Bridget Disney

IS_LT 7310 Assignment #2

18 September 2016

Game Adaptation

What modification will you design?

Monsieur Fogg has brought along his young nephew, Phillip, an
inquisitive young fellow. Phillip, it turns out, has a brilliant mind and is
able to contribute to the available funds by dispersing information
related to their travels to others along the way. These will be inquiries
related to their next destination and will be ranked as easy, medium, or
difficult while affording the amounts of $100, $1000, or $5,000. As an
extra incentive to answer questions and gain more money, after
collecting $100,000, the group is awarded a bonus expedition back to
London to complete the wager. Finishing the game at that point is only
an option. If desired, the player can forego the bonus trip and continue
on with the game.
This mod will add another goal to the game (Kapp, 2012, p. 28),
encouraging travelers to strive for the ultimate amount of $100,000
and player recognition. It does change the rules (Kapp, 2012, p.29) and
makes the game more competitive (Kapp, 2012, p. 32). The challenges
will increase the action element. The easier questions will not be
difficult to answer quickly but the harder ones will require some
complex thinking.
Other reward structures (Kapp, 2012, p. 33) will be also built into the
modification. As well as the option expediting the voyage, there will be
a special achievement badge given and the game players will be
ranked on a leader board. During the game, instant and juicy
feedback will be given to the responses (Kapp, 212, p35).
The playing levels (Kapp, 2012, p. 39) for this modification will be
determined by the player before the interrogation takes place. The
category will also be chosen at this time (i.e. geography, history,
culture, etc.). If the player answers incorrectly or goes over the
specified time limit (Kapp, 2012, p.32), another chance will be given for
half the amount. There will also be a table available, maintained by the
player, to record facts and thoughts, giving him the chance to review
and repeat what he has learned.
The category and difficulty level can be set for each question, in the
players profile, or by the instructor. The instructor can receive a report
of who has played and how they responded to the questions.

What will the mod look like?

Bridget Disney
IS_LT 7310 Assignment #2

18 September 2016

There will be three parts added to the game to complete the mod.
They are: a pop up window to determine the category and difficulty
level, a record table where the player can keep track of facts, and a
leader board to display the highest amounts of funds obtained.
The player will be travelling along a route and a window will pop up,
asking if hed like to answer some questions. Here he can select the
category and the difficulty level, or decline participation.

Form screen to determine question asked

When the actual question is asked, the screen will look similar to the
image below except that Phillip will be pictured with someone else
asking him a question. The rounded boxes at the bottom of the picture
will contain the possible answers.

Screen similar to how Phillip will be asked questions

The player will be able to record knowledge that will be useful for the
game. These notes can be printed out and also shared with other
players.

Bridget Disney
IS_LT 7310 Assignment #2

18 September 2016

Category

Fact

Resource

Question

Geography

Paris is the
capital of
France

CIA World Fact

Book

What is the capital of

France?

Geography

Kabul is located
in Afghanistan

CIA World Fact

Book

In which country is
Kabul located?

Culture

Persian is one
of languages
spoken in Kabul

CIA World Fact

Book

What language is
spoken in Kabul?

History

In 1772, the
Afghan capital
was transferred
from Kandahar
to Kabul by
Timur Shah
Durrani

Wikipedia

When did Kabul

become the capital of
Afghanistan?

Sample record table for collected facts

There will be leader board lists to showcase individual players talent.

Geo_whiz

$236,000

Statistics

History_buff

$180, 276

Statistics

Culture_spec

$101, 225

Statistics

World_traveler

$89, 250

Statistics

$65, 809

Statistics

Adventure_guy

Leader board for modification

What is the benefit of this modification?

This mod will add more interest for the player types who crave action
and an increased skill level. By choosing quick, easy questions, the
player can engage in fast acting game play, or if the player is so
inclined, more in depth, skillful problems will be presented, requiring
knowledge from within and outside of the game. The player will be
encouraged to use external resources to learn more about the world,
but will also be able to make logical conclusions or guesses given the
experiences within the game.

Bridget Disney
IS_LT 7310 Assignment #2

18 September 2016

Many players of 80 Days have mentioned that the game moves kind of
slow and is not challenging enough. This modification has the
possibility of improving the users engagement and involvement in the
game. Because each player can determine his own level of action
easy, medium, or hard, he can choose how much action suits his player
type.
Finally, the entertainment level of this game will be increased,
encouraging players to pursue their own interest categories while
enjoying learning about the world.

How will the mod impact game play?

This mod will add another dimension to the game and give the player a
path to achieve success in a big way. It will add increased action
without changing the basic foundations of the game.
When a player is approaching a city, and the pop up screen appears
asking him if he wants to accept the challenge to earn some extra
money, the normal game play is suspended temporarily. Even though
this will prolong the length of the game in some cases, the player will
be more engaged and enjoy the challenges. If the player does attain
the goal amount of $100,000, he will have the option to end the game
which would shorten it considerably.
A new achievement badge would be available and the leader board
would provide an incentive and community involvement.

What are the potential educational advantages of this mod?

This mod supports Gees principles of well-ordered problems and
meaning as action (Arena, 2014).
The problems presented to the user apply to the context of the game
in a well-ordered manner. Questions about the area are presented at
the same time the player is arriving in that region. The information is
useful and logical. The player is given a way to keep track of all the
information so that he can use it to formulate a response. Also, the
player (or the instructor) can choose the difficulty level depending on
his confidence in the subject and his own game objective.
Meaningful questions are posed to the players that are associated with
their immediate destination. If the player is approaching Kabul, for
instance, facts about that city will be enmeshed with their game play
experience. The synergy of the location, how he got there, where he
came from, and who he met along the way creates a story. Additional

Bridget Disney
IS_LT 7310 Assignment #2

18 September 2016

facts that he already knows, must research, or learn in the game

become part of that story, etching that experience in his mind.
References
Arena, C. (2014, June 6). 13 learning principles that games [Web log post]. Retrieved
from http://www.carlaarena.com/13-learning-principles-that-games-can-teach-us/
Kapp, K. M. (2012). Chapter 2: It's in the game. Understanding game elements. In
The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and
strategies for training and education. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.