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MasterChief's Walking Dead (iPd)
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| [February 25, 2015 02:51:25 PM]
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Not satisfied with the number of people who die in Episode 2, I decide to replay Episode 2 before moving on to Episode 3. I fail to save Matthew on the bridge and the cook from the new party, even though I choose the courageous option of going out to find Luke this time. In fact, I get Alvin killed by encouraging my old friend to shoot Carver. At first it appears that it is a direct hit and Alvin is saved, but Carver gets back up and executes Alvin.
This decision starts to make a difference in the dialog of Episode 3, as the group uses Alvin's death as secondary proof that Carver cannot be trusted.
I am still finishing Episode 3, so I won't go into too much detail yet on my decisions, but I have noticed that since I started playing this game I start to look at real life through some of the same lenses that the game provides.
I spoke to a friend last night and was going to compliment them and invite them to something, but I spent too long deciding how to ask, and lost the opportunity, at least for a week.
I've also started to wonder if there might be several choices about what i could say to people, when usually I say what naturally comes to mind. What if some of these other word choices might be more positive or life changing for them than my first choice of words?
What place do courageous and timely acts have in real life?
I actually really like that some of the choices in the game are very time sensitive, mimicking real life. Too many games will wait forever for you to make a choice. In the real world, moral and ethical choices happen in real time, often under pressure.
It reminds me of battlefield conditions. Sometimes you really do have to choose now and think or deal with the consequences later, especially to save a life.
But those same consequences can backfire, as in the shooting on the bridge in Episode 2.
What else can a game like Walking Dead Season 2 teach us about how to live better in real life? I look forward to exploring this further.
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| [February 25, 2015 02:42:27 PM]
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Episode 2 was more challenging to decide, since lives were often at the mercy of a word.
I chose to take the blame for Sarah's photo. What does a real friend do? And what could they do to me?
I sat with Luke at dinner. His invitation seemed warmer and I thought I could reassure them about the new people. Two thirds of players apparently sit with the new people to catch up. Surprisingly, choosing between people is harder than making a moral decision for me, maybe because I am aware of people's emotions and don't like to disappoint anyone.
I told Walter the truth about Matthew. Sometimes the truth stings but people rarely forgive lies, even if told to protect them. I figured his rage would be strong either way, but the truth is a voice of reason.
I convinced Walter to forgive Nick. I believe forgiveness is one of the highest virtues. If our two groups were to live together long, we should found that relationship on the truth. Five out of six players made the same choice.
I stayed to save Carlos, since it seemed like leaving would take too much time and several of my friends might die in the meantime. Slightly less than half of players chose this course.
I noticed that whenever two groups of people whose goal is to survive collide or come together, there is at first a mismatch of values and trust. I think this may have played into my desire to tell the truth and use my (our) name(s) as often as possible, to build or rebuild trust and remind people of their humanity.
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| [February 25, 2015 02:38:09 PM]
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After starting the game on a PC and experiencing slow down, I play through Episode 1 on my iPhone 6 Plus. The game is full of moral and ethical dilemmas, six of which have meaningful consequences to the ongoing story. The game tells me I made the six choices most people make, the last one by only a 2% margin.
One of the toughest decisions is who do I side with? For the most part, I try not to take sides in order to avoid offending anyone. When necessary, I help people end arguments, and rarely say anything inflammatory, with the exception of blackmailing the pregnant black woman in the cottage into being nice to me. At the end of the chapter, I have to choose between saving the older man and the son. I choose the older man since I think the younger one can take care of himself, since the older one has been bitten. When asked who to call on for help when six people are arguing over whether to kill me, I choose Luke, who knows me best and seems kind. My first thought was to ask the pregnant woman for help, thinking she might have a maternal instinct, but I’m glad I didn’t, as she turns out not to like me much.
While sneaking around the house, I have to steal bandages, a needle, and rubbing alcohol to survive. After I find the last item, I check one more shelf and find a watch. Do I take the watch even though I already have everything I need? I decide not to, and am curious what happens if I do? Do they believe me when I say I’m sorry I stole from them? My choice ends up between stealing what I need to survive and what I want, and I choose need.
The most poignant moment is probably when I have to decide to feed or not feed a dog, sharing my limited food. I feed it, and it bites me! In fighting it off, Sam the dog ends up impaled on sharp objects, and I get to choose to end its life quickly or let it suffer. I kill the dog, worrying that it might bite me again in the process.
There is a similar situation at the end of the chapter. A person on the verge of becoming a zombie asks for water from my backback. Will it bite me if I get close enough to let it (or is it still a him?) drink? Thankfully, it doesn’t.
Finally, there is an innocent girl in the house who asks me to pinky swear that I will be her friend for life. I agree, even though we’ve just met. I feel a bit like I am lying to her to get her to help me get the supplies I need to survive, and then I wonder if I am lying to her father when I apologize for talking to her and say I won’t do it again. Am I just pleasing people to survive and stay in their good graces? Is that ethical? Would I do such a thing in real life?
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MasterChief's Walking Dead (iPd)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Wednesday 25 February, 2015
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