Fix 3-4

More Satisfying Work:

I have really enjoyed the thrill of getting enough XP to "level up"!  I keep a close eye on my progress and know that if I need just a few more XP to get to the next level that I search for the quests that will give me the best chance to move up!  As I accept the new quests and begin to complete, I know now as McGonigal states, it's not "if you can complete it (the quest); you just need to figure out when you can fit it into your jam-packed hero schedule" (Kindle Loc 983).  For me, it's definitely been a much slower process since level 22 or so, but I think I've finally learned to be patient and really see what is going on and how it all works together.  At first, I will admit, I was slightly competitive with my classmates because I wanted to be in the lead.  If I was spending all day in front of the computer, it might have been possible.  But, alas, I have to work!    So, for now I'll just keep focused on the goals and quests to help me get to the next level!!

It took me a while to figure out that keeping a well-stocked reserve of units ready for battle was so important.  There are certain things that I do each time I login.  I check the wells, fields, and supply chains to see what is missing or low.  I also create "buffs" daily so that I have enough to get me through the next couple of online visits.  I usually take a stroll around the island to see what I can collect!  This also helps me to see where the next bandit camps are that I need to defeat.  I haven't yet reached out to many other players, but am learning about the guilds and I can see how using these games in the classroom can really create the collaboration that 21st Century Skills deem so important.  As an added bonus, I now really understand that when my son says, "just another minute, Mom", that he might be close to a goal or to another level and to cut him at least a few extra minutes of slack in whatever game he is working on!!

Better Hope of Success:

The feedback I've received while playing the game has been very helpful in knowing what to do next.  In the early levels, it was given in the form of step-by-step guided help during the quests.  Now, I'm able to figure out what I need to do to successfully complete each quest.  I'm also much more patient in getting the larger quests complete.  In the early stages of the game, I expected to move very quickly through the levels, but now, I know that sometimes they will move slowly.

With regard to mastery, I feel like I have much better handle on what needs to be done.  For example, getting recruits/soldiers ready for the battles.  Little by little, I'm working my way through both the quests and the bandit camps.  I've also started to try the adventures and feel like if I can be successful with those, I can handle anything!  Having a good grasp of the production chains and supplies has helped me.  Knowing and using the Trade Office frequently has helped keep my supplies running and my settler's moving in! McGonigal makes a statement in the text that I believe is important: "Any gamer who puts in the effort can’t help but get better. And yet the better we are at a game, the less of a challenge it presents." (Kindle Location 1172). I'm not sure that I'm at the point where the game presents less of a challenge for me, but, I can see how that thought process could be true for gamers more experienced than myself.  I think that if I asked my 8th graders to play this game, that I could be a support, like others have been for me.  I don't think I would have said that a couple of weeks ago, when I was still needing support from my son to get through!