AN ARCHITECTURE FOR EXTENSIBLE SIMULATION GAMES Development In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 18, 1991 145 AN ARCHITECTURE FOR EXTENSIBLE SIMULATION GAMES T.M. RAJKUMAR, Miami University INTRODUCTION Simulation games have evolved through different stages. The current stage of development is characterized by its use of the microcomputer (Curran and Hornaday, 1989). A difficulty with development of games for microcomputers is that different systems are not compatible with each other. This difficulty gets compounded with advances in technology, since the same game has to be developed for many new platforms such as the Windows, and OS/2 environments in addition to the standard DOS and Macintosh environments. This implies that the game has to be fairly portable. In addition, the user interface of the game has to adapt to each environment. Such adaptation normally implies that the user interface segment of the code has to be rewritten. This rewrite can be avoided by developing an architecture, which is extensible. Extensibility implies that the existing code need not be changed and additions can be made without affecting the existing code. The purpose of this paper is to state some requirements of simulation gaming and develop an extensible architecture for simulation gaming that can meet these requirements. The next section discusses some requirements, which call for extensibility, and section 3 develops an extensible architecture. REQUIREMENTS Modularity Rohn (1986) suggests that 3 levels of modularity be built into games. They are 1) horizontal modularity involving the same level of sophistication in different functional areas; 2) Vertical modularity--where different grades of game complexity exists within a single functional area and 3) diagonal modularity where the game model can be adapted to differing situations such as a small firm, or conglomerate of firms etc. Hypertext Help Manuals written for student players tend to be linear (i.e. one chapter after another). In contrast, a students player requires a smorgasbord approach where the student gets a brief overview of all variables involved in making the decision, and is then provided with the ability to jump to related topics easily for a more in depth presentation. Such an on-line browsing tool that is available for microcomputers is hypertext. Hypertext provides the capability to look at related topics in a nonlinear fashion. Changing Environments Burkhardt and Watson (1989) specify that the underlying game model must change to accommodate changes in the teal world. This implies that the data structures used in the program must be carefully thought out and the game be extensible. EXTENSIBLE ARCHITECTURE Extensibility in simulation games implies that existing code should not change but allow code to be added so that the game is flexible and adaptable to new environments and changing conditions. This can be achieved by dividing the game software into two parts--i) a kernel or situation independent software and 2) situation dependent software. It is not enough that the kernel just provide software that are situation independent, it should provide basic services that need to be used by the different situation dependent software. The situation dependent software also needs to follow a certain discipline in that they all should provide tot a consistent set of user interface commands, so that an user migrating from one environment to another can easily transfer his knowledge. This consistent common interface allows the developer to change the underlying implementation without the user being aware of such changes. An example of situation dependent software may be the use of different types of on-line manuals--for example a regular linear help or a nonlinear hypertext based help. The architecture of the extensible system allows for such flexibility because both these help facilities would be add-on software and would use the same common interface provided by the kernel. The kernel would provide the context and retrieve the information from the disk for the help facility, which would then display the information for the user. CONCLUSION Object oriented programming languages such as C++, Smalltalk provide facilities to enable the developer to build consistent user interfaces and extensible systems. Such systems are more flexible and adaptable to changes. A brief description of such an architecture has been outlined REFERENCES Burkhardt, D.L. and Watson, H. J. (1989) From mainframe to micro. Simulation and Games 20, No. 1: 31-43. Curran, G.E. and Hornaday, R.W. (1989) A hybrid method of executing a management game simulation. Simulation and Games 20, No. 4: 459-470 Rohn, W.E. (1986) The present state and future trends in management games for management development in Germany. Simulation and Games 17, no 3: 382-392 Table of Contents Volume 18, 1991 Personality Types and Total Enterprise Simulation Performance Using DIS 'n DAT as a Decision Support System for a Marketing Simulation Game Theoretical Derivation of a Market Demand Function for Business Simulators The Ethnographic Case Study: An Experiential Approach to Teaching Retail Management Electronic Bulletin Board Systems (BBS): Support Software for Computer Simulations The New Budget Game Negame: A Cross-Cultural Role-Play to Introduce Students to the Familiarization Stage of Negotiations Modeling Short-Run Cost and Production Functions Using Sheppard's Lemma in Computerized Business Simulations Increasing Simulation Realism through the Modeling of Step Costs Predicting Simulation Performance: Differences Between Groups and Individuals A Facility Location Case to Stimulate Classroom Interaction Educational Effectiveness of Business Simulation Gaming: A Comparative Study of Students and Practitioner Perspective Ethical Dilemmas in Experiential Learning: Issues and Strategies A Critical Review and Assessment of ABSEL's Award-Winning Procedures and Protocols Political Risk: A Simulation for Business Practitioners Upside Down: A Cross-Cultural Game in Experiential Learning Gorby's Dilemma: From Communism to Free Enterprise in Two Hours Strategic Market: Planning with the COMPLETE Product Portfolio Analysis Package: A Marketing Decision Support System Career Concepts and Total Enterprise Simulation Performance Experiential Learning in Human Resources: A Performance Appraisal Application Managerial Motivation and Realism Among MBA Student as Viewed through The Looking Glass, Inc. Simulation An Experiential Approach to Teaching Data Analysis Using MYSTAT: Rationale, Procedures and Results Practicing What Was Preached: A Sequential Learning Model put to the Test Student Attitudes about Policy Course Simulations An Investigation of the Relationship Between Simulation Play, Performance Level and Recency of Play on Exam Scores The Effect of Leadership and Cognitive Processing Styles upon Peer Performance Evaluation: Implication for the Utilization of Simulations in Business Pedagogy On the Transfer of Market Oriented Business Games to Socialist Cultures An Application of Financial Analysis of the Business Firm in a Simulated Competitive Environment Collective Bargaining Simulation: An Exercise based on a Familiar Theme Making Business Policy a Strategic Management Experience A Student Exercise for Intergrating the Concepts of Power and Motivation The Boundaries Extended: An Experiment Comparing Dialectical Inquiry, Devil's Advocacy and Consensus Using the Executive Game Using a Simulation Package to Develop a Simulation Exercise in Cost Accounting Success Factors in Experiential Training for Creative Problem-Solving Teams An Experiential Approach for teaching Quality management Critical Success Ratios: A Comparison of Two Business Simulations in a Multi-Year Environment Stocklogs: A Classroom Exercise for Teaching the Logistical Relationship of Location and Inventory The Organizational Leadership Program Simulating Business Decision-Making: Using Statistical Cases for Classroom Exercises Scripting for the Classroom Upgrading the Business Strategy and Policy Game Developing Student Team-Building and Leadership Skills Using Computer-Aided Experiential learning Strategies Organizing and Outward Bound Field Trip An Architecture for Extensible Simulation Games Performance in the Capstone Business Course: What is the effect of Pedagogy, Learning Styles, and Student Motivation? Operational Strategy with Participant-Modifiable Parameters An Example of a Personal Selling Case Transformed into a Role Play Scenario Instructional Software: It's Evolution and Current State of the Art in the Business Curriculum Ascertaining Performance Variables for use in Determining Student's Grades in Courses Employing a Business Simulation Designing Management Seminars Using Business Simulations The Accounting Information Systems Course: Bridging the Gap between the Classroom and the Real World The Good Cooks Guide to Training Excellence: Working with Passion A Demonstration on Multiple Data Collection Methods: Seeing Strategic Issues Through the Looking Glass Simulation Systems Analysis and Design: Why Undergraduate Education gets a Failing Grade Accommodating Organizational Culture: An Evaluation of Management Development Delivery Modes in Varying Organizational Cultures Modeling Total Quality into Business Simulations The Political Futures Game Meeting Meeting Objectives