🛠️ Rework subtree problem types

[rwarnking]

Follow up issue: Rework this subtree.

Previous Issues:

• 13

22.05.2024 Discussion

How should the problem types be used and how are the different tags differentiated? We discussed multiple options that address different subproblems in a multitude of ways.

It is only allowed to select one problem type from the list, forcing the user to prioritize and select the most fitting one. This in turn would lead to problem solving techniques that might be selected for a game while no appropriate problem type is tagged.

It is allowed to select an unlimited number of problem types from the list. This would allow for a 1:N relationship between problem types and solving techniques, essentially allowing the user to double check if a problem type has appropriate solving techniques and if each solving technique can be used for a tagged problem type. The problem would be overtagging: Since there are no limiting rules and the definition of the tags is somewhat open the user might assign every or many problem types to one or many games.

As Option 1, but with additional tagging options for sub-problem types. This would be similar to the minigame tags (mini: logic) which could also be added to the problem types subtree. This would allow the user to mark one main problem type, while not losing further information that might be person specific.

Remove the problem type altogether. This would solve the definition problem but would also require the problem solving techniques to be renamed, leading to loss of information. Furthermore it is difficult to validate if this is the right choice or if the authors just were not able to achieve a coherent tagging system.

Solution

We choose to use something similar to Option 1. For the moment the user is allowed to select up to three problem types from the subtree, focusing on one if possible and including a numbered hierarchy to highlight the priority. This should provide the user the option to tag multiple problem types while simultaneously providing a ranking which problem types are more important. To test this approach we will assign these tags to a small list of games. This might give us the opportunity to further analyze the problem and work out further adjustments. For example we will be able to identify similarities and might be able to work out if the bias and randomness rendered the tag useless.

In the following table each participant assigned problem types to the listed games. To allow for easy comparission only games that were played by each participant were listed. Note: The list contains the result after an iteration as a group in which participants were allowed to justify and adjust their initial selection. Legend:

• :heavy_check_mark: Mostly identical
• :warning: Similar tags but varying order
• :white_circle: Varying tags
• :x: Varying tags and/or TODO tag

Game	Hendrik	Franziska	Rene
:warning: Dota 2	game of motorskill, strategy problem	strategy problem, game of motorskill, busywork	game of motorskill, strategy problem, busywork
:white_circle: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition	game of motorskill, busywork, strategy problem	busywork, moral challenges, game of motorskill, strategy problem	game of motorskill, busywork, moral challenges, strategy problem
:warning: Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition	game of motorskill, moral challenges	moral challenges, game of motorskill, busywork	game of motorskill, busywork, moral challenges
:white_circle: Minecraft	busywork, game of motorskill	busywork, strategy problem, game of motorskill, logic challenges, moral challenges	busywork, game of motorskill, logic challenges
:heavy_check_mark: Borderlands 2	game of motorskill, busywork	game of motorskill, busywork	game of motorskill, busywork
:x: Among Us	strategy problem, moral challenges	challengeless, moral challenges, strategy problem, game of motorskill, busywork, logic challenges	TODO TAG! logic challenges, game of motorskill, (emo events,) strategy problem
:warning: Left 4 Dead 2	game of motorskill	game of motorskill, strategy problem, busywork	game of motorskill, busywork, strategy problem
:x: The Sims™ 3	busywork, strategy problem	challengeless, busywork, strategy problem, moral challenges	TODO TAG! challengeless, busywork
:x: Life is Strange	moral challenges, logic challenges	challengeless, moral challenges logic challenges	moral challenges, logic challenges, busywork
:warning: Papers, Please	logic challenges, moral challenges	logic challenges, moral challenges, strategy problem	logic challenges, busywork, moral challenges, strategy problem
:white_circle: BioShock™	game of motorskill	game of motorskill, busywork, strategy problem	game of motorskill, emo events, busywork
:x: Portal	logic challenges, game of motorskill	logic challenges, game of motorskill	TODO TAG! logic challenges, game of motorskill, humoristic events
:heavy_check_mark: Schach	strategy problem, logic challenges	strategy problem	strategy problem, logic challenges
:heavy_check_mark: Banished	strategy problem	strategy problem, busywork	strategy problem, busywork
:heavy_check_mark: Antichamber	logic challenges	logic challenges, game of motorskill	logic challenges
:heavy_check_mark: SUPERHOT	game of motorskill, strategy problem	game of motorskill, strategy problem, moral challenges	game of motorskill, strategy problem
:heavy_check_mark: Baba Is You	logic challenges	logic challenges	logic challenges, (strategy problem)
:x: Gone Home	challengeless	challengeless	challengeless, busywork, logic challenges
:x: The Stanley Parable	challengeless, busywork, logic challenges	challengeless	TODO TAG! moral challenges, busywork, (logic challenges mini)
:warning: Dead Space	game of motorskill, moral challenges	moral challenges, game of motorskill	game of motorskill, emo challenges, busywork

Since it is not possible to define each problem type totally accurately, we choose to base our decision more on vibe and experience making the selection subjective. Each user should choose the tags based on the experience and challenges that the user encountered while playing the game. This allows for different perspectives and multiple valid answers since the experience of playing a game can vary from player to player. Although this introduces bias and uncertainty itself, we still tried to define each problem type as clearly as possible to improve understandability and reduce the danger of wrongly tagged games.

Definitions

• challenge-less
  • rename to problemtype-todo or delete in the future? (→ Änderungsbedarfs Tag)
  • search examples for this tag
• game of skill or dexterity
  • timed sequence/combination of inputs (that must likely be learned through practice)
  • motor skills, hand eye coordination
• labor diligence busywork
  • for limited time continuous task with key components that need to be repeated
  • main way to solve involves quantity/repetition of player actions rather than quality of player actions (+outcome of action is repetitive too)
• logic challenges
  • next logical step(s) result from rules and the current state
  • limited number of logical steps, non heuristical
  • an argument is valid if and only if it takes a form that makes it impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion nevertheless to be false
  • Formal logic is interested in deductively valid arguments, for which the truth of their premises ensures the truth of their conclusion
  • Formal logic is interested in deductively valid arguments, for which the truth of their premises ensures the truth of their conclusion
  • inference, deduction
  • global rules + instances — (logic) → correctly infer gaps in instances
• moral and emotional challenges
  • (endure(experience(explore))) emotional/moral implications of events or your actions or those of NPC
• strategy problem
  • many possible decisions && (uncertainty || heuristic approach || temporal constraint(s) || combinatorial explosion)

Additional Notes:

• different types of strategy exist
  • turn based (Banner Saga)
  • real time (Starcraft)
  • resource based (Anno / Banished)
  • unlimited time planning / logic challenge? (Adventure Capitalist)
  • optimization
• challenge is difficult to define
• proving a problem type is valid for a game is difficult
  • extensive description would be required
• Defining the problem type via "the problem that the user is required to solve" would be possible but might be difficult
• A game can be tagged strategic planning without being a strategy problem
  • possible but also unclear (hand wavy), difficult to differentiate

Related Changes

• (12.05, Phase 4) Add new tag challenge less to problem types
• (12.05, Phase 4) Add new tag labor diligence busywork to problem types
• (22.05, Phase 4) Rename problem types to personal challenges
• (22.05, Phase 4) Add new tag moral challenges to personal challenges
• (22.05, Phase 4) Rename moral and emotional challenges to emotional challenges
• (22.05, Phase 4) Add new tag discory to personal challenges
• (22.05, Phase 4) Rename challenge less to todo tag

[rwarnking]

01.06.2024 Discussion

After reworking the problem types and defining the child tags, we assigned the tags to a subset of games. The results were discussed in this meeting.

The name problem types suggest an unbiased meaning while the tagging is highly personal. **Action taken: rename problem types to personal challenges.**

Emotional and moral challenges might be but not necessarily connected. A moral challenge for example might be choice (i.e. Minecraft) while an emotional challenge might be connected to a character or his fate. This might even lead to the player not continuing the game but does not require a morally challenging situation. Other games like Frostpunk present a moral challenge while likely not having an emotional impact on the player.**Action taken: Split emotional and moral challenges**

Since emotional or moral events are not a challenge these will not be part of the personal challenges tree. Instead a new category for emotional events will be created. For an emotional event to be a challenge the event is required to force an input or action from the player (e.g. BioShock™, killing little sisters). These tags are for emotional taxing scenes or narratives that can not be controlled. Similarly to the personal challenges these tags are also subjective and may vary across different players.

Emotional Events:

• plot twists (BioShock™)
• humoristic events → aufdröseln, da humor auch emotional suspenseful, sims (entspannend)
• loss, sadness, grief
• war, death, aging, ...

For further clarification we also decided that strategy problem does include:

• resource management
• social deduction

Lastly we added a new personal challenge as a pendant to exploration for games that are challenge less: **personal challenge: discovery**

New Questions

(01.06)

• Revisit and checkup
  • Games like Among Us
  • emotional and moral challenges

Resolved Questions

• Is the problem type useless like this? (22.05) [01.06]
• What is its goal in general? (22.05) [01.06]
• How should we interpret it? (22.05) [01.06]
• Use time spend as part of the definition – The player should use most of the game time doing X (22.05) [01.06]
  • mini, medium and main component (problem type) with mini being minigames
  • This might allow to differentiate between games like Adventure Capitalist, The Banner Saga and StarCraft → in Adventure Capitalist you will be waiting most of the time, while in StarCraft you need to continuously play strategically
• Are there challenge less games or todo-tags? (22.05) [01.06]
• Games that provide an explorative narrative but nothing else. (12.05) [01.06]
  • Dear Esther (Walking Simulator)
  • Sol: Discovery
• challenge less games? (12.05) [01.06]
  • Adventure Capitalist (Cooky Clicker)
• problem types
  • filler vs busywork
  • New Tag? roleplaying / creative challenge / fantasy (fulfillment)
  • personalization
  • real life simulation (is this a setting?)
  • fantastical simulation
  • roleplaying kann man immer machen
  • sandbox

[rwarnking]

Follow up issues:

• 52