Monthly Archives: March 2012

Moon Bloom – The Legend of the Bloom of the Aligned Moons

For my MSc in e-Learning IDGBL Game Design exercise I have created an exploration style game with a Na’vi/Avatar theme. The web site for the game information and links to allow access to the areas in which some elements of … Continue reading

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Blackboard Collaborate

The University of Edinburgh has chosen Blackboard Collaborate as its virtual classroom. It provides Adobe Connect style tools with multi-way video and audio teleconferencing, particpants lists and profiles with hand raising and AFK indicators, and text chat with emoticons. A … Continue reading

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World of Warcraft – Aithun’s Travels – Darkshore, Maw of the Void and Moonglade

I set myself the challenge of reaching Moonglade on Kalimdor. For my main objective… I was travelling onwards from Darkshore by hippogryph to Moonglade. By exploring I got the “Explore Moonglade” achievement. Explored around the areas nearby to open up … Continue reading

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World of Warcraft – MSclers – 16-Mar-2012 – Shadowfang Keep

The Fellowship of MSc folks met at the Aerie Peak gryphon point to fight our way North towards Shadowfang Keep. Avoiding death is not an option on this journey, and you quickly become accustomed to making a little progress, dropping … Continue reading

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World of Warcraft – Aithun’s Travels – Via Booty Bay

I was intrigued by the possibility of travel to the continent of Kalimdor via the far flung harbour of Booty Bay, on the Southernmost tip of the Esatern Kingdoms. This is pirate territory, and reached via dangerous travels over land … Continue reading

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World of Warcraft – IDGBL Party – Deadmines – 15-Mar-2012

The Fellowship of IDGBLers met once more on 15th March 2012. This time to take on the challenge of a “Dungeon” available through a portal which takes you into a separate “instance” of the game. I think we had fantastic … Continue reading

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Aion – Entering Another New Land

I tried the free to play Aion MMORPG available for download from http://www.aionfreetoplay.com/. I am on EU server “Anuhart”. I entered as one of the races of Daeva (assigned to me on account creation), and selected the Elyos faction and … Continue reading

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World of Warcraft – IDGBL Party – 14-Mar-2012

The IDGBL Fellowship met again on 14th March 2012 again under the leadership of Coranich and including Agostino, Giacabino and Drinu. Aithun joined late, but caught up with the party in Stormwind Harbour. Once again we travelled far and wide … Continue reading

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Gee Learning Principles and Experience in Various Games

I have begun to more systematically think about how the 36 Learning Principles noted by James Paul Gee (2003) apply in the range of games we have been exploring during the IDGBL course, and in my own studies of space-themed … Continue reading

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World of Warcraft – Social Contacts and Further Travel

I have been exploring the Deeprun Tram that connects Stormwind City and and dwarf home city of Ironforge. The introduction to this facility was shown to me during a party gathering of IDGBL players, and shows the value of sharing … Continue reading

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World of Warcraft – IDGBL Party – 13-Mar-2012

The Fellowship of mages, human hunters and dwarves who are the IDGBLers met near Northshire Abbey on 13th March 2012 and formed a “party” under the leadership of Coranich. Two in the party had paid-for WoW accounts, the others used … Continue reading

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Second Life – IDGBL Tutorial on Augmented Reality Games

The Introduction to Digital Game-Based Learning class met Elena Northmead at the Virtual University of Edinburgh’s Vue South Beach Pavilion in Second Life for a discussion on Augmented Reality Games.

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Game Engagement, Immersion, Flow, Obsession and Addiction – Getting the Right Balance

We hope that we can engage learners in a game-like educational experience to have beneficial learning outcomes. We know that some people can be deeply immersed in a game (Murray, 1998, Chapter 4) and can even experience the time-bending state … Continue reading

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Second Life – Holodeck at Portobello Beach Sandbox

The Introduction to Digital game-Based Learning class met Frank Lassard at the Virtual University of Edinburgh’s Sandbox in Second Life for a demonstration of Holodecks for creating scenes for role play and meetings.

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Second Life – Viewing in 3D with Red/Cyan Glasses

In mid 2011, “Kirstens Viewer” based on Linden Labs’ open source Second Life Viewer code, added support for 3D stereo vision using a variety of 3D methods, including simple red/cyan glasses. This viewer is no longer maintained and is not … Continue reading

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Game Design Preliminaries

I have been thinking about the game design asessment since Christmas. It is my style to make notes and get ideas flowing early on and collect assets before seriously starting any work element. I had originally thought a game using … Continue reading

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World of Warcraft – Dwarf Hunter Traveller

I have found it much more interesting to explore the routes, travel mechanisms and locations which can be reached in World of Warcraft rather than just carrying out more quests, which I find are very linear in their design, with … Continue reading

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