Devlog 4 - Balloon Racing

Balloon racing is an adventure sport held in the air via a hot air balloon. Participants fly the balloons to targets located in different areas of the ground while taking into account wind speed, direction, and altitude. Using these environmental aspects to their advantage, each participant flies to a target and drops a weighted object as close to the center as possible. They repeat dropping the object at each target located in different areas of the field. As the wind speed and direction change, they also must work against what might have been an advantage before. The way someone wins in balloon racing is they score a higher average than the other opponents. The judges take into consideration the height at which the weight was dropped and the accuracy at which it hits the target. So, in other words, it is not exactly a race against time or a race against your opponents; you simply have to make it to each target and drop the weight. Keep in mind that if you venture too close to the target, it might be more accurate, but your average height will be affected, and you will not score as high as your competitors. 

At its heart, obviously, balloon racing is a competitive play, seeing as it is a sport where people go head to head. In the reading, Macklin and Sharp say that “In a competitive game, some players will win and some will lose.” The video did not describe if there was a first, second, or third place in balloon racing, but those places are also seen in high regard and, while not “first place,” are great achievements. I also believe there is experience and skill involved in this game but at its heart is a competition of those things. The players must use their navigation skills which will be challenged by nature (wind direction, speed…maybe possible bird strikes.) The argument could be made that it is both active skills and mental skills. While this sport does not require the most athletically skilled person, you do have to lift the weight and drop it. It  requires “a good deal of skill around precise movement and timing.” Mental skill comes in with knowing what to do and when. Knowing when it is a good time to drop the weight, how high is too high, and what to do when the wind changes direction. These skills get sharpened with experience, which ultimately will help the individuals in the competition. The more you compete under unique and challenging conditions, the more likely you are to win when other unique challenges arise. While these are not puzzles as described in the reading, it still puts “pressure on the player’s ability to enact the solution.” The solution being a way to get the weight to the target despite the challenges that arise.