Capstone Project - Minor in Writing Capstone Course

 

This project imagines life at the University of Michigan in the form of a video game.  This fictional video game, "Victors Valiant," is explained through excerpts of a strategy guide that explains how to play it.  (Creating an actual video game is far beyond my capabilities!)  As a real strategy guide takes an extremely long time to create with a whole team of people, including writers, editors, visual designers, and layout editors, I scaled back my project to include portions of the fictional text rather than the entire text itself.  (Strategy guides can be extremely long.)  However, the concept of translating real life into a video game intrigued me, and I hope I have done the idea justice.

 

 

Victors Valiant

Join the ranks of the conquering heroes.

 

Introduction

 

Welcome to world of the Victors Valiant! Released in 2014 by Rollicking Crew Studios, this game seeks to combine the genre of the RPG (role-playing game) with real life. As such, it offers a myriad of ways to play the game – as many ways as a person can live his or her life! (The developers will also release extra downloadable content.) This strategy guide will provide tips and tricks to help you achieve your goals during your experience at the University of Michigan. But before we get into your first year, let’s discuss how to play the game.

 

Basic Information

 

Let me guess: you’re reading this section because you decided to be a “true gamer” and not read the instruction manual, but now you’re completely confused. Have no fear! This part of the guide will teach you the basics.

 

• Character Creation

 

Before you ever get into the gameplay, the game asks you to create your own character. You may choose from six different pre-rendered characters if you want to jump into the game quickly, but the experience of playing Victors Valiant is much more satisfying with an avatar that you designed.

 

You can customize nearly every detail of your character’s appearance. The first tab on the left allows you to choose the gender of your character, and also contains the sliders that adjust height and body shape. An important note: though you can choose your character’s gender, your clothing, hairstyle, and appearance in general will affect how the NPCs perceive you. Different pieces of clothing will weigh more toward the feminine or masculine ends of the spectrum. A dress, for instance, will cause you to be perceived as female more often than other items. Though fans have guessed that there is a “points system” that awards values for how masculine or feminine an item is (and have made extensive lists detailing how many points they think each item gets on the scale), the developers have kept quiet about these specifics. As such, this guide cannot tell you the exact numbers for each part of your character’s appearance. What we can tell you is that NPCs will use masculine pronouns and terms of address for your character if they perceive you as male, and feminine pronouns and terms of address if they perceive you as female. In certain situations, you also have the option of asking people to use gender-neutral pronouns.

 

In this same tab, you can customize height and body shape. As in the previous note on gender, NPCs will react to your character differently if he or she especially tall or short, or heavy or lean. Be certain that you’re satisfied with your character’s appearance once you’ve finished. Once you begin playing the game itself, it’s impossible to change your character’s height. (Wearing high-heeled shoes changes it minimally.) Your character’s body shape can only be changed with a great deal of work in the game, and will require you to choose specific foods and go to the gym, which takes up a significant amount of in-game hours.

 

The next tab, second for the left, allows you to customize your character’s personal features, including skin tone, eye color, hair color, and the shape of the nose, eyes, and mouth. Again, NPCs will treat your character differently in subtle and not-so-subtle ways based on his or her skin tone. As with height, NPCs can comment on virtually any aspect of your character’s facial features, though certain parts may draw more remarks than others. In the case of hair color, you will have to pick a “base” color that has a natural, human tone. However, you can then dye your character’s hair any color you choose. Hair color can also be changed during the course of the game, but again, be sure you’re happy with the options you’ve picked before you start for the first time.

 

The next tab, and third in the order, covers hairstyles. Like the color of your character’s hair, you can change this over the course of the game, but you’ll need to go to a salon and pay with in-game money. As mentioned in an earlier paragraph, hair style also affects the NPCs’ perception of your character’s gender. Scroll through the list to find the style you want, and be sure you’re happy with your choice.

 

In the fourth tab, you can personalize your character’s attributes, which range from skills, interests, and bad habits. Unlike the previous tabs about appearance, these details are meant to grow and change over time. Your character should gain more skills and interests during their adventure, as well as a bad habit or two.

 

Skills include advanced writing ability, a mathematical mind, or musical talent, to name a few. Also included under skills are ones that are more interpersonally-oriented rather than academic, such as comforting ability, advice-giving, or a clever sense of humor. You can choose a total of six abilities, and most players pick three of each of the academic and personal skills. However, you are not restricted in what skills you choose. If you wanted, you could play a character with all academic skills (book smarts) or all personal skills (street smarts). The more you use an individual skill over the course of the game, the stronger the skill will be.

 

Academic abilities – or at least, ones that are oriented towards your character’s disciplines – will certainly help your character make it through the rigors of a Michigan education. However, personal skills confer plenty of benefits, as well; ones that often aren’t easily quantified. Interpersonal skills help you make and keep friends, and give other NPCs a positive impression of your avatar. They may open up opportunities that your character wouldn’t have otherwise experienced. These may range from a friendly professor pointing your character towards a cool internship to your friends coming together for an impromptu jam session. Such small events are often among the most memorable moments of college, so don’t underestimate the importance of these skills.

 

The final tab covers your character’s personal history and background. The aspects influence your avatar’s starting conditions in their first year, and will also affect how they react to a multitude of situations. You may choose where your avatar comes from on the economic scale, as well as what their home life is like, and their relationships with their parents or guardians. You can also pick your character’s religious and political affiliations. As with the background, these will affect how your character views the world. If your avatar decides to talk about their religion and their politics, other NPCs may treat your character differently. For example, if an NPC who is a Democrat finds out that your avatar also has similar political views, your reputation with that NPC will be enhanced.

 

• Gameplay

 

Physically moving around Ann Arbor is fairly easy. To move, press the arrow keys in the direction you would like to go. To run, hold down the R key while pressing the arrows to move where you want. Your character can only run for so long, so keep his or her level of exhaustion in mind.

 

Navigating around Ann Arbor is slightly trickier. As you play the game, you’ll get a sense of where places are, but it’s advisable to obtain a map early on. You can also ask NPCs for directions, though the quality of their directions may vary widely.

 

Press “Enter” or “Return” to bring up the status screen. The status screen will show your character’s current appearance, along with their Hit Points (HP), Energy, Physical Prowess (PP), and Mental Prowess (MP). HP and Energy may decrease over time if your character misses assignments or stays up too late at night. You can restore HP by sleeping, and can restore Energy by taking a break or drinking caffeinated beverages. (Be forewarned that caffeinated beverages will only work on your character for so long. Take too many, and they’ll take taking away HP.) PP and MP never decrease, and you can enhance these stats by participating in athletic or intellectual events.

 

Below your character’s statistics is the current inventory. The inventory is based on how much room a character has to carry items, both on their clothing and in a bag or backpack. For example, a small purse can only carry a few items, but a large backpack can hold multiple textbooks. Pick your baggage based on how many things your avatar needs to carry.

 

The final section of the status screen lists your “Party Members.” These people are friends you can call upon to assist you in events, or to simply hang out with. Below each name and image is a number which describes the closeness of your avatar to them. Higher numbers mean a stronger relationship. If there is a heart next to a name, this means the party member is a public romantic interest. A player could conceivably have multiple romantic partners at once, but as these love interests may become jealous of each other or suspicious of your character, it’s much easier to have one romantic interest at any time.

 

Example Event: Football Saturday

 

Repeatable: Yes (only available during football season)

 

It’s the proudest of Michigan traditions… football Saturday! That weekend when the population of Ann Arbor swells to an enormous size, and the maize-and-blue-faithful rush to Michigan Stadium!

 

…Or, maybe they don’t, depending on how you decide to play this event. You have a few ways that you can handle this day.

 

The first point to note is that your character cannot get into Michigan Stadium without a ticket. If you’re not planning on entering the stadium at all, you can ignore this requirement, but otherwise, your character will need to obtain a ticket. You may have season tickets, or you could buy a ticket from a Stub Hub or a student NPC. You could also try to buy tickets from the civilian NPCs who stand around on the streets and sell them, but be forewarned that these prices are steep. You also run the risk of these tickets not working. Tickets need to be validated, and if your character attempts to use a ticket that isn’t validated, you may not be able to enter the stadium. You also can’t enter the stadium after the second quarter is finished. Your character doesn’t have to wake up before dawn if he or she doesn’t want to, but don’t go to the game too late.

 

Possible Strategies:

Perhaps the most traditional way to play this event is to wake up, arrive to the game on time, and stay and watch. Going to the game with friends will increase your closeness, and having a seating group is an easy way to enhance friendships week after week. Playing this way means that the only side-effect that you would have to worry about is whether your character will have enough to complete any work or homework.

 

Another way to play this event is hit up the fraternity, and sorority, and student houses and do some pre-gaming. This strategy will require you to keep tabs on your character’s alcohol intake. Imbibing too much will mess with your controls, and make it harder for you to navigate your avatar around the city. If your character goes way over their limit, an ambulance will be called to rush them to the University Hospital. Your avatar’s parents or guardians will become upset with him or her if they find out that they became seriously ill from drinking. In all likelihood, they will find out, and your character may suffer some form of punishment. As long as you “stay in the blue,” (as the university likes to remind you over and over again) your character won’t suffer from overly adverse effects.

 

Another easy way to play this event is to find a television set or a radio and watch or listen to the game. This has the advantage of allowing your character to multi-task on other jobs, such as homework, laundry, or cleaning. You can also use this opportunity to have a “watch party” with friendly NPCs. You won’t gain as much school spirit for playing the event this way, but it is a good method to gain a few spirit points while accomplishing your goals.

 

And the absolute simplest way to play this event? Do something completely different! If your character has no interest at all in sports, then you don’t have to make them go! Use these hours however you see fit. Places that are usually overrun with student NPCs won’t be nearly as crowded during football games, so take this is a great opportunity to study, eat, or shop around campus.

 

There are also options for special characters for this event: football players, marching band members, and cheerleaders and dancers. If your character is a football player, this event will play much like a standard sports game. Get the football to the endzone, and avoid getting caught by the opposing team! Winning the game will increase your character’s popularity and reputation, but make sure not to do anything reckless and get your character injured. Not only are injuries difficult to recover from, they can potentially end your avatar’s season.

 

If your character is a marching band member, then the event will play much like a rhythm game. Move your musician around the field according to the arrows that appear on-screen, and press the correct buttons in time with the music. The crowd may not hear any foul notes you hit, but your fellow marchers certainly will, so try to be as accurate as possible. Hitting too many wrong notes will cause you to miss out on playing the next halftime show.

 

As for cheerleaders and dancers, they play a similar game, in that their moves need to be timed to the arrows. However, they don’t need to worry about pressing other buttons. Like marching band members, they need to perform their moves correctly and in synchronization with the other teammates, or else they won’t get to participate in the next game.

 

Example Event: Final Exam

 

Repeatable: Yes (unfortunately)

 

It’s the bane of every college student’s existence… One of most dreaded parts of the semester… A nerve-wracking trial to shake even the most stalwart of hearts…

 

The final exam.

 

But fear not, conquering heroes! As terrifying as a final exam might be, it’s not an undefeatable boss! As with all other events, there are multiple ways to win this challenge. However, this is also a situation in which you can give your character boosts to their stats before the battle even happens.

 

As with all strategies, take a look at your character’s stats and temperament to figure out what method might work best. Remember, not all players can do marathon study sessions, just as some characters won’t react well to last-minute cramming. Pick a strategy that uses your avatars skills and preferences.

 

For those characters who have a high level of academic ability, or have a lot of expertise in the topic of the test, they may be able to get away with less studying. A character with high math skills, for instance, won’t need to spend an entire day over a calculus textbook. Likewise, a character with a preference toward literature may only need to do a short review of the events in the text. If this is the case with your avatar, spend a little time reviewing the most difficult concepts of the exam, but don’t spend hours going over subjects in which your character is confident.

 

While your character may have some inherent skills, some aspects may not necessarily transfer well to other courses. Someone who is used to writing history papers, for instance, may find literature essays to be a different beast altogether. And obviously, there are some situations where your character hasn’t had any prior skill or knowledge – say, a non-artistic student in a theater class. The best thing to do in these cases is to devote a good chunk of time to studying. Exactly how much time you devote to these courses is up to you, and will also depend on your character’s schedule and study style. Even a little studying is better than none, and will be helpful for the inevitable exam.

 

Of course, you could also decide not to study at all and let your character do other activities. The game does allow you to play however you like, so if you’re not terribly concerned about your grades, it is entirely within your power to blow off studying. Sometimes, this may work out, and the test will not be as difficult as the professor says it will be. But, you can’t always bank on that happening, especially not in difficult introductory courses. The safest option is to study, if you want to have a high GPA (or, at least, one you can scrape by with).

 

Your character will likely encounter multiple kinds of final exams, or “boss battles” over the course of their college career. All of these are fell creatures who are not to be taken lightly, but they are certainly beatable, if you use a sound strategy.

 

The Multiple-Choice Hydra: one of the most famous – and feared – creatures on campus. On the bright side, it’s also one of the most common, meaning that stalwart adventurers have figured out plenty of ways to slay it. The hydra’s greatest strength comes from its numerous heads, also known as “answer choices.” However, there is always one head that is the weak point of the monster. Find the “correct answer,” and you deal the maximum amount of damage. The heads regrow after every attack your character makes, but if you can endure to the end of the battle, the monster will be slain, and you will be free to leave the arena (also known as the testing room).

 

Sometimes, the hydra heads are very obvious about which one is the correct answer. If this be the case, use your Number Two Pencil of Legend, slice the head, and go on your way. However, sometimes the heads get sneaky, and purposefully make themselves look similar to each other in order to confuse your character. In situations like this, it’s helpful to identify the heads that you’re certain are not the weak point. You can keep these heads out of the way by using a sleeping spell or a swift strike on the forehead to knock them out. From there, you’ll have to deal with fewer heads, and you’re more likely to pick the correct one.

 

The hydra is not a monster that rewards hasty adventurers. Though there may be many rounds in the battle, be sure to think carefully about which head is the weak point before you attack. There may be times at which your character will have to guess the answer, but try to keep those at a minimum.

 

If you spent time studying before facing the hydra, your character will gain a boosted ability to spot the weak point of the head. If your character really hit the books, the hydra may be one of the easiest monsters to defeat. It’s a very satisfying moment to slay all the heads in quick succession and to get every question right.

 

The Dark Dragon of Essays: another infamous creature of the university campus, and, like the hydra, also very common. There are two kinds of dragons which your character may face. The first kind is a battle (and the most famous essay type) that has a deadline some ways into the future. In this case, your character may fight the dragon in chunks of time, and whittle away at its health before the due date. (You could also choose to have a single, all-night battle with the dragon, but players have reported mixed results with this tactic.) The second type of battle, or “timed essay,” is one in which your character must stride into the dragon’s lair and attempt to slay it over the course of an hour, an hour-and-a-half, or two hours. Exactly how much time you have will be determined by your professor.

 

Some dragons are stronger than others, and as such, will require more time to defeat. A level eight dragon, for instance, will take eight pages to defeat, whereas a level four dragon will only need four pages. Organize your time according to how strong the dragon is. In the case of timed-essay dragons, the challenge is writing down enough thoughts and attacks before the time limit is up. The more attacks you can make, the better your score for the battle will be.

 

As J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in The Hobbit, “No dragon can resist the fascination of riddling talk and of wasting time trying to understand it.” As with the dragons you’ll find in this game, literary flourishes are often an effective technique. Dragons are impressed by clever analogies, nimble wordplay, and adroit diction. However, style without substance won’t get you far in a fight with a dragon. They know when a student is attempting to mount a distraction in order to hide the fact that they don’t actually have a battle plan.

 

Therefore, the best thing to do when facing a dragon is to pair your airy embellishments with a solid argument. The Dragon-slayer, better known as The Iron Thesis, is a mighty weapon your character can craft that deals a huge amount of damage. An especially strong thesis comes from the quality of ingredients used to make it. First, the thesis must have the keen edge of a real argument – a dull, overly-broad sentence won’t do any good. Second, you must be able to find evidence to back up your argument. Third, the thesis must be defensible, and you shouldn’t mount your defense on small scraps of evidence. With these elements in mind, you get to work and forge a truly legendary weapon.

 

Some majors don’t have intense writing requirements, but at some point, your character will likely have to face the Dark Dragon of Essays. If your character has a natural inclination toward writing, language, or argumentation, you’re in luck – your character gets an automatic boost and greater damage-dealing ability. If your character’s strong suit isn’t writing, you can still use this advice to your best advantage. (Even people who have a talent for writing can take these tips, as well.)

 

Make sure you leave enough time for your character to slay the Dark Dragon of Essays, or, in a timed test, manage your minutes closely. An all-nighter will do a number on your character’s stats the next morning, and no one enjoys racing against the clock to complete work. If you are friends with NPCs who are skilled writers, you could ask them to look over your character’s essay. Often, they’ll point out the weak spots in your Iron Thesis, which your character can then patch up. You can also send your character to the Writing Sages of the Sweetland Center, where they will use their mystic powers to grant a magical boost to your character’s weapon. Bear in mind that the Sages aren’t always available, though, so check the times when they’re available around campus to assist your avatar.

 

The Ogre of End Projects: a monster that appears whenever your character is assigned a large project, such as a thesis, capstone project, or presentation. The ogre is an extremely strong and resilient creature, and it’s nigh impossible to defeat it in a single battle. For this reason, your character’s professors will often require you to have defeated the monster in chunks, or at least to have shown progress in defeating it.

 

The most important tactic for fighting the ogre is to manage your time wisely. How you decide to go about this will depend on your character’s temperament and schedule. It may be possible to lob a few attacks at the ogre each day, which will slowly whittle down the ogre’s health. Another possible tactic is to set aside a few hours each week to battle the beast. Whatever you decide to do, be aware that attempting this boss battle in one sitting will have extremely detrimental effects to your avatar’s health, emotions, and energy.

 

On many occasions, your character will not have to fight the Ogre of End Projects alone. They may also receive aid from one of the Mystic Masters, better known as an advisor, mentor, or professor. A Mystic Master can point out the weak points of the ogre, allowing you to strike for much more damage than normal. They can also point out flaws in your technique or strategy, allowing you to correct them before you finish the battle. Mystic Masters have accumulated years of experience and knowledge – use them whenever you can!

 

Example Event: Graduation

 

Repeatable: No

 

This is it. Your hard work over the past four years has culminated in this moment. At last, you have earned a public ceremony to honor everything you have accomplished.

 

But as with every other event in this game, you may decide not to attend at all, if the thought of speeches and marches bores you.

 

Graduation is a unique event in that there are no monsters to be fought, and only a few challenges to overcome. These challenges are “fetch quests” – that is, trials in which you must gather certain materials in order to proceed. The event offers some flexibility in how you can succeed.

 

The first quest is getting the Graduation Garb, better known as the cap and gown. You can obtain the Graduation Garb from multiple locations, such as the shops around Ann Arbor or from limited-time deals that that certain organizations will offer. Some shops can have better deals on the cap and gown than others, so check around to save your character some money. Your character will receive a boost in their confidence and their respect while wearing the cap and gown. You can augment these stats by obtaining extra accoutrements, such as honor cords or stoles. The more additions you have to the basic cap and gown, the better your stats will be. Bear in mind, though, that some extra items won’t be available to your character. For example, if your character doesn’t have a GPA over a certain number, he or she cannot obtain the honor cords.

 

The second fetch quest is to obtain tickets to the Big House graduation. This mission has a deadline, and if you do not get tickets by the time the deadline passes, your avatar won’t get to attend graduation. (Assuming, of course, that your character has an interest in going to the graduation ceremony.) This quest is a little easier than the one to obtain the Graduation Garb. Find the location where tickets are being passed out, and get how many you need. Optionally, you can choose to obtain all the tickets you can and sell them to other NPCs, though the legality of this is somewhat fishy. (This hasn’t stopped players from doing this to gain extra cash.)

 

After that, your character only has to wait until graduation day. If there isn’t much else going on in their schedule, you can take this opportunity to meet up with friends for one last get-together, or make a last push on studying. On graduation day itself, it’s a game to weave in and out of all the other people who are filing into the Big House. This portion can be extremely confusing, so it may be helpful to have a map beside you to figure out the correct path to take. Successfully making it through the crowd and finding your place among the graduates will get you the long-awaited ending cinematic.

 

In the cutscene, the camera pans over the audience of students, pausing on a few of your character’s closest friends. The camera shifts its focus to your character, who looks both nervous and excited. The students rise, and after a final benediction by the University’s president, everyone throws their caps into the air. Your avatar’s cap is framed by the sun for a moment, until the screen fades to black and the credits roll.

 

After the credits are complete, you may be tempted to press a button to return to the title screen, but there’s an Easter egg for patient players. The screen remains black after the credits finish, and, surprisingly, there is no ending message such as “Game Over,” “End,” or “Fin.” Instead, the screen fades back in to a view of your character’s living quarters. An alarm goes off, and your character blinks and looks at a nearby calendar. It’s the day after graduation. Your character sits up and stares at the ceiling for a moment, and then shuts the alarm off. Your character begins to go about their usual morning routine, and the camera pulls away from their living space until it has a view from the outside of the building. A new message appears on the screen:

 

The Game Is Never Over.