A presentation I gave on the methodology of my thesis project at ITP. The details of the system (ie, the use of Nintendo DSes and/or Socialbomb hardware) were just for reference, as the final implementation will likely be quite different. Including that example, though, seems to have been the thing that makes what I'm after clearer to people, so I'm glad I included it, despite my reservations about discussing platforms that I'm not using. There's also a rather thorough description of a card game prototype I developed to test some of the rules and ideas I've been working on for alliances. I think you can even play it based on what's in the presentation! If you do, please let me know!

1. Thesis Methodology
Adam Simon
Feb 13, 2008

2. game state = social state
conscious unconscious

3. game state quantifying social state
+
modeling
+
reflecting
conscious social behavior unconscious
Bring social state into consciousness through game state
Groups of choice, groups of compulsion
A social interface for the game
The city bears the scars of gameplay

4. story servers
Be careful, triangles are The squares have all the
never trustworthy! answers.
groups are assigned
teams are elected
knowledge is spread
social interface social interface
players do something
(missions?)

5. story servers
Be careful, triangles are The squares have all the
never trustworthy! answers.
groups are assigned
teams are elected
knowledge is spread
social interface social interface
players do something
(missions?)

6. story servers
Be careful, triangles are The squares have all the
never trustworthy! answers.
groups are assigned
teams are elected
knowledge is spread
social interface social interface
players do something
(missions?)

7. story servers
groups are assigned
teams are elected
knowledge is spread
players do something
(missions?)

8. each player is dealt:
6 private color cards
1 public shape card you may replace the
public color card at any
1 public color card time from one in your
hand
Players take turns asking for cards of a specific color. If you have that color, you must surrender
it, and give that player any other card in your hand in return.
Every time you give or get a card, move the paper clip
one notch to the right. If you reach the end of the card,
start it at the beginning again.
If you get a card with a star on it, and your trade results
in the star falling under the clip, you must keep that card
until you receive a moon card of the same color. Then,
you may optionally discard the star, but you will play with
5 cards in your hand for the rest of the game.

9. Goals
each person of your shape has a full hand of a single color [shape wins]
your public color is shown by one person of each shape [color wins]
all six star cards are discarded [everyone wins]