Prompts 6/2 to 6/5

Game On
6/2 prompt "What makes it a game anyway?"

There are a few things that make a game a game. Rules, a quantifiable outcome and negotiable consequences. Rules are the obvious part. Quantifiable outcome can be many things: how much money you win in poker, player set goals in The Sims, the point values for hitting people in the driving game, certain death in Russian Roulette. Negotiable consequence is the ability to bet your pants in poker instead of your last $100.

In this way, The Sims is only sometimes a game. There is no built in score. There is no clear goal or end to the game. There are rules, but not many. Russian Roulette is not a game. The consequences are non-negotiable by definition. The driving game (if you don't know what the driving game is...) is most certainly a game. It has rules, there is a quantifiable outcome in the points system and has negotiable consequences...mostly in whether or not you actually are going to play for the most points.

Not Quite There
6/3 prompt "Is it even possible? Write about someone who has no enemies."

From the minute she was born (she's still not exactly sure when), she's had at least one enemy.

Her first was her father. He refrains from killing her, though, because he's missed too many chances to kill her before. And Mark hates to admit his mistakes. She repays him by not killing him.

Next was her mother. Mark warns her that her mother is probably the one who made her in The Vat. Morganna never admits it and Arcane owes Mark so she kills her mother and takes her throne. Literally.

Mark gives her a list of her grandfather, half-siblings and cousins. She doesn't ask questions, just takes her ice cream and goes to work.

One day, Arcane will be able to say she has no enemies.

Grin and Bear It
6/4 prompt "What made your childhood bearable?"

Jordan's childhood is completely normal. To her. Most other people (those not raised by M.R.C.), would say she was abused as a child.

The teachers did nothing to end fights, even among the children. Jordan thinks they thought it was a good way to prepare them for what's to come later. She can't exactly say they were wrong. Jordan is more well prepared than most of the teens who come to M.R.C.

She beats one teen in a fight once, just to prove a point. She wins, of course.

It wasn't that fight that made it so the other children (even the new ones) didn't come after her constantly. It certainly didn't hurt, though.

Horror Movies
6/5 prompt "Who scared you and laughed?"

Jordan half stumbles and half sprints out of the greasy establishment. She barely keeps herself upright as she gasps for breath.

“Let me get this straight,” a deep voice from behind her makes her jump,

Jordan turns to see Lucien and Stefan there, barely containing their laughter. She glares at them, still trying to steady her legs.

“So, you can face down people who you know can, and will, kill you without so much as blushing...but you can't sit through a horror movie?” Stefan taunts Jordan,

“It was almost half-way through,” Jordan pants,

“Ooh man,” Lucien laughs, “You're saying that's the longest you've ever lasted in a scary movie?”

Jordan manages to actually stand up to fix her two older brothers with a half-assed glare. This sobers them a bit, but they continue to snicker. Jordan groans and drags a hand over her face. She's never going to live this one down...

The bright side is she's wearing really dark pants today.

---

Game On- This is what you get when you ask a game major about what makes a game a game. I'm pretty sure that's by Jesper Juul's definition of a game. I was too tired to go get my game design book.

ANYWAY. Hell week is over. Finals week next week.