A research and argumentative essay upon the effects of gaming

Some pros to prolonged amount of gaming can be the fact that gaming involves critical thinking. Some games that involves critical thinking would be Role-Playing games. An example of this would be Pokemon, turns are based on a battle system known as Turn-based combat. Battles are calculated by arithmetic formulas, which is how damage is applied. For example, to figure out the damage, you have to calculate a Pokemon’s attack power in comparison to the opposing Pokemon’s HP (meaning Health Power) as well as that Pokemon’s Defense stats. Beating bosses in Pokemon or any Role Playing Game involves strategic thinking, as you would have to recognize and identity the patterns of your enemies. Another example of a video game that involves problem solving or critical thinking would be Grand Theft Auto games. In these games, the player is to overcome puzzles, money management, a list of people to contact, weapons management, all of which requires critical thinking. <- moviebob youtube //www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYD06FpSwQU 6:17
In an MMO known as Maple Story, there are economics and marketing practices. Such as the practice in a small virtual world, presentable in a economic/token system. This can also be applied with the real world, in which virtual experience and information is based upon real-world application. Then there’s also money and currency that one has to manage, such as learning on what you spend your money on. There are also priorities with money, there are certain things that have to be spent on first. Such as potions, this is comparable to reality as food isn’t a want, it is a necessity. Then there is leadership and party management, running a gigantic guild up to 100 players and knowing how to manage them. This is similar to running an office if a person is the big head corporate. A person is also able to organize a boss-run, in which you are the leader of the pack. You have to demonstrate how your group will attack the boss, which also involves critical thinking. Examples would include making people that are going with you, to stay in line in an orderly manner. One also has to form an appropriate battle formation suited for the boss. An example of this in any MMO would be a party consisting of a healer, a main attacker, and a support class that can buff up stats.
In MMOs, the ability to form an alliance with another guild can also build character, as it teaches a person to solve conflicts in a civil manner. Then there is the ability to maximize your status, which involves math. Because once you reach the end-game level, your stats will only go up so high. But with a certain arithmetic pattern, a person can figure out the formula for level-growth as well as stats-development. Similar to how a person would try to maximize their car in terms of appearance and how fast their car can go, this is no different. However, there are drawbacks, as one would have to spend an inconsiderable amount of time to figure out the formula, or the amount of virtual money they would have to spend in able to achieve such results. All of this involves critical thinking.

Only a portion of it, rough-draft phase. Still have about 7 pages or so to go, have to do this in MLA format, with MLA citations. Due by Friday, gotta get cracking! I'll be posting the completed version when I'm done, once again, this is a rough-draft copy, and it's only a portion of it. A portion that isn't even neatly organized, just everything at the top of my head.

The critical thinking bit has a much better example than Pogeymanz. Recent Fire Emblem games tells you virtually every stat you can think of in exact quantity except for movement penalties/bonuses, map item pickup rates (very lame aspect imo, as some give 3x damage multipliers to certain enemies), and growth rates. The formulas for many things aren't very hard to figure out either (reading a few stat descriptions is enough for some), and are really user-friendly, unlike MS's. Hell, if you're not playing hard mode, it'll even tell you hit rate, damage done to the enemy, and critical hit rate. So based on that information, it's possible to calculate battle outcomes in advanced for a few turns, even in worst-case scenarios. Well, only if you wanted to, it's a pain to crunch a bunch of numbers on paper every time =P


I think another pro aspect of gaming that's readily apparent to even the older generation is hand-eye coordination. Especially with the Wii out; it takes the concept to the whole new level of body-eye coordination, similar to sports.

The critical thinking bit has a much better example than Pogeymanz. Recent Fire Emblem games tells you virtually every stat you can think of in exact quantity except for movement penalties/bonuses, map item pickup rates (very lame aspect imo, as some give 3x damage multipliers to certain enemies), and growth rates. The formulas for many things aren't very hard to figure out either (reading a few stat descriptions is enough for some), and are really user-friendly, unlike MS's. Hell, if you're not playing hard mode, it'll even tell you hit rate, damage done to the enemy, and critical hit rate. So based on that information, it's possible to calculate battle outcomes in advanced for a few turns, even in worst-case scenarios. Well, only if you wanted to, it's a pain to crunch a bunch of numbers on paper every time =P


I think another pro aspect of gaming that's readily apparent to even the older generation is hand-eye coordination. Especially with the Wii out; it takes the concept to the whole new level of body-eye coordination, similar to sports.

Thing is, for the Pokemon portion. I'm not done with it . . >_> I have to put in competitive Pokemon stats. Which involves distributing EVs, that's where the REAL math comes in. Once I'm done with that portion, I'm doing a page or two on SSBM physics and logics, which includes competitive Smash, because I think it takes quite an amount of skill, concentration, and hand-eye coordination to play comp. Smash!

Crunching math isn't required for gaming and doesn't really contribute to it promoting critical thinking, in my view. Usually what happens is that some enthusiasts figure out the game mechanics, and then some other enthusiasts figure out strategies for how best to use those game mechanics, and the majority feeds upon those strategies. For the pioneers, the figuring is a game in itself.

However, this is just a stray thought of mine that has little bearing on your essay topic, I think.

This thread might be of use to you for ssbm?

http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=252015

Oh and this thread too for the statistics on how fast people are playing in a match:
http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=234508

Crunching math isn't required for gaming and doesn't really contribute to it promoting critical thinking, in my view. Usually what happens is that some enthusiasts figure out the game mechanics, and then some other enthusiasts figure out strategies for how best to use those game mechanics, and the majority feeds upon those strategies. For the pioneers, the figuring is a game in itself.

However, this is just a stray thought of mine that has little bearing on your essay topic, I think.

You're right, it isn't required for gaming. But it depends on the game. If it's competitive games, at times, math is a necessity. If you can't figure out math, you can't play Pokemon NetBattle / Shoddy Battle, because their system is so complex that even 1 slight miscalculation means you're -1 HP less from surviving. >_>; I would know, played it for years... Because in games like competitive Pokemon, there's .. uhhh, was it 512 or 506 EVs to distribute, 6 EVs = 1 stat up, etc. And you have to learn how to distribute it while figuring it how to use a certain skill-set to counter your weaknesses. In some cases, you also have to be EXTREMELY good at prediction, which takes an amount of skills and training to do (this requires critical thinking as well as memorization).


To elaborate on this, see the min-, min, max, and max+? That represents the total that Hera can get in a certain stats field, the positive and negative represents a positive and negative "nature". Well, doesn't sound complex, rite? You'd be surprised. Before a person even makes a set for Heracross, they have to figure out how much attack they would gain under the effects of Heracross' Guts or Swarm, so for ex, if Heracross had ... 300 att at lv 100 (Lol300...), under the effects of Guts, 50% increase to attack, so now his attack would be 450. But you have to wonder if 450 attack is enough to sweep down a Skarmory with like 600 DEF, and like 300 HP, for example. And depending on that attack used, you could either inflict less, or more damage, or neutral damage. >_>

There's something called STAB (Same type attack boost) in which I think it's a x1.5 multiplier, since Hera is a bug type, by using bug type attacks, his original attack is multiplied BY that multiplier. I think Megahorn was like 120 att? I forgot, so 120x1.5 = 180 att total. So if you use Megahorn on a grass-type, multiple by x2.0 (weakness), it's now 360 att!

There's so much math involved in this game, it's mind-bending. Because you have to ESTIMATE if your attack will either:

a) Hit, or miss
b) Will it be enough to OHKO (One hit ko)
c) Will the other person switch out?
d) Will the other person just do nothing and buff-up?

This is just an example of a game that uses hardcore arithmetics though, I haven't played another game like this.

@EarthAdept: Thanks, bud. I'll need links like that for my essay.

There's so much math involved in this game, it's mind-bending. Because you have to ESTIMATE if your attack will either:

a) Hit, or miss
b) Will it be enough to OHKO (One hit ko)
c) Will the other person switch out?
d) Will the other person just do nothing and buff-up?

This is just an example of a game that uses hardcore arithmetics though, I haven't played another game like this.

Funny. Point a and b are kinda universal. People are more willing to take risks if they can finish off the opponent. Point c is more like drawing out of a deck of cards; you don't know what the other guy has until he pulls it out at least once (unless pogeymans has changed since I've played or you two duked it out many times). It's kinda not good ammo to use for your evidence gun, for w/e thesis your essay might be supporting.

Now that I think about it, being OCD about the small particulars of games is probably unrelated to what the majority of the population may be familiar with (though I don't know your target audience). I have no idea what the rest of your essay contains, but some other points to go for are what happens to the child/player if he/she is playing alone, alone with watchers, in versus, and/or in co-op. The psychological findings are actually fairly profound and have serious implications to other social situations too.