Gaming helps people escape...
...from painful mistakes.
In this clip, you get to see me mess up (which actually happens a lot more than I've been showing so far), and thank goodness it does! Mistakes are a very effective way to learn, provided you can recover from them, and that's exactly what games allow you to do. When I lose on Black Ops, I just start a new game. Everyone deserves a second chance, but in games, I get infinite! This lets me practice learning from hindsight without painful consequences, and that practice allows me to handle mistakes in life much easier than if I had no practice at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGHgiibFwO8&
So lets talk about what happens. I start off well, taking a position that is vital for map control (see the post before this one), providing cover for my team using tactical grenades, and cleaning up what gets through. I'm practically dominating. Then, for whatever reason, I decide to get self destructive. I use the mini-map to locate enemies approaching from the "firing range". Good.
I fail at using my claymore to protect one of the three entryways leading into my location. Starting to look bad.
I fail to "look before I leap", preparing a flash grenade as I step out into the open without knowing what I'll be stepping into. Getting worse.
I let excitement override my logic and chase the enemy I got lucky enough to escape from the first time. My mini-map shows several red dots in that direction, but I fail to heed its warning. My heart pounds so hard I can't hear my brain telling me to slow down! get to cover! stay in a safe location!
I drop down, firing wildly.
I get double teamed.
I lose a vital spot for my team and a life.
Bright side: I get to respawn immediately!
Silver lining: I learn things--
-evaluate the situation before leaping blindly into it
-don't give up a vantage point just because you see a temporary opening in an enemies defense
-make them come to you
-don't get double teamed. ><
The game doesn't punish me very harshly. This allows me to move past what just happened. I'm not so concerned with the mistake I just made that I get hung up in an emotional response. The consequences I receive don't hinder my thinking ability, and so instead of worrying about what is going to happen (as a mistake in real life may have caused me to do), I get to objectively evaluate what just happened. I get to practice doing this in a safe environment. In this way, gaming becomes training wheels for real life! I'm allowed to practice steering without worrying about falling over. This practice will translate into tougher, real-life situations.
Now, these aren't things that just immediately popped into my brain. It's not like learning is automatic. This applies to all things. No free lunches. I worked for them, let retrospect guide me. Captain Hindsight is useful in gaming. One thing a lot of gamers do is chalk events up to circumstance, WHICH IS NOT EFFECTIVE. This only promotes learned helplessness. "There's no way I could have won that." "It was lag." etc. etc. One thing a lot of people do is attribute negative outcomes to others. See what I'm saying?
Gaming can be used as a tool for learning responsibility. Since the consequences are less dire, less permanent, it's easier to say, "Wait, I could have done _______ to improve my situation."
Learning is active. This is the difference between gamers who use games as an escape and gamers who use gaming as a tool to learn. This is the difference between who go through life bored and people who use EVERY event, every conversation, every new experience, to learn.
My favorite poet of all time, Mevlana Rumi, says something like, "Learn from everyone you meet. Some people will teach you what to do. Some people will teach you what not to do. They will all teach you something." I've been trying to live like this, not only with people, but experiences as well. Sometimes you learn what you should do, sometimes what you shouldn't do. Games allow us to do both, without permanent consequences, and therefore with less pressure.
In this case, I learned a few things not to do. I practiced analyzing my behavior. "What could I do differently? Better?" I practiced recovering from a situation that could have been very frustrating. I practiced crisis management techniques. The majority of life's experiences have a lesson hidden in them. Gaming teaches you to learn from the hard ones without being exposed to resoundingly negative consequences.
Thank you, as always for reading! Feedback is very appreciated. Suggest topics, suggests ways I can improve my blog/writing style/content/argument coherence. As much as I've talked about learning from my mistakes, I can't see them all. Help me out! (Help me out with things I'm doing well, too!)
:D
Ben
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Area Control / Mini-Map / Reloading
Ok, I've got a second video uploaded. Let's talk about it. :P
First of all, I did this one from a first-person point of view so the mini-map would be visible. I haven't found a way to switch between first and third-person POV quickly enough to put them both in a video, but I'm still learning a lot about how to do all of this.
Second, I tried to slow down the video during the parts I most wanted to talk about, and added pauses via Youtube's editor so it's a little easier to follow/process/see.
Here it is (probably wanna watch it before and after reading): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f7PQVkDur4
What I wanted to talk about most in this video is the importance of area control. Logically, it follows something like this:
There are buildings with windows --> It's harder to be hit if you're standing in a window as opposed to an open area --> Those windows are on different sides of the buildings and you can see a large area from them --> It's a good idea to be in a building.
Lots of pluses, not a lot of negatives.
Obviously, some buildings are going to be more important than others. A building on the edge of a map can only see, maybe, two or three directions, while a building in the middle is likely to have a 360 degree (or close) view of the surrounding area. It's the same idea behind knights in Chess. If you have them closer to the middle of the board, they will be able to attack more squares. This is me doing research on game play, using logic to determine improved strategy, and applying previously learned methods to a new system.
So, this video starts with me taking one of those key vantage points. My first rule about going into practically any building, is to be aware that a claymore (a small explosive device that will blow up if it detects movement) will likely be in the entryway. So, I use a flash grenade to temporarily disable it. Now, doing this does leave me open for a couple of seconds, standing vulnerable in a doorway, but the chance of being seen is (in my experience) usually less than the chance of being killed by a claymore. This is me analyzing marginal benefits and costs of my equipment set up and acting accordingly.
Keep in mind, there is a perk that lets you see claymores, so you can be sure of which doors do and which doors do not have a booby-trapped entrance, but I don't think it is as beneficial as some of the other perks that take up the same slot. In this video, I'm using Tactical Mask Pro, which keeps me from being affected by flash/stun/gas grenades. Also, when I hit someone with one of those grenades, it will show me which direction they are in, making it easier to track them down once they are blind/stunned/gassed. This comes into play in the video (during the first pause). It's hard to see, but when I use my flash grenade, a small indicator lets me know I've hit someone, and that they are in the hallway, not the small foyer-esque area. This allows me to move inside confidently and take out the two enemies that were currently occupying it. This is me planning ahead based on previous experiences and drawing on that knowledge to formulate new methods of operation.
After I'm sure the room is clear, I check my mini-map. I see a red dot in an area I can get to quickly and without completely giving up my recently acquired location (this happens during the second pause). I briefly pop outside long enough to take him out, then head back into my building to check for invaders.
At this point, I check my mini-map again and see that there is a large area of the map with none of my teammates around. I surmise that the enemy is likely spawning there. I know this area feeds right into the room I've just taken, so I make my way to that side to play some defense. This is me being aware, analyzing my teammates' movement to determine my enemy's position, and critically thinking to determine the best response.
I want to put a claymore down at the door, but I don't simply walk to the door and put it down. Checking the corner first lets you know you aren't going to be surprised by someone when you don't have a gun in your hands. So, I do (the third pause), and what do you know? There IS someone about to come around the corner! Surprise, surprise. The little gunfight that we have shows another strategy I've picked up. At close range, you don't want to aim down the sight (ADS). When you ADS, you limit your movement drastically, making you an easier target. So, I just fire from the hip while walking to my right. I can keep my cursor on him while making it much harder for him to do the same to me. At this close of range, the sustained mobility you get by hip-firing is enough to make up for the accuracy you lose.
So, after I take that guy down, I place the claymore in a spot that keeps it from being seen by anyone approaching the entrance but close enough that it will still detonate as they pass. I start back to patrol my area once again, and find an enemy has entered from the other side. Now, he may have made a mistake by not checking the whole building. His teammate I recently downed would have left a skull on the map that should have been a heads up. But, it's his mistake and I take advantage of it, easily finishing him off.
This brings us to the fourth pause, and what I wanted to show here was how I reloaded. As I'm reloading, I check to my right, and after I see there is no immediate danger there, I step back to the wall so I'm not visible from that side. Then I check to my left. Reloading is when you are the most vulnerable, so it's a good idea to get behind something as you're doing it.
Finishing up, I check one of the windows that overlooks a high-traffic area, and take a guy down that was trespassing on my turf. :P I have enough kills at this point to get a helicopter killstreak, and notice as I reload, I lay down to make myself less visible in case an enemy is nearby. After I lay down I can activate the helicopter, which also makes me vulnerable for a few seconds. Laying down can definitely be a life saver. Helicopter placement can also be a big deal. Since they can't shoot directly below their position, it's a good idea to put them over top of a building so they can see a lot of the surrounding area without wasting ammo on enemies that are protected by the building's roof. Yay for more critical thinking!
Okay, these posts are a lot more work than I thought they would be. When I'm playing I never really realize how much work I'm actually doing mentally, and going back through and unpacking all of it really works my brain out. All of this from a clip that's only thirty seconds long.
Okay, so. Please, please, please let me know what you think, what would be helpful to you guys in reading this, what would be helpful in posting the video, and what (if any) things you want to see specifically. The next video I'm planning on talking about is going to show a few things NOT to do. Thanks so much for reading!!
First of all, I did this one from a first-person point of view so the mini-map would be visible. I haven't found a way to switch between first and third-person POV quickly enough to put them both in a video, but I'm still learning a lot about how to do all of this.
Second, I tried to slow down the video during the parts I most wanted to talk about, and added pauses via Youtube's editor so it's a little easier to follow/process/see.
Here it is (probably wanna watch it before and after reading): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f7PQVkDur4
What I wanted to talk about most in this video is the importance of area control. Logically, it follows something like this:
There are buildings with windows --> It's harder to be hit if you're standing in a window as opposed to an open area --> Those windows are on different sides of the buildings and you can see a large area from them --> It's a good idea to be in a building.
Lots of pluses, not a lot of negatives.
Obviously, some buildings are going to be more important than others. A building on the edge of a map can only see, maybe, two or three directions, while a building in the middle is likely to have a 360 degree (or close) view of the surrounding area. It's the same idea behind knights in Chess. If you have them closer to the middle of the board, they will be able to attack more squares. This is me doing research on game play, using logic to determine improved strategy, and applying previously learned methods to a new system.
So, this video starts with me taking one of those key vantage points. My first rule about going into practically any building, is to be aware that a claymore (a small explosive device that will blow up if it detects movement) will likely be in the entryway. So, I use a flash grenade to temporarily disable it. Now, doing this does leave me open for a couple of seconds, standing vulnerable in a doorway, but the chance of being seen is (in my experience) usually less than the chance of being killed by a claymore. This is me analyzing marginal benefits and costs of my equipment set up and acting accordingly.
Keep in mind, there is a perk that lets you see claymores, so you can be sure of which doors do and which doors do not have a booby-trapped entrance, but I don't think it is as beneficial as some of the other perks that take up the same slot. In this video, I'm using Tactical Mask Pro, which keeps me from being affected by flash/stun/gas grenades. Also, when I hit someone with one of those grenades, it will show me which direction they are in, making it easier to track them down once they are blind/stunned/gassed. This comes into play in the video (during the first pause). It's hard to see, but when I use my flash grenade, a small indicator lets me know I've hit someone, and that they are in the hallway, not the small foyer-esque area. This allows me to move inside confidently and take out the two enemies that were currently occupying it. This is me planning ahead based on previous experiences and drawing on that knowledge to formulate new methods of operation.
After I'm sure the room is clear, I check my mini-map. I see a red dot in an area I can get to quickly and without completely giving up my recently acquired location (this happens during the second pause). I briefly pop outside long enough to take him out, then head back into my building to check for invaders.
At this point, I check my mini-map again and see that there is a large area of the map with none of my teammates around. I surmise that the enemy is likely spawning there. I know this area feeds right into the room I've just taken, so I make my way to that side to play some defense. This is me being aware, analyzing my teammates' movement to determine my enemy's position, and critically thinking to determine the best response.
I want to put a claymore down at the door, but I don't simply walk to the door and put it down. Checking the corner first lets you know you aren't going to be surprised by someone when you don't have a gun in your hands. So, I do (the third pause), and what do you know? There IS someone about to come around the corner! Surprise, surprise. The little gunfight that we have shows another strategy I've picked up. At close range, you don't want to aim down the sight (ADS). When you ADS, you limit your movement drastically, making you an easier target. So, I just fire from the hip while walking to my right. I can keep my cursor on him while making it much harder for him to do the same to me. At this close of range, the sustained mobility you get by hip-firing is enough to make up for the accuracy you lose.
So, after I take that guy down, I place the claymore in a spot that keeps it from being seen by anyone approaching the entrance but close enough that it will still detonate as they pass. I start back to patrol my area once again, and find an enemy has entered from the other side. Now, he may have made a mistake by not checking the whole building. His teammate I recently downed would have left a skull on the map that should have been a heads up. But, it's his mistake and I take advantage of it, easily finishing him off.
This brings us to the fourth pause, and what I wanted to show here was how I reloaded. As I'm reloading, I check to my right, and after I see there is no immediate danger there, I step back to the wall so I'm not visible from that side. Then I check to my left. Reloading is when you are the most vulnerable, so it's a good idea to get behind something as you're doing it.
Finishing up, I check one of the windows that overlooks a high-traffic area, and take a guy down that was trespassing on my turf. :P I have enough kills at this point to get a helicopter killstreak, and notice as I reload, I lay down to make myself less visible in case an enemy is nearby. After I lay down I can activate the helicopter, which also makes me vulnerable for a few seconds. Laying down can definitely be a life saver. Helicopter placement can also be a big deal. Since they can't shoot directly below their position, it's a good idea to put them over top of a building so they can see a lot of the surrounding area without wasting ammo on enemies that are protected by the building's roof. Yay for more critical thinking!
Okay, these posts are a lot more work than I thought they would be. When I'm playing I never really realize how much work I'm actually doing mentally, and going back through and unpacking all of it really works my brain out. All of this from a clip that's only thirty seconds long.
Okay, so. Please, please, please let me know what you think, what would be helpful to you guys in reading this, what would be helpful in posting the video, and what (if any) things you want to see specifically. The next video I'm planning on talking about is going to show a few things NOT to do. Thanks so much for reading!!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Economics 101
Lately I've been thinking a lot about one of the fundamental principles of economics. It goes something like: "People act rationally. If the marginal benefits are greater than the marginal cost, people will act. If the costs are greater than the benefits, they won't." In examining the future, I've been wondering about how we get people to change at their core level. I think it simply comes down to this economic rule.
Applying this rule to life, it's clear to see how it holds up. People don't do things they think are stupid. People can do things because they are ignorant, but that simply means that they have less information than they should have. Perhaps they have the wrong information.
So to bring about fundamental change, we need to set up a new system of costs and benefits. Our extrinsic lifestyle teaches us to love things that don't really make us happy. Faulty rewards system. Fix it.
Our fear of failure keeps our greatest advancements in check. Fix it.
Our fear of ourselves keeps us in the dark about who we are. Fix it.
Our educational system that attempts to shove children into a preset mold breaks limbs that cannot be accommodated and amputates "useless" appendages. Good for crippling, poor for educating. Fix it.
Don't even get me started on our health. Fix it.
Using some gaming references, America has put us into a game with a very poor set of achievements. We play the game but don't understand why we aren't happy. We are all making "rational" decisions based on our game rules, based on our reward system, based on our cost vs benefit charts, but those decisions aren't getting us the effects we thought they would. We are winning at a game where winning isn't fun.
Fix it.
Time to change some rules. Time to change costs and benefits.
Time to make a new game. :D
Applying this rule to life, it's clear to see how it holds up. People don't do things they think are stupid. People can do things because they are ignorant, but that simply means that they have less information than they should have. Perhaps they have the wrong information.
So to bring about fundamental change, we need to set up a new system of costs and benefits. Our extrinsic lifestyle teaches us to love things that don't really make us happy. Faulty rewards system. Fix it.
Our fear of failure keeps our greatest advancements in check. Fix it.
Our fear of ourselves keeps us in the dark about who we are. Fix it.
Our educational system that attempts to shove children into a preset mold breaks limbs that cannot be accommodated and amputates "useless" appendages. Good for crippling, poor for educating. Fix it.
Don't even get me started on our health. Fix it.
Using some gaming references, America has put us into a game with a very poor set of achievements. We play the game but don't understand why we aren't happy. We are all making "rational" decisions based on our game rules, based on our reward system, based on our cost vs benefit charts, but those decisions aren't getting us the effects we thought they would. We are winning at a game where winning isn't fun.
Fix it.
Time to change some rules. Time to change costs and benefits.
Time to make a new game. :D
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
My First Video
This is going to my first post that is linked to a video. Turns out these posts might be longer than I anticipated.
I'll start with a little background. This is a clip from Call of Duty: Black Ops, which is a First Person Shooter (FPS). Black Ops' multi-player lets me go online and play the game against thousands of other people online. Before the game starts, players are allowed to customize their equipment and weaponry. This is where everything starts.
Before undertake any sort of project, activity, or endeavor, you have to plan. It's the concept of starting with a strong foundation. When you build a house, you start from the bottom up. That's what the pre-game part of Black Ops is, planning for your game type, your opponents, and your personal abilities.
The most important part of your set up in Black Ops, is your gun. The majority of your game play is determined by what weapon you equip. There are different classes of weapons, and each one has specific strength and weaknesses. Some are for short-range, some for long range. Some have large ammo clips but are less mobile. Different attachments allow for even more variety in choice and potential. Most importantly, there are always trade-offs, which are an important part of reality. Economics are based around marginal costs versus marginal benefits, and people act logically based on the ratio of cost to benefit. If the benefits are higher than the costs, they will act. This applies directly to choosing your weapon, and all other equipment, in Black Ops. So, before you even begin playing the game, decision making, critical thinking, and organized planning are already being put to use.
Here is the link to Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YQwRA4EjzI
In this game, I'm playing "Capture the Flag". The object is to take the opposing team's flag and return it to your base. You can only "capture" the flag if your own flag is at your base. When the clip starts, both team's flags are out, and I am set up around our base defending the person with our flag. I know the enemy is approaching, so I set up at an area that is heavily trafficked. My radar (which unfortunately does not show up in the film) shows me that several enemies are approaching, which is why I am hiding behind the forklift as the clip starts. As you watch this film, you may want to pause the video at the times I'm going to mark. The film goes by incredibly quick. I suppose watching the whole thing first would be a good idea as well. See what works best for you. :D
You would be surprised how many players do not use cover. Since my enemies are coming out of a door, they are wide open. I can see their entire bodies, while only my torso is visible. I'm already at an advantage. To further increase my chances of winning the battle, I toss a flash grenade, which temporarily blinds anyone in range. This is basically the first thing you see in the clip. As you can tell, my strategy worked here, and my enemy drops. This shows awareness, planning, and being prepared. I actively engaged my opponent without revealing any extra weaknesses. I was able to successfully gather information and implement a course of action that put me on top.
Now, while I was doing this, I was also keeping track of my radar (again, I regret it doesn't show. I will work on getting this to work.) and notice an enemy advancing on the right side of our base (shown at about :06 in the film). I step to the side to see if I can help my teammates, but the enemy isn't in my line of sight. I toss a flash grenade just in case. After I realize I won't be much help, I turn back to my post (about :07). In the split second I turned away, another enemy slipped past my guard. Luckily, he thought I was hiding in a different corner, so I am able to pick him off without much trouble. These events show the depth of this game. If I had been able to help my team, the entire game would have been different. If the enemy that got behind me had guessed the right corner, the whole game would have been different. However, my foe and I both acted on the information we knew. The outcome of our battle may have simply been determined by my ability to quickly evaluate the situation, understanding that I could do no more, realizating that I needed to keep watching the door, and reacting accordingly. Remember, this only happened in a second or two. Not only do you have to think, you have to think fast. Hesitation will get you killed.
This ability to quickly evaluate a situation is definitely handy in real life. Think about the way a conversation works. They are pretty quick natured. Conversations happen in real time, not like this blog, where I can get a drink, use the bathroom, or check my Facebook in between paragraphs. Quick decision making is an essential component of verbal communication.
At about :10 I move into the corner to pick up equipment that my foe just dropped. Again my radar tells me the opponent on our right side hasn't been defeated yet, so I toss another flash grenade in that general direction, hoping for a hit that will give my teammates the edge (enemy shown at :12). After I toss the grenade I immediately turn my attention back to my corridor, remembering how even a split-seconds glance in the wrong direction can be a huge mistake. I check the corner, and see another enemy. After I take him out (:15) I decide to help my team on the right side. This decision is informed by my radar, which shows no immediate danger in my vicinity. Now, an enemy could have been right beside me and hidden from my radar. However, I knew for certain my team was in danger. Their risk was greater than mine. I feel this was an informed decision. Remember, marginal benefits vs. marginal costs.
As I hurry to assist my allies, I check my map again, and see more enemies approaching from around the far corner. I toss a grenade. Unfortunately it isn't quick enough to save one of my teammates, but I do avenge him (:21). I notice another enemy, but I need to reload. I drop back out of line of sight so I won't be shot (you'd be surprised how many people don't do this either). After I reload, I take him out and turn with a teammate to begin our assault on the enemies who are holding our flag. We both realize we have successfully defended our flag, though only temporarily, and we both know we must begin to push or the game will continue to stalemate, showing cooperation and teamwork.
Wow. I can't believe I got all of that from about thirty seconds of game play. I knew there was good stuff here, but I wasn't prepared for such a saturation of experience. Sitting down and examining this clip bit-by-bit helps me understand even more why I am drawn to this game. I am entirely engaged. I'm using every part of my brain. I'm functioning at my highest level.
What I want to show here is that these in-game experiences can translate to the real world. I'm developing all the skills I've described. I need to simply convert them into my every day activities. Recently I've realized I haven't been doing this. I call it: "Not playing life at 100%". Doing this blog is part of my commitment to start doing that. Why should I treat life like it is inferior to a game. I can make life just as engaging. I just have to try.
Thank you for taking this journey. I'm sorry about the poor quality of the video and the length of the text, but it's all I have right now. I'm hoping to get more links up very soon, and I'm anxious to continue exploring this new world.
-Ben
I'll start with a little background. This is a clip from Call of Duty: Black Ops, which is a First Person Shooter (FPS). Black Ops' multi-player lets me go online and play the game against thousands of other people online. Before the game starts, players are allowed to customize their equipment and weaponry. This is where everything starts.
Before undertake any sort of project, activity, or endeavor, you have to plan. It's the concept of starting with a strong foundation. When you build a house, you start from the bottom up. That's what the pre-game part of Black Ops is, planning for your game type, your opponents, and your personal abilities.
The most important part of your set up in Black Ops, is your gun. The majority of your game play is determined by what weapon you equip. There are different classes of weapons, and each one has specific strength and weaknesses. Some are for short-range, some for long range. Some have large ammo clips but are less mobile. Different attachments allow for even more variety in choice and potential. Most importantly, there are always trade-offs, which are an important part of reality. Economics are based around marginal costs versus marginal benefits, and people act logically based on the ratio of cost to benefit. If the benefits are higher than the costs, they will act. This applies directly to choosing your weapon, and all other equipment, in Black Ops. So, before you even begin playing the game, decision making, critical thinking, and organized planning are already being put to use.
Here is the link to Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YQwRA4EjzI
In this game, I'm playing "Capture the Flag". The object is to take the opposing team's flag and return it to your base. You can only "capture" the flag if your own flag is at your base. When the clip starts, both team's flags are out, and I am set up around our base defending the person with our flag. I know the enemy is approaching, so I set up at an area that is heavily trafficked. My radar (which unfortunately does not show up in the film) shows me that several enemies are approaching, which is why I am hiding behind the forklift as the clip starts. As you watch this film, you may want to pause the video at the times I'm going to mark. The film goes by incredibly quick. I suppose watching the whole thing first would be a good idea as well. See what works best for you. :D
You would be surprised how many players do not use cover. Since my enemies are coming out of a door, they are wide open. I can see their entire bodies, while only my torso is visible. I'm already at an advantage. To further increase my chances of winning the battle, I toss a flash grenade, which temporarily blinds anyone in range. This is basically the first thing you see in the clip. As you can tell, my strategy worked here, and my enemy drops. This shows awareness, planning, and being prepared. I actively engaged my opponent without revealing any extra weaknesses. I was able to successfully gather information and implement a course of action that put me on top.
Now, while I was doing this, I was also keeping track of my radar (again, I regret it doesn't show. I will work on getting this to work.) and notice an enemy advancing on the right side of our base (shown at about :06 in the film). I step to the side to see if I can help my teammates, but the enemy isn't in my line of sight. I toss a flash grenade just in case. After I realize I won't be much help, I turn back to my post (about :07). In the split second I turned away, another enemy slipped past my guard. Luckily, he thought I was hiding in a different corner, so I am able to pick him off without much trouble. These events show the depth of this game. If I had been able to help my team, the entire game would have been different. If the enemy that got behind me had guessed the right corner, the whole game would have been different. However, my foe and I both acted on the information we knew. The outcome of our battle may have simply been determined by my ability to quickly evaluate the situation, understanding that I could do no more, realizating that I needed to keep watching the door, and reacting accordingly. Remember, this only happened in a second or two. Not only do you have to think, you have to think fast. Hesitation will get you killed.
This ability to quickly evaluate a situation is definitely handy in real life. Think about the way a conversation works. They are pretty quick natured. Conversations happen in real time, not like this blog, where I can get a drink, use the bathroom, or check my Facebook in between paragraphs. Quick decision making is an essential component of verbal communication.
At about :10 I move into the corner to pick up equipment that my foe just dropped. Again my radar tells me the opponent on our right side hasn't been defeated yet, so I toss another flash grenade in that general direction, hoping for a hit that will give my teammates the edge (enemy shown at :12). After I toss the grenade I immediately turn my attention back to my corridor, remembering how even a split-seconds glance in the wrong direction can be a huge mistake. I check the corner, and see another enemy. After I take him out (:15) I decide to help my team on the right side. This decision is informed by my radar, which shows no immediate danger in my vicinity. Now, an enemy could have been right beside me and hidden from my radar. However, I knew for certain my team was in danger. Their risk was greater than mine. I feel this was an informed decision. Remember, marginal benefits vs. marginal costs.
As I hurry to assist my allies, I check my map again, and see more enemies approaching from around the far corner. I toss a grenade. Unfortunately it isn't quick enough to save one of my teammates, but I do avenge him (:21). I notice another enemy, but I need to reload. I drop back out of line of sight so I won't be shot (you'd be surprised how many people don't do this either). After I reload, I take him out and turn with a teammate to begin our assault on the enemies who are holding our flag. We both realize we have successfully defended our flag, though only temporarily, and we both know we must begin to push or the game will continue to stalemate, showing cooperation and teamwork.
Wow. I can't believe I got all of that from about thirty seconds of game play. I knew there was good stuff here, but I wasn't prepared for such a saturation of experience. Sitting down and examining this clip bit-by-bit helps me understand even more why I am drawn to this game. I am entirely engaged. I'm using every part of my brain. I'm functioning at my highest level.
What I want to show here is that these in-game experiences can translate to the real world. I'm developing all the skills I've described. I need to simply convert them into my every day activities. Recently I've realized I haven't been doing this. I call it: "Not playing life at 100%". Doing this blog is part of my commitment to start doing that. Why should I treat life like it is inferior to a game. I can make life just as engaging. I just have to try.
Thank you for taking this journey. I'm sorry about the poor quality of the video and the length of the text, but it's all I have right now. I'm hoping to get more links up very soon, and I'm anxious to continue exploring this new world.
-Ben
What this Blog is about
Okay. So, I had the idea for this blog after starting to construct my resume. As I was attempting to pin down my various skills, I realized that a lot of them were from gaming, a source that has little credit in the professional world. My years of gaming skills--resource (time, money, people) management from RPG's (role playing games), planning ahead, critical thinking, and more resource management from FPS (first-person shooters), and social networking and leadership skills from MMO's--would all be completely useless if I couldn't find a way to validate them on a one page piece of paper. It would be a misrepresentation of my person to leave off such a large part of my life.
Unsure of how to break this hurdle, I went to my University's Career Counselor. We worked on my resume, but I was still under the social bias that my gaming skills were unnecessary in the workplace or that they were made up entirely. Working on my resume just frustrated me. Now, understand that I have good things to put on my resume. I've been working since I was 16. I recently began tutoring in the Writing Center at Lenoir-Rhyne. I show my ability to communicate effectively. I show my ability to work with people,to be trusted, to analyze texts. I had all of these traits, but there was more that was being omitted.
Luckily, I was bored.
I was messing around on my Xbox, browsing the advertisements for new games, the news, upcoming events, when I stumbled upon a video of Dr. Jane McGonigal. She talked about the recent changes gaming was making in the world. My heart jumped a little. I went to find out more about her, about the Institution for the Future, and about gaming's up-and-coming role in society.
My life was changed.
Though not widespread, gaming was beginning to make its debut as a credible resource. Dr. McGonigal explained in her 2010 TED talk
(http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html) how gaming affects us all. As I listened to her talk, the pieces started coming together. She was talking about me! She was explaining the skills I learned from games! She was explaining me!
I could hardly believe it.
At my next meeting with my career counselor, I began to spill my guts about what I'd found, how excited I was, and how much I wanted to be a part of this revolution. She was surprised, but not as skeptical as I thought. She remarked on my visible transformation. Before I was...plain. I was a normal student looking for a normal job. I just wanted to pay the bills. But I was different now. It was because I'd found something meaningful.
We started brainstorming. I wanted to know what I could do to join this gaming revolution. I'm doing as much research as I can. I'll be applying to an internship at The Institute for the Future soon. I'm reading Jane McGonigal's book. In discussing all of these things, blogging came up. I needed a way to explain what I was doing in games and how that taught me skills that I felt unable to prove I possessed. Blogging would allow me to do that. I wasn't sure quite how to accomplish this task. I could just be making everything up. Luckily, Call of Duty recently started letting players upload clips of their games to Youtube. So, that's when I decided I would start this. I'm going to be linking bits of my game play and explaining what they mean to me and how they improve so many skills I have.
Unfortunately, I can only upload thirty seconds at a time, and the quality is pretty poor. But, I think that if you really want to learn about how I learn and what games are teaching me, we can make this project work. I'm doing what I can to get this information out. All I can do is hope that you will put in a little bit of effort as well. :D
I'm going to try my best to explain every aspect of the clips, setting up the situation, explaining my thought processes, and filling in where the video is unclear. I'm going to do my best to be un-biased. I'm not going to say things like "Oh that guy just got lucky" or "The game made me die here". I'm not going to just be posting clips that show me winning every time. That isn't learning. I want to show some clips that don't even have much combat. A lot of Call of Duty is setup, movement, and coordination. None of those things have to do with how well you can aim. Fortunately, most of the time, if you are aware of the situation as it unfolds, supporting teammates, and thinking critically about how the match is progressing, you should have an advantage over your foes.
So. Wrapping this intro-blog up, I want to say thank you for taking the time to look at this page. It means so much to me. I hope it helps you understand a little bit about why I enjoy gaming, why I enjoy learning, and how those things can translate (and should be translated) to the working world.
Here's to moving forward.
Unsure of how to break this hurdle, I went to my University's Career Counselor. We worked on my resume, but I was still under the social bias that my gaming skills were unnecessary in the workplace or that they were made up entirely. Working on my resume just frustrated me. Now, understand that I have good things to put on my resume. I've been working since I was 16. I recently began tutoring in the Writing Center at Lenoir-Rhyne. I show my ability to communicate effectively. I show my ability to work with people,to be trusted, to analyze texts. I had all of these traits, but there was more that was being omitted.
Luckily, I was bored.
I was messing around on my Xbox, browsing the advertisements for new games, the news, upcoming events, when I stumbled upon a video of Dr. Jane McGonigal. She talked about the recent changes gaming was making in the world. My heart jumped a little. I went to find out more about her, about the Institution for the Future, and about gaming's up-and-coming role in society.
My life was changed.
Though not widespread, gaming was beginning to make its debut as a credible resource. Dr. McGonigal explained in her 2010 TED talk
(http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html) how gaming affects us all. As I listened to her talk, the pieces started coming together. She was talking about me! She was explaining the skills I learned from games! She was explaining me!
I could hardly believe it.
At my next meeting with my career counselor, I began to spill my guts about what I'd found, how excited I was, and how much I wanted to be a part of this revolution. She was surprised, but not as skeptical as I thought. She remarked on my visible transformation. Before I was...plain. I was a normal student looking for a normal job. I just wanted to pay the bills. But I was different now. It was because I'd found something meaningful.
We started brainstorming. I wanted to know what I could do to join this gaming revolution. I'm doing as much research as I can. I'll be applying to an internship at The Institute for the Future soon. I'm reading Jane McGonigal's book. In discussing all of these things, blogging came up. I needed a way to explain what I was doing in games and how that taught me skills that I felt unable to prove I possessed. Blogging would allow me to do that. I wasn't sure quite how to accomplish this task. I could just be making everything up. Luckily, Call of Duty recently started letting players upload clips of their games to Youtube. So, that's when I decided I would start this. I'm going to be linking bits of my game play and explaining what they mean to me and how they improve so many skills I have.
Unfortunately, I can only upload thirty seconds at a time, and the quality is pretty poor. But, I think that if you really want to learn about how I learn and what games are teaching me, we can make this project work. I'm doing what I can to get this information out. All I can do is hope that you will put in a little bit of effort as well. :D
I'm going to try my best to explain every aspect of the clips, setting up the situation, explaining my thought processes, and filling in where the video is unclear. I'm going to do my best to be un-biased. I'm not going to say things like "Oh that guy just got lucky" or "The game made me die here". I'm not going to just be posting clips that show me winning every time. That isn't learning. I want to show some clips that don't even have much combat. A lot of Call of Duty is setup, movement, and coordination. None of those things have to do with how well you can aim. Fortunately, most of the time, if you are aware of the situation as it unfolds, supporting teammates, and thinking critically about how the match is progressing, you should have an advantage over your foes.
So. Wrapping this intro-blog up, I want to say thank you for taking the time to look at this page. It means so much to me. I hope it helps you understand a little bit about why I enjoy gaming, why I enjoy learning, and how those things can translate (and should be translated) to the working world.
Here's to moving forward.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)