I don’t usually discuss digital games
at Hobby Games Recce; it’s all about analog tabletop games, the
wargames, board and card games, and roleplaying games I typically
lump together under the “adventure gaming” label. But I recently
enjoyed a particularly immersive, engaging cooperative game
experience on computers I feel merits note considering its essential
“social” aspect.
I spent a wonderful New Year’s
holiday at an old friend’s house with his family and a host of
acquaintances who shared interests in gaming and geekdom; we ate,
drank, and talked, I enjoyed watching our kids play together
(assaulting each other and various guests with space battleships they
built from bristle blocks), and somehow passed on playing Ticket
to Ride despite its prominent placement on a dining room table.
Instead I tried a new computer game
beyond my normal experience and technical ability: the Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator. It’s essentially a real-time
cooperative computer game played over several networked workstations,
one for each major crew member on a large starship bridge – helm,
weapons, engineering, science (sensors), and communications – plus
one monitor as the “main screen” serving as the captain’s view;
the captain has no workstation and hence no means of personally
affecting his ship’s actions beyond issuing orders to crew members
at relevant stations. It’s essentially a Star Trek bridge
simulator with the serial numbers filed off.
I’m too much of a casual computer
game player, and certainly not tech-savvy enough to network six
computers to run a game like Artemis, so I took advantage of
my host’s “bridge” set-up during several missions over the
course of the New Year’s holiday. It was explained to me that
Artemis was much like playing Starfleet Battles (a game
I’ve dabbled with over the years) with different players
responsible for various duty stations of the starship record-keeping
and operation. When asked what position I’d like to play I
suggested helm, since I’m not terribly good at comprehending new
computer games quickly and I understand the basics of bearing and
speed (as learned from The Hunt for Red October: “Steer
right until this reads 315”). I oriented myself to the roles of the
other crew members and soon realized I’d have to communicate with
the engineer (in control of allocating power to various systems,
including engines and maneuverability for the helm) and eavesdrop on
the science officer reading sensors besides paying close attention to
the captain’s orders.
One might think this was just another
team computer game experience, like playing Unreal with some
friends on networked computers, with each participant an independent
and fully functional team member whose often independent actions
weren’t always essential to mission success. Yet Artemis
requires each player to undertake separate essential duties and
interact with other crew members, creating an immersive gaming
experience by combining the computer interface with necessary verbal
communication between players. Certainly, like most computer games,
players focus on the information presented to them through the screen
graphics and respond with that through keyboard, mouse, and joystick.
But playing the game successfully could not possibly happen without
interacting verbally with the other players. No on-screen chat
windows or speaker headsets and microphones (though I believe the
game accommodates that if needed), just simple verbal communications
with an occasional glance at the main screen. The real-time computer
interface helped make the experience seem authentic. Aside from the
technicalities of running the game and interfacing the different
workstation actions, the monitors shook with static when the ship
took a hit and failed to work properly if damaged or denied energy
for more essential systems. One player further enhanced our not-quite
Star Trek bridge experience by handing out classic-era t-shirt
uniforms with appropriate colors for each person’s role.
The captain’s ability as both a team
leader and a tactician really decided whether or not the crew
achieved the mission victory conditions (usually defending several
starbases which provided the ship with additional weapons, repairs,
refueling energy, and occasional upgrades). Here’s where the verbal
communication between crew members and captain really mattered. If
the captain was on the ball, not too many things went wrong; but if
the captain wasn’t really paying attention, asking for the right
information from crew members, or off getting a drink, our ship often
ran headlong into trouble. Each player brought their own level of
seriousness to the post: my verbal interactions tended toward more
formal military style reports and acknowledgments (despite having no
actual military training...films and books don’t count); other
folks took a more casual approach, such as reporting the sensors
showed “some guys” out there by the asteroids. The social aspect
of the game created an interesting balance between simply taking and
executing orders and undertaking actions on one’s own initiative.
For instance, after crewing the helm position for a while, I started
listening to the science officer on sensors; instead of waiting for
an order from the captain for our bearing, I made an educated guess
where the ship might go next and began turning the ship toward that
compass bearing. At times the captain forgot to order someone to
raise shields; if we were playing by-the-book they would remain down
in the face of the attack, but usually someone stepped in, activated
them, and followed up by announcing, “Raising shields!” The
inter-crew dialog often garnered a few laughs, too. At one point
where we were taking a beating the captain ordered, “Helm, get our
ass out of here.” As I engaged the engines I confirmed, “Helm
aye, Captain...getting our ass out of here.”
I had a fantastic time at the helm of
Artemis; it gave me some computer game time with a social
interaction aspect I expected at a New Year’s Eve party...and it
exposed me to a game experience beyond what I normally enjoy (though
incorporating my casual fan interest in Star Trek). Artemis
isn’t a cooperative board game, but it felt like one, particularly
where each player had a distinct role in the team and the computer
interface enabled a fun roleplaying aspect by serving as both game
components and rules. Many cooperative board games allow players to
undertake certain common actions and give each one a special ability
or two, but rarely do they limit them to one specific, unshared
function. I’m not sure one could find a similar tabletop game that
incorporates the same level of real-time simulation, social
interaction, and teamwork among diverse, exclusive crew
abilities...but feel free to enlighten me.
Comments....
Want to share your experiences with
Artemis? Know any cooperative tabletop games that simulate
this kind of action and gameplay? Start a civilized discussion? Share
a link to this blog entry on Google+ and tag me (+Peter Schweighofer)
to comment.
