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Z (a fourth grade boy) and E (a third grade girl) are playing Operation Neptune. E has played once before, but this is Z's first time.

In this first segment, Z learns about the game with E's guidance as they solve the following problem: "Unidentified obstacle 16 miles ahead. Sub approaching at 2 MPH. Input hours to reach obstacle." They have already gotten the problem wrong once, resulting in a computer-provided hint. In this case, the hint proves helpful.

Dialogue

--E: (paraphrasing the hint provided by the game) You have to divide the distance.
--Z: 16 divided by 2?
--E: Yeah.
--Z: Um that's 8 I think.
--E: 8? Ok. (She types in 8.) Good (with surprise in her voice).
--Z: Was I right?
--E: Yup. And it goes (imitates the right answer noise). It makes a good noise.
--Z: Fire.
--E: Oops.
--Z: Oh shoot.
--E: Ahh. Go. ... All right. I think a dolphin's coming up, get what's on his back. Get that. Take it. It's oxygen.
--Z: Will it hurt me?
--E: No. Just run into it. It's oxygen. ... Watch out for that. See it blinks whenever you get hit. Quick go. Watch out. Quick go no await you gotta get that.
--Z: What's that?
--E: You gotta get that also. ... Keep missing, go. Not yet. Now! now now.

Later, E is still worried about speed and the timing of their shots. They have met with some success, and they now encounter a problem E has already had difficulty with. They must complete a number pattern (e.g., "3, 6, 9, 12, ?") by figuring out what number should replace the question mark. As was typical of many 8, 9 and 10 year olds we observed playing this game, E and Z don't seem to understand what the problem is asking. However, E has a strategy for getting a hint -- hit enter to get it wrong on purpose, and then use the computer-provided hint to solve it.

--Z: Oh no.
--E: We already got it. Go go quick quick! All right now now now now.
--Z: Wait. One more.
--E: All right go. Now. ... Ay get that. Yeah. ... "You have collected..." Oh these are hard. We're never gonna get these. (reading) "Input the last number of the secret access code to open the data canister." Oh I never get these.
--Z: What does this mean?
--E: I have no idea. (Hits the enter key.) We'll find out. We'll find out what it means. (She reads the hint now on the screen.) "Find the value of question mark, of the question mark by adding 3." (On the screen are a series of equations she reads.) 3+3 is 6, 6+3 is 9, 9+3 equals 12...
--Z: Oh!
--E: 12 plus 3...
--Z: 15!
--E: Yup

Later, E and Z arrive at a supply station. They have problems we observed many pairs having with this game -- the directions and interface are unclear, and they don't have enough time to solve the problem, even though they have a strategy for doing so.

--E: Now now now. All right go. Alert. To enter the supply station you must open the lock. Get ready. Get ready. Use space bar to stop outer wheel on correct answer. Press return to begin.
--Z: I don't get this.
--E: 7...
--Z: 7. ... 7 plus 9.
--E: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Hold on. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Hold on. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16... by 5 (out of time noise) Ohh! Darnit.

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