Over the last year or so, I’ve had a lot of discussions about how computer games might play a role in aid work. The obvious area is simulation games that help to raise awareness, which is where Food Force (put out by the World Food Programme) came from. I never liked Food Force – not because of the gameplay, but because it was about WFP rather than about people in need.
If you’re going to raise awareness, why not raise awareness about the real issues, rather than our slightly dodgy attempts to feed people? While I was working for WFP, I proposed developing a game called SimVillage – where you would get the chance to run a remote community in Africa or Asia. In the same way as SimCity helps you to understand urban planning, SimVillage would present the life-and-death issues that rural communities face on a daily basis.
Nobody picked up on the idea, probably because it’s a bit of a downer. That’s why I’m glad to see the remarkably simple but effective game Third World Farmer online – it’s not exactly a barrel of laughs, but it’s message is clear.
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Incredible! What a great tool for… procrastinating aid workers. Thanks for the link.
I admit that I really hate a lot of what WFP does, especially its ads. The end-user is always the beneficiary, always mute, always helpless, always impotent to change what is happening. Flies on the faces of starving kids, etc. Makes me ill…
Maybe what we need is more like, “implement Namibia’s PRSP” game, something along the lines of Civilization. Only set in Africa, with the world forces active.
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I don’t know about anybody else, but I can’t get further than 5 moves without my entire family dying of starvation. I know that rural life is harsh, but this game might be taking it a bit too far… of course, maybe that’s the point.
Elizabeth, I’d love to see some better educational games that also raise awareness of real-life situations. The problem is striking the balance between reality and the necessary dash of escapism that gameplay needs to provide.
Full disclosure: I worked for WFP last year. To be fair, a lot of their staff don’t like their advertising any more than we do.
Paul,
Is there any possibility for championing better promotion from within? My experience is that the (even constructive) criticism of former employees are not taken seriously by organisations, who would much rather shaft them aside as comments from disgruntled ex-employees with an axe to grind…
Have you encountered A Force More Powerful – http://ict4peace.wordpress.com/2006/04/28/pc-games-and-peacebuilding/
As for 3rd World Farmer, I’m very much in the same boat as you – can’t imagine how some of those high scores were achieved…
Sanjana Hattotuwa
I managed to get 18 rounds in with a corn-only strategy. Sadly my diversification into chickens was not so fruitful.
Came across news of the development of an interesting game to teach (natural) resource management to avoid conflict – http://ict4peace.wordpress.com/2006/06/04/fighting-global-warming/
As a procrastinating PhD student I got quite far. Even bought a mule and a full set of livestock. Ran out of leisure time just before I was able to buy a tractor. You have to capitalise on your offspring and play the international market, get a water-well ASAP.
This is a good example of a ‘serious game’
Also check: http://www.darfurisdying.com/
Well to answer some of you on how the high scores are acheived, i can tell you this [but not much as i don't want my secrets to get out] the more stuff you own the better yuor income will be. I have lived for more the 400 rounds before quiting not loseinbg and i have made at time in excess of 2000 dollars. Like i said it is all about your toys.
Won on hte 31 day. the secret is to never use more than 1 of the same money makeing devices unless you have to. so one of every crop and animal per turn. also, get hte livestock buildings as soon as possible, and make the clinic the first of hte other buildings so you dont have to pay much to keep the family alive
The strategy for the game is actually fairly simple, once you get off the less-than-$1000 track. To do so, one generally focuses on corn and wheat, and when one has about $300, buy a scythe and shovel. It’s good to try to get as many children as possible, but one must balance it with how much workforce loss one can sustain. When one gets to around $500, one gets a barn and well, and one cow, then uses the remaining money to get as many of the higher-priced crops as possible – go for cotton and peanuts, but if you can get an extra crop unit or two by combining a couple of the corn and wheat units, then that works better. Try to get a full set of cows, then when money has reached several thousand dollars, hire a representative, and start replacing the cows with elephants (which earn three times as much), and replacing the tools with harvesters and tractors (DO NOT get harvesters and tractors before getting a representative, as they WILL get stolen). One should gradually replace wells with barns, especially after getting crop insurance. As others have said, the clinic should be bought first, then the school, because years of education are the single largest score contribution in the game. Don’t get communication until you’re ready to end; it doesn’t have much of an effect. At this point, one should be earning as much as $20,000 each year, and have three to five children with ten years of education, each. At this point, it’s mostly marriage negotiation; one has to try to get the marriages that bring people to the farm, rather than getting them to leave. The income is basically multiplied by the number of people you have on the farm, so that really helps gain income.
Thanks to everybody for the hints and tips, but you realise that this now means that I have to waste, ahem, spend even more time to see if they work…
I followed BioGeeks Advice and managed to buy everything and win…
If you want to win, Follow his advice!
*The guy 2 place above this messege*
Hi,
My girlfriend introduced me to this game today. I didnt except any chemical plants or military bases. I just farmed and kept my family healthy. I got up to 8 family members and $50,000 in two hours. My girlfriend lost her family and all her money. So, I guess its the random choices of the game as well as in life.
smiles =)