Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Lady Liadrin And The Story Of Why I Played My Undead Warlock To Level 20

Currently there are 4 alternate heroes you can play in Hearthstone. If you want to customize your hero experience and stand out a bit the heroes are a nice option. Since I am a free to play Hearthstone user I haven't bought any of the new heroes though I enjoy matches where my opponent is using them. Recently Blizzard released a new Lady Liadrin hero for Paladin and this one was unique in that to unlock her all you needed to do was get to level 20 in World of Warcraft.

"Players who level a World of Warcraft character to level 20 will earn a new Achievement, Fledgling Hero of Warcraft, that will unlock Liadrin for use in Hearthstone. No World of Warcraft subscription is... Read All

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/11/2016 at 05:22am

I was playing Ark recently and mentioned in global chat that I've never played WoW. The person was surprised. That said, even though I haven't been playing Hearthstone, when I found out about this bonus, I was a bit tempted. I'm still a little tempted as I might get back into the game.

Right away, I think you nailed why I might not enjoy WoW so much. I'm used to solo gaming, single player mode, etc. I played Ragnarok Online with friends and it was fun (except I hated that other people would steal my loot that dropped from enemies I killed). I played FFXI, but I started off so far away from my friends that we never met up. That game was definitely not for solo gamers. I did play a little bit of Guild Wars 2 (obviously), but I never really saw my fellow Cheerful Ghosts and I was on my own pretty much.

Right now, I'm playing Ark: Survival Evolved on an official server. I wouldn't really call it an MMORPG, but I mean it's very similar. The maximum amount of people that can play on a server at a time is 70 and the one I play on is often about half full. I enjoy it much more than I thought I would and I'm really glad I'm still playing.

Anyway, thanks for letting us know about your WoW experience! I hope the new Hearthstone unlock that you got is cool.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/11/2016 at 04:57pm

It's been 8-9 years since I was really playing WoW, but for me it was mostly a single player game. I had a buddy help run me through the beginning, and then I had some friends come and go as I played. I actually made a few friends through the game that I'm still friends with on Facebook.

Talking with Jon as he's played a bit has kinda made me want to go back and experience the game a bit. Would anyone else here be interested in a WoW free run to level 20? (Lol, right after I said I normally played the game on my own) Maybe I'll start up an event if people are interested :)

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/11/2016 at 07:00pm

When Jon mentioned he was starting this, I thought about joining him. However, Ark has a firm hold on me. I could possibly take some time away, but I don't know.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/11/2016 at 07:42pm

Ok, I have Greg down as a definite "yes" ;)

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/11/2016 at 07:42pm

I wonder if we could get a group together and dedicate a Saturday, how far could we get in just one day?

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/12/2016 at 01:42am

Hahaha I'd say it's a definite "I don't know." Are you talking about starting out from the beginning? Are you wanting to do it for the Hearthstone bonus? I might jump in Hearthstone again, but probably not until I watch Jon's Dailies videos.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/12/2016 at 01:48am

A bit of info on jumping in with only the Starter Edition. Because of spamming and gold traders and such you can't friend anyone in game. You also can't message anyone. So if you want to meet up or chat you will have to do it in an outside program and simply find each other by hand on the server.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/12/2016 at 04:30pm

You can't even friend people in the game? I remember that free accounts couldn't send/receive gold/items, but now they can't even talk to others? That sucks.

JaBo wrote on 04/12/2016 at 11:44pm

That's crazy. I played WoW when it released. Preordered game. I played dark age of Camelot (another mmorpg) for years and half my guild was going to WoW. I wasn't alone, we leveled up decently. I even did some pvp during the free trial. But, I never tried past the 4 week free trial. In fact, I let my brother play the final week of the game.

It's crazy to me that they grabbed the market so forcefully and took off. I played a star wars mmo (before kotor3) 3 times as long and that game flopped.

That said. I'm thinking of doing quest to get the hearthstone unlock too. I've paid for all the others. Should probably get this one.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/13/2016 at 11:19pm

> It's crazy to me that they grabbed the market so forcefully and took off.

I have some friends that have been hooked by it, but like you I don't see the appeal for myself. It just doesn't click.

> That said. I'm thinking of doing quest to get the hearthstone unlock too. I've paid for all the others. Should probably get this one.

After playing with her for about a week now I can say my time was well spent in WoW unlocking her. Curious when they are adding other heroes and if I can play StarCraft or Heroes of the Storm to unlock them?

JaBo wrote on 04/27/2016 at 01:33am

I'm pretty annoyed with the ios exclusive $5 mage hero... I use Android and couldn't get it

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/27/2016 at 05:26am

> I'm pretty annoyed with the ios exclusive $5 mage hero... I use Android and couldn't get it

Yeah, exclusives are not great for that reason. Sometimes when companies mean "exclusive" they don't mean forever, so maybe he will come back for everyone at some point?

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Sign Up / Log In

Hearthstone Dailies For Ghosts: Episode VII Too Many Portals + Reno Dragon Paladin

Hello Ghosts,

In this episode of Hearthstone Dailies for Ghosts I play a couple matches of Too Many Portals Tavern Brawl. The cool thing about this brawl is the thing I also dislike the most about this brawl in it's focus on random chance. That said, I luck out and do quite well in each match.

I wrap things up with a handful of matches playing with my brand new Reno Jackson Dragon Paladin deck. It's a very odd deck I haven't seen get much play and it has done shocking well in each matchup i've used it in. But how good is this deck? The only way to know is to watch!

FFXV Release Date: 9/30/16

Recently, I finished reading the cover story in the latest Game Informer, which is about Final Fantasy XV. I've known about it's development for a long time, it was originally called Final Fantasy Versus XIII. It's been in development for 10 years now and has undergone many changes, not just by name.

The Square-Enix team working on FFXV realized that while FF became an epic franchise, which has been pretty influential in our current games, some of the fanfare of the series has dwindled. Many fans of the series seem to prefer VII the most and also seem to view the series as going downhill from there. This doesn't apply to all of us though. FFVIII is my personal... Read All Recently, I finished reading the cover story in the latest Game Informer, which is about Final Fantasy XV. I've known about it's development for a long time, it was originally called Final Fantasy Versus XIII. It's been in development for 10 years now and has undergone many changes, not just by name.

The Square-Enix team working on FFXV realized that while FF became an epic franchise, which has been pretty influential in our current games, some of the fanfare of the series has dwindled. Many fans of the series seem to prefer VII the most and also seem to view the series as going downhill from there. This doesn't apply to all of us though. FFVIII is my personal favorite, although I also really enjoyed IX and X (including X-2). Unfortunately, for me, that's when the series began to dwindle.

FFXI is a game that I didn't get into until a very long time after it's release. However, it is a MMORPG and requires a monthly subscription fee. It also isn't much of a game for one who's used to playing solo, like me. I liked XII and XIII, but for some reason they don't feel as epically awesome as many of the other FF games.

However, it looks like FFXV will change that. From what I've read, it sounds like it's going to be really good. I just hope it lives up to those expectations. The trailer looks really awesome, too! So, I think this is definitely something I want to get into.

However, I don't have a PS4 or Xbox One. A PC version may come eventually. So, I'm thinking that this could be a great reason to get a PS4. Although, something I saw seemed to show the game performs better on the Xbox One. FFVII: Remake is also in development and I think would probably be another good reason to get a PS4. Another Kingdom Hearts sequel is expected, too. That's something else I'm looking forward to.

So, what do you think of FFXV? Do you think it's a good reason to finally get a PS4 (or Xbox One)? Let me know what you think!

Here's a link about the game, although it only scratches the surface of what I read in the magazine:
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/04/06/revealing-final-fantasy-xvs-opening-gameplay.aspx

First Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer Drops - A Darker Take On Star Wars?

Rogue One: A Star Wars story has been in production since 2013 and today we received the first proper trailer. The movie comes out this December 16th and from the trailer, I can't wait. Unlike the early trailers for The Force Awakens Rogue One features some character information and the basic plot of the film. Jyn Erso seems to be taken into custody by the Rebel Alliance and asked to join a special team to help steal the plans for the Empires ultimate weapon...

*spoiler alert for Episode IV A New Hope*

... The original death star. Since Rogue One is before A New Hope this film chronicles the Rebel Alliance and it's attempts to steal the Death Star readout used the by... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 04/07/2016 at 01:19pm

omg omg omg omg I'm trying not to get too hyped, but this looks fantastic. This is the kind of tone needed for that time period. They at least got the marketing way right for it.

I would have liked to have seen more characters, but the ones we did see were compelling. The new actor for Mon Mothma really pulls it off. I find it interesting that we saw Mon Mothma for like 4 minutes total in the original trilogy but she's become so important to the non-movie canon.

Anyway, overall: STOKED.

Travis Admin wrote on 04/07/2016 at 01:31pm

A further note: I'm hyped for this more than I would be because of non-movie canon. I've been watching the beginning of the rebellion in Star Wars: Rebels. I've read about Ciena Ree's rise in the empire, and Thane Kyrell's disillusionment when he realizes what the Death Star is. I've read about Tarkin working his way up in the ranks, and meeting and working with Darth Vader. He was the only one smart enough to realize that Vader == Anakin. I've read about Vader's motivations in the Vader comics, realizing that he didn't just lose Anakin entirely when he put on the suit, understanding why he's doing what he's doing.

And now this movie is kinda the culmination of all of those. It feels like the canon has been setting this movie up without feeling like it's setting anything up.

Now the question is whether it works.

Travis Admin wrote on 04/07/2016 at 01:33pm

Although I still feel a bit salty because IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE KYLE KATARN WHO STOLE THE DEATH STAR PLANS.

That's my only problem with taking the EU out of canon: Kyle.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/07/2016 at 02:08pm

This looks very rad, and I totally look forward to seeing it! But I was incredibly distracted by the siren. My mind instantly pictured Jar Jar yelling into a bullhorn lol. I hope they change up that sound :)
Other than that, I can't wait.
I am a little worried that it won't feel as climatic, as the entire time watching the movie we know that the plans do get stolen.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/07/2016 at 09:04pm

Another December Star Wars movie, so soon? Nice!

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/07/2016 at 09:20pm

December from now on will be known as Star Wars Month

(sorry Jesus)

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/08/2016 at 04:53pm

> The new actor for Mon Mothma really pulls it off. I find it interesting that we saw Mon Mothma for like 4 minutes total in the original trilogy but she's become so important to the non-movie canon.

The actress playing Mon Mothma, Genevieve O'Reilly is actually the same one that played her in Episode III Revenge of the Sith. So it's cool they used her again!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/08/2016 at 04:53pm

> December from now on will be known as Star Wars Month.

Yeah. Last year we didn't have a Christmas as much as a STAR WARS!!!!

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/08/2016 at 05:47pm

This is a fun little article I ran into :)

http://www.hitfix.com/harpy/mon-mothma-actress-gets-the-last-laugh-after-being-cut-from-star-wars-revenge-of-the-sith

Travis Admin wrote on 04/08/2016 at 06:57pm

I don't even remember Mon Mothma in Revenge of the Sith... Oh I started typing before reading Adam's comment. She wasn't there after all, even though she kinda was!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/08/2016 at 06:57pm

That's where I remember her from. Back in the day watching the deleted scene on the DVD! I knew she wasn't in the final cut though. Nice to see her come back.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/08/2016 at 07:49pm

I feel a little guilty because I had no idea who Mon Mothma was, even after seeing the new trailer, so I had to google her. That's how I found the deleted scene and article :)

Travis Admin wrote on 04/08/2016 at 09:45pm

She was also in the OT, very briefly, and has become kind of a fan favorite. She's in tons of books and such. I've always wondered what about her inspired that kind of non-movie inclusion.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/08/2016 at 10:51pm

Star Wars The Force Awakens Alternate HISHE
https://youtu.be/tU6uaEcpjug
Random funniness :)

Travis Admin wrote on 04/09/2016 at 04:53am

The Vulcan (not sure if Spock or Sarek) was a great addition :D

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/09/2016 at 09:47pm

As a figurehead, Mon Mothma is Galadriel-level imposing. Plus, that name "Mothma". It's just the coolest name for a leader.

That Rogue One trailer is absolutely amazing. I would almost pay money for the trailer alone. It's too much! We went for so long without good Star Wars movies, and now we're getting rained on by Hurricane Mickey. It's crazy!

Travis Admin wrote on 04/09/2016 at 10:36pm

> Hurricane Mickey

I love this.

But yeah, we still haven't seen the movie so we don't know it's good. I'm trying not to get my hopes up. But it looks SO good.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/10/2016 at 02:45am

I agree scrypt, we are. I honestly didn't think Disney would make Star Wars amazing again but holy smokes George was right about handing it over to them.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/10/2016 at 02:46am

I also think Kathleen Kennedy had a ton to do with it, she is in charge of LucasFilm and doing a really outstanding job. JJ, Johnson and Gareth Edwards. I've always thought a Han Solo stand alone film would be bad, but I am thinking it might be really good.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Sign Up / Log In

Everyone Can Take A Walk Though Hell In The Upcoming Doom Open Beta

http://www.technobuffalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/DOOM-1-1280x760.jpg

If you missed the Doom closed beta, iD is opening up the doors to hell to allow anyone the ability to try it before launch.

"If you were unable to join us for our recent DOOM closed multiplayer beta, you’re in luck! From April 15 through 17, you’ll be able to jump straight into the open beta – no code necessary. Simply download the beta and let the viscera fly. Like the closed beta, you’ll have access to Team Deathmatch and Warpath on the Heatwave and Infernal maps."

https://bethesda.net/#en/events/game/doom-open-beta-and-post-launch-content/2016/04/06/101

I didn't have a great time with the Doom closed beta as it crashed on my PC each time I tried it so heres hoping... Read All

Miitomo Is a Strangely Fun Social Network

Nintendo launched Miitomo last Thursday in the United States and i’ve been using it pretty religiously since then. It’s a strangely addicting social network that focuses on your friends and you answering questions and the conversations that erupt from that. It just might be my friend group, but there have been some really hilarious discussions created with it. Sometimes the discussions get a bit too meta or poop-focused for my taste but I really think Nintendo did a good job with Miitomo. Nintendo has built a very solid base to branch out from and I can’t wait to see how Miitomo changes over time.

What’s The Point of Miitomo?

Nintendo is great at making hardware and... Read All

Relive the Star Wars Magic With the Force Awakens & Special Features

Star Wars The Force Awakens was finally released on Blu-ray yesterday and like many eager fans I devoured the special features that evening. It was some of the most fun i’ve had watching special features in quite some time but before we get into all that we need to talk about something else first.

Save Yourself The Pain and Just Buy The Normal Blu-ray Version Of This Movie

One way to upset fans is to hype something up and under deliver. The Force Awakens was a well hyped movie but for all of that it completely delivered and was well received by fans as well as myself. So when they mentioned the Blu-ray was coming out with a boatload of special features I was in.... Read All

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/07/2016 at 03:49am

Thanks for posting this! I didn't pre-order it, so I'm going over to Amazon now to buy it. Me and Vinny really enjoyed watching it together even though our 3D experience was horrible. I think he really likes BB-8, because when we were in Gamestop last week he said he sees him everywhere (it didn't sound like that was in a bad way, after all he did buy some BB-8 socks around Christmas).

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/07/2016 at 01:07pm

Yeah, BB-8 really is everywhere. I remember seeing him show up all over even before I bought the movie. Disney hit paydirt with that droid!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/09/2016 at 05:59am

(Removed previous comment. I thought I sent that in a message, why did I put that in the comment section here?)

Anyway, when I went to order A Force Awakens, it looked like it wouldn't be here until Monday. However, tracking my package now tells me it will be here later today (a technicality seeing as it's about 2am) on Saturday. I don't think it's a special edition at all, but I'm looking forward to watching it again with Vinny.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/10/2016 at 12:35am

Ok, mine came with a DVD, Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray "Bonus" disc, and a code to download the digital version of the movie. No code to go online and get those bonus features you mentioned, maybe they're on the "bonus" disc. It does have a sticker on the cover that says "all new bonus deleted scenes revealed plus Secrets of the Force Awakens."

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/10/2016 at 02:48am

So if you bought the disc at Target then you can use that code on Disney Anywhere to watch the special stuff I talked about. There is a special Tunnel scene if you redeem the code in iTunes or Google plus not on the disc, but everything else is.

And it's incredible, so enjoy! Curious what your thoughts on it will be.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/10/2016 at 05:25am

Yeah, I didn't see anything about a Tunnel scene. But, it was all cool. Obviously me and Vinny enjoyed the movie, so it was good that we could enjoy it again and not with a bad 3D experience. The documentary was good and what I got from it was just how grand of an idea it was to have a new Star Wars movie including the original cast and many others who worked on the first three movies. There's so much involved and they all did a fantastic job and that's the beauty of it all. I enjoy the generational and family themes they mentioned, like giving Star Wars to a new generation. That really fits with me since it's something I got to enjoy with my son. I don't doubt that they could do a fantastic job on another movie (or more).

Travis Admin wrote on 04/10/2016 at 05:48am

No, when you redeem the code to get the digital copy, it comes with special features. There's an extra deleted scene with the digital copy that has the tunnel scene. So if you redeem it on iTunes, the tunnel scene will be available to you with the rest of the movie in iTunes. Same with Amazon or whatever else (although I hear Amazon's is just one big 4+ hour video file)

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/10/2016 at 07:46am

Yeah it is a big 4+ hour Amazon video. I see now, thanks for letting me know, Travis.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Sign Up / Log In

Play This Incredible 3D Zelda Tribute In Your Browser!

Zelda is an iconic game that lives on long after it originally came to us in 1986. Since this year marks the 30th anniversary of Zelda an amazing fan tribute has hit the web you can play right now. Someone recreated the original Legend of Zelda in 3D and it's playable right now from your web browser. It's a fun concept i'd argue suffers from some game play issues but is still a very fun and novel take on the original game.

http://zelda30tribute.com/

UPDATE: It appears Nintendo has told the authors to take down the game.

"Nintendo asked us to remove this site for copyright infringement. I guess Zelda30Tribute was a little too pixel perfect :-) We're sad about that, but we... Read All

Cheerful Ghost Patchset 3.11 - What You Need To Know

Greetings Ghosts,

I've been spending the last few weeks working on bug fixes and interesting new core features to Cheerful Ghost and I wanted to wrap up a patchlist for you all. This doesn't quite cover everything and some stuff my be so esoteric as to not be interesting but hopefully going forward I can keep posting changes in this form to keep you all updated as to what's been happening on the tech side of this site.

Patchset 3.11

Upgraded the core Rails framework for the latest security and bug fixes. I do this whenever I need to but a few came recently and we upgraded. http://rubyonrails.org/

Upgraded to the latest jQuery 1.22.2 stable release branch. ... Read All

Greetings Ghosts,

I've been spending the last few weeks working on bug fixes and interesting new core features to Cheerful Ghost and I wanted to wrap up a patchlist for you all. This doesn't quite cover everything and some stuff my be so esoteric as to not be interesting but hopefully going forward I can keep posting changes in this form to keep you all updated as to what's been happening on the tech side of this site.

Patchset 3.11

Upgraded the core Rails framework for the latest security and bug fixes. I do this whenever I need to but a few came recently and we upgraded. http://rubyonrails.org/

Upgraded to the latest jQuery 1.22.2 stable release branch. https://jquery.com

Upgraded to the latest Boostrap 3.3.6 release. Boostrap is a CSS, HTML & JS framework for designing responsive web applications. http://getbootstrap.com/

Replaced the API we use to send email.

Replace the main page post autoload with pagination.

Fixed a bug in the ATOM feed generator where we were generating incorrect URL's in feed readers. The URL pointed to the right content but was formatted incorrectly.

Fixed some bugs in Events exporting to iCalendar and Google Calendar. We also support iCalendar locations and URLs better to point back to the original Cheerful Ghost event.

Retooled the private messages UI. The new UI is a bit more clear and feels much more similar to existing interfaces.

Rebuilt the User profile pages. The new profile pages are much more clean and easier to understand and use! Clicking on your profile posts, trophies and games buttons provides a visual indication where you are and makes it clear on how to return to your base profile. This retooling has an added benefit of profile pages being easier to use on mobile and tablets as well. Profile pages can now link to your public Starcraft II and Diablo III Battle.net profiles. The social and game links sizes have increased making them easier to see and touch on smaller screens. For a live example check Travis's profile page http://cheerfulghost.com/Travis

Because of a hugely popular demand, I rebuilt the post creation system. As part of this new clean and simple design you no longer have to add a game to your personal list to write about it. Clicking the "Create A New Post" button expands the new UI and you can now write about any game in our 24k and counting game database.

As with any new set of features you may find bugs present. If that is the case you can report those in the comments thread below or private message me directly.

Did The Oregon Trail Lie To Us All?

In the latest episode of Game/Show Jamin talks about the Apple classic game The Oregon Trail. He starts things off with a seemingly ridiculous premise that everyones favorite squirrel shooting simulator lied to us. I recommend you watch the video to experience a really interesting and light history of the The Oregon Trail but also educational games as a genre. Apparently educational games are not very good at educating people and if they are it's generally not for what they set out to do. In the end Oregon Trail does a good job teaching us about simulation and economic basics but doesn't do a great job teaching us what it's like to have actually been on the trail.... Read All

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/05/2016 at 06:54pm

I could see that there may be an issue regarding the scholastic merit of some "educational games," but using The Oregon Trail as a test seems misconstrued when it sounds like the original creators were simply looking for a catalyst to stir young minds to inquiry, rather than to build an actual lesson plan in game form. The original Oregon Trail started as a board game, later made into a computer game (in two weeks, mind you), for teletype game play (hardly like the game we know, despite Jamin's claim, unless you think tabletop D&D and Icewind Dale for PC are practically the same experience), and existed as such for about the first decade of it's life. It wasn't made into the game we recognize until the early 80's, with very little input from it's original creators.

I'm curious to know who heralds The Oregon Trail as "one of the most important educational games, ever to exist." The closest I could find was from this old PC Gamer article, which seems more poignant in it's understanding of the scope of the game: http://www.pcgamer.com/most-important-pc-games/2/

Once again, I feel Jamin abuses hyperbole to make a point, this time to the extent of inappropriately disparaging a game for not being more than it was ever intended to be, or could have feasibly been, at it's inception. I'm confused by some of his analogies (e.g. [4:42] Rawitsch's adjusting of event probabilities, which somehow results in alternative historical experiences in the game, or [5:44] the misrepresented association between intuitive interfaces and Lusory Attitude, and the weird implication that this made the game fun, in contrast with it's earliest concept as a teletype game.), and obviously a little disappointed in the way he went about presenting what could have been a more interesting topic, without all of the typical Game/Show platitudes.

What might be more interesting to emphasize, is that the original board game, and teletype game, played in Rawitsch's classroom was an exercise in group play, which, according to an article from New York University (http://bit.ly/1Xf7vPx), is one of the most effective ways of implementing games into education, promoting mastery goal orientation, rather than individual performance goal orientation which seems to inhibit potential learning opportunities.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/06/2016 at 03:46am

> but using The Oregon Trail as a test seems misconstrued when it sounds like the original creators were simply looking for a catalyst to stir young minds to inquiry, rather than to build an actual lesson plan in game form.

I think the whole notion of Oregon Trail lying to us is also kind of silly. That said, those kinds of headlines get clicks and it seems a bit dodgy because to make it payoff in the video you have to do things that maybe don't make sense?

> I'm curious to know who heralds The Oregon Trail as "one of the most important educational games, ever to exist.

I would. I think the original Oregon Trail is heralded as a great game because it was impactful to so many. It may not have been the pinnacle of educational gaming but it was so deep and rich for me and I loved playing it on the Apple II and Commodore. Lots of kids grew up in the 90's having played it as it was a staple in tons of schools. You might not find a ton of thought pieces about it, but seeing games like Organ Trail and the like existing now kind of nod to it's influence.

> Once again, I feel Jamin abuses hyperbole to make a point, this time to the extent of inappropriately disparaging a game for not being more than it was ever intended to be, or could have feasibly been, at it's inception.

The video title is clickbait for sure, but I don't think the historical significance of the Oregon Trail was overblown. At least to me.

> What might be more interesting to emphasize, is that the original board game, and teletype game, played in Rawitsch's classroom was an exercise in group play, which, according to an article from New York University (http://bit.ly/1Xf7vPx), is one of the most effective ways of implementing games into education, promoting mastery goal orientation, rather than individual performance goal orientation which seems to inhibit potential learning opportunities.

Absolutely, but for whatever reason the method they chose might work for the large gaming audience? I'm not sure, I love a good deep dive into that sort of thing you mention so it wouldn't bother me

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Sign Up / Log In