Reading 8

The chapter I have chosen to write about is Chapter 13: Core Mechanics. Here is the table of content currently including the people who are co-writing the chapter with me.

Internal Economy	Ultan
Progression Mechanics	Ingrida
Tactical Manoeuvring Mechanics	Ingrida
Social Interaction Mechanics	Ultan
Core Mechanics and Gameplay	Pawel
Core Mechanics Design	Pawel

As our chapter is about Core Mechanics we will have to write an introduction that will incorporate all the chapters to let the reader know what the chapter is about, without overcomplicating it. Currently, I have this written for my part of the introduction.

In this chapter we will be looking at progression mechanics as well as tactical maneuvering mechanics. These are essential when designing your game and through this chapter you will learn why. By adding progression and tactical manoeuvring mechanics to your game it will help keep the player motivated and interested in the game.

When we are all finished writing our chapters we will add each others introductions to make it one introduction describing what we each will be writing about in more detail.

Next we need to add a conclusion. The conclusion will summaries each sub-topic briefly so the reader can easily remember what was talked about in detail above. When summarising, it's important to not write too much, it should be short and quick to refresh the readers mind.

My second chosen sub-topic on Tactical Manoeuvring Mechanics has been proven to be a challenge to find sources and articles that talk about it. I now have to visit the college library to find books about game design to find chapters about tactical manoeuvring as I have not been able to find little to none online. But, due to the coronavirus closing the library and college, I may have to try google a little longer to try find more sources.

Due to there being 6, in total, sub-topics the conclusion will have quite a bit of length in the conclusion section. However, I hope to keep my conclusions short. Here is what I have so far.

Progression Mechanics; is both the realised pattern of advance and the act of movement towards winning the game that are essential to an enjoyable experience for the player. The pattern or structure of the advance is what will ensure a rewarding experience during gameplay and will ensure the further continuation and replay necessary to turn renters into buyers.

Tactical manoeuvring; takes place in largely open or semi-open spaces. The rules must state which advantages each type of unit may gain from being in a particular location relative to another unit. It is about the challenges associated with moving units through a space, usually a space that contains other units that are both mobile and hostile.

I hope to add a little more to the conclusions, or maybe split it up a little more but it will all depend to what the other two members have written for their conclusions as I do not want to make it longer than needs be. 

Unity Tutorial 06

We are now starting a new Unity Tutorial. This time the outcome of the game is that the player will be able to press spacebar and make the character jump, as obstacles spawn at the edge of the screen and block the player’s path. Then we will make the background move flawlessly at the same time as the obstacles, and the obstacles will de-spawn when they exit game boundaries. Then we will make it that the background and spawn manager will halt when the player collides with an obstacle. Colliding with an obstacle will also trigger a game over message in the console log, halting the background and the spawn manager. Lastly, we will code so that the character will have 3 new animations that occur in 3 different game states. These states include running, jumping, and death, all of which transition smoothly and are timed to suit the game.

Lesson 3.1 Jump Force:

This tutorial was simple, or so I thought. Although I was writing in my C# code correctly, in my gameplay the game itself was very glitchy and not working as it should be. My player did not jump in my game. I had checked the code and followed the video tutorials exactly, yet why is my player not doing what he is suppose to do? This was really frustrating but I kept going with the tutorial in hopes that something would change and it would make the character jump. My obstacle did move as suppose to (even though it was extremely glitchy). The spawning of the obstacles worked well and later on I found my mistake in why my character did not jump when space was pressed - "Is Kinematic" box in the RigidBody was ticked when it should not have been. So now, my character jumps and the obstacles spawn as shown in the tutorials.

Unity Tutorial 3.1

Lesson 3.2 Make the World Whiz By:

In this second tutorial, we made the background repeat itself while the character jumps over the obstacles, we added a 'Game Over' bool as well as making the objects stop spawning once the game is over. And then lastly, we coded so that any obstacle that exits bounds is destroyed. This tutorial worked a lot better for me as everything went smoothly and I got everything to work.

Unity Tutorial 3.2

Lesson 3.3 Don't Just Stand There:

Moving onto the last tutorial. This is where we adjusted the characters movements and make them look like they're moving. Before even starting the tutorials, I received a red error stating something in my C# script was incorrect. This I fixed as the )) brackets were not correctly written in (according to Visual Studio anyway) even though it was the same code - the orange colouring was different and it triggered the error. We used the animator component located in the player inspector to make the character run in time with the background, then used the player controller script to code so that the character would not run while jumping over the obstacles. Lastly, we edited the code so that the player isn't able to jump while the character is "dead" at Game Over.

Unity Tutorial 3.3

Reading 6

This week I have begun writing out my headings, sub-headings and the content for my sub-topics. I have been typing out my research into a word document which I am now beginning to transfer onto the online Google Docs.

As time goes on I am finding it easier to write about my sub-topics. I still find it difficult to put all my research into my own words as I am not great at English and phrasing especially about game design as I don't know a lot about it and when researching I found it difficult to put it all together into my own words.

My Current Google Docs.

So far I think I'm doing well, however, I am still finding it difficult to find articles and journals on my sub-topics. I was lucky in finding two great sources however finding others has been difficult and is continuing to be tough. I have found some small sources and journals - however these do not give great detail on my chosen sub-topic.

Unity Tutorial 05

In this continuation Unity Tutorial we learnt how to create a random spawn of animals in our game but this time we used code in order to help spawn the animals at random times without the player having to click the 'S' key on their keyboard as the game will do that automatically for us.

Next - the animals spawn perfectly and the player can fire projectiles at them, but nothing happens when the two collide, so this is where we learnt how to add colliders so that the projectiles and animals get destroyed on collision. Moving aside from using C#, we move onto Unity to add these colliders to the game. A problem I encountered while applying the box colliders was - when overriding the animals my moose did not have a button for 'Apply All' - yet the other two animals did.

Adding colliders to Animals and Game Object.

After adding the box colliders to the animals and the object (in my case - steak), the tutorial then went on to show us the code for this collision to work and when made contact the animal and steak would disappear from the gameplay.

Reading 5

Lock-and-Key Mechanisms.

The impact of progression mechanics on gaming has been shown to be popular although to make the game intriguing and playable you must make the game unpredictable. Research has shown us that unlocking mechanisms is the most popular type of progression mechanic. Lock-and-key mechanisms are more common in games than actual locks and keys (according to Joris Dormans; Ernest Adams), the lock-and-key mechanisms could be characterised as something else - such as a power up for the player, switches etc. When creating your game, because gameplay is created by mechanics, the creator must design lock and key mechanism that interact/are based upon the game's core mechanics. Using permanent abilities can create difficulty for the player, therefore you must be careful when creating a single key that is used for multiple locks as you could unintentionally create unwanted shortcuts. When designing the game, you must plan how you will display the locked areas clearly - this will help the player go in the direction you wish them to, rather than going in the direction they feel is right or may be shorter. A great way to plan your lock-and-key mechanisms is by using a Machinations Diagrams to represent it.

Figure 1.1 - Mechinations Diagram.

In Figure 1.1 example of a Mechinations Diagram, we are shown the bow and arrow in The Legend of Zelda combines a regular key (the bow) and a consumable skill key (the arrows) mechanism. The bow and arrow are used to open doors by using the bow to shoot the distant switches. Almost all the games and levels in the Legend of Zelda series are good examples of games of progression.

Unity Tutorial 04

We have now gone onto starting a new game tutorial. I have stuck with coding versus the VR tutorials and I must say that the coding is going well so far and I am somewhat enjoying it! Aside from my problems earlier on with the coding, now I don't mind it. We are now moving onto Unit 2 - Basic Gameplay.

Lesson 2.1 Player Positioning:

Starting this tutorial proved difficult as at the very beginning my game begun glitching. It wouldn't be the first time I've experienced problems with Unity on my Mac (if only my Mac could handle Unity...), but I went ahead and tried to complete the tutorial nonetheless. The tutorial worked fine aside from the problem of having my character go left then appear on the right - rather than keep in the bounds of the left!

Unity Tutorial 2.1

Lesson 2.2 Food fight:

In this tutorial, I made the Spacebar that launches a projectile prefab into the scene, which destroys itself when it leaves the game’s boundaries. I then coded so that when the animals leave the game boundaries they are removed from the scene. Because some of the script is Windows and some is Mac, this causes some minor errors in my game (hence the glitching).

Unity Tutorial 2.2

Lesson 2.3 Random Animal Stampede:

In this last tutorial, we added random spawning of animals in different directions when the player presses the S button. In an earlier tutorial we made the piece of steak launch when pressed. So now in the game the player is able to spawn animals and launch steak. We also learnt about camera perspective and the different types of view. In the second image we can see the orthographic perspective of the game. Depending on the game you are creating you can add this perspective. 

Unity Tutorial 2.3

Orthographic Perspective.

Reading 4

After finding a few online articles and sources about Progression Mechanics I was able to write up part one of my Matrix. As progression mechanics are quite straightforward there is not much I can write about. I have written up on my Matrix the sources and information I have collected so far.

My Matrix Part One.

Game progression is the ongoing procedures after the game's set-up, leading to a desired resolution. You can track progress with scores, levels, improved skills or abilities etc. There are many different ways to make a progression more engaging - character development, provide consistency, add a strategic component etc. 

My second topic is Tactical Manoeuvring Mechanics. Tactics are actions carefully planned to achieve a goal or subgoal. This goes hand-in-hand with game progression mechanics. Units are groups of elements under the player's control that lets them perform actions that influence the game world that they are playing. For gaming you need enemies, avatars and units hinder the players quest to complete their goals. To add an enemy you must consider: number, placement, abilities, tactics to overcome etc. Not only will you want to add enemies but you need bosses - a more powerful enemy for the player to overcome before they reach a certain goal in the game.

My Matrix Part Two.

Unity Tutorial 03

In this weeks Unity tutorial we learnt how to control the moving vehicle so that it will hit the road but then we gain control of the vehicle. We will program the vehicle so that when the player presses the up/down arrows, the vehicle will move forward and backward and when the player presses the left/right arrows, the vehicle will turn.

Because my code was unsuccessful the last tutorial it made it difficult to continue the coding in this tutorial as the vehicle was already meant to be moving forward, but in my game, that is a problem. Although I have my code as needed be, my game correctly set up as shown in the tutorials - there is still error but I am hoping to fix this.

Unwanted errors to be fixed.

After many attempts at trying to fix this code it did not work. I will, however, try to make a new project and hope to restart this tutorial in hopes that it will fix. But for now, my coding is not working as errors are there and my script is not working with my game. I then went and uninstalled Unity and installed the newest version.

By installing the new version I was able to start the tutorials again. This time my coding worked perfectly! I followed the previous tutorials and ended the tutorials with the exact game. I am very happy with my finished tutorial game and look forward to trying the next tutorials.

Game fixed and working perfectly!

Finished game.

Reading 3

I have come to learn that my learning style is passive reading. I used this method when doing my researching on my topics. When I started doing research it was difficult to find articles and sources that linked to my chosen topic, as quite a lot of it overlapped with the topics other students had chosen and not so much on my own chosen topic.

I had to learn about core mechanics to better understand the topic as a whole. I found a great article on the topic. In this article, on chapter 14 we are told all about the core mechanics of a video game.

What are the core mechanics? (Source)

I skimmed the article to help me better understand the core mechanics then followed with highlighting the keywords and paragraphs that would help me with my research for my own topic.

The three-pass method is then used to help extract the information that is relevant to you. If you are to read the article three times throughly you will be able to identify different questions and have more information at hand to help you with your research. 

You need to make sure to highlight and copy any quotations, while keeping the source, so that you are able to collect relevant information. This will help you in the future when you are writing your own article about the topic.

Unity Tutorial 02

Before beginning our first Unity tutorial for the new semester we were told to choose between two options to explore this semester.

1. Unity Design, Develop and Deploy for VR.
2. Unity Create with Code.

At first I thought of trying out Unity Design, Develop and Deploy for VR - however, for some unknown reason I was unable to get any of the tutorials working. I tried setting my Unity ready for VR but nothing worked. So I moved onto Unity Create with Code instead.

Lesson 1.1 Start your 3D Engines:

This was the first tutorial was to import a vehicle, obstacle and moving the main camera to the back of the vehicle. This was a simple tutorial and I had no problems with it (besides adjusting the camera properly).

Unity Tutorial 1.1

Lesson 1.2 Pedal to the Metal:

Midway during the tutorial my Unity decided to stop working. Not only did this happen once, but it happened three times. Yes, three times. Whilst working on the second tutorial (when my Unity was not crashing and allowed me to work that is), I came across quite a few problems whilst working with C# script. One problem I was able to fix however there is still a problem in the script which I am hoping to fix with the next tutorial.

Unity Tutorial 1.2

Lesson 1.3 High Speed Chase:

In this last tutorial, upon starting the tutorial I was already faced with issues once again with the C# script. I received quite a number of coding errors and my vehicle did not move (nor could I play a preview of my game because these issues needed to be fixed before I could play). This tutorial overall seemed far more difficult than I had expected. A part of me still wants to try do VR rather than coding. I hope I am able to figure out the issue with Unity so that I am able to try VR next Unity Tutorials.

Unity Tutorial 1.3

Reading 2: Semester 2

After a long break away from college we are finally back to college. This semester we are going to be working on not only designing a game but also we will be writing a book. After hearing that we're going to be writing a book I felt a little overwhelmed. I feel as though it will be challenging, but that's what college is all about.

This week we are preparing our research questions for the book.

The topics I have chosen from the outline for the proposed book are:

Progression Mechanics 

Tactical Manoeuvring Mechanics

 Both of these topics come are from Chapter 13: Core Mechanics.

Tactical Manoeuvring takes place in largely open or semi-open spaces. It is critical in most strategy games but also features in some role-playing and simulation games.

Progression Mechanisms is how a player can move through the game world. The progress of the player is restricted by a number of mechanisms that block or unlock access to certain areas in the game, for example levers and switches.

Both of these topics are necessary when designing a game, they are important topics to be educated about as they will provide guidelines in your game. Progression mechanisms are an important part to a game as they allow the player to experience new areas by completing certain tasks and/or quests.

The first step is to create a research question. Before creating my question, I have to create a Search Strategy.

1. Highlight keywords in your research question - the keywords in my question would be Progression and Manoeuvring Mechanics. 
2. Identify synonyms or other words that can be used to search for the same information:

Progression: development, advance, movement, growth, evolution.

Manoeuvring: navigate, pilot, plan, steer, manipulate, move, guide.

For my research I will need to look at open source books online as well as trying to find any relative books/articles in my University that will help me with my research. Before writing my question I did some research online about my topics - it was more difficult than expected to find information about my chosen topics but I hope that after doing more research I will be able to gather more information.

My current idea for my research question are:

"Why Tactical Manoeuvring Mechanics are critical in your game"

and

"How Progression Mechanics can unlock a whole new world in your game."

Example of Tactical Manoeuvring (Source)

Unity Free Tutorials

Unity Logo (Source).

This week I have found Unity tutorials on linking all my screens together, adding my end game screen and finishing up my game. I have come to the conclusion that I will not be adding any more assets or interactive assets to my game. I have also been working on trying to make a timer for my game and having it work. I have found 2D tutorials that have shown me how to include a timer and countdown in my game and after much struggle I hope that this time my game timer and countdown will work! I am very happy with all the assets I have added in my game however after getting feedback I have decided to try add a torch light to my game as I will not be including any enemies and want to make the game a little more difficult. So far, all the tutorials work great and I am having no problems finishing my game! I hope to try touch it up before week 12 so that it looks a little bit better!

Beta

I am now almost finished my game. I have a few bugs I want to fix and maybe add a few more improvements however I am very happy with how my game has progressed and what I have finished with. I am aware it is not the best game with a lot of detail however I think for a first game I did quite well.

As a recap, and a massive update from my initial plan from the start of the year, my game is a first player puzzle game. You have a light torch, a timer and collectable counter. As the timer ticks you must find your way around the four areas of the terrain and collect as many gems as you can. There are no enemies, only a countdown. 

Some new things I have included are the torch (as suggested from feedback! thank you!) and a fog around the area. 

I am quite happy with my game output and I hope that you all enjoy playing it. It has been difficult trying to make this game however I am very happy to be finished and am quite pleased with the outcome of the game even though it did not follow the initial plan fully. 

DeadSky by B00117691.

Games Testing

As said in the article, "giving criticism - the good, the bad, and the ugly", we as humans are not the best at giving criticism. We tend to let our emotions speak before logic and we tend to say things we don't really mean such as "I like it!" when deep down you don't and this has an instant negative effect as it encourages someone when you don't believe the criticism you give rather than telling them how you really feel and helping them become better.

Constructive criticism can also keep feelings from being hurt by focusing on things that can be improved while avoiding personal attacks or insults. It is better to give constructive criticism to someone in order to help them become better and learn from their mistakes. However, make sure your constructive criticism is focused on valid and unbiased feedback. Valid feedback is tangible, credible, and well-founded. Unbiased feedback is free of individual opinion or personal tastes. Another important thing is to make sure your criticism is clear, understandable, and relevant.

Examples of good constructive criticism as mentioned in the article:

• The balloon font used in the logo seems a bit too playful for your business, do you think a serif-font might be more professional?
• 10% of the male population has red-green colour-blindness, you might want to ensure that your color scheme won't turn away potential customers.
• There isn't much contrast between the background and text color, and the font size is a bit small, so the text is difficult to read.

Constructive Criticism! (Source).

The second article I read was from the book "challenges for game designers" by Brenda Brathwaite and Ian Schreiber. All games have target markets. Usually, that target comes with the license. At some point in your career, however, you may be asked to create a game targeted toward a specific market.

Challenge 1 - Gears for Girls.

Components Required: None.

Deliverable: 

• A convincing discussion on the target market, including a list of game styles, features, mechanics, and so on that would be desirable—and why.
• Feature list of the product.
• Concept sketches or mock-up of the game’s HUD (heads-up display).

Suggested Process:

1. Bring together a focus group.
2. Identify design rules.
3. Brainstorm concepts.
4. Create deliverable.

Challenge 2 - Beyond DDR.

Components Required: A dance pad, or an internet connection.

Deliverable:

• A game proposal using the DDR pad in an innovative way that targets a new audience. The proposal should include an overview, demographic breakdown, feature set and in- terface mockups, or
• List of five potential markets along with a core and brief feature set for that market, or 
• Informal presentation after completion.

Suggested Process: 

1. Brainstorm actions.
2. Determine the feature set.
3. Create deliverable.

Challenge 3 - Targeting the Everyman.

Components Required: Internet connection, men's magazine, focus group (optional, but recommended).

Deliverable:

• A formal pitch presentation to the powers that be at our fake Target. Select several in- dividuals to make up a mock review board, ideally not involved with another design team also working on the same challenge.
• A concept document.
• Informal discussion after completion.

Suggested Process:

1. Break into groups of three to four people.
2. Analyze your market.
3. Do market research.
4. Find a focus group.
5. Brainstorm.
6. Determine the feature set.
7. Return to focus group (optional).
8. Create deliverable.

Challenge 4 - Caribbean Targeted Tourism.

Components Required: Internet connection, magazines that target African Americans, focus group (optional, but recommended).

Deliverable:

• A research analysis report that would be provided to a developer who could, in turn, use this research to develop the game or
• A formal pitch presentation to the “representatives” of three selected countries. Each ambassador will be traveling with a person from the country’s economic development authority. For the sake of this challenge, select three to six individuals to make up the re- view board, ideally not involved with another design team also working on the same chal- lenge. These individuals need not be from these countries, but should at least read an overview on the country before the pitch. Their goal is to give you feedback on the design. 
• A mock-up of the main gameplay screen and a list of at least five missions, if applicable, and a collection of concept art for the project.

Suggested Process:

1. Break into groups of three to four people.
2. Select three islands to target.
3. Analyze your market.
4. Do market research.
5. Find a focus group.
6. Brainstorm.
7. Determine the core and feature set.
8. Return to focus group (optional).
9. Create deliverable.

Unity Free Tutorials

I used this tutorial to add background music to my game so when you start to play the game you will hear eerie music which will continue till the game ends.

I then added a splash screen by following this tutorial. I created a simple logo of my game name and my student number. I then added a fade-in fade-out animation which then brings you to the main menu.

Splash Screen.

These two tutorials were extremely simple to follow and adds more to my game. I used a copyright free audio from online to add to my game as I thought adding eerie music would be interesting and make the game more exciting to play while you walk around and collect gems. 

The splash screen was also easy to make and I think it looks simple but nice. The red on the logo matches the red skybox in the game. As of now I currently have a splash screen, main menu and game over screen in my game.

The only things I have left to do in order to complete my game is to add a timer and a gem counter which has proven to be difficult in the past however I am very determined to make it work in my game! 

Game Stories

Article one was titled “Into the Woods: A Practical Guide to the Hero’s Journey” by Bob Bates.

According to the article myths are important as they convey the values of society. Myths are how we teach each other who we are and how we should behave. Myths actively guide our actions.  People who figured out where the dangerous animals lived and how to avoid them survived longer than people who didn’t. And people who taught one another about this in tribes, survived longer. Bates believes that games are essentially myth-reinforcing activities and that the player tends to choose the kinds of games that reaffirm their own personal myths. For some it might simply be a need to bring order out of chaos. The most important elements to appear in a mythical story are:

• Establishing the hero’s world.
• The call to adventure.
• Entering the mythological woods.
• Trail of trials.
• Encountering the evil one.
• Gaining the hero’s prize.
• Returning that prize to the community.

There are 000 steps in creating a story. By using Campbell’s observations as a template we get the following:

1.    Pick Your Premise.

2.    Create Your Hero.

3.    Create a Great Villain. 

4.    Show the Hero’s Regular World.

5.    Disrupt the Hero’s World.

6.    Enter the Mythological Woods.

7.    Confront the Evil One.

8.    Acquire the Prize.

9.    The Hero’s Return.

The second article is titled “What Every Game Developer Needs to Know about Story” by John Sutherland.

Two common misperceptions about games are: story is dialog and story doesn’t matter. When in reality story is conflict. This is extremely important to remember. Classical story structures are simple and they work. This has been put into practice by story tellers of all kinds for thousands of years. Here’s how it goes:

• First, there's a protagonist, a hero.  
• Their world is thrown out of order by an inciting incident.
• A gap opens up between the hero and an orderly life. 
• The hero tries the normal, conservative action to overcome the gap. It fails. The world pushes back too hard. 
• The hero then has to take a risk to overcome the obstacles that are pushing back.
• Then there is a reversal. Something new happens, or the hero learns something she didn't know before, and the world is out of whack again. A second gap has opened up.
• The hero has to take a greater risk to overcome the second gap.
• After overcoming the second gap, there is another reversal, opening a third gap.
• The hero has to take the greatest risk of all to overcome this gap and get to that object of desire, which is usually an orderly life.

Characters are important to a story. What a character wears, eats, and drives are all important. But those aren’t the things that make him what he is. That’s characterization. There are different types of conflicts in story. External conflict happens most naturally in games. 

Alpha

I am currently doing quite well in completing my game. I have added all the assets I wanted and have styled the game to fit my chosen aesthetic. However I have come across some difficulties. While the game itself works perfectly and the terrain is set as planned - the gem scoring system is not working. I found a great tutorial on how to create a scoring system - this tutorial - however no matter what I did the system simply did not work.

I now have added a main menu screen, am creating my "Game Over" screen and have changed and finished my terrain. The area is now complete and fenced off. It is ready to play!

Current Terrain.

Game Over Screen.

I am now almost finished my game, however I have yet to add a countdown timer, add the end screen and add some music to my game. So far I think I am doing well aside from the bug for the scoreboard however I am determined to make it work!

Week 9 Progress

Looking back:

So far I am extremely happy with my progress. Even if I do not have a weekly routine, I try my best to complete all tasks, or as many as I can, in one day. By doing so it gives me more time to focus on my game. I try my best to get ahead of the tasks so that I do not fall behind or have a lot to catch up with. So far I have not used any extra credit options. The class assignments I enjoy the most would be the Unity tutorials. I prefer to work over reading and writing. I like doing the tutorials because I feel accomplished when I finish the tutorial and see my finished product up and running! It feels more rewarding then simply reading articles and writing about them, not that I don't enjoy them at all it's that my preference stands with Unity tutorials. 

Looking forward:

I do not think that I need to make any changes as I like how things are going at this moment. I do want to learn more about Unity and hopefully create a decent, playable game. I look forward to seeing how my game will turn out in the end and what everyone will think of it. It will be nerve wrecking to see what people think but I think it's all part of the process of doing something completely new.

Image:

Motivational Quote (Source).

Review Week Comments and Feedback

Feedback In:

The quality of the comments and feedback I have been receiving is extremely helpful. They have been very detailed and helpful comments which have helped me improve the quality of my game. They have been extremely nice comments that have made me really happy when reading! So to everyone who has left a comment on my blog so far; thank you for making my day! Comments I found useful were ones that involved questions about the game. As I may not be considering everything, when someone reads and comments about my game idea with questions I sometimes find ones I have no considered. These help me add better gameplay and add things I wouldn't have considered if it weren't for the comment.

Feedback out:

I like to believe that I leave good comments. Although they are not amazing I hope that each week I leave comments I am improving little by little. It helps me to read some questions on feedback strategies as I can come up with better comments to give. I hope to improve greatly by the end of the year with commenting and giving feedback!

Feedback Image (Source).

Blog comments:

The introduction blog posts have been a big help in getting to know people in my year. I have read their introduction blogs and have come to find out things I wouldn't have known otherwise. It is interesting to read them as I find myself having quite a few things in common with a couple people in my year. Again, I wouldn't have known we had things in common if it weren't for the introduction blog posts. I am happy with my introduction blog, I think it shows who I am. After reading some people's posts I feel I could have included a couple of other things about myself such as saying how much I enjoy traveling, but, I don't think I will change my posts as it's not something major. 

Looking forward:

At the start of the semester I experimented with blog styles and found that creating my own blog with my own colours better than picking a ready-made theme. I do not think I will be changing my blog style as I'm very happy with the current theme and style! The only think I hope to improve is at giving people better and more helpful feedback. I am happy with everything else and I look forward to giving better feedback in the coming weeks!