• 29Oct 06

  Computer Specs

  CPU:  AMD Athlon™ XP 2700+ Processor (2.167GHz) with QuantiSpeed™ architecture
  Operating System:  Genuine Microsoft® Windows® XP Home 
  Monitor Bundle:  eMachines® 17" eView™ 17s2 Monitor
  (16" Viewable, 0.27mm dot pitch)
  Chipset:  VIA KM 400 chipset
  Memory:  512MB DDR
  Hard Drive:  80GB HDD
  Optical Drive:  4x DVD±RW Drive; 16x Max. DVD-ROM Drive; 3.5" 1.44MB FDD
  Video:  VIA S3 UniChrome™ 3D Graphics (1 AGP 8x slot available)  (User installed ATI Radeon 9200 AGP 128MB DDR video card)
  Sound:  AC '97 Audio
  Network:  10/100Mbps built-in Ethernet  (Fried.  DSL modem connected through USB connection)
  Modem:  56K ITU v.92-ready Fax/Modem
  Peripherals:  Premium Keyboard, 2-Button Wheel Mouse, Amplified Stereo Speakers
  Ports/Other:  6 USB 2.0 ports (2 on front), 1 Serial, 1 Parallel, 2 PS/2, Audio-In & Out
  Dimensions:  7.25"W x 14.125"H x 16"D
  Internet Access:  AOL 3 month membership included
  

  • Posted Oct 29, 2006 9:00 am GMT
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• 6Sep 06

  Reality Software Idea: Abuse Acknowledgment Simulator (Working Title)

  Background:  Over the last year and a half, a company called Rockstar has been developing an entertainment game called Bully.  The game contained a set storyline which a player must follow.  This game has sparked controversy during it’s development.  Critics make claim that the mere existence of a game which uses a fictional storyline set in an “alternative school” and involving characters of less than reputable standards will affect younger players and encourage real world misbehavior of a variety of types, commonly referred to as bullying.   

  While the discussion rages on, several individuals, using textbook information, seek to create what is described as an educational tool to discourage bullying in and out of the school setting.  Though the authors of that proposed tool admit that not all situations will fit in their examples, they still set forth to offer textbook examples as well as textbook solutions for a “player” of the game to choose from.  They expect the game to encourage empathy for the fictional characters as well as offer solutions that may not even be available to the “player” in the real world.  While this may work in a few cases, the overall majority of bullying victims may not associate themselves with the characters in the game.  This will limit the usefulness of said game.

  Bullying, itself, is merely another form of abuse.  Abuse usually takes the form of verbal, mental, physical, or sexual assault by one or more individuals against one or more individuals.  Abuse can be committed by a family member, people in one’s neighborhood, at one’s place of business, or even in school.  Usually, when the abuse takes place in school, it is more commonly referred to as bullying.  But it is, in fact, abuse just as abuse can occur anywhere else.

  Summary:  For the purpose of this software, Abuse includes all locations and all possible attackers and most methods.  Due to the extreme nature of sexual abuse, limitations on what is possible to depict must be put into place.  But the software will give the user the possibility of alternative referencing methods, as noted in the expanded proposal.

  This software package will be designed around a “movie studio” style use.  Rather than giving the participant (now used instead of “player”) several set situations which may or may not be similar to the participant’s own situation, the participant will be able to build and play back nearly any situation they can conceive.  Once the situation has been shown, the author of the situation may then continue with a version of the situation based on what they are FEELING could happen.  This can be a rather brutal display.  And taken out of context, could be misunderstood.  However, the purpose for this display is to show other people what the author is FEELING is their only option.  Or they may come up with several results, all still possibly brutal.  They may FEEL suicidal.  They may FEEL angry and vengeful.  They may FEEL violent.  But what should also be seen and understood is WHY the author thinks these are the options available to them.  Do they FEEL no one cares?  Do they FEEL ignored?  The third set of endings to the initial situation is for the author to show what they WANT to happen or think SHOULD happen.  It may seem that such endings can’t happen, and maybe won’t, but it’s important for the author to show they know there SHOULD be an alternative, even if they feel it won’t happen.  With appropriate discussion afterwards, the chance of what they WANT to happen could increase.

  This tool may also allow less verbal students to open up to others, parents, friends, teachers, etc.  It could also open the eyes of some teachers, parents, and authority figures who may not realize that a child is feeling all that secure in their environment.

  Either one software package is created with two major levels of detail so that the youngest child can create with little difficulty while an older child can use a more detailed version, or two separate packages are created for each age group.

  This software may be used by adults as well for describing abuse against them or to describe suggested abuse events to educate adults and children and open up discussion.

  Design:

  (1)    The author first decides where an abuse situation takes place:  Home, Playground, Outside Neighborhood, Park, School, Place Of Business, Church, other.  These locations are generic, especially for younger children but may be adjustable in some fashion by older children.  Both indoor and outdoor environments are 3D generated.

  (2)    The author then chooses characters that are displayed.  This could be siblings in a home and a parent somewhere in the home as well, or a number of students plus teachers in a school, or other character types, including clergy, law enforcement, or other possible characters..  The characters come in a variety of design and facial features can change to display facial emotions.  Posing the characters is also possible to display action or even reflect body language. 

  (3)    The author places the characters at their starting positions.  They also make certain the starting poses and facial features are set. 

  (4)    The author next places speech, thought, and emotion bubbles, complete with appropriate text, for the first frame.  For younger children, it may be best to go with a “comic book” style frame by frame rather than a “moving picture” design.

  (5)    The author then sets the characters to the next frame (possibly assuming a 1-5 second jump between the previous frame and the next) and sets bubbles for the next image.  For the advanced version, the system should automatically move the character(s) from the previous frame to the current one so the author doesn’t have to focus on the small details.  Simple commands such as walking and standing should be handled easily by the software.  In this way, the author can focus more on the situation being put down than in the design itself.

  (6)    The author continues frame by frame until the situation is completed.

  (7)    The author can then play back the event frame by frame by clicking the mouse to move to the next frame. 

  (8 )    Depending on how the software is used, the author may go ahead and proceed to phase 2, which is where the author depicts what they FEEL may occur based on their own feelings and the situation as it stands and other factors that they take into consideration for themselves.  Again, this may be a brutal telling and should not be taken out of context as it says a lot about the individual author and their feelings about the situation.  This phase proceeds in design the same as the first phase. 

  (9)    Again, depending on how the software is used, the author may proceed with the third phase.  This phase depicts what the author WANTS to happen.  To them, it may be unrealistic but is their view of what a true optimal outcome may actually be.  Or it may not even be optimal but an acceptable outcome.  This may depict a fair settlement in their eyes without taking drastic action.  The design is handled in the same manner as the other two phases.

  (10)Accessories may also be used in each of the phases to depict weapons or other used material to tell the story in each of the phases.

  (11)Discussions at any point while showing the different phases is helpful to children and adults alike.  Even adults may learn about how children view them as well as themselves.  Multiple endings in both phase 2 and 3 offer even greater discussion.  And adults who create their own examples of abuse in each of the phases can be played back to children and other adults for discussion about these issues.

  Sexual abuse:  This is a difficult topic to deal with.  While modesty can close doors of discussion, there are some things that even adults don’t want discussed.  Offering a “blank” frame for these situations along with bubbles for children to bring up the issue is one way to keep the situation description open without providing information which some parents may find inappropriate.  This type of abuse occurs, it’s as serious a form of abuse as any other, and it shouldn’t be left out.

  This proposal is a rough draft and changes/additions are still possible to a large degree.

  nightwing2000

  • Posted Sep 6, 2006 6:06 pm GMT
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• 23Aug 06

  Doctors and Nurses, the Simulation (Working Title)

  In all bluntness, Legacy Interactive did a garbage job with the Emergency Room series of games. They had an idea that could have been great.... and blew it.

  Software Toolworks, on the other hand, could have had a gold mine with the Life & Death series of games... if they hadn't given up on it. Life & Death II, in fact, was left buggy and almost unplayable.

  Comes now my idea.

  At the beginning of the game, you choose whether you want to follow the path of a nurse or a doctor.

  You can actually play out going through a med school first. This is a tutorial to help you learn the basics from how to perform tasks to learning terminology. A player can take special tests to skip the entire tutorial or just sections of the tutorial.

  Another aspect of actually playing the tutorial will be the aid in helping you decide on a medical specialty. From General Practice, to ER/Trauma medicine, to Surgery (my favorite). Possibly other specialties as well.

  Another aspect of the tutorial will be to prepare you for interaction with others. If you are going to be a doctor, you need to learn how to work in unison with the nurses and vice versus. While there have been depictions of one side being more important than the other, the fact is, no individual could perform ALL the jobs of both professionals. Also, it would make for an interesting multiplayer type game, where a hospital could be popluated by doctors and nurses, all trying to work in unison to keep the hospital afloat. Would make for some interesting interaction socially as well as trying to work together.

  What will make this game shine as well will be detail and gameplay. Gone are the days of the cartoon images of Life & Death I & II. Gone are the days of clicking images of equipment such as in the Emergency Room series.

  This is the 21st century and we're a mere 4 or so months away from quad core CPUs. Time to really show off graphic and simulation quality.

  While the slow pace of General Practice parts of the game will be nice to work with your investigative talents of medicine, it will be the incredible detail and "hands on" work of surgery that will interest me the most. And the gameplay and graphics quality have to be high. Following all policies and procedures for preparation for any medical task as well as performing all appropriate diagnostic measures will be important.

  I'm not to familiar with current technology, but I think the simulation can be heightened by using input devices that help simulate the experience. And having the simulation react to the use of those devices as well.

  For example, a pen like device with a pressure sensitive, spring loaded tip would make for an interesting tool to simulate various procedures. The spring loaded tip could allow recognition of depth, for example, in giving patients shots as well as using scalpels by determining the depth of the cut. The pen device could also be used in conjunction with a pad so the simulation of cutting during surgery or other procedures with a scalpel could be simulated.

  There are a variety of directions one could take this game. Indeed, the simulation could, if in an advanced enough format, be used with actual students interested in the medical field. A form of early training that, at least in it's early stage, prepare them for the emotional experience as well as the technical experience required to becoming a medical professional. Imagine, for example, the surgery form of the simulation being played on a touch sensitive, very large flat panel monitor, laid down, screen up. Using the pen simulation device mentioned, the students can appear to actually perform surgical procedures ON the virtual patient.

  Now this is something I'm anxious to see come to fruition.

  • Posted Aug 23, 2006 6:22 pm GMT
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