3.

L-Systems were the main focus of our research for a good two weeks where we were trying to find good algorithms for making realtime tree growth simulations. From this basis we created a 3D billboard of a rotating tree on a sphere. This can be seen below. Our efforts were enthralled with this sort of outcome but our game was unfortunately lacking. While we had made progress the game itself hadn't progressed in ways that could be playable to a passerby, which is obviously the intention of the course.
Our Professor, Andreas Kratky, kindly directed us in the manner in which we should conduct our project through his various lectures on Game Design, Flow, and Play Testing. As well as interesting notes on the history of Game Design and Games/Fun in general.
On the critique of our renders the idea of how one would actually interact with the tree would occur. This was an interesting conversation that ended up negating the cooperative aspect of play and opted to go for a single user to A.I. output. The game would be how long can your tree grow for? There would be various inhibitors and accelerators to aid and bear obstacle in your journey. The critique was great and many great points were brought up including the idea of narrative and the reason to actually want to play the game.
Inevitably the idea of shaping the tree was the greatest narrative. The reason for this was because it caused users to actually care about what they were making. These were interesting variations that one could make their own. It was back to the drawing boards to work this out...