ORN Game Write Up

Design Document for:

Second Life of ORN

Ultimate Review for Overland High School English Freshmen

All work Copyright ©2010 by Shaina Johnston

Written by Shaina Johnston

Version # 1.00

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Copyright (C) 2010 Shaina Johnston

Confidential Page 2 6/3/2010

Table of Contents

DESIGN HISTORY __________________________________________________________________ 3

VERSION 1.10 _______________________________________________________________________ 3 VERSION 2.00 _______________________________________________________________________ 3

GAME OVERVIEW __________________________________________________________________ 4

VISION STATEMENT __________________________________________________________________ 4 Game log line: One sentence that describes your game ____________________________________ 4

MARKET ANALYSIS ________________________________________________________________ 5

AUDIENCE PROFILE __________________________________________________________________ 5 DISTRIBUTION ______________________________________________________________________ 5

DETAILED GAME DESCRIPTION ____________________________________________________ 6

THE CORE IDEA ______________________________________________________________________ 6 BACKGROUND STORY ________________________________________________________________ 6 GAME OBJECTIVE ____________________________________________________________________ 6 GAME WORLD_______________________________________________________________________ 6 GAME PLAY ______________________________________________________________________ 6-7 SET UP ____________________________________________________________________________ 7 RULE _____________________________________________________________________________ 7 WINNING __________________________________________________________________________ 7 ASSESSING OUTCOMES ________________________________________________________________ 7 OTHER ASPECTS ___________________________________________________________________ 7-9

Music/Sound ___________________________________________________________________7

Expanded Story and Characters ____________________________________________________7

Art Style/Graphics ______________________________________________________________8

Gaming Platform _______________________________________________________________9

Controls ______________________________________________________________________9



Design History

It has always been a struggle in our department to come up with a complete review for the

Freshmen English course. The main reason is because our final covers so much information that we are not

always sure what to include on the review. The final asks questions from our three major works, literary

terms, character development, and much more. Our students take one look at the packet of information we

say they need to know, and generally give up before they start. The packet itself throws them off so much

that they don't even study for the test. As a result, their true knowledge of the class is not seen in the exam

grade.

To fix this problem, I have come up with the Second Life of ORN. This is a Second Life

computer interactive game that takes students on a review of the major texts (Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet,

and Night) along with reminding them of character development ideas, literary terms and concepts, and

even grammar, spelling, and punctuation. This review will be fun and interactive for students. It will

remind them of concepts learned throughout the semester without seeming like a lot of notes and work. If

it gets them thinking, they will feel confident for the test.

Version 1.00

1. I changed from having my students play a character from a book to building their own

character to interact with the book characters.

2. I added the idea of using proper grammar and syntax in order to communicate with the

characters.

3. I decided that all the book characters will be computer characters that do various things

depending on the questions asked by the students.

4. I added in the idea of "Bonus Points" for using literary terms and concepts along the way.

5. I decided that you must locate several key "ideas" from each book in order to advance to the

next one.

Version 2.00

Second Life of ORN provides students with an interactive look at the literature and concepts

studied over the course of the year. It allows them to create a character that they can take along to meet

the characters they have studied. They must survive each book in order to beat the game. In order to

survive, they have to communicate with the characters they meet and in order to communicate accurately

they must have proper grammar and syntax. Characters will not respond to those students that are

unsuccessful in communicating (this could cost them the round and force them to start over).

Beating a level requires that students complete key steps from each of the book. If students skip a

section of the book, they must start over. The characters can help them along the way to remember the plot

of the book, but students have to know to ask.

Bonus Points are earned when students correctly label the events in one of the novels using a

literary element or term. They can also correctly label dialogue between characters as well. All of these

lead to bonus points that lead to a higher ranking at the end of the game.



Game Overview

Vision Statement Interacting with literature, one character at a time.

That’s a nice tag line. Focused, and intruiging!

The Second Life of ORN is an interactive computer based game that allows students to undertake

an adventure through three very different books and the lives of very different characters who all fought

against the normal flow of life to live exceptionally. Students have the chance to build their own character

and take them on a virtual guide through the literature of Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet, and Night. In each

setting, the students are able to interact with all the characters as the story progresses.

The setting for the game changes depending on the book that the student is interacting with at the moment.

The game can go from Verona, Italy to the darkest hour of the Holocaust in Auschwitz, and then back to

Ithaca for a family reunion.

It’s not quite clear to me how this will work, at this point. Are all the stories intermingled into some sort of

game narrative? Or do you jump from scene to scene? Also, are these scenes sets in Second Life? Or

something else? Maybe a few more descriptions of the visuals here would help.

Learning Targets:

1. Revisit the themes, plot, and characters of major three works

2. Explore character development through plot and interaction with other characters

3. Review of basic spelling and grammar

4. Review of literary terms and concepts as well as the ability to use them

Students can review all their literature, literary terms, concepts, character developments, and much

more. They will be able to successfully complete a review of the entire year simply by playing a game.

This will not only refresh their knowledge, but allow them to use it in a situation that is more likely to keep

the memory in place. In a typical class, the week or day before the test, a teacher will pass out a review

sheet of the material to be covered on the test. This review sheet is usually long, boring, and only goes

over definitions. In my game, the review is how you win. You need to know the plot to complete each

level and you needed the terminology to get the bonus points and the writing skills to communicate. It

places the students in a “real world” type situation that forces them to remember information on the fly not

copied from one note onto another note.

This is the best way for students to learn because it allows them to interact with the text on a level

beyond the classroom reading or even discussion. It also forces them to put into practice all the skills they

have developed over the course of the year. This practical application is what is often missing in most

classrooms and is definitely lacking in a traditional review packet. Students are going to enjoy playing

Second Life of ORN and will remember their material for longer through its many levels.

Back to this idea of how you are going to present the stories: If they are all jumbled up, that might be a

nice way to show the similaritiy in structure between the different narratives, but it also might confuse what

happened in which story! So, I think you need to clarify, both in your learning objectives and in your

design, how the stories will work together to meet the objectives.



Market Analysis

Audience profile

My audience is 9th

Graders at the end of the year as a review for their upcoming final. The 9th

grade class is from a very diverse background. I have students who have recently moved to the US as

refugees all the way up to native Colorado kids whose parents are very well off. In both extremes, I believe

the students will be able to easily learn to interact with the game. The basic knowledge and understanding

they need will come from the previous year of Language Arts. They will be asked to remember plot,

literary terms and concepts, and grammar rules that were given to them over the course of the year. They

will also have to have a basic computer operating skill in order to type and navigate their character through

the game. As a teacher, the students will need to log onto the specific space in Second Life and create a

character. This part would have to be instructed for them but the game is already there and ready to be

played, one simply needs a computer, internet, and a willing student.

Distribution

This game will be linked to the school website so that students and teachers can easily access it

from any computer that has an internet connection. Distribution will not be limited to only one classroom

this way and all the 9th

grade teachers and students (at Overland and beyond) will be able to use it as a

review. The initial advertising for the game will only be through the designated high school.



Detailed Game Description

The Core Idea

This is a virtual interactive game that allows players to meet and interact with characters from all

three major novels this year. Through the course of the game, students are asked to recall elements of plot,

grammar and syntax, literary terms and concepts, and much more. This game review will provide students

with a practical application for the knowledge they have gained over the year with the hope of retaining the

information long term.

The idea of using knowledge of the books as a key to the exploration of the game world makes sense. Still,

I think you need to detail out the world a little more for the reader!

Background Story

The story begins on the island of Ithaca with Odyssey as his wife gives birth to their first child, a

son. This story continues through Odysseus leaving, fighting in Troy, and attempting to return to Penelope

and his son. Once the player has successfully helped Odysseus get back to Ithaca and free his wife from

the suitors, Odysseus thanks the player by lending him a boat. The player leaves on the boat and

shipwrecks in Verona, Italy where they meet Romeo staring off into space and very depressed. The player

and choose to either follow him from there or ditch Romeo at the Capulet party to follow Juliet. When the

two lovers finally die and there is peace in Verona, the Prince exiles the player to Sighet, Romania. This is

where the player meets up with Elie Wiesel and travels with him through the horrors of the concentration

camps. The player wins when both he and Elie are liberated.

Game Objective

You win the game by correctly remembering plot elements and thus completing each level.

Along the way you are forced to recall the book, literary terms and concepts, and grammar and syntax.

Something to think about: How will you motivate the player to follow the path you have laid out? What if

they want to play the game in such a way as to see what happens when they do the wrong thing? Be sure

that you have strong, clear incentives for pursuing the objective you set out!

One idea is to create a sort of guide character who urges the player along. Of course, the guide could not be

too persriptive—the student still needs to feel like they are making meaningful choices. But a a guide

character could help keep the metanarrative that drives the game in focus.

Game world

The game is played through a specialized (and isolated) part of Second Life. The area is licensed

only to the school in which the game was created for and a password and login are required to access it.

Game Play

During game play, a player starts off by creating their own Second Life character. This character

becomes the player’s link to the realm of ORN. When you first enter ORN, you find yourself on the island

of Ithaca in ancient Greece. A player can travel around Ithaca and meet all the inhabitants but the ultimate

goal is to make sure and depart from the island aboard Odysseus’ boat. You sail with him through the

battle of Troy and the remainder of the Odyssey. Sometimes you are asked to fight alongside him and

sometimes you are asked to remember important events in order to help Odysseus get home successfully.

Once back in Ithaca, the player must help Odysseus free his household and restore order to Ithaca.

Odysseus then presents the player with his own ship and allows you to set sail for Verona, your next

destination.

Inside Verona, Italy, the player must now locate Romeo and his friends prior to the Capulet party

that night. The player can wonder around and talk to the people of Verona to learn some background

information about the Montague and Capulet feud while searching for Romeo. Once the player has

successfully been invited to the Capulet party with Romeo and his crew, the player can decide at the party

if they want to stay with Juliet (if they are a girl player) or if they want to stay with Romeo (girl or boy

player). They follow around one of the leads and help them with key elements in the story. This book



gives the player the option of preventing the tragedy at the end of the play but they must remember one key

event prior to it happening in order to prevent disaster. Once the player has successfully created peace with

the Montagues and Capulets, through the death of their children or the marriage, the player is sent off with

a hearty farewell on board a train.

The train stops in Sighet in Transylvania long enough to pick up Elie Wiesel and his family. The

character must now travel around with Elie to Auschwitz and survive the holocaust. If the player is a girl

character, she must daily try to meet up with Elie because obviously she will not be in the same barracks as

him. If the player is a male character, he may remain with Elie and his father. There are a few events in

this book that will allow the player to choose an option that would possibly liberate Elie and his father

sooner, but they run the risk of not knowing the story if they attempt them. The story ends when liberation

comes (whenever that is) and the American troops put Elie in a hospital.

After the play is finished, the player gets a rundown of completed missions/events, bonus points,

and grammar points. If the player feels they could have done better, they may play again. Play can be

paused at anytime as well because the game is fairly long and would be difficult to complete in one sitting.

Set up

The best setup would be a computer with a high speed internet connection, a keyboard and a game

controller. A mouse would work but not as well as a controller. You need to have either Explorer or

Firefox to run the Second Life program (some others might work but these two are most compatible). You

also will need to create a Second Life profile and character in order to enter the world of ORN.

Rule/Mechanics

The basic rule of this game is “don’t die.” You want to complete your missions successfully and

without getting yourself killed (which isn’t always easy).

Winning

A player wins when they successfully complete all their missions and have arrived at the Mission

Status page. However, this game works much like the old school video games in that you get points along

the way so winning the game and getting a good score don’t always go hand in hand.

Assessing outcomes

Students will be assessed on their knowledge and comprehension of the game when they take their

final exam. The students are not necessarily learning anything new in the game, but rather remembering all

the information that they have gathered during the course of the year.

Other aspects

Music/Sound:

Odyssey:

Each island has its own music and background noise depending on where the player is at the time.

For example, on Circe’s island, the player is inside Circe’s palace and her servants play music and one

sings. The ocean also has noise and seagulls with it whenever they are aboard the ship. Sound is

essentially what one would expect to hear in each place. When talking with a character, a muffled garbling

noise is also heard to indicate their communication, but the characters do not actually speak, they type their

responses.

Romeo and Juliet:

Inside Verona, there are the sounds of the busy market place and fountains and crowds. At the

Capulet party, there is music and laughter. Characters once again have the garbling noise when spoken to

by the player. Sound is what one would expect to hear if traveling through a medieval town. Within the

church, you can hear the choir in the background singing, etc.

Night:

These sounds are also what one would expect to hear. There is also a constant sound of a fire

crackling, dogs barking, and an undertone of foreboding music. Characters again garble when spoken to.

Shouting also occurs whenever a player steps out of line.



Mission Status Page:

This is a simple background tune that can be changed under Preferences by the player. It is just a

light video game music.

Expanded Story and Characters:

In each section of ORN there are many characters to talk to and interact with. Obviously the

player must locate the main characters, but depending on the realm, there are many other people to meet as

well. Players can meet Achilles in Troy, Romeo’s other cousins, and female concentration camp inmates.

Some characters might have some insight on how to change the scenario successfully but they may also

lead players astray.

Art Style/ Graphics:

The art style changes depending on the realm the player is currently visiting.

In the Odyssey

section, the style is very

straight lines and looks much

like Grecian art. The

characters all look like they

could belong on a piece of

pottery from the time of

Ancient Greece. The realm

also looks like this and

provides the player with a

fantasy type feeling.

Odysseus’s boat leaving Ithaca.

In Verona, the style is very bright

and cheerful but is more modern. People

look like animated characters, similar to

what you would find in Zelda or Prince of

Persia type games. It is a happy mood for

the most part and the people and the realm

look like a fantasy video game.

One of the fountains in Verona,

located near where Romeo and his friends

like to hang out.



In Auschwitz, the mood changes drastically. The graphics and style are more like what you would

find in a combat game. It is dark, the people look realistic, and there is a constant haze everywhere. It is a

very harsh looking realm.

Gaming Platform:

The gaming platform is any computer with a keyboard and internet connection. Ideally you

should have a high speed connection in order to fully enjoy the game and not be constantly waiting on the

buffer.

Controls:

Main controls are the keyboard and mouse/controller. You can move the character around by

using the arrows and click on people you want to talk to and typing conversation. In the Odyssey realm,

you will be asked to fight and must use specific keys depending on your moves.

These visuals help paint a picture of what you want to do. And the idea is very interesting.

Because this is a somewhat unconventional narrative on its own—blending together these books—I think

that you’d do well to go into more detail about how things will work. The framework you have provided

sounds very interesting. But by going into more detail about the sorts of the things the player will do, would

help a lot.

You don’t have to create every component of the game to reach this goal. Think about some

specific puzzles or scenarios that you’d like the player to face. Design them out, on paper, in has much

detail as you can. Then consider play testing the scenario as a paper prototype. Have your prototype player

walk through the scenario with paper tokens on a kitchen table map. Let them make choices that they

would be able to make in the game and see how it all pans out. By fleshing out one or more of these kinds

of interactions between the player and the game world, you should develop a better picture of how the

game might work in practiced. Best of all, doing this as a paper prototype is a cheap and easy way to evolve

your ideas!

You might also consider adding a section to your document on technical implementation. What do

you think it would take to program all of this? For example, you talk about students needing to using

correct grammar. What kind of programming do you think that will take? Not a huge deal, but showing that

you thought through some of the details will help strengthen the idea that you could actually develop the

whole game.

So, a very nice idea with some very creative solutions to teaching this topic. Keep pushing

forward!

Documents

ORN Game Write Up