Final Class Reflection – Trini Rogando

Before this class, I thought about play as something that was a bit inaccessible to me. I’m not a big platform or control-oriented gamer, and so a game like Hades – a roguelike that I actually felt like I could play – it was life changing in that it came to me at a time in my life where the subject matter spoke to me deeply, and prompted me to be curious about making games – things – that truly mattered to people as a whole. What made a game like Hades accessible to people who didn’t consider themselves hardcore gamers was in its thoughtful design – that progress felt as if it was being made constantly, the different modes of success (God Mode), the clear and deft UI. For years, I played role-playing walking simulators like Ib, Life is Strange, What Remains of Edith Finch… – finding language for my queerness and an interest in narrative development through games. Through this class I’ve been able to play many different games and truly analyze their development such as Gone Home or The Almost Gone which I would not have played otherwise but have opened my eyes to the creative and thoughtful design that is possible through interactive narrative. 

Through this class, I learned a lot about feminism in games – the Gamergate discussion is something that will constantly stick with me – and the particular methods of storytelling through environmental worldbuilding that I will additionally carry with me into my work as a physical theatrical designer in the real world. I implemented many of those skills into my work not only in P1 and P2, creating an immersive environment for players that guides them towards success, but also in my non-game endeavors – thinking about how Objective and Challenge may come up in designing children’s learning activities for my d.school senior year Design Capstone.

I found challenges managing time. In both this class and 377P, I wish that I could have spent even more time than what I ended up having time for. Still, in both group projects, I felt that I approached the challenge of finding time with significant verve. I feel that I contributed significantly to my group projects aesthetically and in design implementation, and am happy that I can look back on this work with pride.

I feel that I grew, in a related way, through my time management and people management skills. I think that developing strong EQ and learning how/when to fill in gaps that others may be struggling with or not have capacity for is a valuable trait as I go forward into a career. I also think that I don’t love feeling overwhelmed so often in a quarter, and this class encouraged me to reflect on balancing interest and ambition with a healthy work life balance.