User:Supisara/Special Issue 17

Special Issue #17: Productive Play

Group exercises

Date	Pad	Description	Output
19/01/22	SI17	Ideology & gamification	One-sentence game ideas, one-sentence loot boxes with everyone
19/01/22	RW&RM	Annotation of an object of ideology	Map with Gersande, Carmen, Miriam
02/02/22	RW&RM	Productive Play glossary	Glossary wiki Contributions (with Kimberley): "tempo vs. rhythm", "collective sensitivity(sensibility)", "artificial standard"
08/02/22	SI17	Modding, fanfic	Miller's Hollow fanfic wiki with Kimberley & Chae
16/02/22	RW&RM	Describing the loot box

Research

Resources based on my interests of the loot box:

Topic	Description	Source
Loot box variations	A loot box isn't always in the form a box	incubators, paint brushes, skins, iOS app, STEM box, an AE script/plugin
Loot box characteristics	The movie trailer moment of a loot box	special moves, rush launches, trap cards

Observations

• time, sound, and motion-based triggers in relation to instant vs. delayed gratification
• the surprise pipeline: a "surprise" but only for those at the receiving end
• packaged selections of "randomness" in the form of bundles/kits/subscriptions/zip files
• realization #1: pieces of a puzzle can fit if you force it hard enough (bonus: and form a new picture)
• realization #2: why solve something that's already been solved? (re: puzzles with results on the box) (how about: puzzles where you don't know what you have to solve, the only way to find out is to just try––the "surprise" will happen in the end)

Experiments

Date	Description	Output
10/02/22	Soldering a DIY game console (WIP) in an attempt to hack the games that come with it (see also: build guide). Current issue as of 11/02/22: soldering joints (see photo of back).	Makerbuino (front) Makerbuino (back) (with faults in green)
14/02/22	Arrow maze Bitsy game (test/WIP), inspired by the "loops and traps" maze. Goal: create a double maze where the arrows alternate between two directions, where the avatar is also an arrow.	v1 v1 preview
16/02/22	Visualizing loot box characteristics (from workshop game ideas with Steve). Game concept: delayed rewards/no thrill of the chase.	repel to attract individual-collective time sync
28/02/22	Visualizing the loot box in a Bitsy environment	v1

Deliverables

Collective and individual contributions for Special Issue 17: This Box Found You for a Reason

Phase	Description	Output (Collective)	Output (Individual)
1.) Processing	Unpacking the loot box	1.) Group meeting facilitation with Emma on 28/02/22 on topics re: share & recap of prototypes, price & accessibility of the loot box, community & launch (see: pad)	Meeting summary
2.) Production	1.) "Unfinished Thoughts" Bitsy game with Jian	1.) Pads: #1 Discussion, #3 Reflection 2.) Bitsy: Game	1.) Pad: #/2 Reflection 2.) Bitsy: 2.1) Game (R1) 2.2.) Rooms: intro, "try your luck", "avatar", "half-baked etherpad", "stream", ending 2.3.) Typeface
	2.) SI17: Contents/Inside the box with Team 1: Erica, Mitsa, Kamo	Pad, proposal, Figma git, post-it generator	Post-it design: 1.) Initial mockups 1.1.) R1 1.2.) R2 1.3.) R3 1.4.) R4 Website: 1.) Initial mockups 1.1.) R1 1.2.) R2
3.) Launch	Preparation for the launch event at Page Not Found	1.) "Special Issue 17" typeface with Jian––applications: the loot box, event signage, event games, website 2.) Filling the box with Team 1, Jian, Alex: (see: production line diagram by Alex) 3.) Event playlist by Miriam	1.) "Special Issue 17" Bitsy 2.) "Unfinished Thoughts" raspberry pi + monitor setup 3.) Soundtrack suggestions (lines 12-13, 24, 32-34)––concept: non-game music that says game music)––one of the suggested songs was selected for the loot box reveal.

Next steps

1.) Reflection: See wiki.
2.) Developed interests/further research:

Topic	Description	Reference
Bitsy hacks	Customizable WebGL transitions	Transition hack by Sean S. LeBlanc
Merging environments of tools (Bitsy ↔︎ Etherpad)	Navigation (key presses), display ("Special Issue 17" font, Etherpad UI variants skin builder)	Etherpad documentation: Skins
Computer vision	Information distortion in preview mode	"Unfinished Thoughts" Opening title "Unfinished Thoughts" room