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W7: Gaming & Programmability (Games I Played (Lifeline (iOS) In…

- - - - Is this an example of cognitivism? I used knowledge gained from previous puzzles to solve new ones.
  - - - Throwback to older text-only computer games. This game is reliant entirely on the writing and story being good enough to keep a player engaged – you have to form an attachment to the astronaut 'Taylor' (interestingly, a gender-neutral name).
    - - The constant flow interruption is different to many 'endless' mobile games, which I think is what kept me interested as the gameplay was different to most other games I've played. I'd get into 'the zone' and suddenly I would be stopped and I'd have to find something else to do.
        
        I'm used to games being binge-playable, the same way I binge-watch TV shows and read novels in one sitting. This game wouldn't allow me to play in the way I'm used to.
      - However, if I didn't respond to the notification when I first saw it, I sometimes took a while to reopen the game and continue along. This is in contrast to Neko Atsume where I wanted to see cats before they disappeared, or the Disney game where there were limited time offers and I was also missing out on potential points if I didn't play frequently.
        
        I didn't want to just quickly dip into the game to select the next options and exit, I wanted to pay attention to it (e.g. I treated it the way I treat Broadchurch on TV versus how I treat Gilmore Girls, where the former usually pulls my full focus to not miss any plot points). Some of this may have stemmed from me paying for the game, as apps tend to gain more 'weight' with me once I have paid for them.
    - - It was basically like a really well constructed sci-fi choose-your-own-adventure book. It didn't have to rely on graphics or sounds or Skinner box mechanisms to keep me coming back for more.
      - Has a set end point, whereas the Disney-style games are intended to be playable for hours on end forever. As Lifeline cost money, it's not reliant on in-app purchases like the Disney game is.
  - - - The Disney game had an information overload of sorts that made me not want to engage with notifications and just stick to the base game features, Neko Atsume didn't force anything on me and gave me room to explore.
    - - I'd regularly check in to see what cats were there. There weren't any reminders or notifications, I just genuinely was curious. There was a certain element of surprise, as it wasn't easily predictable what cats would appear though there seems to be some logic going off guides online that help you get "rare cats".
    - - In a way, I think this is similar to Deep. It doesn't teach breathing techniques but I found it really calming. I had an anxiety attack on Friday afternoon, and when I was calming down I brought up the game just to have something to do with my hands. I tapped on the cats, one by one, looking at their names and favourite toys; whilst simultaneously doing breathing exercises (normally, I overfocus on my breathing and start to hyperventilate).
        
        I have meditation apps that have specific meditations to calm down or prevent anxiety attacks, yet I went for the cute cat game instead – whilst a meditation would've calmed me, this distracted me. An anxiety-related meditation will have the word 'anxiety' on screen and likely lead me to think about anxiety, this focused me on something completely different.
  - - - Programs you to want to receive the 'reward' of levelling up, getting points etc.
      - The idea behind casino slot games is the same idea behind these games. What intrigues me even more is that there are actual poker machine games on mobile phones, with in-app purchases, that get millions of downloads. In an actual poker machine, there is a slim chance – but, still, a chance – of getting your money back. On these slot machine games, you cannot win money. All you can "win" is points that allow you to pull the lever again.
    - - The idea of "cheats" is interesting in itself. Some cheats, like the Kim Kardashian one, are actually 'cheating' as someone has altered the game's code. However many games (like the Sims) have 'cheat' codes where all you do is enter a word or button sequence for extra points etc, so the cheat is actually a feature that has been programmed into the game by the original developers.
- - - - The "game" is to not play a game at all, to not touch my phone at all. Normally, for me, this would be a very challenging task as I enjoy using my phone and I want to keep up to date with social media, my email, texts. However, I've found that simply opening Forest and setting a 45 minute timer for a tree to grow on screen is enough to stop me using my phone.
        
        I actually feel guilty if I procrastinate by going on Youtube or using Facebook Messenger on my laptop as a way of getting around not using my phone, or if I start tidying my room or constantly going to make cups of tea. If I have tagged a 45 min timer as 'study' time and I don't study for most of that time, I feel like I've cheated - not just in the 'game' of Forest, but cheated myself as I haven't done what I needed to do.
        
        This bears similarity to a lot of time management techniques (e.g the Pomodoro technique: work for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break), but none of those have ever worked for me. By turning time management into a game, where I can try to beat my high score and I get a visual reward (similar, in a way, to the cutesy graphics and relaxing sounds of Neko Atsume), I suddenly was able to concentrate better.
        
        Better (for me) than apps/extensions that simply block your device; I can use my phone at any time, but I simply don't use it because I don't want the tree to die.
        
        Apps/extensions like Self Control don't work for me, as they act as a punishment; I'm not allowed to use Facebook, so I want to even more. Forest is an actual exercise in self control; I can use Facebook whenever I want, but the idea of killing my little tree animation makes me reconsider if I really want to.
        
        Positive reinforcement, operant conditioning. If I don't use my phone, I get a pretty animation and at the same time am programming myself to focus more on work
        
        I'm being programmed, but I'm choosing to program myself via this app versus being 'sucked into' a game like Disney Magic Kingdom.
        
        1 more item...
        
        Right now, I am not using Forest as I'm expecting a text message - but I haven't looked at my phone for probably 30 minutes and even then I was only checking for messages, I didn't even think of opening Facebook or my email.
        
        I say "suddenly" as it was a fairly fast change, I unlocked my phone twice in the first session to check Facebook and then realised I 'couldn't' so after that I left my phone alone completely.
        
        I've found it's improved my ability to work without using my phone even when I don't use Forest (e.g. when I need to be able to make a phone call or use a mobile app for work – I work in social media, so I have to be able to use Instagram etc often)
  - - - A system I tried before, but didn't work for me, was Habitica which takes gamification very directly. You create an avatar and ticking off tasks gains you points, whereas failing to do so can cause your character damage.
        
        Whilst I've seen it recommended across tumblr and Reddit, I found it boring – the points weren't rewarding for me, and I found using a system like this meant the reward came purely from the game itself and without the game I wouldn't be as motivated.
        
        Probably appeals more to people who play RPGs as the system of health points and XP is more familiar; even though I'd played these games I've always preferred puzzle games which rely more on the reward of feeling a sense of achievement versus RPG's operant conditioning to want more points and levels.
        
        Feeling like you've achieved something versus being told you've achieved something through markers of progress to amplify affect.
        
        I personally prefer the former in games, but in a context like university the markers of progress (grades, WAM, Dean's List and other awards) are important to me – the context of games (fun, not important) versus uni (hard work, essential for future) shapes this in my case.
      - I've incorporated other gamification aspects into my bullet journal, like the "Don't Break the Chain" method (often attributed to Jerry Seinfeld, though he doesn't want credit for it)