Welcome to our Palia Weekly Video Game Social Club! 

👋 If you're using Outschool for the first time, you can use coupon code MISSDEVYN20 for a $20 credit toward any class!

🍎 Get to know our teachers (copy and paste in your browser): https://bit.ly/VGUMeetTheTeachers

🚀 Class Description: 
Do you find yourself longing for a simpler world, away from all the hustle and bustle of the ever-expanding internet? What if that simpler world was a far-distant future, in which friendly aliens had taken over the long-deserted planet Earth? Welcome to Palia, a cozy free-to-play Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) dedicated to creating a life in a unfamiliar culture while solving the mystery of your species' disappearance. In class, we will learn how to navigate in the world of Palia and understand the many mechanics featured in gameplay. 

🎮 Play on any console you want! Learners can play from their PC or Nintendo Switch. Regardless of the device your learner or their friends own, they’ll be able to play the game together.

🥳 Small Class Sizes:
Our smaller class sizes guarantee quality attention given to each individual! 
Rather than getting lost inside a giant class or being isolated inside a Zoom breakout room, our teachers play along on their screens and get to know every individual, and learners are given a chance to form true bonds of friendship. 

⚡Class Objectives:
Gaming Skills Enhancement: Students will gain experience playing Palia alongside a qualified teacher and their classmates. Each week, we will learn new tips and tricks to excel in the virtual world as students build their confidence and rank in the game.

Resource and Time Management: Palia is a world of finite resources in which you must craft and cook your way through. Students will need to learn to pace themselves and manage their time and resources in order to successfully progress through Palia's story.

Culture and Community: Palia is set in a world in which human infrastructure is studied archaeologically by peoples with entirely new cultures. During class, we will explore these fictional cultures and help our characters assimilate and build a community with the residents of Palia - skills that can be translated to real-world situations.

Interpersonal Understanding: Students will not only get to navigate social situations with the many residents of Palia, but also with other students in class as we build a community of our own.

Problem Solving: Palia's questline presents many problems and puzzles that players must solve. In class, teacher and students will put their minds together to determine the best course of action to achieve positive results.

Mindfulness: Unlike other MMORPGs, Palia is a slow-moving and cozy life simulator that allows players to play how they wish without the fear of missing out. Unlike other MMOs, the focus is not on fighting or collecting, but rather creating a home away from home. 
During class, we will embrace the overall ambience of Palia and practice mindfully playing the game to have fun, rather than playing to win.

⚠️ Safety and Conduct:
Please note that this is an online game that is played on open servers with server-wide chat functions. While Palia's community of players are known for being kind and welcoming, we will be mitigating the server-wide chat function by playing in a private party as a class and encouraging students to mute all chats but the party chat.

Palia, like other MMOs, also features a friend system. This allows players the opportunity to friend other players and chat privately. We will discourage learners from using this feature with players outside of class, but it is ultimately up to parent and learner discretion. We strive to maintain a safe and respectful gaming environment, but it may not be possible to completely avoid inappropriate behavior or language. Parents and learner's should review the game's contents before signing up. 

📝 Class Requirements & Supply List: 
- Palia video game, downloaded and ready to play
- A Nintendo Switch or PC to play on
- A strong internet connection for gaming 
- An online account on your respective console to connect with other learners to play 

⌨️ Gamer Tags:
Gamer tags will be visible during gaming. Students can add each other as friends if they would like to, however it is not a requirement for the class.