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At this point, we could introduce to you the usefulness of diagrams for visualization and how our tool, draw.io, can help you create all kinds of diagrams, whether you want to illustrate a new process, map purchasing decisions or explain your branching model to new team members.
However, you may remember we recently announced that we are going to let the nerd in us (and hopefully the nerd in you) out for a bit and start an experiment: a role-playing adventure in blog format which will be completed live on-site in April in Las Vegas at Team 23!
Before you jump into the adventure, you should, like any good game master, briefly recap what happened in the first part (which you can read here): Four employees who work at a game development company were strangely transported to another world. And not only that: they were also put into completely new bodies (a muscular brute, a dwarf, an elf and some kind of cat creature). A man who introduced himself as "King Gaudenz the Elder" asked them for their help. Now our quartet has a difficult decision to make ...
The draw.io Adventure Part 2: Of Problems, Decisions and New Powers
King Gaudenz wrings his hands incessantly while his guards (who Caroline thinks resemble cosplayers from Robin Hood) pace nervously. The silence is broken only by a soft coughing from among the guards. The king turns once more to his "guests", raises his hands in a placating gesture and continues "Please, I understand ...", but at this point it becomes too much for Caroline.
Without any effort she lifts her new, armoured left foot and takes an energetic step towards Gaudenz the Elder. As her foot touches down on the stone floor, a loud rumble is heard, the sound echoing in the great throne room like thunder. The men behind the king flinch, almost tripping over the hems of their cloaks. They quickly straighten up again and take a few steps back. The king's robes flutter and dust trickles softly from the ceiling, but his demeanor does not change as his expression remains open and friendly.
"Are they afraid of ME?" asks Caroline herself.
The former ProductMarketing Manager looks down at herself for a moment and at her feet in the heavy armor. To her own amazement, she sees that small cracks have formed in the floor where her left foot is. "Like Godzilla," the thought flashes across her mind.
But her new-found strength is only one of many things that are not at all right here. She therefore turns to the king and, even though she is visibly finding it difficult to remain calm, she says in a controlled tone: "Why are we here? Explain yourself, what is this all about?" Gaudenz the Elder gulps and collects himself for a moment, but Caroline can see a glimmer of hope in his eyes as he surveys the cracks in the stone floor. "Please, allow me to just show you. Visuals say more than words can."
A picture of the situation: The drama takes its course
Gaudenz gestures for everyone to follow him and strides past the group to a large, glazed balcony door that apparently leads outside. Caroline sighs and turns her gaze to her colleagues. There Marcus is just about to take a closer look at Angie, or rather her new form. "Angie, can you handle the door? Or do you just want to sit there and wait until we open it for you?" Angie drops her paws and gives the dwarf a disdainful look that quickly turns to mild amusement. Before Angie can retort anything, however, Caroline beckons her friends to follow the king with a nod of her head. The guards exchange doubtful glances with each other, undecided about what to do, and finally - at an appropriate distance - also start moving.
Together with the monarch, the small group steps into the midday sun warming the palace's large balcony. Looking out, the “Friends and Foes'' team are welcomed to a wonderful panormanic view of an ancient medieval town. King Gaudenz turns to his reluctant rescuers and his eyes are full of sadness. "Look at it, look at the suffering of my people!"
Moved by the king's emotion, Marcus steps forward and examines the streets attentively. "Well, I don't see anything," says the dwarf in amazement. "That's just the problem," says Pauline next to him, who can perceive everything quite clearly with her sharp elf eyes. "This town is completely empty, nothing is moving down there at all. Look at the marketplace, there are market stalls with goods everywhere, but everything is mouldy or rusty, there are no market people vying for the attention of the customers, there is no one there at all. "It's a ghost town!"
Next to Pauline, the ruler of the empty town clings to the ornate border of the balcony, his knuckles turning white.
"My wonderful Connectalot! Something evil has descended upon my kingdom and carried off my subjects. One by one, they have disappeared overnight, and the few that remain have taken refuge in the chapel or are in the halls of my palace, right behind you. The bad thing is: No one has ever seen anything, and everyone I have sent out has met the same fate - they have disappeared off the face of the earth. There is nothing more I can do. That is the reason why I have brought you, as strangers, here. You, who work together as a team like a unit, who have internalized cooperation down to the smallest detail - I know about what you do, you are familiar with all kinds of living beings! Even if the individual falters, your cooperation will not fail!"
How the adventure almost ends and an unexpected twist
Angie, who seems to have got used to her now pricked-up ears, looks at the king, stunned. "But we are game developers! And yes, we're a really good team - as long as Bill doesn't interfere - but what we do is all made up, none of it is real. We don't know anything about fighting monsters - at most, we design them!" "What you can do already is what makes you unique. The rest you can create with the help of your new manifestations." Gaudenz the Elder bows slightly to the newcomers. "Please, we need you, I promise I will not press you. If you refuse my request, I will surely send you home."
Pauline sees a faint spark of hope flicker again in the eyes of the bowed monarch. Moved by the sight, she wants to reply, but Marcus beats her to it. "I think I also speak for my friends when I say that we are deeply moved by your grief." The dwarf-turned agile coach places an armoured hand on Gaudenz's shoulder. "But this is bigger than the four of us. We are not fighters, we are not heroes, we are not the help you seek. Really, I wish I could stand by your people, but we are not who you think we are."
The king straightens up, sadness and fear showing on his face. "Very well, I will keep my word. Please allow me..." But he is interrupted. "FIRE!" cries Pauline, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "Over there, that big building - it's on fire!" Gaudenz whirls around, his face turning white. "That's the chapel! Father App and the rest of my subjects are in there!" - "An App fire?" whispers Marcus as he watches in disbelief as black smoke, like the hostile fist of a gigantic monster, rises into the sky.
This week's chart inspiration (and for your next quest)
Too many options? That can often seem paralyzing. With a clear chart, this paralysis can be remedied - and nothing gets in the way of a creative design. Especially if you use draw.io.
Why did Gaudenz make our PMM Caroline a fighter? And why do a dwarf, an elf and a cat complete the group? What was the king thinking or anticipating? With a practical overview this decision would surely have been easier for him.
Want to know how you can use draw.io for your own tabletop RPG adventure, or just get some inspiration how to use it in your daily work life with entertaining use cases? Then head on over to the draw.io blog, where you can find extra articles with practical examples!
Want to spice up your next meeting with a draw.io whiteboard? Or are you facing the challenge of designing a UML diagram? You can try draw.io for Confluence or Jira free for 30 days. Just visit the Atlassian Marketplace to start your evaluation.
We would also be happy to show you how draw.io can support you in a personal demo: And if you need more inspiration, feel free to follow us on social media or take a look at our YouTube channel - you'll find plenty of tips and tricks to help you succeed on your next quest.
Happy Diagramming!
Further Reading
- All published articles in the "An Unexpected Journey" series
- All articles in the “I 🧡draw.io” series
- draw.io – What Does the Chevrolet Corvette Have to Do with Diagramming?
- Using the draw.io Board Macro during Agile and Scrum Meetings
- Collaborative document editing with Google Workspace
- Hybrid Work with Google Workspace – Part 2: How Collaboration Tools Boost Your Productivity – and That of Your Team!
