Drea Zarevich
Writing Samples
For Drea's visual art portfolio, visit here.
Informational Analysis:
Mods:
Mods are in-game modifications made by players to change aspects of the game. The first instance of mods technically comes from paper-disk game code, players being able to alter the paper and leave it for the next player. Then, there were table-top and board game modifications with war games like Panzerblitz and, of course, D&D. However, mods became more frequent and popular with games by id Software such as DOOM and Wolfenstein 3D. id Software prided itself on “open games”, making the code more easily accessible to players so they could modify maps, avatars, bosses and aesthetic aspects of the games. Mods have become an industry in itself, with players now being able to share their mods and allowing them to gain more traction in the player community. It has opened the development and design of games to the players themselves.“To modify, to change, perchance to own.”
(Prestigo, Hector, “Modification”, Debugging Game History, ch. 38 pg. 325)Open vs Closed Games:
The concepts of “open” and “closed” games are a question of whether the hardware or software is openly accessible to designers, developers, and players; hence the use of “open” and “closed” to define them. This means that, if your hardware is “open”, third-party companies and developers can create games that are compatible with your hardware and not necessarily work for you during that process. It also pertains to whether or not games made for your hardware are cross-console compatible. For example, open game hardware can be more standardized, making it easier for developers to edit game features to work on your specific console. Also, open hardware conventions are more public knowledge, so without it would be impossible to create a game for that hardware, let alone make it cross compatible.“Open” software is also relative to third-party developers. The introduction of id Software’s “Game Engine” concept created source code for games that could be purchased for use in new games. If a company that creates more big-name, “AAA” games develops a gameplay device and releases the source code to third-parties, the engine can then be used for future games. Again, this helps with standardization: normalizing game devices for ease of play and development. However, open software is more applicable in modern gaming to the possibility of mods or modifications. Mods are often player (or user) generated content and were also introduced into popular video game culture by id’s game engine idea. With games such as Wolfenstein 3D (1992), id saw players modifying their games to change maps and aesthetic parts of gameplay. Entertaining the expansion of this new game exercise, they released a shareware version of the game as well as their 1993 game DOOM, opening the code and software to players and encouraging them to have their way with it (Deger et al. 207). This resulted in the introduction of mods as a subculture of games which has continued to gain popularity in the 15 years since the first release of Wolfenstein 3D.Open source software has come to be an expected part of game culture. Grand Theft Auto: V, a popular game released by Rockstar Games in 2013 quickly became an important platform for gameplay mods, machinima, and in-game art installations. Years after its initial release, mods were the reason some people were still playing the game, having long since finished Rockstar’s originally intended game. However, due to some issues between the game’s publisher, Take Two, and the game’s third-party mod tool OpenIV, the company decided to ban OpenIV in June 2017. Because of mods’ extensive part in the game’s popularity and fan base, players were extremely upset about the ban. Though Take Two’s action was well-intended, attempting to eliminate “malicious mods that allow harassment of players and interfere with the GTA Online experience for everybody”, more than 77,000 players signed a petition to have OpenIV restored (Orland par. 1 and 4). The ban was repealed less than a month after its application. The sub-culture (mods) became the main aspect of the game for players and the removal of open source modification accessibility not only angered fans, but could have potentially ruined the game and its experience for them.While this is one of the most controversial examples of open source software subculture, mods are a common device within modern digital games. Successful games like Skyrim, Portal, Call of Duty, Destiny and more have adopted open software and allowed for player-generated content. More and more often, the original developer will support successful mods, sometimes even endorsing them as official downloadable content (DLCs) and hiring their creators. Steam has become a common distributor of independent and player-generated content and they have only continued gaining strength. Games have been released that are strictly modification and player-generated content-oriented, such as Minecraft. “Sandbox” games such as this are becoming standard games for all ages and serve many different purposes, including introducing educational concepts. Their point is to encourage player creativity (Deger 327).The growing success of mod-friendly games strongly suggests the open software strategy. It opens your content to in-game art installments, machinima, and other popular game subcultures. These possibilities can increase sales of the content, fan base (number of players), media coverage, and conversation surrounding your game. Financially, open software seems to have the potential of being more beneficial than closed software, though that is not to say closed games are innately unsuccessful. However, with art games and independent material being developed more and more frequently and their coverage growing with social media and platforms such as YouTube and Twitch having modifications possible and openly accessible, open software also increases the chances of attracting non-gamer players and others new to the culture. Closed games are becoming fewer and further between and their popularity, while not completely disappearing, is decreasing exponentially. Thus, I recommend to you that whatever you develop now, and in the future, be open software.
Journalism:
The Dark Side of Society
Money: it’s a drug. It dictates so much of our lives. Once you have some you will only ever want more. Our society is so materialistically driven that every decision is made with money in mind. How much will this cost? How much profit will I gain? Do I need this now? Should I invest in that? Selfishness has rooted itself in our culture, making people cold and separated. This problem has spread across centuries and there have been people throughout history who would do anything just to make some money. On their 1973 rock album “The Dark Side of The Moon”, Pink Floyd addressed this issue. Releasing a song titled “Money”, the band commented on what it has shaped humanity into in the guitar-ridden, “fight the man” nature that all rock songs possess.The song begins with the sound of a cash register opening, making change. The jingling of the coins lingers, sounding rhythmically throughout the song as an impromptu percussion instrument. It then transitions into a bass heavy rift, the tap on a cymbal accenting the beat. The vocalist’s first “money / get away” almost sounds like a cry before he continues the verse. This verse discusses getting a job that pays well in order to buy things you do not need but that label you, letting everyone else know that you have money like “new car, caviar” and a football team. Buying expensive things for the look of being rich is a common trend; everyone wants designer clothes, big houses, fancy cars, and the latest electronic masterpieces. It separates you from the “poor people” that are considered lower. My biological father, for example, lives in Pebble Beach, California off of 17 mile drive. Is it pretty? Yes. Is it necessary? No. If he and his wife lived in Monterey or Seaside or Marina, they would have more money to go on vacation, have fun, or support their kids. However, they choose to live in an extremely expensive neighborhood, go to extravagant dinners, and have several new cars for the sake of prestige.The second verse brings selfishness into the picture. Stating “keep your hands off my stack”, Pink Floyd mimics people with money. Most of these people refuse to share, give, or donate, instead deciding to keep it all for themselves, again for the prestige that comes with a number. Rather than share the wealth with others, some of whom desperately need it, they keep it either in order to keep their bank account a little bit bigger, or to get themselves something nice and unnecessarily expensive. The song does, to a certain degree, mock these people, bringing to light the ridiculousness of their habits. This verse also lends itself to my interpretation of money being a drug. The band uses the line “money / it’s a hit”, comparing it to drugs without phrasing it so bluntly. One of the biggest problems about money is you can never get enough. It makes it dangerous, forcing people to get closer and closer to the point of doing anything to get it. Again, I will use my biological father as an example. We were comfortable when I was younger. Before my parents split we had money to live in a nice house and have a lot of toys and still go on vacations. After my mum moved out and my biological father lost his job, our financial situation got progressively worse until the point at which we were considered legally homeless, living at my grandfather’s house. I compare this to the downward spiral of withdrawal. My biological father got desperate, needing another ”hit”. Finally, he got hired on by another school district, Monterey, California. He picked up his whole life and moved two and a half hours southwest for money. He lost a custody battle for money. He gave up so much, not only for the job and its paycheck, but to set himself up for more. Monterey has an expensive lifestyle and he wanted that. Not wanting just the paycheck, he put himself in a situation where he could get more; where he could be rich.The exact impact of money on people may have changed slightly between 1973 and 2017, but the problems surrounding it remain the same. People get so caught up in the dollar sign that they do not even stop to think. Money is a drug. You want the comfort and the prestige of having “the good stuff” even if it is a bit more expensive and once you have had a taste, you will keep looking for more. Pink Floyd’s song questions this habit in our culture, using the usual rock elements to bring attention to these dark truths. Does that mean people are going to stop? No. However, with songs like this, and TV shows and movies and books, it brings awareness to the issue, forcing people to reflect on the absolute ridiculousness of it. We are meant to unify, to care, to be human but money has tainted these basic human traits and has made them slowly disappear from society. The band’s mockery of the habits seems like a call to arms, urging people to realize what they are doing and try to weed it out from the world. The hunger for money will not go away completely, but maybe the world can become more focused on unity and strength as a community rather than when the next paycheck is coming and how many zeroes are going to be on it.
Killing in The Name of Rock and Roll
Rock and roll and, more inclusively, rock music is commonly defined by its powerful instrumentals, generally spotlighting electric guitar and drums, and it's somewhat rebellious lyrics. The song “Killing in The Name” by Rage Against The Machine [RATM], though an extreme example, fulfills these requirements rather perfectly. Beginning the song with heavy instrumental before transitioning into a guitar / bass rift with a steady rhythm held by the drums, RATM continues these musical themes throughout the song’s entirety. However, RATM’s song also fits into the genre lyrically. Though not overly wordy, the song gets its point across with Zach de la Rocha’s not really singing. The vocalist repeats variations of the phrases “now you’re under control, and now you do what they told you” and “f*** you, I won’t do what you tell me” constantly as the song progresses. These lyrics are blatantly rebellious, calling out a party and resisting them verbally.The audience of rock music can be assumed by its defining message: rebellion. The people listening to this music are assumed to be young, though there are of course exceptions. Listeners are also generally “rebels” or outcasts; they feel as though they do not fit in with expectations and stereotypes. Similarly, they have a “look” to them. The color black, long, greasy hair, metal studs and chokers are just some of the appearances associated with people who listen to rock music or “headbangers” as they are generally referred to. Unfortunately, people become uncomfortable around fans of rock who have these characteristics, considering the stereotypes around “headbangers” and deeming them unruly or even dangerous. They are thought to be angry, explosive individuals. RATM’s song is geared toward the extremists of the “headbangers”, outwardly expressing hate and distrust for, what can be seen as, society and structure itself or “the man”.“Killing in The Name” may be relatively simple musically, but the message and purpose behind it rings clear. Like its genre, the song urges for insurgence. It brings attention to the manipulative nature of its subject, suspected to be society, and calls out the listener, accusing them for allowing the injustice to occur. The song plays like a call to arms of sorts, claiming its independence from the norm and urging listeners to do the same, lest they fall “under control”.Though more toward the metal end of the spectrum of rock music, literally screaming anger, Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in The Name” is an excellent example of the genre. The number has strong instrumentals, back boning the simple yet powerful and blatantly rebellious vocals, making it a rock song by the simplest definition. Similarly, the song’s following consists of mainly angry young “headbangers”, giving it the title of a rock song by urban dictionary, widely accepted standards as well.
Narrative:
Oaro scrunched his scaly nose. The air was pungent, smelling of burning flesh. Dracona was in ruins because of the Humans’ greed. The lovely green fields and wild flowers were gone and the elegant stone and wood homes were either burnt or burning. He pushed his shredded wings to go as fast as they could. If the Humans were in his house, Oaro could not imagine what they could have done. When he arrived, he saw it. Three Humans stood over Elia, Oaro’s wife. She wore her Human face, like most Drake females and children even now that Humans are considered an evil. The Humans turned to Oaro, who was standing in the stone doorway, and one grinned at him maliciously. “Damn you, Drake,” he cursed at Oaro. And with that, he thrust his rusty blade into Elia without tearing his gaze from Oaro.
Her cries didn’t last as long as the Human had hoped, but the look on the Drake advisor’s face told him the act had hit its mark. He now moved toward the cowering child in the corner of the room, ready to finish the job. Tears were rolling down the girl’s face and the Human was hit with a wave of pity and guilt. The child had just watched her mother killed in front of her. Oaro growled behind him and he was soon reminded of the dangers she could bring as she matured by her red eyes; eyes all Drakes possessed. She would breed in later years, continuing the Draconic blood line. If he didn’t kill her now, it could ruin everything they had worked for. And so, it had to be done. Guilt gone, he moved to strike the girl down. Before he could make his move, however, Oaro gave a roar of anger and shot himself at the Human.
The Human reacted too slowly to deflect Oaro’s attack. Oaro wished he could make the creature’s death slow and painful; make him pay for the death of his beloved. But a small whimper reminded Oaro of Aryana’s presence. He could not scar the poor child any further. He had to get her out of there. Anger replaced by the need to protect his daughter, Oaro made quick work of the three Humans. Aryana had not moved from the corner. Oaro stepped carefully over the bodies, morphing into his human form to better reach the child’s small height. He approached her slowly, whispering reassurances to her. When he reached her, kneeling before the girl, he noticed her gaze was not on him but on something behind him. Oaro turned and saw Elia bloody and crumpled on the ground. He shifted in front of her to block the horrific sight from his daughter’s eyes. Finally she looked up at him.
She looked broken, defeated. Emotions no six year old should experience. Oaro quickly wrapped his arms around Aryana, wanting to shield her from the world. Finally, he made up his mind. Dracona was not safe for her. He released her and started to stand, pulling her out of the corner. He carried her to the door, continuing to block his wife’s corpse from her view. When outside the door, Oaro changed back, wings stretching from his back and hands and feet growing into great claws. He shook his scales, stalling while he prepared himself for his new mission before leading Aryana away from their home for the last time.
Original story by Drea Zarevich.
The battle was over.
Hermione closed her eyes and finally allowed herself a moment to breathe. The past year had been an ongoing cycle of fighting, running, and horcruxes but, finally, it was over. Ron was with his family, Harry off somewhere to think in peace. She’d been wandering the crumbling castle for hours, mourning in her own way. That day, they’d lost friends, family, and the place they’d once come to escape and learn wondrous, magical things. Of course, it’s nearly impossible to go back to the lives they had lived before. But, despite the bloodied, battle-scarred landscape around her, she couldn’t help but think of her own family, the one she’d left in England. She wanted to go back to them, to lift the charm and recover from it all in the warmth of their care. Something held her back, though. She could easily reverse the charm she’d placed on them, but should she? Would they still be there? What were their lives like now that she was no longer there? Now that the wizarding world was no longer their concern?
Hermione paused along the path, sighing. She sat down on one of the fallen stones and began to think through it. She would never be able to live outside of the wizarding world and, despite the fact that Voldemort was gone, her muggle parents still wouldn’t be welcome. Not only could her return to her parents’ lives risk their happiness, but it could risk her own as well. She leaned back on the stone, looking up at the grey sky as though it held the answer. Her hand didn’t touch stone, however. Instead, she felt fabric beneath her palm. Looking down, she discovered something she hadn’t expected to find in the ruins of Hogwarts and came up with a plan that would decide for her. The object?
The invisibility cloak.
Hermione stepped up to the house as quietly as she could, the cloak wrapped tightly about her shoulders and covering her whole body. Oddly enough, the cloak was providing some comfort from the wind and rain around her. This was, in all honesty, a horrible, terribly reckless idea. She’d been trying to convince herself to abandon it since she thought of it. But, there she was, standing before her childhood home. Half of her hoped “Wendell and Monica Wilkins” wouldn’t be there, that this would be over quickly. The other half, however, begged for her parents. She took a deep breath, considered leaving for a second more, and then continued up to the door with all of the resolve she could muster. The locked door was defeated with a quick wave of her wand and she slipped inside, shutting away the storm. Unsure of what to expect, she turned slowly and…
…the house was empty.
No one had lived there for months, that was clear. While there were signs of the previous inhabitants, the room before her was as sterile as her parents’ workplace. She shivered a bit from the sight, shucking the cloak and sinking to the floor. Though disappointed and uncertain of what to do next, she was also hopeful. Their absence likely meant they had acted upon the ambition to leave that she had pressed with the charm, safe from the magical war their daughter had exposed them to. Unexpectedly, this did not make her choice easier. She still longed for her family. Looking back at the door as if waiting for them to walk back in, she noticed a small pile of posts that had built up since their departure. If she could find the forward address, she could find them. She gave a small smile to the cloak on the floor beside her.
Time for another horrible, terribly reckless idea.The hunt for “Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins” led Hermione to Australia. She was surprised, of course, but did not hesitate to apparate herself there. Where was her logical mind? She wasn’t usually so spur-of-the-moment with her plans. But, there she stood before an unfamiliar home in a nice neighborhood. It appeared the storm had followed her there and, once again, she was wrapped tightly in the invisibility cloak to hide her both from the wind and the eyes of the muggles around her. She considered leaving when she saw the house. This seemed to be a good life for her parents. She felt selfish for seeking them out simply to uproot their lives again. Regaining her resolve, she stepped up to the door, making quick work of the lock and silently letting herself in.
The door clicked quietly as it shut, and Hermione spared a wince, worried “Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins” would hear it and panic. If they had heard, they blamed it on the storm. So, unnoticed, Hermione made her way into the house. It was as nice on the inside as it was out, warm and bright to ward off the cold damp of the storm. The cloak still shielding her from view, she stepped into what must have been the living room to find her parents sitting on a sofa, curled up and reading. A watery smile tugged at her lips. They were safe. They were here. All of her resolve vanished, and she let out a silent sob. She no longer even considered leaving the charm intact. Closing her eyes, composing herself, she began to reverse the charm. She had memorized it, preparing herself for this moment.
She imagined a physical wall of magic, surrounding her parents and hiding their memories, their world, from them. In her mind, she meticulously pulled away this barrier, slowly revealing the truth to her parents to keep from overwhelming them. She could hear her mother gasp, both she and Mr. Granger putting their books down as their past lives returned to them.
Suddenly, the magical barrier was gone, and Hermione gently opened her eyes letting tears free. Mrs. Granger was sobbing, her husband holding her and on the verge of crying himself. After a moment, Hermione slowly dropped the cloak, frozen where she stood. Her father saw her first, tears finally falling as he released his wife. The woman looked up and froze as well. The three of them stared at each other, processing this moment. Mr. Granger broke from the spell first, rushing to his daughter and holding her close, his embrace strong. Mrs. Granger followed a step behind, flinging herself onto Hermione’s other side. Hermione melted into the embrace, finally feeling free of the weight of the past year. She was safe here, with her family. Tomorrow, she could figure out her place in the wizarding world, as well as decide what to do with the deathly hallow lying on the floor.
Today, the war was over, and she was finally home.
***
Outside of the once unfamiliar home of “Mr. and Mrs. Wilkens”, the storm that had begun during the Battle of Hogwarts and had followed Hermione for days, finally began to clear. And after the storm, the future seemed as bright as the sun that broke through the clouds.
Harry Potter characters and world belong to J.K. Rowling. This work is fan fiction.
Project Planning: Community Design and Management
Initial Community Building
In the first few weeks, I would spend several days simply researching: looking for communities that share similar interests and values that we look to build and noting tactics, interactions, and more that have led to the happy, healthy success of other pre-existing communities. This will help cultivate a personalised foundation for our desired community. When building anything, it's important to have an idea of what works and what doesn’t and with a game intended for multiplayer use, community is arguably one of the most important components of the product. The rest of the four weeks should then be used to build an “ideal timeline” for goals, workshop opening social content (deciding what to post in the beginning, etc) and making a list of / developing connections with people that would build and better the community (fellow devs, influencers, streamers, and more). After executing and documenting these processes, we should be prepped for the core work to begin.Searching For a Core Audience
As stated above, research into relevant communities already in existence is key. Seeing real-world examples of concept successes and failures. However this is not the only process I would suggest. Sample surveys, both small and large-scale, could be helpful in gauging community preferences and suggestions. Community events could offer chances to get to know each other as the people around would have at least one common interest. This fosters vital relationships not only between us and our audience but the audience with each other. It also allows us a first-hand experience of preferences, interests, and expectations from the community. Also, as the community grows, these events no longer have a need to necessarily involve the team directly every time, as the community will be likely to be able to host fun, safe sessions (most likely with designated moderators chosen by the team). This lessens the load on the team with bigger groups while still engaging everyone in a friendly, personal environment.Gathering Player Preferences
Surveys, reviews, twitter threads and other direct communication are going to be our friends here. You need to talk to people to know what they think and what they expect not even with just the game itself, but with interests, likes, dislikes, and more. While that’s not always the most feasible task in bigger communities, specific questions / topics and hosting conversations between members of the community to pull information from can be excellent substitutes. When it’s no longer possible to personally participate in every conversation, sometimes it’s better to just listen to them instead and “[idea] thoughts?” posts, related pictures and more are great tools to encourage these meaningful discussions. We can realistically build a strong community around the idea of a game without much in terms of deliverables.Updates
First 2 - 2.5 weeks of development:
Briefly outline goals and changes for this update
Summarize reasoning for each change (or at least most important ones)
Write a patch note draft for reference
Decide on most interesting/important features to address among the community
Brainstorm creative ways to preview and open discussion about above features
Appropriately time content so it is well distributed throughout the last 2.5 to 3 weeks of update development to allow for time to digest previous update while still garnering interest in next update
Remaining 2.5 - 3 weeks of development:
Execute and keep up interactions with community throughout
Edit plan as needed (update goal changes, timeline changes, etc)Reviews
Please note, I would generally create a spreadsheet with the information in notes for easy access and at-a-glance retrieval. This would usually be accessible to everyone on the project. I’ve instead included a basic idea of what information would go into that sheet.General Reviews
[Notes:] Time played - [] hours; Recommends: []; Games mentioned: []; Pros: []; Cons: []
[Sample Response:] Thank you for your review! We’re happy to hear that you're enjoying the game! We’d love to have you join our amazing community, if you haven’t already! You can find it here: [social directory link]. [Enter here a game-specific sign off if applicable (ex. Happy hunting!)]
[Sample Response:] Thank you for taking the time to review! We’re sorry to hear you’ve had so much trouble with the game. We have taken note of the bugs listed and will do our best to investigate! We appreciate your part in this community and hope to improve in the future.
[Sample Response:] Thank you for your review! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the game! We have taken note of your comments and will do our best to improve in the future. If you’d like to join our amazing community and discuss your thoughts further, you can find it here: [social directory link]
[Sample Response:] We’re sorry to hear this happened! Our community is designed to be an open, friendly way for players to connect with our team and each other. We would like to try to fix this unfortunate situation as best we can. Please contact us at [official contact info] so we can look into it further.”Troll” Reviews:
Let it be noted that I would not generally suggest responding to a review posted seemingly for the sake of “trolling”. There is no information within the statement and is completely conjecture based. But, assuming this player has over 10 hours clocked (a bit for someone who dislikes the game so strongly), I have included a response.
[Sample Response:] Thank you for taking the time to review [game name]! We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the game. As we are always looking for ways to improve, we would be grateful if you would take the time to explain what turned you away. Please either respond below or contact us at [official contact info].