Modules for Kids on the Vault
jimdad55
Member Posts: 75
As a teacher who worked with a Games Design class in school for a year with the toolset I've often wondered why there aren't more modules aimed at kids. Add to that a 10 year old granddaughter who enjoys computer games and I started to do something about it. apart from creating a new module for her, I raked through the Vault and came across an old page by @OlivierLeroux outlining the kids' modules that he had found. After chatting with him and getting his permission to update the page on the Vault I created a new section in the Wiki on the Vault reviewing as many of these modules as I could find.
I've now completed this, as far as I can at the moment and someone suggested it might be an idea to notify folks who don't use the Vault, so I'm posting here and on Beamdog's forums to alert anyone who might be interested in playing some of these with kids or grandkids. The section on the wiki contains my reviews of all the "kids" modules I could find.
An undertaking like this immediately raises the question of what is suitable for kids and what isn't. I've tried not to get into that too much other than to say that decisions on that are pretty much up to the parent in the room, who should try them out first!
What I have done is try to give an indication of what might not be suitable for the youngest ones in the reviews on each. As a rough guide I don't think bloodshed is necessary so I've suggested adults can turn that off in the game options. For younger kids I don't like the idea of their PC dying so that should be reflected in the review . . . and so on.
However, at the other end, my granddaughter for whom I created the Ruby module on that page was 8 going on 9 when I made it. I started assuming my son wouldn't want her playing anything violent but by the time I had finished the module she was almost two years older and happily playing Diablo2 with me, during lockdown, online as a level 20 Sorceress - and finding my constant demise as a hopeless tank while she stayed back out of trouble quite humorous! My numerous lengthy runs back to collect my gear after death even more so. So, be warned that at the top of the age range of the modules reviewed PCs can snuff it although certainly in my Ruby module I've tried to make her strong enough and added henchmen to make that less likely. If your kids are like my granddaughter they'll hang back and let the henchies do the hard work.
I'm sure many of the community out there are now moving past the stage of raising kids into grandkids and I have found fun in playing some of these modules with my granddaughter. They range from 2014- 2020 and are of varying lengths and difficulty, some being very short and simple, with overall age range about 6 - 12? If anyone has played a module they feel might suit, please feel free to mention it here and I'll try to get round to reviewing it. Better still, review it yourself and send me the text and I'll add screenshots. You will find that the reviews all tend towards the positive as it's not my business to pass judgement on anyone else's module.
So, make of the choices what you will but you will find the launch page with links to the reviews here.
Link to Vault - https://nwn.wiki/display/~jimdad55/2022/02/02/Modules+for+Kids+-+an+Introduction
I've now completed this, as far as I can at the moment and someone suggested it might be an idea to notify folks who don't use the Vault, so I'm posting here and on Beamdog's forums to alert anyone who might be interested in playing some of these with kids or grandkids. The section on the wiki contains my reviews of all the "kids" modules I could find.
An undertaking like this immediately raises the question of what is suitable for kids and what isn't. I've tried not to get into that too much other than to say that decisions on that are pretty much up to the parent in the room, who should try them out first!
What I have done is try to give an indication of what might not be suitable for the youngest ones in the reviews on each. As a rough guide I don't think bloodshed is necessary so I've suggested adults can turn that off in the game options. For younger kids I don't like the idea of their PC dying so that should be reflected in the review . . . and so on.
However, at the other end, my granddaughter for whom I created the Ruby module on that page was 8 going on 9 when I made it. I started assuming my son wouldn't want her playing anything violent but by the time I had finished the module she was almost two years older and happily playing Diablo2 with me, during lockdown, online as a level 20 Sorceress - and finding my constant demise as a hopeless tank while she stayed back out of trouble quite humorous! My numerous lengthy runs back to collect my gear after death even more so. So, be warned that at the top of the age range of the modules reviewed PCs can snuff it although certainly in my Ruby module I've tried to make her strong enough and added henchmen to make that less likely. If your kids are like my granddaughter they'll hang back and let the henchies do the hard work.
I'm sure many of the community out there are now moving past the stage of raising kids into grandkids and I have found fun in playing some of these modules with my granddaughter. They range from 2014- 2020 and are of varying lengths and difficulty, some being very short and simple, with overall age range about 6 - 12? If anyone has played a module they feel might suit, please feel free to mention it here and I'll try to get round to reviewing it. Better still, review it yourself and send me the text and I'll add screenshots. You will find that the reviews all tend towards the positive as it's not my business to pass judgement on anyone else's module.
So, make of the choices what you will but you will find the launch page with links to the reviews here.
Link to Vault - https://nwn.wiki/display/~jimdad55/2022/02/02/Modules+for+Kids+-+an+Introduction
Post edited by jimdad55 on
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