August 29 workshop

Yana and Quinn were present. We went through the process of taking the DVD-ROM from the reference desk at the library and going to room L-16 following the instructions on the case. Here is what we found:
1) a shortcut to start UT needs to be added to the desktop
2) the firewall needs to be modified to permit online play
3) setting need to be changed to allow file saving. There is no way to create or download maps at that computer now.

These issues should be addressed shortly.

Avik's comments

Here are Avik Basu's comments on DrexelCoAS004 map:
(1) Instead of having one portal where we take the quiz, why not have a
portal at the Hagerty Library and create a little map of the library to
take some of the other quizzes. That way there can be other areas of
combat as well and create more scenarios.

(2) With the single player, there should be more characters to kill and
if it is possible, why not have some of the characters to be actual
professors at Drexel. Creating a virtual you or some other classmates
as being characters to chose from.

(3) I also didn't see any power-ups or any shields, that would be nice
to add and to provide more protection against all the enemies.

(4) I see that the quizzes were put up, why not have it placed so that
the weapon chosen can shoot at the multiple choice answers and the
right one chosen can have the player to move on or even if the answer
is wrong, create a trap where more competitors will come into the stage
and have another death-match. I think that will be kinda neat.

(5) I would like to see more quiz maps as well as some reaction
mechanisms where the weapon has to shoot a screen to get a particular
reaction created. I think that would be neat. Also having molecules
to shoot at in the screen would be a neat thing as well.

Overall, I think this would be a neat reason for students to learn here
at Drexel. I like the idea overall, more modifications would create a
greater output of students wanting to take Organic Chemistry at Drexel.
;)

Shaun's comments

We have started to get detailed feedback from players of the EduFrag-DrexelCoAS004 map (alkyne quiz). I'll be posting comments and responding in the post. If these comments give you ideas use the wiki to put your suggestions.

Here are Shaun McLaughlin's thoughts:

I tested the unreal organic chemistry maps on Thursday over at the library. My name wasn’t on the list for testing but they let me check out the game since Jay was there. I thought that it was pretty sweet with a few minor exceptions. Things you can’t really control are the computer speed down there is horrible and the fps rate makes the game extremely laggy.

Things to think about:

1.) Spawn the characters (enemies) at different parts of the map

a. When your doing a death match they all spawn in the same room and seldom follow you when you continue taking the quiz, makes it kind of boring not having to fight people except in the main room

2.) Not sure if it’s possible but you could eliminate the actual door that you go through once you walk through it. I’m not sure how the maps actually work but if it is a hidden entrance maybe the computer characters can’t pass through that easily due to their programming. If the door falls off or opens once you pass through it the computer chars may be able to follow you easier.

3.) Kind of sketchy, but if you strafe near the door you can tell which answer is right before you click it. Not sure how you would fix that but you could maybe make some kind of warp that will pull you through when you get close to the door. Or have a black hallway past each door so even if your glitching through everything will look the same till you actually pass through it

4.) Not sure but if you enter the wrong room, somehow make it possible to show the right answer after a certain amount of wrong ones. Like I doubt you could program what the pit looks like but you could flash the right answer one the screen when you die or at the end of the death match. Some times the death match will finish before you finish the quiz.

5.) Also sometimes the computer characters will disappear (walk in and out) of a door. You obviously know that is the right answer if they don’t die when the walk though it or they probably are programmed not to walk into doors that lead to pits.

My comments:

1) If you did not play online I don't know why the computer was lagging - I tested it myself last week. Maybe the bots made the difference.
2) The game was not designed to play with bots - they were supposed to have been removed by default - this is now fixed in the library.
3) The problem with being able to peer into the correct answer has been fixed with your suggestion of having a short dark hall in the correct answer. It still needs to be updated on the master map.
4) Your idea of showing the right answer is sort of implemented in the idea of everyone respawning in or near a "study room". Right now there is only one picture in the alkyne study room but we will put more class notes there. We could also put hints on the walls of the pit and put a light in the pit to see as you fall.
5) For your last point of the bots walking into the correct answers, the game was not designed to play with bots. I would be interested in how you found the experience of playing by yourself without bots. In that case it would a strict alternative to taking the quiz in WebCT.

Quake III source code free

The source code for Quake III has just been released. It would be interesting to see how feasible the conversion of our Unreal Tournament 2004 educational maps would be. Any takers?

August 15 workshop

At this week’s workshop we headed over to the library to set up the computer reserved for educational gaming using UT.  We went through the steps of adding the library resources questions to the 10 question quiz map template.  Jay, Josh, Yana and Quinn were present.

No strong link seen between violent video games and aggression

Here is a recent study that you can use when debating the use of First Person Shooter games in education.
Here is the original article.

August 8 meeting

Yana and Allison were present at this morning's meeting. We basically went over what is left to do in the wiki. The next maps and tutorials to be made are listed there. Feel free to add your suggestions there and upload your work as you get it done.

library computer with UT2004

A computer has been set up in the Hagerty library with UT 2004 installed. Students who do not have Unreal Tournament and wish to play or develop maps as part of the EduFrag project should contact me or Jay for access.

Library Map 002 Edit

This map was modified from DM-edufraglibrary001

The new map DM-edufraglibrary002 has two rooms with general library questions.

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This morning's workshop

Allison, Yana and Jay were at the workshop this morning. We went over how to update the edufrag wiki then showed Jay how to modify the template map with one RefWorks quiz statement.

Library Map 001

We added one correct door for Refworks database of electronic books.

Map
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