Has anyone here contemplated using Roblox for work?
I manage remote software development teams who have never met face to face and I find that bringing people out of their shells is difficult, and activities like icebreakers can be invaluable for this.
Roblox games are very varied and the platform seems very flexible. And it got me thinking that maybe these icebreaker activities can be gamified. Imagine a Roblox game being used to estimate stories for a sprint for instance.
Anyway, does anyone know of anyone who has done this? I'd love to know how they found it.
@freemo the execution is still very very fuzzy indeed :) it is just a wild idea for now. My kids introduced me to the game recently and I was fascinated by the variety of stuff people have made with it. That got me thinking it could be used for much more than games... Anyway, if I do something I'll share.
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@gpowerf Gamification of mundane tasks is something ive always liked the idea of but very rarely have seen executed well.
@freemo same! There's the obvious risk of making something cheesy. And I don't envisage this as a tool utilised regularly, it would just be a special super weapon of an icebreaker.
@gpowerf There were some attempts at gamifying JIRA... not sure if they are any good (they didnt wow me)... but I really like the idea of jira gamification
@gpowerf I'd lean towards minecraft for that job, but that's probably because I'm a boomer
@hgreer it is another option, yes.
@gpowerf That sounds dangerously close to what Zuck is trying to do with the metaverse.
@LouisIngenthron yes. I'm actually one of the few people looking at what he is doing with some enthusiasm.
But I don't envisage using this for every meeting. It is more of a special icebreaker for a new team to be used to bring everyone out of their shell.
@gpowerf Idk, maybe it's because I haven't managed a team in a while, but it feels like the "let's use videogames as an ice-breaker" thing comes off as inherently disingenuous, like many corporate team-building activities. (Not because of what you'd be doing; because of the long history of corporate cynicism in this area)
Even if you can figure out a way to make it work, clearing that hurdle of perception seems nearly impossible.
@LouisIngenthron true. This is a potential risk. This is making me think even more.
@gpowerf I don't know Roblox server management. #Minecraft, specifically #spigotmc has permissions control and various ways to set up how it behaves, but you should go with what you are familiar with. My objection to using Roblox is "I've never played it, and I know nothing to *admin* it." Which should be *YOUR* response to using Minecraft/ Spigot.
That said, you also have the option to use http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Main_Page on a server you control. It *really* depends on what your goal is. If it's *just* "icebreaker", and your team is relatively small, Minecraft Realms would allow you to set up a specific server with specific games for a low cost and easy management. They would provide actual game worlds you could all tackle together.
If the goal is more "virtual workspace/ meeting place," OpenSim might be better suited, but I'm not sure how serious *I* would be taken, as I'd show up as a tiny ferret.
And remember, anything not explicitly forbidden is compulsory.
@Romaq thanks. Very useful.
@gpowerf I'd be happy to answer questions concerning #Minecraft if that makes sense. Minecraft Realms allows you to set up a "disposable server" on the cheap: You don't manage what you don't need to, they offer tons of "game world maps" with everything ready to go, just enjoy. There are certain limitations you would need to be aware of depending on your use case. I have no clue if Robox offers similar, and again, you should go with what you *know*. If it does offer similar to MC Realms, I'd suggest you go with that. But I'm happy to help with MC if needed. :)
@gpowerf @aschaffar transferred a group dynamics setting called "organisational laboratory" into Minecraft during the pandemics. I did the tech behind it. Everything worked out nicely with >80 participants.
So yes, I think with the right design, it is possible to facilitate a lot, like teambuilding in a remote setting for starters.
With the right dose of required reflection on what's happening I think it is quickly clear to most, that this is about more than just being a fun activity. But then again, there are those teams that don't even get why a retreat makes sense. So one never knows I guess ;)
When well established, then as a recurrent thing I think such that it could be most suited for retrospectives and the like. Times of reflection. Because why not express my feelings about the last sprint this in an artsy way by building a sculpture for example?
Plannings and estimations require more sticky note like things like Miro I guess. But then again, I'd probably be surprised with what people can come up there as well :)
@bpub @aschaffar very interesting. Thanks. Roblox seems super flexible! I've seen people implement yoga tutorials, dance clubs, complete wild west sumulations, etc...
@gpowerf Yeah, I already wanted to take a look at it, but at the time it didn't support Linux so this was only a short lived research for me :)
But I also heard that it is super flexible, so go for it! :)
I think the key ingredient is that you have a good plan regarding your setting and what you want to achieve with it. Prepare a space facilitates what you want to achieve. Like mentioned creative space for a reflection session or smth. alike.
Since you said that this is a remote work environment I think anything like this already constitutes value for the team.
@bpub that is a good point! I didn't consider Linux support. But thankfully everyone in that team has access to Windows. Except me! 
@gpowerf I just now read in the roblox wiki that as of January 2022 it is supported via Wine in Linux as well.
@gpowerf I don’t know much about it, but isn’t that what the Meta-verse is for?
@gpowerf sounds unpleasant to be honest. When I'm at work, I'd much rather focus on work than deal with gimmicky icebreakers.
@gpowerf just as someone who is a little familiar with the platform, it would be neat if used that way. Only hurdle is needing to create an account before hand (not an issue, if there is enough time for all those participating to setup before hand). There are a handful of games that are great "party" games, and could host multiple people at once. Some games allow free private servers, and you can use that to keep your team private while you would be playing.
@gpowerf ooh… interesting! I’ll be following this thread!
@helengregory I do hope it leads somewhere 👍
@gpowerf Love the idea, the execution seems a bit fuzzy. If you make anything of it please share!