Analysis of Strategy Games and RPG

Game Play:
I picked the game Ayiti: The Cost of Life. In this game, the player takes on the role of a five member family living in poverty in Haiti. The player gets the life story of each of the five family members and has to progress them though four years. Each year has four seasons for a total of sixteen sessions in one game. Before each season begins, the player has the opportunity to take jobs, attend school, or receive medical attention based on the family's levels of heath, happiness, money, and education. After each season begins, the game provides situations to react to, whether good or bad. The player can also buy supplies and change the level at which the family lives. The goal is to get an education so that each family member can get a higher paying job to provide better things for the rest of the family. This game really reminded me of the Real Lives game. It would be very eye opening for students and I think this game was more "kid friendly" with easy to use features and color graphics.

Analysis of Elements Through Flow Theory

1. Task that learners can complete
I think that this game provides a very doable task, as long as students understand how to play before the seasons begin. Teachers should take some time going over the game before allowing students to play on their own.
2. Ability to concentrate on task
The game world is very easy to see on one screen, which I think makes concentration easier, especially for young learners. Sometimes too many steps or different screens adds unnecessary complications, but this game is fun and easy to get drawn into.
3. Task has clear goals
Ayiti lays out the goals specifically in the beginning. The idea of the game is to get a good education. All of the other elements feed into that that idea. This is a great message to get across in schools, so this game would be great for teaching about how education can help students out of a life of poverty, here or in foreign countries.
4. Task provides immediate feedback
There are two types of feedback with Ayiti. Each decision made after a situation comes up during the season lists consequences for the actions and also the meters for each family member register changes in heath, money, etc. quickly. At the end of the season, the game also provides feedback that helps players in the next season.
5. Deep but effortless involvement
The involvement in the game is deep because the player controls the family's entire life and can even lead to their deaths. The game, while the timing isn't real, does provide students with a glimpse into the real lives of people living in poverty in Africa, which can be applied elsewhere. Yes, it is a simpler version of real life, but students get an idea about their culture, which would lead to more teachable moments as students and teachers explore further together.
6. Exercising a sense of control over their actions
Players have the majority of the power in this game. While there are limitations based on health and education as to what jobs or schooling is available, once the player earns enough money and education for the family, the possibilities are endless.
7. Concern for self disappears during flow
I found myself very wrapped up with the people in this game. I really tried to look at the situation as if it was as real as possible and I was sad for their situation. I think that students would also find themselves lost in the game world because the characters are easy to relate to for them. I must admit, I did kill off some of my family members and I was really sad.
8. Sense of duration of time is altered
In this game, the seasons go by quickly and at first I thought sixteen seems like too many, but once I was into the game, I lost track of time. It was fun and each season is busy making decisions, so time passes quickly. The problem would be playing with really young students because their sense of time isn't very developed yet, so they might get the wrong idea about how fast things happen. Teachers would have to explain that before play.