RPI/Design

Math Quest

General game play

• Built around resource gathering from solving math problems. Harder classes of math problems produce more resources, or increasingly important (different, rare) resources.

• Multiplayer should be designed in from the beginning. There can be a one-person multiplayer, but the game is still multiplayer.
  • This is because designing a dual single- and multi-player game is much too difficult.

• Games will be session-based (a limited-time game, like StarCraft), rather than have a persistent economy.
  • This is to prevent cheating / hacking of the game, which is sure to happen as kids realize they can get more resources just by fiddling with some XML files.
  • This takes away some game play mechanics, but we can make up for it (below).

• The "sink" of resources will be achieving some external goal. Children will work together, so instead of PvP it's PvE (player versus environment).
  • The external goal can vary: fight off a monster attacking you, build some big monument or technological wonder, explore some wilderness, etc.
  • Scenarios should allow for open-ended, playful behavior, hopefully involving multiple outcomes and different levels of collaboration.
  • Players decide for themselves how their resources are used, requiring cooperation.

• There will be difficulties ranging from easy to pretty hard. You achieve harder victories by gathering more resources overall. This is possible by 1) getting more people to play, 2) solving harder math problems, or 3) both.