#critique feedback

Thank you Delaney for the notes 😊

Juno crit notes <3

Board game/ world building vibes

Tiers of the boardgame in relation to the ‘spaces’ on them (e.g. capitalist society, slums etc.)

Ancient history symbols: cult-y, tiers of game representative of Dante’s Inferno 9 layers of hell

Is the work a metaphor for ‘the game’ or the ‘game of life’.

DnD ‘Calvinball’ (Dan said this) - making rules up as you go, unpredictable, unfair

The separation and distinction of the Square, Circle and Triangle levels is intriguing. It seems in the game there is no way to get through from shape to shape. Three seperate games in one?

Dark room presentation: can’t read card text, adds a unique element of the space/game if there are rules that are almost unreadable in the space

Pokemon, yugioh card references: working with the ‘aesthetic’ of the game rather than making an actual playable game

Light in the space/ placement of led lights: dictates the viewers sight, the viewers movement and interaction/understanding of the game

Ancient Roman/Egypt references: these civilisations were known for war and battles too, potentially an interesting element to add to the concept of the game.

So much to read but the game itself seems unplayable

Seems like an original invented game, not taking conceptual reference from anyone – get it to the point where your game is playable

Your work is rewriting the rules of game subcultures, by manipulating/adding references

Working with the broader territory (conceptually) of society politics (class levels etc.)

You (the creator) are subjecting the player to the game through game design- Alice mentioning the outward-facing cards, allocating that character to the player who finds themself in front of it

Cluedo vibes

The design of the game concept is similar to monopoly; working your way up in society to have ‘more’. But more of what?

Presentation of the game in the gallery space is between a museum vitrine display and playable; too nicely presented for viewers to interact with but it is still exposed and open

Simon Denny – Founders paradox

Dnd – ongoing game with no determined end (do I want this? Or do I want a clear objective/ end goal?)

This work is more of a sculpture of a game than a game itself.

The game seems unplayable because the characters are mid-play

What is the objective/parameters of the game? Make the dynamics/objectives clearer for the viewer.

Critique notes, thank you Alice and Ashley!

Has the same quality as an art book- part 'artwork', part 'product'. It doesn't necessarily fit into either category, it is a combination of both

The 'involuntary' aspect of joining the game is interesting

Voyeurism vs contribution

Experiencing from a safe distance- games, the internet (behind a screen). There's this barrier that distances you from the event/ subject

Information rather than experience- visualizing things as diagrams/ records/ methodical enactments/ autopsies

Grand Theft Auto- earning points from committing crimes, glorification and reward endorsing the act

Human drive towards destruction, craving risk and reward. Firefighters who deliberately start fires to 'play God'

Playing God, playing the 'hero', sense of superiority and power gained through being the hero in a time of tragedy

Addiction to this power ^

Certain careers enforcing this sense of power, psychopaths tend to seek careers that allow them this sense of power- police, surgeon, lawyer etc.

God complex

One's personal truth and belief of morals, belief that they are committing acts of 'good': what state of mind you have to be in to believe that acts of violence equate to good morals

^ Serial killers who equate killing 'bad' people as 'cleansing the world of evil'. When the villain believes they are saving the world

The line that you would cross morally- killing or defending?

Global states, not just individual states

Politics of torture

Spectrum of morality

Oppenheimer, destruction and guilt. The 'American Prometheus'

Simulation vs reality

31.05.23

Table felt like you are looking into a portal- as if you are a God looking down onto earth, or hellscape

Bird’s eye viewpoint- connection to skydiving or travelling in planes, sense of freedom, thrill, and escapism

The frame- the seating in a stadium, the audience. Also a separation device

Cards on the frame- pulls the characters out from the world and behind the frame with the viewer. Cards facing you suggest that this is your character.

Capitalism- are we complicit or are we victims? Are we the machine or are we victims of the machine?

Distancing mechanisms

Illusion of power, control, and distance

Frame also creates an invisible forcefield surface- what will breach this forcefield and will remain contained within it? Will the obelisk breach it?

AI cards- better feedback than I expected, yay- Eldritch (uncanny, otherworldly), HP Lovecraft, unseeable Gods, unattainable language. Feels like a glitch, matrix, or the moment when you’re trying to read in a dream but the words don’t make sense.

How much specific knowledge do we need to have to encounter this?

Game looks playable, but you don’t yet understand the nuances behind it, and don’t feel like you ever will, it feels overly complicated

Reply to previous note: But doesn’t that reflect the world we exist within? We don’t know what is going on but we do our best to keep going

Black hole, or rabbit hole. How much is too much, where it becomes conspiracy?

What is the symbolic language at play?

Tapping into cultural vernacular

Establishing rules, ways of engagement, or where to begin

Understanding the signs of a boardgame, but not understanding how to play this particular game- is this something I have intended, or not?

People who have experience of ‘gaming’ feel like this is more approachable, and know how to engage in it, whereas people who don’t have this experience can’t understand it

Video-game POV- feels like the map they give you for navigation and quest goals

UNLOCKED ROOMS- gauzy screen blocking out map

What access to different levels do we have? Is there an upgrade level, secret level? Is there a boss level? What do you have to do to earn it?

Who has access to what and when and how?

Level of knowledge, enchants or disenchants playing as a factor into how far you get

Unfinished shelf (the underneath and tucked away)- secrets, space, reveals and hides, has value to it- slow burning corridors, pathways to secret places and discoveries

Hidden lore

Tabletop space- neutral space- relationship between the board and table, should the whole table be activated and alive? Visual image, digital images, Warhammer style diorama?- 3Dimensional space, rising and falling of pathways, emerging from flat surfaces

What is flat? What is image? What is dimension?

What material knowledge system it comes in

Mary McGregor Reid: DND models, ask Justine at the library if I could have a conversation with her

Rectangular shape of table- looks like TV screen. Dining table dynamics. All have a structural place, engagement and operation, hierarchy, competition and teamwork, opposite side suggests rivalry, whereas the person sitting next to you seems to be your team mate. Natural congregation around tables.

Dungeon Master having the head of the table- how is this different from the other seats? Seat as prompt. Image as signifier as it not being a players seat.

Stage of the game presented- has been it been played? Is it mid-game? Is it after the game has finished?

Do I want them to play or not? Performance? Someone sitting at the head of the table, or playing?

Prompts to INCLUDE or EXCLUDE people. Inviting or not?

Interactive, performative, or an object to look at? ENCOUNTER

Level of SPECIFICITY- level of buy-in. Fans want specifics of the story and invented mythology. Level of detail is crucial. LORE HUNTING. Fan cultures of internet culture and media- code, deep diving, easter eggs

“Ancient mythologies” in statement- too broad, needs to be specified

Ironic or serious? Celebration or critique?

Celine Frampton- AI- Four Apostles who witnessed the crucifixion. 4 different viewpoints around the event.

Triangulate the viewpoints on that history. Each God’s viewpoint on the same subject

Characterisation beyond card content of character

AI- loop over and over- AI dealing with human and emotional narratives- highlights the gaps and failures

AI- how do you know what is intentional and what isn’t? Incorporating the failures into the project

Reference to contemporary, or futuristic, places. Not just ancient. Familiarity

Battle Angel Alita (Manga)- garbage chute of razors

Two locations- how to get from A to B?

Material Investigation can be pushed - seriousness with the treatment of materials, materials that are weighty, cold, feel ancient

Small resin trinkets- 1:4 scale, feels like a reward, or token to be won

29.03.23

Thanks so much Delaney for writing notes for me 😊 

Board game on a pedestal – more about observing than playing. Is it your intention to make it unplayable?

More observational. Think about different modes of presentation and how it affects the engagement of the viewer e.g. Board Game in a gallery

Control of the gallery space – it controls (to a certain extent) how we interact with things.

Think about the heights of the plinth in relation to each other- The roles/dynamics

Hierarchy of the plinths – throws the equilibrium out.

Asymmetry of power! Things to reflect this/ other aspects of the roles and dynamics through presentation.

How are the roles assigned? By chance? To think about in relation to your instructions. Peoples choice of which character to play already reflects aspects of their inner selves.

Interesting note- For the watcher there is a face in the back.

Agency- Role play as means by which we take up something.

Reinforce archetypes – people’s character/our own character. Does the game destabilise our ways of thinking about people/selves?

How people use the games indicates the self.

Concept of the boardgame is intense and can bring out the worst in people.

FATE/FORTUNE

Patterns in the boardgame e.g., playing again for long enough will reveal playing patterns in the game – to think about.

Raw Material – Form/Colour as hierarchy

Symbolism of red is noted.

Prototype – work currently seems like a prototype. Mostly in relation to the size of the plinth/board game.  

Painting the figures to make their roles clearer.

White reinforces the black/red

Noel noted the box is reminiscent of a box of chocolates. Think about the opening of a box and how that engages the viewer.

Scale of the game.

Possibility - Different ways to change the character during playing. Ability to change roles during playing. Play on power dynamics, using this as a drive to become the aggressor?

Using scale to enhance the effect…on a table or larger?

Illusion of practicality

Playing the game has an emotionally driven engagement. Observing the games is a visually driven engagement.

Stanford Prison Experiment

Materiality of resin/ 3D print – want to play but not touch.

My personal notes during the session (mostly covered by Delaney too):

The power of asymmetry- why use an equilateral triangle to represent an imbalanced hierarchy?

Assigning characters- how?

Agency of characters and players within roleplay- aggression vs submission

Following stereotypical roles- enhancing the player’s personalities through the character they play

Fortune and fate- fortune mapping to fate

Eyes are drawn to the colour- hierarchy with colour- red gives an emotive element

White 3D prints: prototype- frozen in production stage

Dial up aesthetics- camp aesthetics

3D print- statue quality: remove the cards from the top of the plinth and place it in front

Lid- looks like chocolate box (probably not a good thing)

Scale is intimate- a prototype scale- scaling up would make it more intimidating

Changing roles- so characters aren’t fated to their role. Gives players more drive because they can ‘upgrade’ by changing roles (changing the hats)

Whoever loses in combat has to give over their head to the winning player- looting and attaining possessions as an incentive to continue the game. Thanks Phong for the awesome suggestion

Positives: The color palettes, nice moments in several of the ideas. Negatives: easily readable, the color on the trees make it hard to read, The arms and the door in ' fear' not reading well at all.