Re: soundStrider: Exploration game and relaxation tool
Okay, I am officially a stupid head, I was running around wondering how exactly you use the virtual instrument when I had it all the time and all I needed to do was hit the keys, I'll add some words about it to the db page explanation.
I like the idea of collectables for it, particularly since whilst it's nice to hear an a miner scale and the tone is relaxing, it would be nice to be able to hear it do other things.
It might also be fun to have some tone matching exercises in there too, EG you come upon something and heed to match a specific tone.
Btw, I checked your blog and was quite interested in your article about posting on this site and "what a game is."
Since questions of definition are sort of like a red rag to a bull for a philosophy post graduate (I spent over a decade writing a thesis defining disability), I thought this was an interesting question.
For me, one of the key aspects, if not "the!" key aspect to a game is simply be able to interact with, and have a significant effect upon the world in a progressive way rather than simply experience. After all "interactive fiction", is a game whilst "fiction", is well, fiction! and definitely not a game.
I love exploration in games, just wandering around and seeing the game's world, I love the sense of freedom and space it gives me, but if I don't feel my exploring is changing either my character or the world in some way, my exploring feels more aimless.
Same with quests, indeed often in rpg games i'll do lower level quests which are mechanically no use for my character (EG doing a higher level quest with a lower level character), just because I like the feeling of having participated in a story, helped someone out and had an afffect upon the game's world.
Maybe this is just a personal thing, after all, I do tend to have a bit of a problem feeling powerless to effect the world in everyday life (most disabled people probably do to a lesser or greater extent, it's sort of implied in the word "disability", and the worse the attitudes of people around you, the worse this tends to be).
Either way, I'm glad, for all the amazingly gorgeous landscapes and relaxing audios, that there are tasks, quests and challenges to do in the game, since in their own way, that in itself is relaxing.
Hope some of this makes sense, and if anyone has any thoughts, feel free to chime in.
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