Does the playstyle influence the personality?

During my ongoing literature review I often discover interesting facts about things I’ve never thought about. Sometimes I can connect these facts with my own observations: The result is mostly a completely new idea why things are as they are. Maybe these ideas are new to you, too. Therefore I’ll share my new science based knowledge with you!

This week: This time, I’ll discuss a potential connection between the personality of the player and his playstyle. Additionally, I think about how the playstyle might influence the personality of the player.

On the one hand, computer game players can choose their fate: they can use the difficulty level that suits them best. Additionally, they can try to succeed in special challenges that are requiring even more precise gameplay. Sometimes these challenges are even separated into easymodes and hardmodes.

Players who are going for the highest challenges are constantly training their endurance in hard work and resistance against failures. After finally reaching their goals, they feel more rewarded because they’re aware of the hard work behind their achievement. Over time they can start having the same engagement in the real world. They’re conditioned to work hard and are aware of the intrinsic reward when they finally reach their goals. They will continue their work until they’ve exhausted the challenge.

However, the difficulty of the game content can’t be a measure of hard work. Difficulty levels do also help lesser skilled players to successfully play the game. In this case, an easymode might be still a great achievement for a computer game player who isn’t as skilled as other players. This lesser skilled player still can put a lot of effort into the game to finally reach the own goals. Considering this, it’s more important how much effort does a player put into his goals to finally achieve them.

On the other hand, the connection between playstyle and personality can also be seen from an opposite direction. Players who are ambitious in the real world will also be ambitious in a game world. Their personality drives them to successfully complete the highest challenges and to complete most of the game under the hardest circumstances.

In contrast to these ambitious players, players with a „normal“ personality might not be as interested in achieving the highest goals and thus they aren’t putting as much effort into their goals. They might be satisfied if they reach a certain level without putting too much effort into it. They won’t try over and over again to succeed at a special challenge. Instead they choose a lower difficulty level and continue the game.

Some „normal“ players however might get interested in trying something new after their first playthrough. They start a new game on the next difficulty level. At first, they might be frustrated but shortly after they’ve a first success, they’ll start to gain more confidence. They realize that putting some effort into their goals will pay off. Finally the playstyle starts to influence the personality of the player…

In conclusion both approaches might be correct. The personality mostly gives a general direction how game players will approach their game. However, computer games do have good mechanics to reward their players. If they try hard enough, they will be rewarded. This environment is a good training area to gain more confidence that the own hard work will pay off.

You’re stuck in space now

During my ongoing literature review I often discover interesting facts about things I’ve never thought about. Sometimes I can connect these facts with my own observations: The result is mostly a completely new idea why things are as they are. Maybe these ideas are new to you, too. Therefore I’ll share my new science based knowledge with you!

This week: This time, it’s a little add-on to my last weeks article about Kerbal Space Program (KSP)[1]. Today I like to focus a little bit more on the realistic approach of the game and how the game brings its players closer to real world rocket science.

The first interesting fact I found out this week is that members of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab are playing KSP[2]. Workers in the field of science or engineering do have a lot of crazy ideas, they never would try in real life. However, KSP gives them an almost realistic framework to give these ideas a try. Thus it can be quite addicting trying out a new thought experiment or replay real world space missions.

Furthermore, I like to highlight the usability of real world calculations of orbital maneuvers in KSP. One of the ways of reaching other planets is using a Hohmann transfer orbit[3]. The calculations for this maneuver are working the same way in KSP as in real life[4]. Based on these formulas, a calculator[5] was created by Olexandr Savchuk of KSP to easily determine the values needed for an interplanetary flight.

Additionally, KSP can be used to explain how rocket design and staging does affect the performance of the space craft. As an example, I like to highlight the „advanced rocket design tutorial“ from Scott Manley[6]. During the video, Scott Manley is demonstrates different examples of rocket design and also links it to actual real world rockets.

Finally, KSP can be used to approach complex ideas like what would it take to reach the speed of light with a space craft (in KSP). This video is again made by Scott Manley[6], who explains what will be needed to accelerate to the speed of light.

You’re going to space today

During my ongoing literature review I often discover interesting facts about things I’ve never thought about. Sometimes I can connect these facts with my own observations: The result is mostly a completely new idea why things are as they are. Maybe these ideas are new to you, too. Therefore I’ll share my new science based knowledge with you!

This week: This time, I’ll present the space travel simulation game „Kerbal Space Program“. The game is combining gamefulness with real world science and is thus increasing the interest in real world science.

Kerbal Space Program[1] (KSP) allows the player to create own space crafts and fly them afterwards through space. During gameplay players can manage their own space program, build orbital stations, land on other planets or moons and explore the vastness of space. At a first glance, this might sound quite trival, but after a short time of playing the game, it becomes clear that the game is more complex than it sounds.

View on Kerbin

KSP is based on real physics and thus creates a realistic simulation of space travel. After assembling the first space craft, the player can launch it from the space port and – hopefully – reach a stable orbit. However this isn’t easy to new players who possible do not much about space travel[2]. Just flying straight up (and not falling apart due to an constructional fault) won’t put the craft into orbit: it’ll only reach a maximum height and afterwards descend back to Kerbin (that’s the „Earth“ of the game). If the craft reaches a stable orbit around Kerbin, the gamer can start practicing basic orbital maneuvers: changing the inclination or increasing/decreasing the apoapsis/periapsis.

Finally the user has learnt the basics of controlling a space craft. But what about making a rendezvous with another craft? What about docking? Fortunately there’re many tutorials [3] how to perform a certain task. The next step could be the landing on an other celestial body–in most cases it’s on one of the two moons of Kerbin. In order to land on a moon, the space craft needs to reach it. Naturally this requires even more knowledge about space travel.

Successful landing on Minmus

Players who do have a deep knowledge about space travel can actually calculate their maneuvers. The whole game is based on math and physics[4]. Formulars of rocket science can be applied to calculate the delta-v of the assembled space craft[5].

The game does not give a clear goal. The latest version of it is a sandbox game allowing the players to set their own goals while exploring the solar system. However to successfully reach the own goals, the game is requiring a lot of knowledge about space travel. During my own gameplay I’ve learnt a lot about space flights and orbital maneuvers.

Map with focus on the Mün

The game follows the concept of two previously presented games[5] by setting the game in a scientific context and creating a realistic environment. Just by playing this game, gamers learn a lot about space travel and if they’re interested in doing things efficiently, they’ll start to look up calculations and procedures used in real world space travel.

In conclusion KSP is a great game that can also be categorized as edutainment software. Exploring space is a very interesting topic and has a lot of potential to connect gamefulness with real world science. In the end, this might lead to an increased overall interest in space travel and other sciences connected with it.

„Extended“ immersion

During my ongoing literature review I often discover interesting facts about things I’ve never thought about. Sometimes I can connect these facts with my own observations: The result is mostly a completely new idea why things are as they are. Maybe these ideas are new to you, too. Therefore I’ll share my new science based knowledge with you!

This week: This time, I’ll present my own observations of the blurring between virtuality and reality evoked by an intense gameplay in combination with the use of realistic sounds.

This article is mostly based on my own observations and was supported by some let’s plays[1] I’ve seen[2]. During gameplay of certain computer games I experienced a certain degree of increased or extended immersion: the real world sometimes influenced my gameplay and intruded in it.

Typically because total immersion is very hard to achieve or even impossible[3], immersion starts to collapse if there’s an external distraction. Even if the immersion doesn’t collapse, the real world events are still recognized. Immersed gamers identify these external events as real world events and do have a clear distinction between game world and real world. Additionally players can be immersed into their game but as soon as they get a little bit distracted or lose their focus from the screen, the immersion can disappear.

However, certain games have in some point a very close and realistic connection to the real world. These „realistic“ games can to a certain degree swallow an external event. This leaves the player confused if something just has happened in the game or in the real world. The absorbtion of external events however has an important constraint: the event has to be off screen. This constraint makes clear that the absorbtion is based on realistic sounds. As soon as the event is visual, the effect doesn’t apprear.

A game has its setting in an urban environment and is thus simulating traffic. The recognition between game event and real world event can blur, if the sounds of the cars are made very realistic. Players can hear a car driving near by and conclude that there’s a car somewhere around them. However players can hear the sound of a real world car passing by and in case of a deep immersion start thinking that there’s a car in the game. As soon as the player has a visual on the event, the blurring between the two worlds will immediately collapse.

One very good example is the ARMA 2[4] mod „Day Z„[5]. ARMA 2 is a very realistic military simulation and thus has a lot of realistic connections to the real world. The zombie-survival modification „Day Z“ benefits a lot from this realism. It’s a very intense gameplay of staying alive in a post-apocalyptic world. One reason for that is the very good simulation of different sounds. Players are dependent on the sounds to identify potential dangers. Was someone shooting in this town? Is a vehicle approaching my position? Has a zombie seen me?

Normally, sounds of shots or zombies aren’t a part of our daily life. Passing vehicles however are pretty normal. One of the biggest dangers in Day Z are helicopters that are luckily audible from far away. Now things can start to blur. A player who’s deeply immersed by the intense gameplay is moving carefully through the wilderness. Suddenly the sound of a helicopter starts comming closer. The player starts to scan the sky to get a visual on the helicopter. After a short time of confusion, the player realizes that it was a real world helicopter just passing by.

If the gameplay is very intense, players can get deeply immersed into the game. In combination with realistic sounds, off screen events can start to blur the gap between reality and virtuality. However the „extended“ immersion will immediately collapse if the player has a clear visual on the event.

References

[3] Schweinitz, Jörg (2006): Totale Immersion und die Utopie von der virtuellen Realität, in: Neitzel, Britta; Nohr, Rolf F. (Eds.), Das Spiel mit dem Medium – Partizipation – Immersion – Interaktion, Marburg.

Science in games

During my ongoing literature review I often discover interesting facts about things I’ve never thought about. Sometimes I can connect these facts with my own observations: The result is mostly a completely new idea why things are as they are. Maybe these ideas are new to you, too. Therefore I’ll share my new science based knowledge with you!

This week: This time, I’ll present an interesting method of experiencing science: playing it! I’ll present two simulations that allow users to experience and discover science from a very interesting point of view.

Science as a main topic in computer games isn’t very common. Often it’s science that evokes some terrible problems[1]. Typically, after something scientific went terrible wrong, the player is in charge to fix everything to save the world. But science doesn’t always cause problems. Sometimes science helps the player to research new items that are useful to survive the game. In this scenario, science has a minor role and functions as some kind of ressource[2]. Finally, there’re also games that use science as a key element to win the game: Civilization 5 can be won through a „science victory“[3]. However, players of Civilization don’t actively perform the research. They just choose the next research project that than is completed within a certain amount of turns.

But there’re also some games that do have science as their main topic. Universe Sandbox[4] is simulating gravitational forces of the universe. The player can add new planets to our solar system or change the properties of the sun. The game afterwards is simulating the gravity among the celestial bodies. By playing the game users can experience how the gravity of planets is effecting the path of asteriods, how a Earth centered solar system would work out or what happens if the sun suddenly has a weight of only 1kg. Additionally, it’s possible to change the simulation rate, making things faster and easier observable.

Just a test.

Some days ago, I’ve discovered the Take On Mars[5] project. This simulation game puts the player into the position of a rover operator. According to the short description of the game, players can experience science missions on Mars and discover the planet’s secrets using the tools of the rovers or landers. I wasn’t able to experience the game myself but it sounds very interesting to navigate a roboter on the Mars.

Naturally, both simulations aren’t completely accurate, but users are allowed to experience scientific facts themselves. Information about the facts presented in these two games are typically covered in the TV. Showing and explaining a simulation how an asteriod behaves is very informative. On the other hand, it’s only passive: interested people can’t manipulate the simulation to see what will happen.

Saturn

A gamified simulation of science however allows players to actively manipulate things. They can do observations on their own and start learning how things might work. Users are more involved in the whole learning process and might have an increased learning progress compared to a passive documentation. Furthermore, if users get interested in the particular science, they might want to know more about it. Finally, this could lead to an increased interest in science and the recent results.