Class discussion for "Gaming Homer" online course

[Roger Travis]

Now let's see if I can get this thing linked up on HuskyCT. . .

[Joanne Faust]

I can relate to Andrea's statement. As I created my Jopoohbears in both games, I was focused on how I looked. I have received so many compliments on my penguin attire. As for my runescape girl, I had this awesome outfit, cowl, cape, leather chaps over my cool purple crisscrossed pants...walking around thinking I was the bomb! Then I died and have nothing. I spent more time on my looks rather than my abilities and the concept of the game.

Andrea said:

I have to say, gear is one of my favorite parallels between gaming and epic. It's definitely one of the strongest connections, I think, since it seems to serve the same purpose in both: making a character more able to win, and making him/her LOOK awesome and more able to win. I find the focus placed on how pretty gear is interesting... especially since I've seen more than one player change gear just because it doesn't look nice or match the rest of their gear. My boyfriend just got new shoulderpads in wow, and he was more excited about the glowing tentacles than the stats! I've also put off buying a helmet or better armor until I could find one with good stats that ALSO looked good - and matched my character's hair.

[Joanne Faust]

Here are my thoughts on Module 3. I stated in my report that as Homer/bard describes Achilles’ shield, it is clear how important the shield is. It is their world, their universe. The intricate detail establishes life and death, peace and war, the past and the future. Homer has the craftsman create beauty where beauty otherwise does not exist. Virgil tried to emulate Homer in the production of Aeneas’ shield, but it does not come close. His shield only shows the glory of Rome, while Achilles’ shows the glory of existence. Anyway that is just my opinion and viewpoin. The simple pocession of the shield is Achilles' aresteia.

My overall feelings of runescape are still so-so. I feel like a fish out of water and I am not comfortable in this world. I do not know how to communicate with others. People have gotten mad at me (cuz I don't respond or I try to help them and they end up dying). My levels increase, but I feel like a hamster in a wheel...going no where fast.

When I go to penguin, I can spend hours just shopping, decorating, and playing the mini games. I have a puffle and buddies. I am sure it is just the mindless factor that is attractive and there is essentially no work required.

On the other hand, my boyfriend sits and plays PS2 games such as GTAs, Scarface, even the comic book games (spidey, xmen, hulk). He begins with nothing and beats the games. He gains his weapons, gear, powers, and abilities without any problems. Yes, it may take him several attempts to complete a mission, but he completes it. Not me, I don't have the patience. I just flash back to the games I know how to play like mario, sonic, even kirby. Games that have no skill acquisitions to conquer only just go from left to right or top to bottom to finsh the level.

Anyway, that is enough rambling.

[Yvonne Waters]

Another thing I just though of (and should have mentioned in my report but didn't) is the way Odysseus obtained his bow, and stored it away at home for use in specific instances (hunting) as similar in the way I obtained and store some of my gear in WoW.

I have gear that I got (say, in a quest) that I don't use all the time, but I treasure it, and the stats make it useful in some specific scenarios. I don't wear my PvP gear all the time, and store it in the bank, because when one is raiding you need stats that emphasize maximum damage rather than spell penetration and survivability. Likewise, Odysseus valued his bow a great deal, but it was more useful for him in hunting than in fighting - so he kept it home so he didn't have to lug it to Troy and back and it would be there when he'd return and have the luxury of hunting again.

[andybear]

This has been without question my favorite lecture. As a seasoned gamer I am aware of the importance of loot, and what some silly shield or bow can mean to an avid player of the game. However, what I really liked in the lecture was the last part in which you showed the role of each member of the raid. In almost any multi player game in which cooperation is involved, different players equip themselves with different gear which allows them to play a specific role on the team. I would like to discuss halo when it comes to this. In mass multiplayer games, everyone has more of a defined skill set whether this be a damage dealer, healer, range character, tank, or whatever else you can think of. In halo, your style of play can vary, while players learn which gear suits them best. Teams ideally want a sniper, sword/shotty player, someone with overshield, perhaps a laser, players in vehicles, and also other players who are skilled in combat with weapons like the battle rifle. Everyone wants the best gear in order to get the most kills and help their team. One may not think gear matters much in Halo, but everyone knows how exciting it is when they find a rocker launcher or a shot gun waiting for them. This is some of the finest “gear” that can be found in the game, and walking around demands a certain amount of respect. No one wants to run into another player who has rockets resting atop his shoulder. This idea can be directly applied to the Iliad in scenes of aristeia. When a hero with super gear, such as Achilles’, after Hephaistos equips him is seen on the battle field he is automatically held in respect by all others. No one wants to mess with someone in shiny armor with a sweet looking blade, and looking cool only adds to the cool effect that aristeia scenes already have. Retuning back to games like WOW, in which gear is kept from session to session, players are respected not just by their level, but by their gear. It has apparently always been the same, as the most feared fighters, had the most feared equipment.

[Jackiea]

One thing I noticed in this module, is the idea of "clothing making the man" really is an old one. It was evident in the Iliad, through the desription of Achilles' sheild, and the otherwordly import that was attached to it, and it is just as big a concept today. In the Iliad in order to wear the glorious garb or the sheild, you needed to be worthy of it, and today in order to wear the most lustrous clothign you need to be worthy of it, i.e. have the earning ability to be able to afford status symbols such as expensive clothing.
Anyway, even having that in mind, I felt a sense of real accomplishment earning my gear in club penguin, even though the skills I had to "master" in order to be worthy of affording my gear were nothing more than reeling in some fish and throwing some cheese and fish on a pizza.

[Jackiea]

I also really liked the last part of the lecture, when prof. travis introduced us to the different players in his group. A sense of commraderie really adds to a gaming experience. I think if I had something like that in Runescape perhaps I would not feel so lost.

andybear said:

This has been without question my favorite lecture. As a seasoned gamer I am aware of the importance of loot, and what some silly shield or bow can mean to an avid player of the game. However, what I really liked in the lecture was the last part in which you showed the role of each member of the raid. In almost any multi player game in which cooperation is involved, different players equip themselves with different gear which allows them to play a specific role on the team. I would like to discuss halo when it comes to this. In mass multiplayer games, everyone has more of a defined skill set whether this be a damage dealer, healer, range character, tank, or whatever else you can think of. In halo, your style of play can vary, while players learn which gear suits them best. Teams ideally want a sniper, sword/shotty player, someone with overshield, perhaps a laser, players in vehicles, and also other players who are skilled in combat with weapons like the battle rifle. Everyone wants the best gear in order to get the most kills and help their team. One may not think gear matters much in Halo, but everyone knows how exciting it is when they find a rocker launcher or a shot gun waiting for them. This is some of the finest “gear” that can be found in the game, and walking around demands a certain amount of respect. No one wants to run into another player who has rockets resting atop his shoulder. This idea can be directly applied to the Iliad in scenes of aristeia. When a hero with super gear, such as Achilles’, after Hephaistos equips him is seen on the battle field he is automatically held in respect by all others. No one wants to mess with someone in shiny armor with a sweet looking blade, and looking cool only adds to the cool effect that aristeia scenes already have. Retuning back to games like WOW, in which gear is kept from session to session, players are respected not just by their level, but by their gear. It has apparently always been the same, as the most feared fighters, had the most feared equipment.

[randyjsu]

I've never played Fable or Fable 2 but can see how those may be some of the best examples of examining ethical critique. However, to bring up Final Fantasy again and bringing in the Best of the Achaeans, it is interesting how much Nagy's arguments match up to, for example Final Fantasy X. All FF games have had character classes whether it is knight or thief or black (or white or red...) mage, or summoner or etc. Especially in FFX, with the system of leveling up on a grid sphere, the gamer has the say in what kind of class he or she wants the heroes to become. For example, I can raise the stats of the hero in attack and be more like a knight, or I can raise the stats of the hero in speed and be more like a thief, or I can raise the stats of the hero in special attack and be more like a mage. What I choose for each hero is based on my own interpretation of what a hero comprise and what the best hero will value. So while Agamemnon is the best because he leads many men, Achilles is the best because he is the strongest, and Odysseus is the best because he is craftiest, my characters may be the best for those or other reasons.

And this is probably applicable to any video game in which decisions can be made. In Mario Brothers, I can either kill this koopa or move on. I can either collect all the coins or focus on finishing in the fastest time. In Tetris, I can either fit all the pieces in complete layers as many times as I can before it gets really fast, or I can always save the last column for sticks to get a tetris. These interpretations and styles of playing is comparable to what can be deemed the "best" player or the "best" way to play or the "best" hero.