Graduate / Plans to apply for KGSP-G via University Track- Study Plan- My First Draft [2]

Hi All~
I am planning to apply for KGSP-G on 2018. I have been preparing my Study Plan as early as possible but I feel like there's still something missing. Please take a look and let me know how I can improve it~ Thanks in advance~ :)

studying in Korea

There are many classifications of gaming: offline or online, solo or multiplayer, not to mention classification according to genre like Fantasy, Adventure, Shooting and RPG to name a few. While all these games have different mechanics, all have them have one thing in common- Artificial Intelligence in games or more commonly known as NPC (Non-Player Characters). How the NPC interacts with the player, can make or break the game. Nowadays, with the dawn of the internet, MMORPG is very popular. While it is undoubtedly enjoyable to play with other players from all over the world in real time, one cannot always just open a console or computer and play an MMORPG right away. To ensure a quality gaming experience, one must have a stable internet connection. In a country like the Philippines, where the average connection speed is one of the lowest in the world, online gaming can sometimes bring frustration. During those times, being able to play offline games and/or solitary games is a big help. In a solo player mode of a game, where your online playmates are unavailable, you have but one playmate- the NPC. Therefore, an NPC, especially for solo player mode games, must be something that is interesting enough to make you keep playing the game. Nowadays, we could say that NPCs are undoubtedly intelligent. Some video games like Persona, have NPCs which behave differently depending on your in-game choices, and it is even possible to have multiple endings for the game, which makes you want to give the game another run, to find out how the game will end had you chosen another route. This is the reason I am interested to research more on NPCs- particularly on a way to make them seem more 'human', where you can feel like you are playing with another player rather than the computer. Though online gaming is more prominent in Korea, thus the popularity of PC bangs, there would still be some instances where simply playing a game console would give you nostalgic feels. Also at times when the internet is not accessible and you don't have anyone to play with, an NPC is your sole companion- but there are times when you get frustrated with the NPC-either because it is too dumb or it is too good that it takes away the challenge and fun of the game. Through studying gaming in South Korea, I hope to be able to incorporate the fun and challenge that online gaming brings to an offline game through a more 'human' NPC. Since having a human like NPC might cause a game's FPS (frames per second) to decrease due to a lot of resources allocated for that particular NPC, I want to find out through this research some ways to decrease that risk, in order to have that NPC which is as close as possible to being human like. To what extend-and how is part of what I seek to find out more through this research.

As I have mentioned earlier, online gaming is prominent in Korea that is why I think it would be for the best to further my studies in such environment. But of course, studying in Korea has its disadvantages- with language barrier as being the most obvious. Though KGSP has a one year Language program, one cannot simply rely on the language program to be able to be fluent enough to be able to attain a TOPIK Level 3 proficiency let alone research on the technology field, where the use of jargons is prominent. While I already studied some basic Korean beforehand as well, I thought it would be better to not just rely on the language course to equip myself with better Korean- it would be better if I also do some studying on my own. During the language course, I will try to use Korean as much as possible- from buying products and necessities to engaging conversations with other people. I will also make as many Korean friends as possible not only to practice speaking and listening skills further as well as know the latest slangs and become more immersed in Korean culture, but also to build lasting bonds as well that I can treasure even after the program has ended. They say a little goes the long way- I will memorize at least five new words every day and try to be able to integrate them in sentences. Since there would be Korean related course and I would be living in Korea- memorizing the Korean keyboard and being used to using it is a must. I will also try to make use of some media like watching Korean dramas with no subtitles to further improve my Korean skills. I also believe that keeping a diary would be helpful to improve my Korean: starting with basic thoughts at first trying to include as many Hangul as possible, limiting English to those really hard ones and slowly omitting English and add more details until the diary becomes fully in Hangul. I also believe that reading Korean newspaper to improve reading skills as well as have a grasp of current happenings would help. With all these plus the passion and motivation to learn Korean, I will put in my all to achieve the required proficiency, or better yet achieve an even higher proficiency. During the master's program itself, I definitely would take notes and allocate some time to review lessons, with emphasis on those that were unclear or I had difficulty understanding and involve myself in clubs and extra-curricular activities related to my degree. I will also take the time to be updated with the latest games to gain insight on what games I should be taking inspiration from. During the 1st semester will definitely be a time for adjusting so I would first familiarize myself with the study culture in Korea. After familiarization and adjusting, it would be time to start preparing for my research. While learning more about Dongguk University, I found out that there are some professors who are knowledgeable and have interests on my field of study so I think it would be best if I get to talk and ask guidance and have approval from them regarding my field of interest. Learning should not be confined to the four walls of a classroom, that is why I also plan to attend seminars and take part time jobs related to my field of study if the university permits so. I would also like to write about 4-5 research papers so that I would be able to learn new things and share them and at the same time be able to add a little something to my portfolio.