SeeingYourselfintheGameWorld

Whatarewedoing?Forthisproject,youllbecreatingagameavatarforyourselfusing
softwareofyourchoosing,andwritingabouthowthevisualyouvecreatedrelatestoyouandyour experiencesasagamer.Anotherwaytoapproachthisisthinkingaboutinsertingyourlikenessintoagame worldyourelatetothatparallelsyourexperiences/attributes.Thiswillbedoneintwocomponents: TheVisualComponent:Youwillcreateavisualtorepresentyourselfinthegameworld.The waysinwhichyoucandothisarenearlyendless.Seebelowforsomepotentialapproaches. TheWrittenComponent:Youwillbewritingapaperofroughly46pagesinlength(a minimumof1,000words)explainingtherepresentationofyourselfyouvecreated.

Howarewedoingit?
Inshort,youll1.)createanavatar,2.)writeaboutwhyyoucreatedtheavataryoudid,3.) writeaboutthegameworldthisavatarwouldinhabitandwhy. FortheVisualComponent,youhavenearlyendlessoptionsforhowtoproceed.Herearesome (butcertainlynotall)potentialapproaches: Youcanchoosetodrawauniqueavatar. Youcaneditimagestogethertocombineelementsofothercharacters. YoucanusecharactercreationsoftwarefoundinfreegameslikeSecondLifeorWorld ofWarcraft,DCUniverse,oranythingyoucanthinkofthatwillletyoucreatea representationofyourselfinagameworld. Youcanchoosetorelatetoacharacteryouvealreadycreatedaswell,ifyoudesire, shouldyoubeanMMOfan. Youcanalsochoosetorelateyourselftoanexistingcharacterinagameworld,butIwill requireyoutodomorethansimplyprintapictureofaparticularcharacterand bedoneforthisvisualelementoftheproject.Youllneedtoeditthecharacterin somewaytomakeyourpresencemoreobvious(like,asarandomexample,ifIwantedto argueIwerecloselyconnectedtoLink,Imightconsidereditinghimto,say,havesomeof

myownfeaturesusingsomethinglikePhotoshop,tobetterinsertmyselfintothegame worldandprojectontothecharacter/worldinquestion). Youhavecompletecontroloverthevisualcomponentandhowitsmade.This canbeconfusing,soIstronglyencourageyoutoaskquestionsifyoufeellostor wanttotrysomethingIhaventlistedhere. FortheWrittenComponentyoullneedtothinkaboutwhatyoudidintheVisualComponent, andwhy.Herearesomequestionsyoumightwanttodiscussinyourproject(notalloftheseare guaranteedtoapplytoyou,butatleastsomeoftheseshouldcomeacrossinyourwork).NOTE: ManystudentsintheSpringtriedtousethesequestionsasachancetostitchtogethera bunchofdisconnectedanswersasifitwereapaper.Thisisnotagoodapproach. Doesthecharacterlooklikeyou?Whyorwhynot? Isyourcharacterrealistic?Fantastical?Why? Whatcolorsareyouusing?Isthischaracterbig(likeWreckItRalph)?Small(likeYoung Link)?Powerful(likeKratos)?Fragile(likeColePhelps)? Whoareyourcharactersenemies?Why? Whatgameorkindofgameisyouravatartheyin?IsitatwitchyFPS(likeCoD)?An indieplatformer(likeSuperMeatBoy)?Anartsyexperiment(likeJourney)?What mightthissayaboutyouortheavatar? Who/whatmightyourfinalbossbe?Howdoesthatrelatetoyou? Doestheavataryouvecreatedhaveahistoryofsomekind,andhowmightthatrelateto yourownhistory?

WhatIsExpected?Myexpectationfromthisprojectisforyoutodothefollowingthings
successfully.Doingexceptionallywellatthesethingswillmostlikelyleadtoanstronggradeonthis project: VisualComponent 1. Createauniqueavatarwhichshowsclearsignsofeffortonyourpart. WrittenComponent 1. Discussthechoicesyoumadewhiledesigningyouravatar(size,color,proportions,realistic, fantasy,gamegenre,inspirations,mediumyoucreateditin,etc.). 2. Relateyourself/yourlifetothevisualcomponentinsomeway 3. Discussthegameworldyourcharacterexistsin. NOTE:AnyconcernsIhaveaboutyourprojectwillbeaddressedbothduringourconferences andwhenyoureceiveyourprojectback.NothingguaranteesanAonmypapers,butanything thatkeepsyoufromanAIwilltomakeclearuponreturningpapers.Feelfreetoaskifyoustill havequestions.

WhyAreWeDoingThisProject?Thisisacommon,andtypicallyunspoken,concern.
Thissemester,youregoingtobeexploringgames,writing,andresearchinavarietyofways,andagood waytostartoutisbylookingatgamesasplacesdesignedusingthewrittenwordandvisual/design software.Beingabletosynthesizeimagesandwritingisanimportantskillandonewewillbebuildingon thissemester.Inmanyways,thisprojectisasmallerversionofmanythingswellbeworkingonall semester,solikeagoodgame,thisprojectservesassomethingofatutoriallevelalowstakesspace todosomeexperimenting,getcomfortablewithwritingaboutgames,learnsomefundamentalconceptsfor writingandresearch,andstartoutbyrelatingyourselfandyourexperiencestovideogameswithoutbeing burdenedbyintensivetheory,research,anddesignexpertise.

Logistics
Youwillcompletethreedrafts(thefirstandthirdofwhichwewillworkshopinclass,thesecondyouwill bringtomeinconferences),followedbyafinaldraft.All(4)willbeduetomeonthefinalduedate. Requirements: WrittenComponent 1,000wordminimumforthewrittencomponent. Thisisahardlineminimum.Notmeetingtherequired1,000words (whichdoesnotincludeheadersormarginalia)willresultinsteep penaltiestoyourprojectsgrade. NOTE:Successfulprojectswillbecloserto46pages Formatting(VERYIMPORTANT): TimesNewRomanfont 12pointsize MLAheader Doublespaced VisualComponent Youmustcreateanavatarforyourself. Youcanuseanynumberofapproachestocreatinganavatar,butyoumust includeanimage/drawing/render/visualofsomekindtopresenttheavataryouve created.

GradeBreakdown
This course focuses on process writing, and therefore, your final product will be graded as well as the progress you have made as a writer throughout this project. You will be expected to show meaningful signs of improvement with each draft. Your process grade will be determinedbyyourgrowthasawriter in addition to a Process Memo we will fill out before this assignment is due where you assess your own growthasawriter. FinalText:75%(150pts.) VisualComponent(75Points) 35Points:EffortinVisualRepresentationofYourselfinaGameWorld 20Points:ApproachtoCharacterCreation(software/toolsused) 20Points:PolishofVisualRepresentation WrittenComponent(75Points) 30Points:DiscussionoftheCharacteranditsWorld 25Points:ConnectionsMadeBetweenYourselfandYourAvatar 20Points:Grammar/Proofreading/Polish/Mechanics Process:25%(50pts.) 12Points:Workshops&Participation(BeingPresentforWorkshops) 8Points:Completefinalpaperportfoliowithalldrafts&processmemo 30Points:Therelativequalityoftheimprovementsyoumadethroughthedrafts.

DraftsandDueDates

(Shitty)FirstDraftWorkshop:Thursday,September5th SecondDraftforConferences:SubmitviaEmailonSaturday,September7th ThirdDraftWorkshop:Thursday,September19th FINALDRAFTANDALLPREVIOUSDRAFTSDUE:Tuesday,September24th