Pure Stanza

All checklists

Every checklist from the five steps, gathered on one page and set to print cleanly on white paper. Six lists in all: the pre-flight list from the course overview, then one for each step.

How to use them

The lists are printed boxes, not controls. Nothing on this page remembers what you have ticked, because Pure Stanza stores nothing in your browser at all — no cookies, no saved progress, nothing. If you want to keep a record, print the page or copy the lines into your own notes. That is a deliberate choice rather than a missing feature; a workbook that quietly tracks its readers is not a workbook we would want to publish.

Work through them in order the first time. The lists build on each other: the pre-flight list produces decisions, Step 2 produces six numbers about your computer, Step 3 produces an informed view of the account you would be creating, Step 4 turns that into a working installation, and Step 5 is the one you come back to rather than complete.

Not every line applies to every reader. A household with no young players can pass over the lines about players under 18. Someone with no monthly data cap can pass over the data allowance line. Crossing a line out because it does not apply is a legitimate way to finish a checklist, and it is more useful than leaving it blank and wondering later whether you forgot.

Two of the lists reward a second pass. The Step 2 hardware list is worth repeating whenever you change computers, because the six values are useful for any software, not only games. The Step 5 list is worth rereading at whatever date you wrote down for revisiting your spending figure; that is the whole point of writing a date down.

If you are using these on behalf of someone else — setting up a family computer, say, or helping a parent — the useful habit is to go through the lists together rather than to complete them on their behalf. The lines are short enough to read aloud, and the person who will actually use the account is the person who needs to know where the mute button is.

Each heading links back to the step it came from, in case a line needs its explanation. The steps themselves are where the reasoning lives; these pages are only the residue of it.

Pre-flight — before you open any download page

  • Confirm which operating system the computer runs, and its version number.
  • Check how much free space is on the drive the game would install to, and write the figure down.
  • Decide, in advance, the most you would be willing to spend in a year on this game — including zero as a valid answer.
  • Decide which email address the account will use, and whether that mailbox already has two-factor sign-in turned on.
  • If the player is under 18, read the Australian classification rating for the title and decide whether it suits them.
  • Agree with the household when the computer is available, so the first long download is not a surprise to anyone.
  • Note the vendor's own web address, so you are not relying on a search result when the time comes to download.

Step 1 — Understanding the arrangement

  • Write down, in your own words, the difference between the client, the account and the service.
  • Identify which operating system the computer you intend to use runs: Windows, macOS or something else.
  • If it runs Linux, note that the example title used in this course is not offered for it, and decide whether another machine is available.
  • Check whether your internet plan has a monthly data cap, and what it is.
  • Find out whether your connection is charged by the gigabyte, or uncapped.
  • Decide which email address would be used for a game account, and keep it separate in your mind from the display name.
  • Note the region or realm you would expect to play on, given that you are in Australia.
  • Accept, consciously, that the game will change over time, and decide whether that suits you.
  • Write down one question you still have, to carry into Step 2.

Step 2 — Knowing your machine

  • Write down the operating system and its exact version number.
  • Write down the processor as the system panel names it.
  • Write down the installed memory in gigabytes.
  • Write down the graphics chip or card, and its memory if shown.
  • Write down the free space on the drive you would install to.
  • Write down the current screen resolution.
  • Apply any pending operating system updates.
  • Check your internet plan's monthly data allowance, if it has one.
  • Decide whether a wired connection is practical for this computer.
  • Clear disk space now if the free figure is below about 100 GB.
  • Keep the six values somewhere you will find them again.

Step 3 — Reading before agreeing

  • Find the terms of service, the privacy notice, the store or billing terms, and the rules of conduct.
  • Search the terms for licence and read what you are actually being granted.
  • Search for age and note the minimum, and any parental permission requirement.
  • Search for suspend, terminate and inactive, and note what happens to purchases.
  • Note how the publisher says it will notify changes to the terms.
  • In the privacy notice, note what is collected, who it is shared with, and where it is stored.
  • Write down the address or form used for privacy and account requests.
  • Confirm which currency the store quotes, and whether the price shown includes GST.
  • Read the publisher's stated refund position before buying anything, not after.
  • Search the Australian Classification Board database for the title and read the consumer advice.
  • If the player is under 18, decide whether the rating and the chat features suit them.
  • Reach the publisher's site from a link you have checked, not from an advertisement.

Step 4 — Installing and the first session

  • Reach the publisher's site by typing the address or using a link you have checked.
  • Confirm the address bar shows the publisher's own domain and a secure connection.
  • Create the account, choosing the region appropriate to Australia.
  • Activate the account from the email the publisher sends to your mailbox.
  • Set a password used on no other service.
  • Turn on two-factor authentication if the publisher offers it, and store the recovery codes safely.
  • Confirm your email account itself has a second factor.
  • Download the client only from the publisher's download page.
  • Check the downloaded file's name and size against what the page said before opening it.
  • Install to a drive with room beyond the stated requirement, and decline bundled extras.
  • Let the first update finish completely before trying to play.
  • Set the graphics preset and resolution lower than you expect to need.
  • Set audio levels before the first match.
  • Find the mute, block and voice chat controls, and the report function.
  • Leave payment methods unsaved for now.

Step 5 — Living with the game

  • Write down the most you are willing to spend in a year, in Australian dollars. Zero is valid.
  • Note the date on which you will revisit that figure.
  • Leave no payment card stored in the game account.
  • Check the currency the store quotes, and whether an international fee would apply.
  • Check your bank statement against your figure each month for the first three months.
  • If randomised items are sold, decide your position on them separately from other purchases.
  • For a player under 18, keep the purchase decision with an adult.
  • Confirm you know how to mute a player and how to turn off voice chat.
  • Confirm you know how to report behaviour to the publisher.
  • Keep personal details out of game chat.
  • Agree household hours for the shared computer.
  • Agree who gets told if something unpleasant happens online.
  • Know the difference between uninstalling the client and closing the account.
  • If you stop, remove the client, remove stored payment details, and decide whether to close the account.