Self Awareness game

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Aaron Kesher on July 21, 2010 at 7:08am

So, you want to develop a self-awareness game that someone plays by themselves? Hmm, could you use Solitaire for a model?

And "self-awareness" in what context?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bob Bissett on July 22, 2010 at 12:29pm

Aaron,

Thanks for the reply. I did look at several solo game frameworks and Solitaire was one of them. I came to a standstill when I asked the question 'How do I know when I am finished?'. With Solitaire there is an end but with a self-awareness game how do I know when I am aware enough? I certainly don't want to be prescriptive. I'm still struggling with this.

I thought someone may ask about the context of being self-aware. I deliberately kept it vague as I did not want to impose any constraints for the first question. However, they would be along the lines of character and aptitude as they apply in a business environment. I hope that this helps.

Thanks again for your reply.

Regards, Bob

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Aaron Kesher on July 22, 2010 at 10:21pm

Hah--how DO you know when you're "finished" with self-awareness? A question for the Ages... :)

Well, it seems to me to come back to what your purpose is for the game in the first place. I think you'd have an easier time of it if you decided on a flavor, if you will, of self-awareness. Otherwise I'm not sure what you could do with a card game except use it somehow as a metaphor for self-awareness by demonstrating how easy it is to make assumptions, and then tie that into the business context at hand.

For example, you could give them the rules of the game but not tell them the goal--it's likely they'd automatically infer some sort of goal (not at all the one you intend) from the rules themselves. Or, you could give them rules and a goal, but somehow build in a non-obvious short path to the goal. Of course the danger is that they might discover it on their own, but that could probably be dealt with as a possibility.

I don't know if this is helping, but maybe someone else'll chime in.

Aaron

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bob Bissett on July 26, 2010 at 9:51am

Aaron,

Thanks again for the reply. Your comment 'if you decided on a flavor' triggered some fresh thinking. Why have only one flavor when you can have many? The game would then be useful under changing circumstances and at different times.

The other breakthrough is why play it solo? Why not play it with 'imaginary' friends?

I now have a framework which I think will work quite well. I now have to develop it further. Thanks for your help. The comments and questions have been very useful.

Regards,

Bob

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Deborah J. Boyd on July 28, 2010 at 11:43am

In answer to when you are finished with self-awareness:
It seems to me that this can only be answered relatively so I would have a scale of 1-10, 10 being close to perfect and then if you started the game with a self-assessment and then compared performance as you came closer to 10...I think that is about as "finished" as it can get.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Aaron Kesher on August 2, 2010 at 11:01am

Good point. Of course, now you're talking about developing something in addition to the game itself, something potentially much trickier. I mean, if self-awareness is considered relatively, how do construct the questions to place someone on a scale of 1-10?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bob Bissett on August 3, 2010 at 11:53am

Deborah,
I agree. I certainly can't imagine an absolute scale. A relative scale seems to be the best approach.

I think this is more than a three pipe problem.

• ▶ Reply