The Investigator
That’s you! Your character lies at the center of this whole experience. You’ll begin the semester by creating your ‘avatar’ (how you want to represent yourself in this class). From there, as your adventurer grows, so will you!
Notable Agent Points (NAPS)
Your investigator will grow by earning Notable Agent Points, or NAPS (which advance your real-life writing skills). NAPS are earned by completing the Quests in different Questlines. In the end, your total grade in this class will be determined on how many NAPS you have taken.
The Game Master (GM)
That’s me! You can think of me as the ‘game engine’ of this experience that you’ll be going through. My job is to try and facilitate your experience here—to challenge you, to assist where I need to, and to keep you engaged (and having fun where I can). I also make sure that the rules of the game are enforced (or adapted where necessary) and will determine the consequences (good or bad) of your in-game actions!
Your Crew
It is dangerous to go alone! Thankfully, you won’t have to. During Week 2, you will select your crew—a group of fellow investigators who will work together to survive and thrive in the game-world of this course. You will need to work together on quests, and even strategize on your approaches to this course in order to succeed. As George R.R. Martin says:
When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives!
George R.R. Martin
An “Open World”
This class will probably differ from many of your other classes in that it is intended to be project-based. As the semester goes on, there will be less time spent on the “tracks” (we’ll talk about “Railroading” later on this semester!) and more time off exploring your own interests, writing, and research. This means that you will have lots of freedom in choosing what you spend your time doing in this class; where you direct your efforts and attention—like a real adventure game! But, as Uncle Ben would say: “With great pedagogical freedom, comes great responsibility.”
You’re going to want to set goals for yourself early on, especially when it comes to Side Questing. You and your crew members are going to need to keep each other in check to make sure nobody falls too far behind.
