3m speech i'm giving at my university on poe

Hey guys,

So I decided I'd post this here for posterity's sake. This is a short speech I'll be giving at my university on Wednesday night. (We were given the choice of any topic for an informative three-minute speech, and, as you've no doubt deduced, I chose Path of Exile.) Hope you enjoy it!

Best,
Bwam


Working Outline

Introduction
I. Attention Getter: “Attention, prisoners! For your crimes against Oriath, you have been exiled to the forsaken continent of Wraeclast. The magisters of Oriath are merciful and have granted all exiles one weapon… choose wisely.” (1) So this is the opening monologue to my favorite game, Path of Exile.
II. Thesis: Today, I'm looking forward to telling you all all about Path of Exile, a free-to-play online game.
III. Relevance to audience: As students, we all know how necessary it is to blow off some steam every now and then.
IV. Credibility: I've been playing Path of Exile for about as long as I've been attending [-----], about two years now, and have successfully used it to blow off steam while maintaining top grades.
V. Preview: So I'll be discussing Path of Exile in three parts:
--------First, I'll talk about the story;
--------Second, I'll talk about the gameplay, but will keep it short due to time constraints;
--------and Third, I'll talk a little about character customization.

[Transition: So, what exactly is going on in the opening monologue from Path of Exile?]

Body
I. A. The story begins with a boat filled with exiles, each having been banished to Wraeclast for their crimes.
--------B. There are six characters to choose from in the beginning, and each one has his or her own unique back story as to why they are on the ship. For example, if you select the witch character, you're provided this lovely tidbit from the witch herself: “They were right to fear me. If only they had listened to their cowardice. Had they not taken my home with fire, I would not have taken their children.” (1) And it goes on.
--------C. What winds up happening is the people in charge on the ship throw all the exiles overboard. Upon washing ashore, one of your compadres turns to you and says: “Bastards dumped near two dozen of us off that Ship. You and me, we're all that survived the swim.” (1) He is then promptly eaten by a zombie, and you discover that surviving Wraeclast won't be such a simple matter.

[Transition: So what happens next?]

II. The new player soon learns the ins and outs of gameplay while killing zombies and generally having a blast. There are three basic components to gameplay:
--------A. First, you're looking down on your avatar from a birds-eye view;
--------B. Second, you move around and attack by clicking a mouse;
--------C. Third, you drink potions and use other skills with the keyboard.

[Transition: Now that you understand how to play, it would be good to touch on what makes Path of Exile unique: Character customization.]

III. As you kill zombies and other unsavories with your character, your character levels up and gets stronger in three ways:
--------A. First, you get what's called a passive skill point, which you can allocate onto the passive skill tree. What is the passive skill tree? According to the game website, “It is a vast web of 1325 skills that provide passive bonuses to your character. Each time you level up or complete certain quests, you can allocate a skill and explore deeper into the tree.” (2)
--------B. Second, your character's hit points increase a small amount.
--------C. Third, you gain access to higher-level skills, which can link together in interesting ways.

[Transition: So that's Path of Exile in a nutshell.]

Conclusion: To summarize,
--------first, I talked about the story;
--------second, I talked about the gameplay;
--------and third, I touched on character customization.
--------Clincher: So are you looking to blow off some steam? Path of Exile is a free, fun-to-play, deep and involving game where you can do just that. Thanks everybody.

The story of poe is not the narrative told through the game lore. The true story is the one viewed through the lens of gameplay: power, customization, and freedom. The linear narrative inherited from the ancient traditions of story telling crumbles in the wayside as the information age's power of self determination thunders down the path of light and out of the chains of idealogy.

As we peer into the murky depths of repercussion, how will the fall of passive centrally controlled media effect the psyche of the next generation in our world as information technology empowers individuals with agency?

Perhaps such empowerment will lead to an enlightened future. Looking back on our current level of consciousness will be like looking at some hideous undead zombie... a monster of selfishness unable to look beyond its own gains and unable to harness the willpower to take initiative.

===

When you give a speech you should have something to say. Some insight, some motivation, or deep question. Each action should be the result of a premeditated plan to benefit yourself or society. Communication is a multi-channel tool. You need to wield it with skill.

"

SkyCore wrote:

When you give a speech you should have something to say. Some insight, some motivation, or deep question. Each action should be the result of a premeditated plan to benefit yourself or society. Communication is a multi-channel tool. You need to wield it with skill.

I'm guessing you didn't like my speech ;p

"

bwam wrote:

I'm guessing you didn't like my speech ;p

Take things to the next level. Relate what you are talking about on the surface to some deeper issue. A speech to an audience is an opportunity, dont waste it.

I agree that it sounds rather boring. Just a dry exposition of facts. No one cares about PoE facts. You need a message, an opinion, an analysis. I can guarantee you will bore everyone to death with that speech. You also can't reasonably cover all that in 3 minutes, although the 3-min restriction is a huge plus in that regard.

Your general message seems to be 'We all need to blow off some steam and PoE is a great way to do it'. You need to explain why on two levels:
- why gaming in general is a good way to do it
- why PoE in particular is a great game for that purpose

A dry and factual explanation of the story and game mechanics does nothing.

You could so so much with this topic and you're doing so little... You could quote research indicating that gamers are generally happier than non-gamers. You could talk about the various benefits of gaming and how they relate to PoE:
- you are spending your leisure time in an active, not a passive mode like watching TV;
- games are proven to improve certain brain functions;
- we sometimes need to escape from reality and this is a good thing if done in moderation;
- you could provide examples of people who have pulled through incredible ordeals using gaming and PoE in particular (NoHandsKen for example)
- you could talk about the social aspect of gaming, how it helps you connect to like-minded fellows around the world and enjoy the sense of belonging to a varied and global community, talk about PoE's complex social and economic systems
- by the way, PoE teaches important time, social and financial management skills
- the interesting psychological aspects of PoE and ARPG gaming, what we've learned from Skinner and other game researchers, entering a nearly meditative state while playing, psychological reward mechanisms, etc. - a huge topic
- words of warning about the negative aspects of gaming and ARPGs in particular - there is too much of a good thing, the addictive mechanisms similar to gambling addiction, complete withdrawal from reality, replacement of personal contact with depersonalized online communication, etc.



So many possibilities and you choose to describe game lore and mechanics as if someone gives a shit about that? Mind-boggling.

Fellas, fellas--it's supposed to be an informative speech. That's the assignment: informing.

Sorry it doesn't strike your guys' fancies, though. :\ kinda figured you'd think it was cool....

Sorry. I am extremely critical. Can't help it.

Anyway, about the informative speech - I've been playing games since I was 6 (29 now). I realize I'm just a youngster compared to some others here, but still - I have learned a thing or two along the way. One such thing: I have observed, time and again, how people who are passionate about games fail to realize how utterly boring they are to others who aren't.

What's more, I've had many conversations where people managed to bore me to death talking about a game I was also passionate about. As counter-intuitive as it may be, it's actually difficult to give a fun and engaging talk about a game and I guarantee that a description of PoE's mechanics and storyline won't cut it.

So, I would still like to recommend that you inform your classmates about some of the actually interesting aspects of gaming and PoE instead. There are surprising and interesting facts about gaming many people don't know and would appreciate learning.

Of course, that's up to you.


edit: to give you some perspective, imagine some girl starts talking about the fascinating world of make-up.

“There is a vast web of 1325 colours that apply various effects to your face. Each time you buy a new one or learn certain make-up techniques, you can makes yourself look different and explore deeper make-up options."

Imagine having to listen to that. I'm sure it's incredibly interesting to her, but, well...

What the hell are you studying?

"

NeroNoah wrote:

What the hell are you studying?

Mathematics and Chinese. ;)

(...which is why I'm part of the School of Arts and Sciences, which has core curriculum requisites fulfilled by classes like Public Speaking.)

"

BerMalBerIst1 wrote:

I bet this speech is gonna get you ALL the chicks, bro

I'm sure you have lots of experience in this department, Bambi. Thanks for you sage words; can't tell you how much it means to me.