Friday, October 29, 2010

Week 5 Blog: Ender's Game, Chapter 5, 6

(Begins Nov 5 - Ends Nov 12)
Read Ender's Game, Chapters 5 and 6, and respond to these questions:

Chapter 5

1) What kinds of strategies does Ender learn from watching the older boys play computer games in the game room? What are some of the weaknesses that the older boys demonstrate?

2) Do computer games train people to think like computers?

3) Throughout the book, Ender encounters a series of systems put in place by the adults. In chapter 5, he learns how to “play” at least one of these systems. Which system does he master, and to what benefit?


Chapter 6
There are two major games (game-like scenarios) explored in this chapter. One takes place in the battle room, and one takes place during Ender’s “Free Play” time.

1) What is different about the nature of reality in the battleroom? What issues arise due to these differences? What possibilities also arise? Have you ever faced these issues in computer/console game? How might we push these issues and possibilities in a new direction?

2) What kind of game is “Free Play”? What do you think of Ender’s responses to the guessing game?

12 comments:

  1. This is Kevin Lam
    1. Ender learned the basic game and rules and some maneuvers he would be able to pull when other players were doing certain moves of their own. Some weaknesses the older kids showed were that they were playing too much like a computer and not being creative enough with the game.
    2. I don't think computer games teach people to think like computers really. I think it teaches people more on how to play against a computer and think of how a computer plays. Because the computer will always have a constrained system to it so it would never have the free thinking mindset.
    3. He learns to hack into the messaging system that tags a message of who the sender was. He realizes that the system security is very weak and meant to be hacked by the soldiers to learn and play with. He benefits from it by pulling together a group of people to be against Bernard.
    1.In the battleroom its more realistic because the kids are playing to train with mock guns and actually feel physical repercussions. When shot with the guns their bodies become stiff and frozen. There are challenging games that I have played that shock you.
    2. Free play is a series of games the kids can play while not studying or training that is more like a game but also trains and teaches. I think his response to the guessing game at the end was great and correct. I think that was the whole objective of the game, to think outside the box. Along with thinking of other choices besides the ones the enemy gives.


    On a side note i read this article and it really made me think of this class and what we have discussed.
    http://kotaku.com/5678356/video-games-can-trick-us-into-doing-things-we-loathe

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  2. Josh Halford

    Chapter 5
    1.) He discovers he can learn more by observing the older boys play and watching their own strategies. He learns that they tend to play like computers, rather than humans, which brings expected results. He can use this information to his advantage by setting traps for them on their expected path.

    2.) I believe so. When you play a computer game, you tend to figure out how to beat it based on the rules dictated by the computer. In real life, there is an uncountable number of solutions to any given problem, whereas in the realm of a systematically based program, there is just a finite number.

    3.) The security system on the children's desks is one. He uses this to humiliate Bernard, his apparent enemy.

    Chapter 6
    1.) The guns they use actually have a physical effect on the children's bodies. This prevents someone from cheating or claiming they weren't hit. To push this forward, we could develop games that maybe shock or harm you when you lose. Paintball is a good example of a "physical effect" game in a very primitive form.

    2.) "Free Play" is playing without any real consequences. He has as many tries as he wants. His response was clever and shows hows Ender thinks outside of the box to win his battles. Sometimes you have to in order to discover rules you didn't know existed in the game.

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  3. Tito Gonzalez

    Chapter 5
    1.)He learned the regularities and rules the computer was following. They were trying to play like the computer.
    2.)The computers trained them to play by emulating the computer, not so much to think like a computer.
    3.)He breaks into the computer security system for the message interrupt queue. Ender was able to put a bully in his place without hurting him.

    Chapter 6
    1.)No gravity and when they get shot with the mock guns it freezes them and they can’t move until they thaw out. They have to learn how to control their body movements in no gravity.
    2.)It’s a continuous maze building school computer game. Good, He decided to do something different because what he was doing was he was losing.

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  4. David Short

    Chapter 5
    1)He realizes that he can learn how to improve his skills by watching the older boys' different strategies. They remind him of computer players. Knowing this gives him the advantage of knowing what they will do next.

    2)Yes, players will start to fall into patterns, and thus behave like a computer would.

    3)The security system, he ends up using it to make fun of Bernard.

    Chapter 6
    1)It became more of a real time experience. Much like actual war to where you feel physical pain (to an extent). Paint ball or air soft is a good example of what we have in real life.

    2)Free play is when you play without having to worry about any consequences. He handled it very wisely and thought outside of the box to achieve his goal.

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  5. Anne Phillips
    Chapter 5

    1) Ender learned the patterns of the computer games that the older students may have found difficult to grasp after watching for a while. Since the older boys don't fully see the patterns Ender can use that to his advantage and out smart them even though these older students have had more time to familiarize themselves with the games.
    2) I don't believe that's fully true. We aren't trained to think like computers through a game, we're trained to OUT THINK the computer or obstacle made by the computer in order to win or gain the upper advantage. The computer can have very strict parameters on what it can do and if the artificial intelligence is poor in a game we can easy outsmart the computer usually. BUT if the computer has good AI we are challenged to approach the challenge/goal in different ways that make us further analyze what we must do in order to outsmart the computer, obtain the objective, or reach the goal.

    3) Ender learns his way around the security system and uses it to embarrass a student named Bernard that resembles Stilson because Bernard picks on other students.

    Chapter 6
    1) The suits and guns the students equipped work together to simulate a battle. If you were shot a portion of the suit that was hit would freeze or lock up making it difficult to maneuver. This mimics are real battle but without the harmful/deadly effects.
    2) Free play to me is something that is enjoyable to play, there are no major consequences, and you still learn a skill whether big or small. Ender tried several times to solve the puzzle and every time he was wrong, so he tried something else and was victorious. Why not try something different? He didn't have much to lose if he was wrong anyway even though he didn't enjoy the course of action he needed to take in order to win.

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  6. Chapter 5
    1. He learns the controls and how to manuever against his opponents. The other players learn how to predict the computer, so when and if they play another human they lose their creativity
    2. I dont think computer games teach players to think like computers but they will always have some form of restraints and players will get used to playing with those restraints in place
    3.He quickly learns how to hack the messagin system and work it to his advantage for humiliating bernard.

    Chapter6
    1.When a player is shot they have consequences so the part that is shot is frozen. they also have to learn how to manuver in zero gravity.
    2. Free play is whatever the cadet chooses Ender usualy tries to go through the never ending game on his desk ... I think he goes about the game right because when he fails continualy he tries that he wasnt even sure would work but on the off chance they would work, he gave them a shot anyway

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  7. CHAPTER 5
    1) He learned how to manuever in the game; when to spiral, ect. He also started to figure out the computer's pattern, which made it easier for him to play against the older boys.

    2)I think games teach people to predict a computer's movements based on patterns, which could lead a person to start thinking like a computer if they dedicated enough time to it and applied the computer's tactics to figuring out how to beat a live opponent in a game.

    3)He mastered the security system for the desks, which allowed him to post messages to the other kids and get revenge on the boy who was giving him a hard time.

    CHAPTER 6
    1)There is no gravity and the suits are very awkward to navigate in. This makes movement nearly impossible to control at first, but once you get the hang of it you can move in ways that you cant in normal gravity. It allows for new freedoms that can be very useful in combat.

    I have never experienced this in game play, but it might be cool to have an mmo or something that accounts for gravity loss in certain areas so that the player has to learn new controls and battle tactics like in Ender's Game.

    2)I don't think Ender handled the game very well, but on the other hand his final frustration did allow him to get further in the game. He realized that there was no way to win the game the way he had been playing and got fed up and tried something else.

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  8. 1) He learned how the game is played he also learns that the older boys play too much like the computer.
    2)They train people to react in a certain fashion to overcome the computer. The computer always acts the same way unlike a human does.
    3)Its the security system. He uses is to get at Bernard.

    1) There is no gravity. They have to learn to move in no gravity.
    2)It's a game that has no consequences. It was good for him to think outside the box.

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  9. Chapter 5
    Ender learns by watching and learning. Asking himself, “Does that work?” “Why or why not?” He’s learning you have to take risks, take chances. The more you really give it your all, the better the outcome will be. Whether you end up losing or not doesn’t even crosses the mind.
    I don’t believe computer games really train you to think like computer’s. If you’re playing with an opponent (human), then you can learn to think (or foresight) what the other player will probably do. Then in a split second, know what your next move will be.
    The security system. Ender was able to show his skill, teach some lessons, and all that was hurt was someone else’s pride.
    Chapter 6
    The weapons actually hurt the physical body. So you can’t cheat; much like kids playing ‘Superhero’. Making up a whole new power so you can avoid someone else’s power. [So when you get hit, you get hit]
    Free play is playing as much as you want, “NO GAMEOVER!” No consequences. Ender showed that he was above the rest. He thought outside the box, and therefore, came with a surprise.

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  10. He learns that they tend to play like computers, rather than humans,He can use this information to his advantage.

    after a while people start to develop a one track mind, players will start to fall into patterns.

    Ender learns his way around the security system and uses it to embarrass a student named Bernard that resembles Stilson because Bernard picks on other students.

    In the battleroom its more realistic because the kids are playing to train with mock guns and actually feel physical repercussions

    He has as many tries as he wants. His response was clever and shows hows Ender thinks outside of the box to win his battles

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  11. Ch.5

    1 Ender sees the players not using their imagiatio really. Never being quite clever or thinking of the game in terms best suited for them.

    2 Not specifically, I think that after a while human trai computers to think like humans. This should be a qualifyig statement by the fact that computers thought like computers from the first design, continuing to evolve with human interaction and development.

    3 Ender used the security system to dethrone Bernard.

    Ch6

    1 Though players feel an actual impact of being hit or failure, it developes the same issue potentially that when you eter REAL combat you are dealing with loss of limb and life.


    2 Ender failed seeral times at this free play game, this was important for the author to demonstrate the fact that in these virtual worlds you contiue to get multiple tries, where in reality you do not. This is prominat because it allows Ender to grow as a person in a directed path chose by the programmers.

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  12. CH 5
    Ender began to understant the "regularities." By watching the boys he started to learn the concept of strategy. He began to realized that understanding the Rules of the computer will always promise victory.

    I believe that in a way, compuetr games train the human mind to think strategicly against it.

    Ender hacks the computer security system to get back at bernard.
    CH 6

    now the weapons in the simulation can hurt you to inhance realism in the battle field. I remember playing an arcade game that shocks you as you hold these two metal joystick like rods. The objective was to last as long as possible. The longer you last the more points you gain.

    Free play is the ability to play freely without dire consequences.

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