User:Thijshijsijsjss/Human Parser/Thesis Outline

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My project Human Parser consists of a game and an accompanying manual. I intend for the manual to provide space for a variety of traces related to the project, both directly and indirectly. This might include a combination of the following:

  • gameplay insights and 'traditional game manual content' and gameplay that happens inside of the manual
  • themetically relevant creative writing and efforts to stylize the manual
  • a reflection on what manuals are, specifically 'a person's manual' in a social context,
  • context on the creation of the game,

In particular, the manual is an opportunity to house the thesis[1]. The format of game manual has several implications for the thesis. As the thesis will need to stand on its own -- being assessed in isolation from the manual -- this format invites the thesis to be a collection of components for the manual, that are then 'disassembled' when put into the game manual. I envision each chapter to be one such component, contributing in its own way in supporting the project as a whole.

This page is dedicated to elaborating on what these components might be, documenting some decisions that have been made, and formulating some questions that are still open.

Thesis Structure

Introduction

The introduction is meant to situate the thesis in the bigger scope of the project. In becoming part of a bigger game manual, the different chapters of this thesis will eventually be contextualized in a more encompassing document. As a result, the thesis on its own migth face danger of being a incoherent or unclearly situated without the context of the whole project. I see the introduction as an opportunity to address this and provide the context and glue for the chapters to come. For this reason, I could see the introduction as a chapter that won't become part of the manual.

Chapters

[this is a work in progess] Some hypothetical chapters I could foresee being part of this thesis:

  • A reflection on the pen plotter practise I've been building as a means to talk about the virtue of so-called obsolete media in the current media landscape (A personal essay much like those in The Anthroposcene Reviewed, 2018-2021). This will segue into a personal analysis of the virtue of text-adventures nowadays.
  • A compilation of anecdotes / personal experiences (mine and others') around the question 'What is a manual, anyway?', as a thematic insight into how and why the game's narrative was formed. In a recent conversation with Michael, I told him the 'robot evaluation form' used in my 2024-11-04 public moment was an adaptation (replacing 'toddler' with 'robot') of a 'has your toddler autism screening test' I had found online. In my experience, these lists can be very perverted (this one certainly was), and being handed out by (self-proclaimed) authorities, they really shape the lens through which people see e.g. autism (people including caretakers, medical workers and the person taking the quesionnaire). Michael suggested this could be part of the thesis as well: first an adapted questionnaire, that fits the game's narrative, as an invitation for readers to reflect. Then, reveal the source of this questionnaire. I could see something like this part of a chapter like described here.
  • A conversation with archivist and filmmaker Jason Scott, director of the documentary Get Lamp (2010) (I am hopeful this is a possiblity, after Manetta notified me he has spoken at FLOPPY TOTAAL in 2017 and 2019)
  • An overview of playtest exercises. While playtesting often involves meticulously playing by yourself, writing down bugs and filling out forms, I see it as a potential social exercise as well. Especially for this project, in which I hope to find / encorporate a performative element.

Wrap-up

Similar to how the introduction provides an opportunity to sketch the situation of the thesis going into and working on the project, a concluding chapter is a chance to reflect on the project and speculate what might be next steps for developing it, or what might be next avenues to explore for myself. By the nature of such a conclusion, I cannot go into detail yet on its contents.

Notes

Note on Mode(s) of Address

As described throughout this page, the thesis is meant to support Human Parser in various ways by integration into the game manual. The project juggles different fields of interest (disassociation, text-adventures, obsolete media, to name a few), and these all might benefit from a different mode of address. Like described above, one might be investigated through an interview, another through a personal reflection. Overall, however, the mode of address should be clear: it is a game manual. I am confident this format (this mode) allows for these different sub-modes to coexist.

Could the Manual and Thesis be One?

[1] One might ask: why would it house the thesis? Can the manual not be the thesis? The answer to this question could be yes. However, I am hesitant: in many ways, the manual will be in part a work of creative writing. If manual and thesis are one and the same, it would mean the thesis is a work of creative writing. As 'the presentation of a text as a body of creative written work' was discouraged by the GRS tutors, I am more inclined to have the thesis be part of a bigger whole, which should allow for more freedom of format in the manual without inhibiting the thesis. Moreover, the thesis has an 8000 words limit. There is a high likelihood that any manual would require many words that are not directly contributing to a thesis's message (e.g. an overview of commands in the text adventure game). Designing the thesis as its own work will make this a more coherent, to the point writing while at the same time allowing, again, for more creative freedom in designing the manual. At the same time, this structure enables me to do the bulk of the writing for the manual through the thesis, and ensures I'm not doing double work by having to design a manual from scratch on top of the thesis. So, given the limited timeframe of the project, the requirements of the thesis and the thematic considerations for this project as a whole, I deem it best for the manual to house the thesis.

References

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