Read Ender's Game, Chapters 13 and 14, and respond to these questions:
(Begins June 3 - Ends June 10)
Chapter 13
“They must talk to each other directly, Ender, mind to mind. What one thinks, another can also think; what one remembers, another can also remember. Why would they ever develop language? Why would they ever learn to read and write? How would they know what reading and writing were if they saw them? Or signals? Or numbers? Or anything that we use to communicate? This isn't just a matter of translating from one language to another. They don't have language at all. We used every means we could think of to communicate with them, but they don't even have the machinery to know we're signaling. And maybe they've been trying to think to us, and they can't understand why we don't respond.” (Card, 253)
1) What is the critical issue/concern revealed in this quote? Why is there a war between humans and buggers? What is it that has allowed Ender to beat all his enemies thus far, but is now missing as he considers the menace of the buggers?
Chapter 14
1) In chapter 14, Ender encounters “the most perfect video game he had ever played.” (Card, 258) Describe this game. What importance is graphical quality? What importance is interface control?
2) At what point does the strategy of the simulator become “pleasure” and “play”? What transforms this serious game into serious fun?
3) Who becomes Ender's new teacher? Why does the new teacher refer to himself as the enemy?
4) What do you think is “Ender's Game”, to which the book's title refers?
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Chapter 13
ReplyDelete“They must talk to each other directly, Ender, mind to mind. What one thinks, another can also think; what one remembers, another can also remember. Why would they ever develop language? Why would they ever learn to read and write? How would they know what reading and writing were if they saw them? Or signals? Or numbers? Or anything that we use to communicate? This isn't just a matter of translating from one language to another. They don't have language at all. We used every means we could think of to communicate with them, but they don't even have the machinery to know we're signaling. And maybe they've been trying to think to us, and they can't understand why we don't respond.” (Card, 253)
1) What is the critical issue/concern revealed in this quote? Why is there a war between humans and buggers? What is it that has allowed Ender to beat all his enemies thus far, but is now missing as he considers the menace of the buggers?
The issue revealed here is that of a lack of communication. Not for lack of trying, but for a lack of a common ground. For all intents and purposes, the war broke out simply because the two species could not communicate with each other. Ender has been able to understand his enemies thus far, and was able to beat them because of it. But when he considers how to defeat the buggers, the task becomes daunting, since he cannot understand them like he has understood his fellow soldiers. He cannot think the way a bugger thinks, and so any strategizing he does holds a very big potential to be useless or inappropriate for maneuvers against the buggers. Somewhere, too, there is the thought that there shouldn’t even be any more fighting, and that instead more efforts should be made to establish communications rather than exterminating each other.
Chapter 14
ReplyDelete1) In chapter 14, Ender encounters “the most perfect video game he had ever played.” (Card, 258) Describe this game. What importance is graphical quality? What importance is interface control?
The “perfect video game” Ender encounters here is the simulator. It is described as the Command School’s equivalent of the Battle Room. The function of this simulator is to challenge the player on a progression of levels, applying Battle Room skills and command skills together, while letting the player develop an understanding of space and perspective in relation to, not an army, but a whole fleet in space. It is a 3D simulation game, where the gameplay occurs in a cube of virtual space. The graphical quality is in place mostly to reinforce the importance of the physical three dimensions, because the playing pieces are represented as little more than dots of different colored light. The ability to play with the interface controls, and view things fro different angles, is critical to a commander-in-training who needs to develop a thorough understanding of three-dimensional battle tactics and maneuvers, without being limited to a single point-of-view or way of thinking.
2) At what point does the strategy of the simulator become “pleasure” and “play”? What transforms this serious game into serious fun?
“Pleasure” and “play” are established for Ender once he fully understands the strategies and usage of the simulator game. With that understanding, the main focus becomes not learning, but implementing the new information and rising to the challenge, so that it becomes more fun than tedium.
3) Who becomes Ender's new teacher? Why does the new teacher refer to himself as the enemy?
Mazer Rackham himself becomes Ender’s new teacher. He refers to himself as the enemy because it is through the enemy that you learn how to win, and he sums it up as “There is no teacher but the enemy.” He hopes, by establishing himself as thus, that Ender will treat him with more scrutiny than he ever did a teacher and will learn more solid information from him that way.
4) What do you think is “Ender's Game”, to which the book's title refers?
“Ender’s Game” was the whole process of tricking him into all his training and excellence. Most especially, Ender’s Game was the final battle against the bugger world.
ch 13-
ReplyDelete1. Theres no way of communicating with he buggers .The main reason theres a war is because they have no way of finding out anthing about one another. Ender has been able to read the enemies patterns of movements or strategies through their communication which could be the main problm against the buggers
ch. 14-
1. It was a holographic game that let hime view it from all different directions. the player are little light dots. the game itself gets harder as he gets better. The computer begin reading his strategies and using them against him.
2. When he begin playing it over to get better just for the hell of it. The challnge if trying o get better and master the game
3. Mazer Rackham. Because he's gonna make sure Ender is taught all he knows and do it the right way
4. I think the whole situation he has been in from the start is his game. It seems like everything he has done has completed a challenge sending him to a newer harder level
Chapter 13
ReplyDelete“They must talk to each other directly, Ender, mind to mind. What one thinks, another can also think; what one remembers, another can also remember. Why would they ever develop language? Why would they ever learn to read and write? How would they know what reading and writing were if they saw them? Or signals? Or numbers? Or anything that we use to communicate? This isn't just a matter of translating from one language to another. They don't have language at all. We used every means we could think of to communicate with them, but they don't even have the machinery to know we're signaling. And maybe they've been trying to think to us, and they can't understand why we don't respond.” (Card, 253)
1) What is the critical issue/concern revealed in this quote? Why is there a war between humans and buggers? What is it that has allowed Ender to beat all his enemies thus far, but is now missing as he considers the menace of the buggers?
The buggers don’t understand the humans, they think they are all violent creatures. Since they can communicate with them, they don’t know if the humans will destroy them first. No one really knows why the war broke out between the humans and buggers, but the buggers did come to them first and attack them. So of course the humans fought back. Graff said that it might be because the buggers cant understand the humans. Survival has allowed Ender to keep going, to keep pushing himself this far. His human instinct to be alive, the fact that he can come up with strategies to beat the enemy. Studying and knowing their moves before he strikes.
Chapter 14
1) In chapter 14, Ender encounters “the most perfect video game he had ever played.” (Card, 258) Describe this game. What importance is graphical quality? What importance is interface control?
With this game Ender has the ability to control a tiny little fighter on the holographic display allowing Ender to view it in 3D, in any angle he wished and however near or far. As he progressed and got use to the controls the game of course got harder, with more obstacles and missions to accomplish until he was able to command his own tiny fleet.
3) Who becomes Ender's new teacher? Why does the new teacher refer to himself as the enemy?
Mazer Rackham himself becomes Ender’s new teacher and he is often referring himself as Ender’s enemy to train him. Since hes already been in the war with the buggers hes a lot smarter then anyone and he knows way more. He wants to teach Ender that feeling sorry will get him no where, turning your back on an enemy just for looking peaceful will get you killed. He wants Ender to fight back, and fight back hard.
4) What do you think is “Ender's Game”, to which the book's title refers?
Enders whole life has been nothing but a game. His constant battles and obstacles that he has to overcome.
Chapter 13
ReplyDelete1) This quote reveals that the buggers communicate in an entirely different, and alien way compared to the humans. Because of their totally different means of communication, the two races were never able to know eachother's motives, or even know that the other race was trying to communicate with them. Not knowing eachother's intentions eventually led to war. This will be hard for ender to overcome, as he often strategized but studying his opponents commands and working to counter them, but without being able to understand their communication he'll never be able to completely predict their strategies, or know how to counter them.
Chapter 14
1) It is a simulator game for the command school. It simulates battles and the interface allows you to view them from any direction, which will help Ender to understand a battle from any direction. The game also has a sort of adaptive AI, and gets harder and learns ender's strategies as he gets better.
2) Once ender is doing fairly well with his strategies, he continues to play the game just for the challenge of mastering it using the techniques he has already learned, and so as the learning curve slows, it becomes more of a pleasure to play.
3) Mazer Rackham. He refers to himself as the enemy so that ender can better learn from him, just as Ender has learned by studying his enemies throughout the rest of the book (whether it be the other armies in battle school, or studying footage of buggers, etc). Mazer knows this is an effective way to learn, so employs it to teach ender.
4) Ender's entire life could be described as a game. As a third he only existed for the military to use, and to bend to his will. All of the goals that the military give to him and all the obstacles Ender has faced along the way trying to reach these goals are his game.
1-1. The buggers do not have a language and humans have no way to communicate with them. They are at war because they have no way of finding out if the other would be hostile or could be friendly. Ender has been able to beat all his enemies by understanding their intent, studying their strategies, and come up with a plan to stop them. He has no idea what the buggers want or how they think.
ReplyDelete2-1. The most perfect game was the simulator which allowed him to control one fighter up to commanding squadrons. It has powerful controls that allow him observe the battle from anywhere. The graphics were simple using lights to represent the elements of the game. Graphics aren't nearly as important as the interface control because if it is too hard to get the game to cooperate, then lots of pretty things to look at are useless.
2-2. The game becomes more like play when he is able learns how to control it better. Commanding squadrons and changing his orientation to watch the battle from all points of view, including his enemy's.
2-3. Mazer Rackham becomes Ender's new teacher. He refers to himself as the enemy because from then on Ender's would be constantly challenged to beat him.
2-4. "Ender's Game" was the game the adults were putting him through. They put him through many games to turn him into a great commander. Then the final game he was put through was to test what he had learned and his ability to command, which turned out to be the final battle with the buggers and he was commanding actual ships.
13-1. The critical issue revealed is that the buggers and humans are completely unable to communicate. The buggers communicate without words or text and thus no communication or negoatiations have been possible or will ever likely be possible. Buggers could have been trying to communicate with humans just as the humans have been trying to do with them but there is just no way.
ReplyDeleteEnder has been able to beat all of his enemies thus far because he has been able to understand and outsmart/outwit them. It however won't help him now. These buggers think as one, they are connected to each others experiences, thoughts and knowledge. He will not be able to understand them and conquer them as easily as he has with the games in his past.
14-1. The "perfect" game was a simulator game from the command school. He commanded everything starting from a single fighter to whole squadrons. The game has a high intelligence and is able to learn and counter Ender's moves. He could view the battles from any direction.
14-2.I think the most fun part about the game was the fact that you could view the battle from all angles. Including the enemies. Giving you an unparalled view of the battlefield.
14-3.Mazer Rackham is Ender's new teacher. Rackham refers to himself as Ender's enemy because he was constantly going to be challenging him in order to make him better. It goes back to the whole thing about knowing and completely understanding your enemy in order to beat him.
14-4."Ender's Game" is actually kind of his whole life. Ender is constantly played from the beginning of the book in order to further the goals of those above him, and to be fair, humanity in general. It is these series of video games that turn Ender into a commander and led him to exterminate the buggers homeworld. All of this was done with Ender not even knowing that he was playing a real life scenario not a virtual game.
miscomunication. the inability to communicate. that was the reason behind the war. the advantage of ender's empathy with other humans is useless against them.
ReplyDeletegraphical quality gives real-time and accurate appraisal of the situation at hand, and provides a more immersive experience. elaborate, intuitive, accurate interface control gives faster response in-game and more control to the player (pun intended).
it becomes fun when Ender starts feeling a challenge from it. it becomes more fun when his old classmates are introduced into the game as assistants.
Mazer Rackham becomes his teacher. he is the enemy, because he is always there, always watching, and never going to go easy on him. it was also part of the illusion they were creating around ender to manipulate him, but that's knowledge from later chapters...
perhaps his life, perhaps the sum of all the games he plays, or perhaps the game the world plays with him as the pawn.