Upgrade to PRO for Only $50/Year—Limited-Time Offer! 🔥

Cheat Code, Combo, Power Up?

Cheat Code, Combo, Power Up?

Much like playing an open world game, each of us approaches a new development challenge with different skill levels, knowledge, and philosophies. It may seem like a person starting their first coding project has very little in common with a seasoned developer, but in fact, we are all here because we see the value in using developer tools we have not written ourselves. We’ll discuss how we, as players of this game, choose from the tools available based on their strengths (value) and weaknesses (risk) relative to our own skills and ability to wield these tools. We’ll explore how these decisions change as players level up, or face different challenges. By discussing skill, value, and risk instead of code, we can gain empathy and understanding for the decisions of our fellow players.

Michelle Schulp Hunt

May 01, 2017
Tweet

More Decks by Michelle Schulp Hunt

Other Decks in Technology

Transcript

  1. @marktimemedia GAME STATS Game stats impact the participation of players

    and the availability/attractiveness of tools ECOSYSTEM Time, Complexity, Resources, Importance OBJECTIVES Resource Management, Competition, Collaboration, Accumulation, etc.
  2. @marktimemedia GAME STATS: TIME TIME: How long you have to

    complete the game Timed turns or timed levels Speed runs vs. Completion
  3. @marktimemedia GAME STATS: COMPLEXITY COMPLEXITY: how intricate or involved the

    gameplay is Rules and processes Number of phases or levels Linear vs. Nonlinear Open vs. Closed World Single vs. Multiplayer Single vs. Multi Objectives
  4. @marktimemedia GAME STATS: RESOURCES RESOURCES: supply of money, materials, or

    other assets necessary to complete gameplay Player Time Available Budget – Outside Game Budget – Inside Game
  5. @marktimemedia GAME STATS: IMPORTANCE IMPORTANCE: How critical it is to

    complete a game or level to a specific degree of success Competition/High Stakes Player Reputation Building Blocks
  6. @marktimemedia PLAYER STATS SKILL Ability to use tools KNOWELEDGE Familiarity

    with the game PHILOSOPHY How & Why we play Player stats impact which games they can play, how far they can get, and which tools are available
  7. @marktimemedia PLAYER STATS: SKILL Level / XP / Teams /

    Guilds Often needs to be acquired in a specific order May have different skill levels for different types of tools SKILL: Ability to use or wield tools
  8. @marktimemedia PLAYER STATS: KNOWLEDGE Knowing the ecosystem, the project requirements,

    the languages/frameworks, and the availability of tools KNOWLEDGE: Familiarity with the game
  9. @marktimemedia PLAYER STATS: PHILOSOPHY PHILOSOPHY: How & Why we play

    the game Philosophy changes the attractiveness and utility of available tools Same player can play different games with different philosophies
  10. @marktimemedia TOOL STATS VALUE Positive points/strengths RISK Negative points/weakness REQUIREMENTS

    Skill & knowledge levels Game type Tool requirements limit which players/games can use them, but Value and Risk are relative 5 8
  11. @marktimemedia TOOL STATS: VALUE Example: a tool is secure, is

    well supported, and is well documented If these align with player philosophy, they are ascribed a high value VALUE: Positive points/assets/strengths in favor of using a tool 5 8
  12. @marktimemedia TOOL STATS: RISK Example: a tool is time consuming

    and complex Player philosophy and game requirements will determine whether these risks outweigh the benefits RISK: Negative points/liabilities/weaknesses against using a tool 5 8
  13. @marktimemedia TOOL STATS: REQUIREMENTS Skill level/experience Knowledge/awareness Type of game

    or level of gameplay reached REQUIREMENTS: prerequisites for player skill level, knowledge, and gameplay to use a tool 5 8
  14. @marktimemedia PLAYER “The Noob” Low Skill / Low Knowledge Very

    few tools available Cannot complete every game May not want to increase skills to play themselves 5 8 2 18 10 13 20 5 7
  15. @marktimemedia PLAYER “The Enthusiast” Low Skill / High Knowledge High

    awareness of the game Low skill to wield tools Often desire to learn & increase skills, or find player with skills 5 8 2 18 10 13 20 5 15
  16. @marktimemedia PLAYER “The Artisan” High Skill / Low Knowledge High

    skill but low knowledge prevents use of available tools Able to learn but frustrated by the game rules 5 8 2 18 10 13 20 19 7
  17. @marktimemedia PLAYER “The Expert” High Skill / High Knowledge Awareness

    of most tools and ability to use most tools Desire and ability to learn Most likely to argue about tools J 5 8 2 18 10 13 20 19 17
  18. @marktimemedia GAME “Churn & Burn” Low Time / Low Budget

    Influences the value/risk ratio Even high skill player may choose to wield simpler tools due to ease/cost of use 6 4
  19. @marktimemedia GAME “Mission Critical” High Complexity / High Importance Prevents

    many low-level players from joining the game Tools that require high skill, high knowledge, low risk 19 17
  20. @marktimemedia GAME “Unbeatable” High Complexity / Low Budget Certain combination

    of game stats can’t be completed No qualified players or no useable tools 17 4
  21. @marktimemedia TOOL SELECTION Weighing attributes against each other Even tools

    that require the same level of skill have different attributes, which have varying levels of importance Certain factors are more heavily weighted than others 8 8
  22. @marktimemedia TOOL SELECTION Player Skill & Philosophy Different players assign

    different values & risks to the same tool Relative value & risk can change based on the parameters of the game and skill levels of the players A B