Neverwinter Newshounds

[serenissima]

Just checking my headlines this morning....

AP: Game Teaches Journalism Students Skills

"To teach fact-finding skills, professors at the University of Minnesota have turned the fantasy computer game 'Neverwinter Nights' into a tool for journalism students. Instead of slaying monsters and gathering gold, the players tackle sources and gather information.
[..snip..]
The team has now modified the game graphics to look like a modern town. A train has derailed, spilling toxic ammonia, and the players are sent out to cover the story. They dig up information by going to the library, government offices or talking to a retired train engineer at the bar."
[..snip..]

The last paragraph of this article is funny:

"The team had initially planned to have a crowd of game characters milling about the accident scene, but the game wasn't amenable to that. A bug in the program meant that any time a player approached a group of people, he was immediately attacked and killed."

Comments

[breimh.livejournal.com]

The idea the teacher has of using a popular medium that the kids will focus on is good, and sound. I wish more game companies and schools/teachers would see the benefits of games being used as learning tools, though.

For many of the RPGs I tend to run, there are always little details or puzzles/mysteries added here or there that have real world references. For example, one of the agencies I have begun to set up in my 9Stars MUCK setting is known as "The BlackWatch", a group of enforcers on one planet that watches and protects their world from pirate or corporate raiders that might try swooping in from off-world... just like the group with the same name from the Scotish Highlands and the coasts of Ireland, Man and Briton. And yes, there is notation of said ancient group being the founding fathers of this futuristic organization.

It's little things like that, that can make all the difference in how complete a setting is and how much more in-depth and involved it can be for the participants. And, it's something that has more of a potential to get the players/participants in researching the older group on their own, when you add in something about "each member carries a great-sword, though these archaic weapons seem a bit out of place with the heavier use of fire-arms; but it's a long held tradition, even though no one may recall just why."