2. Play
Play can be thought of the freedom of movement
within a more rigid structure.
In the case of games:
Freedom of movement = player actions
(mechanics)
Rigid structure = structural elements of a game
3. Structural Elements of a Game
Players
Objectives (Goals)
Procedures
Rules
Resources
Conflict
Boundaries
Outcomes
4.
5. Invitation to Play
One of the most important elements of a game is the
invitation to play. It can take a number of different
forms:
Start Button
Title Screen
Theme Music
Guitar Hero Controller
6. Immersion
Immersion creates the illusion that
you are another person or in another
place.
An immersive experience can be
achieved through theme, story,
character, graphics, and audio.
7. The Magic Circle
The Magic Circle - How Games Transport Us to New
Worlds - Extra Credits
8. Number of Players
A game designed for one player is different than one
designed for 2, 3 or 4 players.
A game designed for a specific number of players is
different from one for a variable number of players.
9. Player Format
Single Player vs. Game (Player vs. Environment)
Player vs. Player (Head-to-Head)
Multiple Individual Players vs. Game
Unilateral Multiplayer (One vs. Many)
Multilateral Competition (One vs. One vs. One…
or Free-For-All)
Cooperative Play
Team Competition
19. Levels of Engagement
Spectator Play: Risk is minimal
Participant Play: Active and involved, and the most
directly rewarding
Transformational Play: A deep level of play that
actually shapes and alters the player’s life.
20. Player Roles
Sports: Team Leader vs. Team Mate
Mastermind: Codemaker vs. Codebreaker
D&D: Fighter, Magic User, Cleric or Thief
MUD: Achievers, Socializers, Explorers or Killers
21. The Role of the Player
Extra Credits: The Role of the Player
22.
23. Objectives (or Goals)
Objectives give players
something to strive for. They
define what players are
attempting to accomplish within
the rules of the game.
26. Pro Tips
Goals should be:
Clear
Concrete
Achievable
Challenging
Rewarding
Immediately replaced with new goals
27.
28. Procedures
Procedures are the methods of play and the actions
players can take to achieve them.
One way to think about procedures is:
Who does what, when, where and how.
29. Types of Procedures
Set Up or Starting Action: How to put the game
into play.
Progression: Ongoing procedures after the starting
action.
Special Actions: Available conditional to other
elements or game state.
Resolution, or Resolving Actions: Bring gameplay
to a close.
30.
31. Rules
Rules define game
objects and allowable
actions by the players.
In video games, rules can
be explained in the
manual or they can be
explicit in the game itself.
32. Rules Defining Objects
Video games can have objects made of a fairly
complex set of variables that the player might not be
aware of.
33. Rules Restricting Actions
Rules restriction actions can fix loopholes in a game.
Chess players are not allowed to place their king in check.
34. Rules Restricting Actions
Restrictions might also keep a game from becoming
unbalanced in favor of one of the players.
Construction tree requirements in strategy games.
35. Rules Affecting Procedures
When a player can’t
answer question correctly,
other players have a
chance to answer.
Used for gameplay
variation.
36. Rules Affecting Procedures
When the players run out
of health, return them to
the nearest waypoint.
Used to get the game
back on track.
37. Complexity vs. Depth
Complexity is the amount of information
(including rules) the player needs to keep
track of to play the game.
Depth is the number of choices a player can
make in a game.
39. Pro Tips
Games should be easy to learn but difficult to
master.
Maximize depth (player choices) but minimize
complexity (info to be remembered).
Leaving rules unstated or poorly
communicated might make players feel
confused or alienated.
Rules should be consistent with the game’s
theme.
40.
41. Resources
Resources are assets that are used to accomplish
the game’s goals.
Managing resources and determining how and when
to control player access to them is a key part of a
game designer’s job.
42. Examples of Resources
Lives
Health
Currency
Actions
Energy
Mana
Time
Moves
Turns
Power-Ups
Building Materials
Combat Units
Inventory Items
Spells
Territory
Special Terrain
Information
45. Conflict
Conflict keeps players from achieving their goals
directly through rules, procedures, situations, and
obstacles.
Conflict makes a game more enjoyable by creating a
sense of competition or achievement.
46. Sources of Conflict
Obstacles
Opponents
Puzzles
Traps
Dilemmas
Poor Odds
Incomplete Information
48. Pro Tips
Skills required to resolve conflict should
create the target player experience
Players should have opportunities to
improve their skills
Conflict difficulty should correspond to
player skill level
49.
50. Boundaries
Boundaries separate the game from everything that
is not that game.
These boundaries can:
Physical or conceptual
Discrete or continuous
2D or 3D
Have subspaces
51.
52. Outcome
The outcome of a game is its end state – usually a
win, loss or sometimes, a draw.
Zero Sum Games always have one winner (+1) and
one loser (-1).
53. Outcome
There are a number of ways to determine
outcome, but the structure of the final
outcome will always be related to the player
interaction patterns and the objective.
54. Pro Tips
The outcome of a game must be uncertain to hold
the attention of players.
Endless games must reward players in other ways
to keep them playing.
55. 1. Draw three dots randomly on a piece of paper. (Choose a
player to go first)
2. The first player draws a line from one dot to another dot.
3. Then that player draws a new dot anywhere on that line.
4. The second player also draws a line and a dot.
• The new line must go from one dot to another, but no dot can have
more than three lines coming out of it.
• The new line cannot cross any other line.
• A line can go from the dot back to the same dot so long as it
doesn’t break the “no more than three lines rule.”
5. The player takes turns until one player cannot make a
move. The last player to move is the winner.
56. 1. Players: How many? Any requirements? Special
knowledge, roles, etc.?
2. Objective: What is the objective of the game?
3. Procedures: What are the required actions for play?
4. Rules: Are there any limits on player actions? Rules
regarding behavior?
5. Conflict: What causes conflict in this game?
6. Boundaries: What are the boundaries of the game?
Are they physical? Conceptual?
7. Outcome: What are the potential outcomes of the
game?
59. Pro Tips
Creative inventive and balanced maps
Give your player a variety of weapons
Give enemies interesting behaviors
60. 1. Download GD1 3 Resources from the
LAFS GD1 website Session 3 page
2. Create a 1945 scrolling shooter game
Notas do Editor
Videogames engage the eyes and ears with large amounts of art, visual effects, music and sound effects. All of these sensory experiences can add depth to a game and make it more immersive to the player.
Role-playing games can tell engaging stories. Sometimes the most fun part of a game comes from experiencing a unique storyline and play sequence, meeting characters, and interacting with them as they overcome tough challenges or go on amazing adventures
How does the Magic Circle relate to Immersion?
What elements of a game create an immersive experience?
Single-player: one player vs. game system. Most video games are of this player format.
Head-to-head: one player vs. one player: Fighting games are an example.
Cooperative: many players against vs. the game system. This is common in online games like World of Warcraft.
One against many: one player vs. multiple players. In the Nintendo Land game Luigi’s Ghost Mansion for the Wii U game system, one player takes the role of a ghost trying to scare the other players while they work together to trap the ghost with their flashlights.
Free-for-all: One player vs. one player vs. one player vs…. Perhaps the most common player structure for multiplayer games, this can be found everywhere from board games like Monopoly to the basic mode in most competitive first-person shooter games.
Team Competition: Multiple players vs. multiple players (including pair vs. pair). This is found in most team sports games.
Why do they say that the creative process doesn't end when the game designer finishes their work?
What is the role of the storyteller and the role of the listener in games? Why is it important to look at this?
What is the difference between depth and complexity?
How does pace of play affect complexity?
What is iirreducible complexity?
How does complexity limit depth?
What makes games elegant in terms of depth and complexity?
What were his trademarks? (Moving cabinets and realism)
Where does his inspiration come from? (Things outside the game world)
Why did programming interest him? (They were like Deo-blocks)
First project he managed was Hang-On. What was its invitation to play? (Motorcycle)
Out Run had car physics, suspension, breaking, skidding out . What structural elements are those? (Rules)
What made Virtual Fighter distinctive from Street Fighter (3D)?
How did he make Virtua Fighter seem so real? (Traveled to China to learn martial arts. Added strategy and tactics).
How did the Sega home version tie into the arcade version. (People would practice their moves at home and then show them off their skills in the arcade).
What was different about Shenmue? Wide-open world, with story. Full Reaction Eyes Entertainment.
What happened with the Senmue series? Dreamcast didn't do well, and it bothered him that all his hard work went down with the Dreamcast.
He actually did leave Sega after serving in a diminished role for a couple of years.
Why is he called the Michaelangelo of the game industry? (Programming, art).