When you email your favorite artists you don’t always expect a response. I had emailed Tarn Adams asking him his thoughts on ABM and how he modeled the interactions of his Dwarfs, I was lucky enough to get a reply!
Tarn told me he was not aware of what was going on in the ABM world and hadn’t been coming from it from that perspective at all. He described his method as:
“I’ve just been adding systems as I need them, trying to break them down into their components and adding as many elements of human interaction as I can think of”
I thought this was interesting as Tim and I had been thinking about writing a simple web based story telling tool with an engine that could be used to create Marks idea of Angry Birds for Teachers. I had used the DF model as a way to code it up interactions between people in the story.
Also I thought it was interesting how Tarn ended the email…
“…do you mean ways of using little critters messing around with each other as a way to engage them in whatever material is being taught? I might not be up on the theory enough to be of any use”
I had blabbed on in my original email but Tarn had got to the heart of what I was after and what I hope Tim and my story telling tool might become.
I always remember those who take the time to get back to me, particularly the kind responses from Cam Clarke , Tarn Adams, Gabe Newell (and the people who make Jelly Babies). I think it’s really nice that such busy people take time out to reply. If only some of tutors had done the same 🙂 .
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