Quests
Quests are the primary way you will earn NAPS in the class. There is one Main Questline, which is required of all investigators in order to pass the course. This will guide you in creative your own game-projects, and by the end of it, you’ll have created three game-related projects for your own portfolio!
Each unit, there will also be numerous Side Quests which you can complete to hone other important writing, design, and media skills and earn additional NAPS.
Main Quests
Main Quests are a part of the Main Questline. All adventuers must complete the Main Questline before participating in the Final Boss Fight. Each Quest in the Main Questline is worth 50 NAPS, except for the Boss Fights. Completion of the only the Main Questline with a 100% score in the Final Boss Fight will earn 4900 NAPS (exactly a ‘B’) in the course.
To access Main Quests, you’ll use the”Load Game” menu and select a World to pick up from where you left off. From that World’s menu, you can Accept and Download your Main Quest as a PDF. You will then have until the deadline to complete the objectives for that Main Quest. (Accessibility note: If you prefer or require paper copies of any Quest or site materials, I am happy to provide them upon request.).
Side Quests
Side Quests are challenges that exist in the world of the game, but you control which to complete and when/how to complete them. In each World, there will be numerous Side Quests available, that can be turned in any time before the end of that unit. Completion of individual quests will earn you NAPS with additional rewards for completing whole Questlines. Since some Side Quests require collaboration, you will want to get strategic with crew members to complete them! These Quests are not considered extra-credit. Think of them instead as choose-your-own-assignments, allowing you to tailor your focuses based on your creative interests.
Side Quests are revealed as more of the worlds are explored. I will announce each week what Side Quests are now available to you, and you will have until the end of the unit to attempt and complete them if you choose. To accept select “Explore Side Quests” from any of the World menus. From there, once you’ve found a quest you want to try, you can Accept and Download it just like a Main Quest.
Daily Encounters
Who knows what mysteries and dangers will await us as we set off in search of the mysterious Codex Ludica— each session (class meeting) you and your crew will be faced with new challenges that will test your new-found skills (and award you NAPS!). These are your daily grades, given for in-class activities and group work. Each day’s worth of work is worth 10 NAPS.
The Adventure Log
Every adventurer must take time to rest, breathe, and reflect on the challenges they have faced and the skills they have mastered during their journey. Each week, as marked, before classtime on Tuesday, you will write a single-page response to the materials for that week’s Main Questline, as outlined in each week’s Main Quest.
You’ll upload these responses to your own Adventure Log, a web-blog you’ll start up shortly into the semester.
Maximizing Your NAPS
There are ways to earn additional NAPS for the Main and Side Quests that you complete.
Fulfilling a Questline: There are six “Paths” of Quests that explore specific topics related to gaming and writing. If you complete every Side Quest in a Questline, you get a bonus of 75 NAPS. (Ex. Completing every quest in the “Path of Chains”).
Variant Side Quests: Some Side Quests have a ‘Variant!’ symbol. This means that the Quest is double-sided, one pertaining to analog games, and one pertaining to digital games. You can complete one side for the full point value, or complete both for double-the-NAPS!
Double-Dipping: It is possible, even encouraged, to fulfill multiple quests as a part of the same assignment, based on the same activity, or while working on the same project. For example, I might complete a Side Quest that involves creating art for a character I’ve created, and then use that same art as a part of a card-game I’m building. This isn’t cheating, it’s playing the game well!
Badges: You can collect badges for completing certain kinds of Side Quests. Collecting a full set of badges will grant you an extra 150 NAPS. There are three kinds of badges:
Presentation (P), Collaboration (C), and Theory (R).
Collecting 2 presentation, 3 collaboration badges, or 2 theory badges fulfills a set, and grants you 150 NAPS. You can collect these sets multiple times, but each time you do, the number required to complete the set and earn the bonus increases by 1.
