5 Boroughs: The MMOG
5 Boroughs is a multiplayer online game that will allow players to learn about and understand a significant portion of American history. Ellis Island, while it was operative, served as New York City's primary port of entry for new immigrants, and to this day stands as a symbol of opportunity and new beginnings. This romantic notion, as we hope to illustrate, was rarely the case - life was hard for new immigrants.
5 Boroughs will educate players about the life and times of a new immigrant, beginning with their arrival in America at Ellis Island.
With our earlier prototyping experience behind us, we are ready to begin implementing this design in a digital environment. Players will build characters (avatars) that they will use to navigate a world (Manhattan) they share with other players, and use skills (whether chosen or acquired) to perform tasks, socialize with other players, participate in local politics, and start families.
Our design constraints are:
1) Low system requirements: Flash & browser-based
2) Focus on player-generated content
3) Strong 'game' elements (drawing from other MMO conventions)
4) Balance simulation, historical accuracy, and player impact
As this project progresses, players will have the freedom to direct not only the course of their own lives and destinies, but that of the world at large alongside (or in opposition to) historical figures of the day. In so doing, players actively engage with their own cultural history, and gain a nuanced understanding of the role immigration plays in that history.
