CIS 300  

Communications Lab 1

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Jerry Gabriel

Why is communication important?

The answer, like many “answers” in life, is both simple and complex.

The simple answer is that communication – writing, speaking, talking, even reading – are behaviors, actions, ways of “getting things done” in the world. From the greetings you exchange with your friends as you walk across campus to the ground-breaking research article written by one of your Cornell professors – all communication represents behaviors or actions that “get things done.”

The more complex answer (that I don’t really have time to address adequately today) is that every time you write, speak (present), talk, even select what you want/will read – you have multiple purposes, you are creating an identity for yourself in relation to others, you are attempting to be responsive to a particular context, and you are performing a certain type of communication.

These facets of communication (purpose, identity, context, and genre) provide the framework I’ll be using to guide your experience during communications lab each week this semester.

Communications Lab

In particular, we’ll work on the communication aspects of your projects—including written and oral communication, as well as less obvious ways of communicating, like the ways you interact with your group. 

I will organize this time so that you’ll be working on upcoming assignments, because I see this time not as an opportunity for me to wax philosophic about communication—though I might do that now and again—but for you to actually work on the assignments for the course.  I’ll be here, happy to answer questions and help you work through difficulties, etc.  You might think of me as a consultant. 

During this time, you’ll sometimes be generating ideas for an assignment, sometimes you’ll actually be writing the thing class.  And other times, we’ll spend our energy on revision—possibly sharing work with classmates (or other groups) to get (and give) feedback. 

As you may understand by now, you’ll be participating in a multitude of communicative activities in CIS 300, and I’m here to facilitate your experience, to guide you, to help reveal how communication happens so that, beyond this class, you have a framework for dealing with new and different types of communication.

Jerry Gabriel

473 Hollister Hall                                                                    

254-5449                                                                                  

gg67@cornell.edu

Communication Lab 1: Generating Ideas

The goal of this first lab is to, using the three approaches discussed in class, start thinking about the kind of game you want to make. You will, as a group, spend some time on each approach, and quickly produce a game idea from each that you describe in 2-4 sentences.

(1)   Get into groups (listed on the board), and exchange contact info (netID, phone, IM name, etc). Also take a quick stock of the skill sets of your group. Record all of this for submission.

(2)   Decide on a weekly meeting time and place (1 hour outside of class). Record this for submission.

Recall the three approaches to ideas described in class:

Approach 1: Start by figuring out the genre, setting, premise, and overall narrative.

Approach 2: Start by determining the gameplay challenges and the core mechanics.

Approach 3: Start by thinking about the experiences (sensory, emotional, cerebral) that you want the player to have.

(3a) Using Approach 1, come up with a rough game idea. Do not flesh this idea out; describe just in terms of Approach 1. Write 2-4 sentences describing the idea. In another 1-2 sentences, describe why you chose this idea.

(3b) Using Approach 2, come up with a second (different) game idea. Do not flesh this idea out; describe just in terms of Approach 2. Write 2-4 sentences describing the idea. In another 1-2 sentences, describe why you chose this idea.

(3c) Using Approach 3, come up with a third game idea. Do not flesh this idea out; describe just in terms of Approach 3. Write 2-4 sentences describing the idea. In another 1-2 sentences, describe why you chose this idea.

(4)   At end of class, hand in through CMS, as a group, a written document detailing your responses to (2) and (3a), (3b), and (3c).

We will respond to this in writing by Friday. Then, your group will need to meet outside of class according to (2) and:

(5)   Come up with a basic game concept for your game. This may be a continuation of one of the three ideas from Comm Lab 1, or you may change gears altogether. Either way, you should submit a one-sentence core description of your game and about a paragraph’s worth of details on the game idea. Submit this as Comm Lab 1.5 by Monday at midnight.