Need help :)

[ProximaCentauri]

Hello everyone :)
I apologize for the silly question, however I need help. I am going to conduct fMRI experiment related with video gaming, so I would really appreciate your advice. I am looking for PC a game which allows to design stimulus conditions in which avatar could reach/hit toward the object/target with an empty hand and with a tool/weapon (does not matter what kind of tool). Moreover it is important that game allows switching between first and third person view. I would be grateful for your help Thank you :)

[Diligence109]

Minecraft might do what you need as it's simple and you could interact with it through many of the modding APIs that are already readily available (so long as you don't mind suffering through Java).

Minecraft can switch between first and third person, too. Though it's less of a simple program to interact with, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion might fit the bill, too.

I'm not sure I completely understand your question, though, so I may just be completely off the mark.

[ProximaCentauri]

Thank you very much for your help :) I was considering using Oblivion as a stimulus. Can I fight on the arena as a low level character? Participants will use my existing avatar during the experiment, however I do not have a time to upgrade it. Would that affect the performance of the character?

[Havoc]

Well you can participate in the arena at any level, however it would be really though.
You may want to create a new character and cheat its stats to make the arena combat slightly less impossible.

I believe Oblivion would be well suited for this kind of experiment. However, performing fMRI on people playing Minecraft would probably be more popular xD
However the game is abstract, on the other hand it still creates a great immersion.

[ProximaCentauri]

I think Mincecraft is too abstract. I should it to be a bit more transparent as I do not want participants to focus attention on the environment exploration. Therefore I am looking for something that includes maybe some kind of arena (maybe assassins creed) as each trial should take about 2 minutes (performing action with an empty hand and performing the same action with a tool, without any additional tasks). Btw could you give me some clues how to cheat ststs of the character in Oblivion? Thank you :)

[Exentenzed]

Btw could you give me some clues how to cheat ststs of the character in Oblivion? Thank you

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Cheats,The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Walkthrough - GameSpot.com (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/theelderscrollsivoblivion/cheats.html)

Google search: Oblivion + Cheats

No offense, but it continues to baffle me how students doing different pc related tests seems to loose all logic when it comes to the use of google O.o

[ProximaCentauri]

Thank you very much for your help, however my question was rather related to my design :) not google search :) As I am not familiar with the game yet, just wanted to save my time asking experienced players how to set up stats and class of the character to keep the fight going for about 2 minutes instead of practical verification :)

[Havoc]

Don't worry, exe is just a little cranky :P

Now you have the cheats you need, I'd suggest you haul your ass to the arena and save there and fight the first round, then you can see how long it takes, if you die with a weak character or if it's too easy. I'd say you should at most increase your avatars life points, so the fight remains tough, but doesn't get you killed within 10 seconds.

I don't really know what you need to get a high internal validity on your experiment, but that's roughly how I would set it up.