Thursday, September 12, 2019

Last day of the Convention - Dublin Day 7, part 1


Monday, August 19 was the last day of the convention.
We started our day with another bowl of that yummy oatmeal.


Together wit Jeffe we took the scenic tour to the convention center.




I spotted a heron!


At the convention center I became ruler of the Hurley Throne!


There had been a big Hurling match that weekend, so that's probably why they made this throne out of Hurlies. Or maybe the Irish just love Hurling that much.




Time for a panel:


Games for science
STEM-inspired games have been growing and getting more popular in recent years, with Pandemic as one of the most well-known examples. Board and video games now cover biology, evolution, and terraforming Mars. We’ll look at the use of science in games and how it can encourage interest in science and engineering; game designers andplayers discuss this trend.
Dr Bob (M), Tom Lehmann, Steve Jackson, Cristina Alves

A cool panel about using science in games. Here are my notes:

STEM games are not the same as educational games, although there is an overlap.

To make a game fun for a lot of people some science needs to be simplified to be used in the game. Example: the science in Pandemic In the Lab is simplified and real scientists would call it rubbish science.

How do you make STEM games fun?
Educational games are traditionally not fun. For STEM games the challenge is to make it so that people would still play it without the science. This is very difficult to do. A good example of where they succeeded is Dino Hunt.

Fun is the basis of a good game. The game Wingspan is a good example of a STEM game that's fun.

Why are STEM games popular at this moment?
It's been 50 years since moon landing (anniversary)
Board games have grown more popular in general. Geekiness is more accepted than it used to be.

Games could be a great way to start the conversation about the real thing: Terraforming Mars could start the conversation for colonizing Mars for example.

Playing a game with well constructed drams may lead to creation/inspiration for something new.

What are the differences between the different media used to play games?
video game: unlimited storage, so there's more room to put information in there.
roleplaying games: there is tension between emotion and realism/science. What you can put in there will greatly depend on the group and story.

From a design point of view you want the overall realism the same: either all really realistic or all over the top.

If you weave education into the game too much the game won't be fun. Let it be an option, not the goal. (Although if you play games where the roll of a 20 sided die can be critical you'll soon understand all the emotional possibilities of 1 in 20 odds.)

A good retail simulation game: Parts Unknown, where you supply parts to mad scientists.


A really fun panel imo.

Next the last panel I visited:


How plausible are fictional diseases?
What does it take to worldbuild for a good fake disease? Panellists discuss the causations, symptoms, treatment, transmission, and logical spread of these pseudo-ailments. They describe how society and institutions typically respond to new diseases. They also mention their pet peeves: what do writers get wrong about fictional diseases?
Sam Scheiner (M), Tricia Tynan PhD, Dr Keren Landsman, E. C. Ambrose

This panel started out with naming some good and bad examples of the use of fictional diseases.

Good:
the original Andromeda Strain (the struggle was well portrayed.)
War of the Worlds
Contagion
the Newsfeed series by Myra Grant

Bad:
The Rain (person has been in room with the virus and just leaves and takes mask off)
Any form of bad personal protection
Any disease invented to make the story work, but that is not explained

Why use a disease in a story?
It's an enemy to fight that doesn't have a face.
It can be an excuse to kill everyone off and create loneliness.
For the effect on society: how do people respond, and how could we respond better.

Good advice on writing a disease:
Make sure there is a realistic development of the disease. And think on how you would spread a non infectious disease.
What are the specifics of the disease and how do you not info dump them?
Try to write 'cooler diseases'. Social diseases: Who does it hit sooner and why?

And most important:
It's all been done before. If you have a good story: Write it!

All in all an interesting discussion that gave me ideas for stories my owner will have to write for me.



Next we met up with Robin Shantz.
He has a podcast called Invaders From Planet 3 and every season he does a 'Voice of the Fans' episode. He interviewed my owner for this episode, which will air later this year. It was fun.


Next was the last signing:


Holly Black signed Valiant for me!


She also posed for a picture with me.
Valiant will join my copy of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, which she signed for me in 2013.


Next we took a last walk around the convention center and I met this bear who guarded a big bottle of booze.

Then we met up with Jeffe again and the convention was officially over for us. We had lots of fun!


Next: Another Museum.

No comments: