I decided to use PowerPoint as the proof of concept for the branching scenario theory. I created 43 slides for the first version of the training game, including 5 slides with sample quiz questions. I used Visual Basic for Applications to handle the functions part of the questions and responses for wrong and right answers. I had used VB before, but not with PowerPoint so I did some web searching and located VB code that did exactly what I needed. I used Microsoft clip art, nothing fancy, but also nothing very exciting. The subjects for the scenarios came from a composite of real events that have occurred at the library.
Then I showed it to a couple of students. They said yes it was useful and yes it was moderately entertaining. Now that we had proof of concept, we needed to dress the game up. This is when Kelli Monahan, a UNC-CH School of Information and Library Science graduate assistant began helping with the game. Kelli had some experience creating tutorials using Adobe Captivate and Flash. We discussed ways to improve the game and decided to recreate the first scenario using Flash. Kelli created, then animated some simple artwork using Flash Illustrator and Flash animation.
It took us about 6 weeks to create the first Flash scenario. During this time we also worked out the overall design of the game which would have three classes of players, shadow, desk warrior and desk mage. (see Explanation of the "Shadow" and other game classes) Each of these classes would have three levels of progressively more difficult and complex siltations. Working with the student supervisors we listed all of the skills a student would need to successfully work the desk alone and then sorted them into the nine levels.
We presented our first Flash scenario called "In a Hurry" to the User Services staff of the library in July. "In a Hurry" demonstrates what happens when the library catalog is not checked before sending a patron to find the book. We continued to work on the rest of the scenarios for the shadow class and had them completed for the new batch of incoming student workers by the beginning of the fall semester.
The quizzes were created using Captivate. This allowed us to concentrate on the content of the quizzes, while Captivate handled the functioning of the questions and answers. We also had problems when the VBA code in PowerPoint made it difficult to create a stand alone slide show. Each level has a quiz. Passing the quiz enables "leveling up" for the player. We also used Captivate to create interactive modules to teach the navigation of library web pages and the use of other electronic desk tools. (these modules use Captivate: "Find It!," "Hours," and "Desk Schedule.")I realized at the beginning of working with Flash that knowing Actionscript 3.0 would enhance our modest attempts at game creation. Kelli had mastered the layering of tweens that was necessary to animate the modules and had gleaned some Actionscripts from the web that created interactively between the Flash files and the web page. It was obvious Actionscipt would give us more flexibility. To prove this I created the "Snacks and Drinks" game using Actionscript. "Bug Raid," also created with Actionscript, is an adaptation of a game in the book Actionscript 3.0 Game Programming University and it's just for fun.
We have changed the name several times and still haven't come up with a name that everyone likes. Version One, PowerPoint slides call the game "The Mystic World of Library craft," while the main web page for the game calls it "Library Legends." Some people worried about copyright issues if we use words from already existing games. But after discussing various wording options, we could not come up with any words that were not already used. (see The Future)