Rice Field Hero

Learning game, which is inspired by an agricultural theory in Thailand. This game aims to distribute the theory more wider and simplify the theory's main idea to a game which more attractive and easier to understand.

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Game Preview

Screen Shot

EINBLICK - AUSBLICK

Annual student exhibition of Muthesius Kunsthochschule.

Understanding "New Theory"

„New theory“ is a new way of agriculture in Thailand, which is created by his Majesty the king of Thailand.

Thailand is an agricultural country, which the most population are farmers and the most important national products is agricultural products especially rice. However in last couple decade, a number of farmers in Thailand have dropped constantly, which is caused by a poverty of farmers in rural areas.

Our king and his organisation have researched about this issue foe a long time to find a competent and sustainable solution. After many research and practical application in a king's organisation, Finally in 1997 our king found a solution and wrote a „New Theory“ to be a guide line for farmer to solve their financial problems.

Key of the theory is tackling the problem of water shortages and the use of limited land for cultivation so as to produce sufficient food for consumption, and, if possible, for sale. The theory teaches farmer to manage their farm properly to increase their income and reduce their expense, and make they be able to feed themselves without external supports.

The theory is divided into three phase. First, farmers themselves have to learn to manage their farms to get a maximum benefit from them. They should divide their arable land in this ratio 3:3:3:1 --> water : rice : crops : house.

To survive in an uncertain weather, farmers have to have a water storage, which they can use in a dry period. It should be 30% of the land.

They have to reduce an intensive agriculture, which grow only one kind of crop and repeat that in the same land. They should grow the main crops or in Thailand is rice in only 30% of their land and grow other plant such as vegetable or fruit and breed cattle in another 30% of the land. With this farmers can reduce their expense by consuming their own crops, and when the main crops do not grow very well their still have other crops to sell and gain money from that.

The rest 10% is for house and other living and stock building.

When farmers can support themselves and have a better quality of live, they can go to next step of theory.

Second is Unity in the community, organization in groups or cooperatives and development of better quality of life in various aspects, such as health, education, and social and religious activities.

And the last Phase is cooperation with financial and energy sources in development toward mainstream businesses and development toward the Sufficiency Economy.

More information about „New Theory“

Global agricutural problem : Porverty of Farmers

Poverty of farmers is not only a problem of Thailand, but also a global problem in many agricultural countries over the world especially in developing and undeveloped countries.

The cause of this problem is a very low prices of agricultural products in world market, which influence the local prices of local farmer's crops. Sometime it is cheaper to import agricultural products from other country, that mean local farmer have to reduce their crops' prices to be competitive to the imported one.

Lower prices means lower income for farmers, when they cannot run their farm business, most of them abandon their arable land and move to cites to find new jobs. The number of farmers is also drop globally.

The „New Theory“ could be applied to solve a problem in other circumstance some how.

Farming games research

I divide farming games roughly into 4 types - Simulation - Arcade - Social - Survival

Target groups

From 4 target groups which have shown in the picture above, I would like to focus in a group of farmers selves and their children. Without internet and digital device farmers and their children could access to a learning games via educational exhibition which could be set in various local areas in short period.

That means the character of this learning games project should be 1. Finished in short period 2. Briefly tell a story 3. Attractive for both adults and children

The suitable style of game might be survival (play in limited time ) which might be attractive for children and suit to a character of exhibition game. I would add some character of strategy games for adult like card games or chess play in to my learning game as well.

Mindmap : Contents in agricultural learning game

First concept sketch

More information please download present slide „First Concept Sketch.pdf“ in materials.

Concept Sketches

Game Concept

Genre : Strategie / Survival

Story : A Poor Farmer and his family who were in debt for a long time. But this year he has a big commitment to clear all debt and starts a new better farmer life. He wants to change his farm into new, good organised and more organic farm.

Goal : Clear debt in time (one year)

Method : Change initial way of farming to be a better (follow the „New Theory“). Increase water storage and a diversity in a Farm.

Bonus : Be organic ( no chemical pesticide and fertilizer )

Learning : Compare old and new Farming : Game will start at an initial situation of farming; little water storage with planty of rice in a farmland. Then it will show problem of lacking water. Then show how to manage a land through a tutorial stage.

Compare organic and chemical Pesticide and fertilizer Players have to create an organic pesticide and fertilizer themselve from hervested crops, that means at a beginning they have to us chemical stuff and it will show positive and negative effects, then after they can create an organic stuff and use it, they can see how different.

Change of Time system

From real time interaction to a combination of turn base and real time.

Statistic at the end of Turn + Additional expense

Tutorial Stage

Because of the complexity of a game, before a game start, there should be some tutorial stages that tell players how to play this game.

I also want to use this stage to show the initial of farming and its problems, together with some basic tips or guide line to new way of farming (more water storages and diversity)

I will divide tutorial parts into 4 part 1. Watering and feeding functions 2. How water unit system works--> more storage means more maximum unit. 3.Pest system --> How the pest comes and how to protect crops. 4.How to make organic pesticide and fertilize.