3 minute read. Content warnings: References to ghosts/haunting
chatGPT Summary: Kay reflects on their mapping and game design process for Edmonds Park, considering alternative navigation methods, accessibility modes, and thematic elements of memory and haunting while debating the feasibility of their 20-day development challenge.
It has been snowing all day. Part of me wants to trek off into this and see how 2 hours and 45 minutes is affected by the snow, but the part of me that gets cold easily keeps me from pulling on my boots. However, even from another space, I have been dreaming about Edmond’s Park and the mapping game I will be creating.
I have decided that I want to do some of the mapping this time using shoes. I am curious how much of a margin of error something builds up between ranges of shoe sizes and if I can direct ambulatory players to a specific location using end-to-end shoe paces. For those using mobility devices, I think I will stick to GPS coordinates. Again, I will create game modes that create altered play states for those who are Blind or low-vision, deaf and non-auditory, those with chromatic challenges, and those who do not have access to the senses of smell, taste, or touch, but I really want to lean on device use this time. I created a fake, in-game wayfinding app in The Haunted Island that took place of a narrator, reading out the descriptions and paths one must take. This time, I really want the device that each user is holding to be the guide. This will mean more testing. This will mean leaning on HTML more than the default Twine mark-up. I wonder if I am up to the now 20-day challenge.
For theme, I am still swirling around the idea of being haunted. Of ghosts, but not necessarily human spirits. I wonder about echos or memories this time. I am thinking about how people reminisce and how senses play into that storytelling.
My partner has suggested the ghost of Valentine’s, but while timely and cute, I am still hesitant to theme my game so closely to another cultural celebration or specific time of year.
Technology note:
I used chatGPT to create a summary and reading estimate, and recommend some content warnings for this blog, and Grammarly to assist me in spelling and grammar.