Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Research Design Questions

Components in the interface which provide me with TEXT-based information:

















  • There are varius components such as this in the vrtual world, Kaneva. From communicating with someone (there is a box to type in), to various games you can play in different places you attend (the 3D dance party I attended), and lastly, shopping is all text-based. I approach a store owner and when I hit the "tab" key, I am informed of all the various things I can do in the store (buy, trade, sell, etc)














Components in the interface which provide me with NON-TEXT-based information:




  • All of the visuals and graphics are simple enough to understand and interact with without having an actual text-tutorial guiding you through it. Dancing and expressing my emotions through various emotes is non-text based. As well as walking around and exploring the city of Kaneva.












COLOR/SHAPE/CONTRAST/POSITION/MOTION & SOUND




  • In Kaneva, all of the graphics are fairly vivid and realistic. The music at the disco party I attended was great and all of the flashing lights and noise made me feel like I was actually at a party/event. The positioning is a bit wierd, as you can not simply "go around" someone, and insteadwal right "through" them. Something to get used to, I guess


TASKS & GOALS




  • I used a tutorial to get around the city and understand how to communicate and achieve rewards and credits. Otherwise, there was a very basic communication at the start of the program asking me to customize my avatar and it walked me through various ways to earn points and become popular. I assume that as I continue to be a part of this virtual world, there will be less and less instructions and more for me to fugure out on my own.


FEATURES WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO AN IMMERSIVE FEELING/WHICH FEATURES BREAK IT




  • Like I mentioned earlier, definitely the spontanrous dancing and communicating as well as all of the customized wadrobes for everyone make the world seem more realistic than it actually is. The one thing that breaks my spell of the "reality" of the world, is the fact that the characters do not move in a fluid motion, can literally "walk through" eachother, as if they are ghosts.


SOCIALIZING WITH AVATARS




  • People were not as nice as I would have hoped them to be. In attempting to socialize with other avatars at the disco party, some people simply told me to "move" out of their way. Others were a bit nicer and asked me my name and what I am up to. It is a bit unrealistic how people can scale the walls, levitate in the air, and jump from one story to another without getting hurt.

FAVORITE IN-WORLD ACTIVITY

  • This was definitely the ability to shop without actually spending any money :)

BASIS OF ECONOMY

  • I wet to an employment agency and was given money for the work that I put in. I need to return in another six hours and complete more work or recommend friends to the agency in order to make money. You need money to shop,trade, sell etc. items. I participated by going to work, buying a dress and dong various activities that promote me in my status and earn me money (going to different places, trying new things, doing contests)

Virtual World Event


So last week, I attended my first virtual event, the Dawnomite Night Club dance party (see attached image). It was more fun than I expected it to be, but the people inside were not very nice to me. I kept my distance (or so I thought) and watched others as they danced and interacted. Afraid that people would judge me and my cool new outfit (I baught a black dress at the mall), I didnt spend too much time talking to individuals. I did press my luck and send out a group chat, saying hello and introducing myself.

I also decided to come out of my shell for the evening and play DanceParty 3D, I even scored some points! (must have been the dress).

Reflecting on this evening, I would say that it was pretty amazing how real it felt to be there and dance amongst my peers. The club looked amazing, and this is a place I will definitely be re-visiting. In fact it made me think of ideas of hosting a dance party of my own. I will definitely try and open up and attend more events and hopefully can meet some cool new people.

A Kaneva Sunshine


For my first virtual-world experience, I decided to go with the world of KANEVA. My avatar is named Solnashka, which means sweet sun in my natve language, Russian.


Solnashka, is a rock child, and a bit of a loner. Interested in meeting new people but afraid to open up about her past life of sex, drugs an rock and roll. Solnashka had a tough upbringing in Russia. With little money and no parental control, she was left to her own devices and began to sell narcotics and dances toolder gentlemen for a living. After moving from Russia to the United States of America, Solnashka decided to change her deviant ways and resume a normal (or close to normal) lifestyle in society. Scared and afraid of what other avatars may think of her, Solnashka is keeping to herself and exploring the virtual world slowly and carefully. Ready to fall in love and meet someone that will accept her violent past, she is open to the opportunity to reveal herself to someone worth doing so. With a talent for fashion and art, Solnashka hopes that these goals in her life will keep her grounded and on the right path to success and long lasting friendships as well as business partnerships.