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100 sats \ 5 replies \ @SimpleStacker 1 Oct \ on: Make something that you'd use even if someone else made a poor version of it builders
That's an interesting thought. Something that I really want to make is an entire Econ 101 course packaged as a video game. Even if it's kinda janky with bad graphics I'd still want it.
But I don't know if I'd want it if someone else made it. I kinda feel like it has to be my own vision of it. So maybe this is an example of what not to do, in your estimation.
If you're making it for you, with no expectation that other people want it, then I'd say go for it.
I kinda feel like it has to be my own vision of it.
If I were building this, I'd recommend defining the parts that are independent of your vision first. Would you use that minimal version if someone else built it? If the someone else were a professor that you agreed with? If the answer is no, I'd begin wondering if I just want to make a game.
The someone else part is there to dispel this kind of confirmation bias.
The poor version part is there to filter out marginal desire.
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The biggest barrier is honestly time, and whether it's a good use of my time. I think if I wanted to lean into teaching 100%, without all my little side projects and research, then I'd definitely go for it.
If I were building this, I'd recommend defining the parts that are independent of your vision first.
That's good advice. The graphical style and story/setting are probably optional. The less negotiable parts are probably what curriculum is covered, difficulty progression of the levels, how the challenges in the game relate to the economic concept being taught.
Now that I think about it, probably what matters more even than the topics covered, is how tightly the game's mechanics fit into the economic concepts. I think that would be my biggest hangup.
Actually, this has been my issue with textbooks. I've never stuck with using someone else's textbook. I feel like I can't teach unless it's my own version. So I've always used my own materials, which has kept costs down for students, but it's also meant less bells & whistles that the big publishers can provide.