RECAPGame Design Class
Héctor Muñoz-Avila
Motivation• Good games don’t need
– the latest and best graphics– deep narrative or involved story line– Complicated gameplay– sophisticated AI
• Good games need good gameplay
–What is that?
–How can we obtain it?
–How can we tell if we do have it or not?
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable
integrated
choice Interactivity:
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable
integrated
choice
What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?
How are the results of choice conveyed?
Interactivity:
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable
integrated
choice
What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?
How are the results of choice conveyed?
Game:
• A game is a system• In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules• That results in a quantifiable outcome
Interactivity:
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable
integrated
choice
What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?
How are the results of choice conveyed?
Game:
• A game is a system• In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules• That results in a quantifiable outcome
Video
Immediate but narrow interactivityInformation manipulationAutomated complex systemsNetworked communication
traits
Interactivity:
Closed
Open
FormalExperientialCultural
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable
integrated
choice
What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?
How are the results of choice conveyed?
Game:
• A game is a system• In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules• That results in a quantifiable outcome
Video
Immediate but narrow interactivityInformation manipulationAutomated complex systemsNetworked communication
traits
Interactivity:
Closed
Open
FormalExperientialCultural
play
Primary schemas
rules
context
Magic circleLusory attitude
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable
integrated
choice
What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?
How are the results of choice conveyed?
Game:
• A game is a system• In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules• That results in a quantifiable outcome
Video
Immediate but narrow interactivityInformation manipulationAutomated complex systemsNetworked communication
traits
Interactivity:
Closed
Open
FormalExperientialCultural
play
Primary schemas
rules
context
rules
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)
Now lets talk schemas…
discernableintegrated
rules
ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)
Now lets talk schemas…
digital vs. non digital games
discernableintegrated
rules
ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)
Now lets talk schemas…
digital vs. non digital games
is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games
has complete information perfect information game
discernableintegrated
rules
ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)
is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games
has complete information perfect information game
Now lets talk schemas…
digital vs. non digital games
emergence
discernableintegrated
rules
ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)
is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games
has complete information perfect information game
Now lets talk schemas…
digital vs. non digital games
emergence
uncertainty
discernableintegrated
macro-level micro-level
Information theory
Noiseredundancy
rules
ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)
is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games
has complete information perfect information game
Now lets talk schemas…
digital vs. non digital games
emergence
uncertainty
discernableintegrated
macro-level micro-level
Information theory
Noiseredundancy
• Information known to all players• Information known to only one player• Information known to the game only• Randomly generated information
Systems of information
rules
ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)
is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games
has complete information perfect information game
Now lets talk schemas…
digital vs. non digital games
emergence
uncertainty
discernableintegrated
macro-level micro-level
Information theory
Noiseredundancy
• Information known to all players• Information known to only one player• Information known to the game only• Randomly generated information
Systems of information
Cybernetics(feedback)
PositiveNegative
StabilityDurationSuccessControl
rules
ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)
is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games
has complete information perfect information game
Now lets talk schemas…
digital vs. non digital games
emergence
uncertainty
discernableintegrated
macro-level micro-level
Information theory
Noiseredundancy
• Information known to all players• Information known to only one player• Information known to the game only• Randomly generated information
Systems of information
Cybernetics(feedback)
PositiveNegative
StabilityDurationSuccessControl
Game theoryGame tree
Saddle points
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)
Other presentations…
discernableintegrated
Game:
• A game is a system• In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules• That results in a quantifiable outcome
Closed
Open
FormalExperientialCultural
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)
Other presentations…
discernableintegrated
Game:
• A game is a system• In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules• That results in a quantifiable outcome
Virtual economies
Closed
Open
FormalExperientialCultural
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)
Other presentations…
discernableintegrated
Game:
• A game is a system• In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules• That results in a quantifiable outcome
Virtual economies
Closed
Open
FormalExperientialCultural
Madden Sports Contro, McGairty, Callaghan
Age of Empires 3
RTS Parker
Command &Conquer
RTS Gross
Ökami RPG/action Montgomery-Wicks
Empire Earth
RTS King
Diablo 2 RPG Giszter
Killers of 3 Kingdoms
Card game Tong, Wang
Uncharted 2: Thieves
Action/adventure
Frankel
League legends
RTS mod Hardy, Ryan
BioShock FPS Parrelli, Hicks
Sims 3 simulation Weigl, Riordan, Cabezas
DESIGN Genre Authors
Eve online
MMORPG Pirk
Fallout 3 RPG Schiavo, Lyon
Metroid Platform/action Christam
Heroes of Newerth
RTS mod Berdiel, Lee
Starcraft 2 RTS Stinson
Super Mario 3
platform Lenehan, Abate, Thompson
Blur racing Pollock
Call of Duty
FPS Dibella, Sullivan
World Warcraft
MMORPG Lambert, Cheek
Halo FPS Dagbo,Villegas
Other presentations…
BOOM arcade Parrelli
RPG RPG Ryan, Hardy
G-Game Gross
Flight-Sim Hardcore space simulation
Schiavo
Battle-board
Space battle board game
Pirk
Extreme Poker
Card game Stinson
GAME Genre Authors
Paradox Card game Giszter
Card combat
Card game Wang, Tong, Lee
Flash game
adventure Dibella
Escape the maze
arcade Abate, Thompson
Lehigh RPG
RPG Lenehan, McGarity
Business RPG
RPG – Instructional
Callaghan, Contro
Find the apple
FPS mod Berdiel, Dagbo,Villegas
..and the games created
Best Games (by popular vote):
• Pirk, William B.: Battle-biard• Parrelli, Greyson K.: BOOM
Magic circleLusory attitude
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable
integrated
choice
What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?
How are the results of choice conveyed?
Game:
• A game is a system• In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules• That results in a quantifiable outcome
Video
Immediate but narrow interactivityInformation manipulationAutomated complex systemsNetworked communication
traits
Interactivity:
Closed
Open
FormalExperientialCultural
play
Primary schemas
rules
context
• 21 games analyzed• 13 games created
Magic circleLusory attitude
Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable
integrated
choice
What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?
How are the results of choice conveyed?
Game:
• A game is a system• In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules• That results in a quantifiable outcome
Video
Immediate but narrow interactivityInformation manipulationAutomated complex systemsNetworked communication
traits
Interactivity:
Closed
Open
FormalExperientialCultural
play
Primary schemas
rules
context
The End…
• 21 games analyzed• 13 games created