Affinity Planet - Challenges

When last I posted, I talked about my decreased participation in /r/LittleBigPlanet and my increased interest in LBP.me. Since that time, a shift in my involvement has occurred yet again. As I have dug deeper into the review process for level creators of LBP, I have become a part of the transformation of the review process within the LBP subreddit. Previously my reviews came in the form of private messages to level creators. Back and forth conversations were limited as content creators were mostly interested in gathering feedback about their work. Recently, a new type of review process has emerged on the subreddit called "Challenges." Each Challenge level comes hand-picked from the moderators of the subreddit. They are user created and feedback is still being requested on behalf of the creators, however, the difference is that discussion forums are bring used to encourage reviewers to have open, candid discussion about the level with the creator and each other. It is more of a conversation now as opposed to a one-sided review. At first, I was hesitant to join, as I was unsure how such a dynamic would work within the community. Stretching beyond my comfort zone, I decided to take part in a few in the last few weeks. The process is simple, but the conversations are so rich and playful. I am enjoying this new aspect of play with the game on and off the affinity space, and it brings a new dimension to how I think about how I am engaging with each level and crafting my reviews.

I have also been challenged by other reviewers in the community about my reviews. My reasoning for my thinking have been put to the test on numerous occasions as others ask me questions about my particular views on a level. The flip-side of this coin is that I get to challenge their views as well. Thankfully the norms of the space have been crafted in a way to allow civil challenges of thinking, and I have always felt safe enough to engage with these particular critiques.

The latest thing that I have gleaned as a result of these two-way reviews has been an increase in my knowledge base of the game. In these versions of my critiques, I am able to find out how certain features and traits of levels have been created. The complex designs and circuitry that users create sometimes leaves me puzzled at how they are able to achieve their designs. Through the Challenges, I now know more about manipulating circuitry for creatures and mechanics in game which was always my weakness before. In the final weeks of my participation, I am looking forward to learning more about the game creation mechanics through play and playful discussions.