Outbreak at Watersedge: - 3 views

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  #1 Charles Crowley on 13 Oct 10

   

  Excellent game. Rather brief story arc, but easy to play, responsive, educational. I think it struck a good balance between providing a rich interface and conserving computing power/bandwidth. A few notable points not in any order:
  
  * Easy to manipulate objects.
  * Easy navigation between locales. The animated map showing the character's travel was a convenient and cute touch.
  * Quick movement. No lag time as I experienced in "Canine Caper" and "Burning Star".
  * Makes use of wire frames during movement within a context, making turning and moving rapid - a well-implemented feature.
  * Responsiveness is very good. Everything worked smoothly, didn't find myself confused by the interface or the progression of the narrative. For instance the process of taking samples is done in 3 clicks (click object, click to take sample, click to dismiss), no ambiguity or worrying if you did it right.
  * Lack of branching in the story line. This is a good thing in a game intended for play during 1 class period, avoids backing out of dead ends at the cost of some story complexity.
  * The growing number of victims gives a visceral sense of urgency to completing the game.
  * The 3 "Learn More" videos are authentic and inspiring.
  * The game does not talk down to the players and expects the students to understand basic terminology.
  
  My only complaint which isn't really a complaint is that its short length doesn't allow for a more complex story to develop.
  
  Sorry for the long post but more still to come.
  
  Charles Crowley

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Excellent game. Rather brief story arc, but easy to play, responsive, educational. I think it struck a good balance between providing a rich interface and conserving computing power/bandwidth. A few notable points not in any order: <br /> <br /> * Easy to manipulate objects. <br /> * Easy navigation between locales. The animated map showing the character's travel was a convenient and cute touch. <br /> * Quick movement. No lag time as I experienced in "Canine Caper" and "Burning Star". <br /> * Makes use of wire frames during movement within a context, making turning and moving rapid - a well-implemented feature. <br /> * Responsiveness is very good. Everything worked smoothly, didn't find myself confused by the interface or the progression of the narrative. For instance the process of taking samples is done in 3 clicks (click object, click to take sample, click to dismiss), no ambiguity or worrying if you did it right. <br /> * Lack of branching in the story line. This is a good thing in a game intended for play during 1 class period, avoids backing out of dead ends at the cost of some story complexity. <br /> * The growing number of victims gives a visceral sense of urgency to completing the game. <br /> * The 3 "Learn More" videos are authentic and inspiring. <br /> * The game does not talk down to the players and expects the students to understand basic terminology. <br /> <br /> My only complaint which isn't really a complaint is that its short length doesn't allow for a more complex story to develop. <br /> <br /> Sorry for the long post but more still to come. <br /> <br /> Charles Crowley</div>

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