the game, I felt useless. Unable to play, I was not able to help my team. I pride myself in being a team player, but technical difficulties prevented me from starting the game.
Compared to my first experience, this one was a bit more rewarding. Navigating though the game was easier, I can actually move my character on my own and am able to find my teammates. Although the navigation was a bit easier, my character seemed to run away from the action due to clicking too much when moving my character to a new location. At a certain point in the game, Patrick said, “Evelyn, stop running.” I’m assuming that he was referring to me since my character was aimlessly running in all directions without purpose. Avoidance seemed to be a theme for my play session. I would avoid battle as much as I could because I did not know how to successfully engage in a battle with the enemy. Each time that I approached the other team, I would get slaughtered. I still do not understand how to properly engage in a battle. About an hour or so of gaming, a message appeared that we were defeated. Feeling a sense of relief, I felt that I could relax a bit and laugh about my experience.
Pam had mentioned on MeetingWords that we should use Skype or hangouts to interact with one another. I agree with her thoughts. Having Evelyn N. on the phone added to the experience and I felt a sense of community. I was able to talk to her as well as hear her excitement during the game. Feeling at ease with my teammates allowed me to dive into the gaming experience and become open minded about the process. I learned that I definitely need to do a tutorial to learn how to battle others.
Part 2
08/26/2013
Although it was not required for class, I decided to join the second session. I need to increase my learning of this game. Two tutorials are available for new users and it was my intention to do the tutorial before the next session. Before I began the tutorial, Graham had asked if he could try the process of starting a game. Since we were already online, I accepted his request. Unaware of all game rules, once active in a game, quitting is not necessarily an option. Once a player commits to the game, the system eliminates the possibility of using other features until the game is finished. League of Legends does not allow a player to quit a game and join other sessions nor begin a tutorial. Somehow, I was stuck! Without the tutorial, I had the same experience as before. I could move my character, find my team, and die due to the inability to fight. If I left the game idle, a message would appear on my screen indicating that I could be banned if I continue to be inactive. Remaining in the game until the end, I only hoped that I would be able to do the tutorial before the next game session.
The tutorial is something that I will have to try again. I passed the first one, but did not have enough time to finish the second part since my next gaming session was ready to begin. This time, I was not on the same team as Evelyn N. My new team consisted of Graham (Grahamnott), Erick (Erickreno), and myself (bibis1016). The opposing team included Evelyn N. (Neusom), Patrick (Berenger), and Mary (LadyGrayFraser). We at the starting point and moved as a team to begin our battle. Navigation and movement of my character is much smoother now. I noticed that Graham and Erick jumped into a fight with Patrick and Evelyn N. Somehow, I still did not know how to fight back. During my first approach, I immediately died. Patrick and Evelyn N. were relentless in their battle. Once my teammates, now my enemies! They had no mercy for our previous alliance and chased me until I fell to my death. I believe that in the process, I was able to defeat Evelyn N. twice, but it was due to sheer luck, not experience. In the end, my team was defeated once again. This simple act of losing will fuel my passion to improve my gaming experience so one day I too can be victorious against my enemies.
What can I do to improve my gaming experience?
08/26/2013
Although it was not required for class, I decided to join the second session. I need to increase my learning of this game. Two tutorials are available for new users and it was my intention to do the tutorial before the next session. Before I began the tutorial, Graham had asked if he could try the process of starting a game. Since we were already online, I accepted his request. Unaware of all game rules, once active in a game, quitting is not necessarily an option. Once a player commits to the game, the system eliminates the possibility of using other features until the game is finished. League of Legends does not allow a player to quit a game and join other sessions nor begin a tutorial. Somehow, I was stuck! Without the tutorial, I had the same experience as before. I could move my character, find my team, and die due to the inability to fight. If I left the game idle, a message would appear on my screen indicating that I could be banned if I continue to be inactive. Remaining in the game until the end, I only hoped that I would be able to do the tutorial before the next game session.
The tutorial is something that I will have to try again. I passed the first one, but did not have enough time to finish the second part since my next gaming session was ready to begin. This time, I was not on the same team as Evelyn N. My new team consisted of Graham (Grahamnott), Erick (Erickreno), and myself (bibis1016). The opposing team included Evelyn N. (Neusom), Patrick (Berenger), and Mary (LadyGrayFraser). We at the starting point and moved as a team to begin our battle. Navigation and movement of my character is much smoother now. I noticed that Graham and Erick jumped into a fight with Patrick and Evelyn N. Somehow, I still did not know how to fight back. During my first approach, I immediately died. Patrick and Evelyn N. were relentless in their battle. Once my teammates, now my enemies! They had no mercy for our previous alliance and chased me until I fell to my death. I believe that in the process, I was able to defeat Evelyn N. twice, but it was due to sheer luck, not experience. In the end, my team was defeated once again. This simple act of losing will fuel my passion to improve my gaming experience so one day I too can be victorious against my enemies.
What can I do to improve my gaming experience?
- Do more tutorials. If I had the time to play the second part of the tutorial, then I would have learned how to use different commands to fight back.
- Learn about the game. There is information about the game for new users. By reading some of the material that is available, I hope to gain a better understanding of the game.
- Implement a strategy. Instead of running toward my enemy, my team members and I should try to develop a plan of action. Do we move together and battle the other team or go in different directions and attack individuals?
Round Four
08/27/2013
Tonight I was finally victorious in League of Legends. Team Patrick , Kim, and Evelyn F. defeated Team Drew, Evelyn N., and Wicondra. Mary was a spectator since we only had 7 people who joined at 7 PM.
Before the game tonight I decided to try the tutorials again. I only completed the first one and started the second tutorial which focuses on the battle. It is the battle that I need work on, so I was a little wary about the session for tonight. I was able to slay some of my opponents in the tutorial, but I was also slain by them as well. I like Ashe the Frost Archer from the tutorial. I felt comfortable with the character and began to understand the spells that she used. Unfortunately, she is not available to me upon selection of characters in the live game.
Navigating the keyboard keys, mouse, and right/left click button is still a challenge. After more practice I think that I will have success in my strategy of how to use the keys to my advantage. I did struggle with the camera tool since the panning was throwing me off in the game. I remembered that I could lock the camera and once I did that, I felt more in control of my movements. Patrick and Kim had no fear in attacking the other team. Almost immediately, they were slaying the other members. As I approached, I began to fight for my life. I believe it was Drew who relentlessly attacked me and I was immobilized. Patrick then used the chat feature and reminded me to use the “b” key in order to restore my energy, but it was too late. Once away from the battle, I realized that I was engaged in a true battle with another player. I pressed on the keys and right-clicked on the character in which I wanted to engage in a battle and the fighting began. My character was responding to the commands and I felt like I was actually playing a game.
The strategy that I used was to follow my fellow teammates into battle. Using the camera tool, I found my team and assisted them as best as I could. Working as a team is the key to our success. Had it not been for Patrick’s masterful moves on the battle field and Kim’s determination to slay the enemy, we would not have been successful. I will continue to learn how to use the commands in order to help my team.
08/27/2013
Tonight I was finally victorious in League of Legends. Team Patrick , Kim, and Evelyn F. defeated Team Drew, Evelyn N., and Wicondra. Mary was a spectator since we only had 7 people who joined at 7 PM.
Before the game tonight I decided to try the tutorials again. I only completed the first one and started the second tutorial which focuses on the battle. It is the battle that I need work on, so I was a little wary about the session for tonight. I was able to slay some of my opponents in the tutorial, but I was also slain by them as well. I like Ashe the Frost Archer from the tutorial. I felt comfortable with the character and began to understand the spells that she used. Unfortunately, she is not available to me upon selection of characters in the live game.
Navigating the keyboard keys, mouse, and right/left click button is still a challenge. After more practice I think that I will have success in my strategy of how to use the keys to my advantage. I did struggle with the camera tool since the panning was throwing me off in the game. I remembered that I could lock the camera and once I did that, I felt more in control of my movements. Patrick and Kim had no fear in attacking the other team. Almost immediately, they were slaying the other members. As I approached, I began to fight for my life. I believe it was Drew who relentlessly attacked me and I was immobilized. Patrick then used the chat feature and reminded me to use the “b” key in order to restore my energy, but it was too late. Once away from the battle, I realized that I was engaged in a true battle with another player. I pressed on the keys and right-clicked on the character in which I wanted to engage in a battle and the fighting began. My character was responding to the commands and I felt like I was actually playing a game.
The strategy that I used was to follow my fellow teammates into battle. Using the camera tool, I found my team and assisted them as best as I could. Working as a team is the key to our success. Had it not been for Patrick’s masterful moves on the battle field and Kim’s determination to slay the enemy, we would not have been successful. I will continue to learn how to use the commands in order to help my team.