Game+Star+Mechanic+Start

[[image:https://sites.google.com/a/elinemedia.com/gsmlearningguide/_/rsrc/1294338279420/home/introduction/who-plays-gamestar/fater_p_normal.png?height=200&width=200 width="200"]]
The target audience for Gamestar Mechanic is students in the 4th to 9th grade range, but that segment is by no means restrictive. It is designed to appeal to both boys and girls and does not assume any prior game design or programming experience for the students. amestar Mechanic is suitable for use in a variety of formal and informal learning environments across the following curriculum areas: 21st Century Skills, STEM Learning, Digital Media, Art, Science and Language Arts.

It has been designed to work in both formal and informal learning environments including: schools, after-school programs, home schools, libraries, community centers, tutoring centers, museums and camps. media type="custom" key="25900368"

What Skills are Learned in Gamestar Mechanic?
**Systems-Thinking:** Students design and analyze dynamic systems, a characteristic activity in both the media and in science today.

**Interdisciplinary Thinking:** Students solve problems that require them to seek out and synthesize knowledge from different domains. They become intelligent and resourceful as they learn how to find and use information in meaningful ways.

**User-Centered Design:** Students act as sociotechnical engineers, thinking about how people interact with systems and how systems shape both competitive and collaborative social interaction.

**Specialist Language:** Students learn to use complex technical linguistic and symbolic elements from a variety of domains, at a variety of different levels, for a variety of different purposes.


 * Meta-Level Reflection:** Students learn to explicate and defend their ideas, describe issues and interactions at a meta-level, create and test hypotheses, and reflect on the impact of their solutions on others.

Gamestar is a Pathway to Programming
Beyond their value as entertainment media, digital games and game modification are currently key entry points for many young people into digital literacy, social communities, and tech-savvy identities. Because of its emphasis on game design rather than computer programming, Gamestar is a great starter tool for students wanting to learn to make games. Once they have mastered game design’s core concepts and vocabulary, it will be easy for them to move into programming-oriented game design tools such as Game Maker, Stagecast Creator, or Scratch.

Orientation to Gamestar
This orientation is a guide to getting around Gamestar Mechanic, located at [|www.gamestarmechanic.com]. Gamestar Mechanic has three sections: The Quests, Workshop, and Game Alley.

• **The Quest** is a single player storyline where students earn sprites, the components that they use to make their games. • **The Workshop** is where students make their own game. • **Game Alley** is where students share games in an online community.

This section describes in detail the components of Gamestar:

[|Registration Screen]

[|The Workshop]

[|The Quests]

[|Game Alley]

[|Sprites]

Registration Screen
Before using Gamestar Mechanic, you will need to go through the registration process. Link to Our log on



New users must go through a three-step registration process, the third of which is the receipt of an email with an activation link to complete the registration process.

[[image:https://sites.google.com/a/elinemedia.com/gsmlearningguide/_/rsrc/1294172562611/home/orientation-to-gamestar/the-quests/Quests.png]]


The Quests section contains the “story” of Gamestar Mechanic. Cast as a young aspiring game designer, the player is pulled into an exciting tale of adventure and discovery.

In the Quests, mechanics learn about different Sprites and their behavior, and upon finishing each game, they are awarded Sprites to use in their Toolbox.

Episodes and Missions
A **Quest** is divided into **Episodes**. Each episode covers a lesson in game design, taught over a number of Missions, in one of three types: Play, Repair, and Build.
 * [[image:https://sites.google.com/a/elinemedia.com/gsmlearningguide/_/rsrc/1302635299007/home/orientation-to-gamestar/the-quests/episodes-and-missions/Screen%20shot%202011-04-12%20at%203.09.26%20PM.png link="https://sites.google.com/a/elinemedia.com/gsmlearningguide/home/orientation-to-gamestar/the-quests/episodes-and-missions/Screen%20shot%202011-04-12%20at%203.09.26%20PM.png?attredirects=0"]]

This sequence shows the player an element of game design in action, then asks them to fix a game and finally lets them build a game around that topic.

An episode begins and ends with a comic that sets the scene.


 * Story Missions**


 * Play Missions** require the user to successfully complete the play of a pre-designed game by accomplishing the set objectives. Play Missions usually serve to introduce users to the behavior of Sprites.


 * Repair Missions** present the user with a game that is in some way broken and cannot be successfully played. The user must deduce what is broken about the game and use the Gamestar Mechanic console to place or remove objects. A set of requirements will be presented that the repaired game must include, such as “Place 10 enemies.” The mission is completed when the player has successfully played and accomplished the objectives of the repaired game.


 * Build Missions** present the user with a blank slate to build a new game on. A set of requirements will be presented that the game must include, such as “Place 10 enemies. ” The mission is completed when the player has successfully played and accomplished the objectives of their created game.


 * Bonus Missions and Rewards**

Bonus Missions are either Play Missions, Repair Missions or Build Missions and do not need to be completed to continue in the Quest.

After each mission, story or bonus, is completed, the player is rewarded with sprites and other rewards such as backgrounds and music to use in their Toolbox. ||

Workshop

 * [[image:https://sites.google.com/a/elinemedia.com/gsmlearningguide/_/rsrc/1294162281676/home/orientation-to-gamestar/workshop/Workshop.png align="center" link="https://sites.google.com/a/elinemedia.com/gsmlearningguide/home/orientation-to-gamestar/workshop/Workshop.png?attredirects=0"]]

The Workshop is where players design games with their Toolbox and Sprites. Each player starts with a default set of Sprites and earns more as he/she advances through the Quest. Players also have Template Games that include sets of Sprites that come with the Templates. ||