Games as Information Systems with Uncertainty

“rules” schemas on content and discernability

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Information theory – analysis of coding and capacity

coding systems have a capacity e.g., one byte has 256 configurations so can

represent a ‘vocabulary’ of 256 distinct messages

messages contain more or less information depending on how much uncertainty they remove Are you at home?yes (1 out of 2) What day of the week is it? Thursday (1 out 7)

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COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Information theory

matching capacity to need: Are you at home? yes (1 out of 2)

1 bit – 2 messages What day of the week is it? Thursday (1 out 7)

3 bits – 8 messagesWeaver “information is a measure of one’s

freedom of choice when one selects a message”

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Information theory redundancy: measure of excess capacity

Are you at home? “YES” (three character string) in ASCII: 24 bits, 1 bit info, 23 bits redundant

redundancy allows for error checking and correction (eg checksum bits) noise...

written language is redundant text messaging:

jargon reduces redundancy, IMHO

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Information theory in games

output is redundant but not a problem of information

input problems capacity coding redundancy

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Information input

example - Brackeen’s game choices , , space, esc code of meaning (InputManager) capacity based on sequences of choices

a language for the player to use:

“,,,,space,,,,,,,esc”

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Information-based games

Mastermind Twenty Questions (binary search)

reducing uncertainty by narrowing choices

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Signal transmission and noise

information transmission model

information

source

transmitter destinationreceiver

sign

alre

ceiv

ed s

igna

l

noise

source

mes

sage

mes

sage

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Noise and redundancy

Noise alters a message If a message has redundancy, the

altered message can be identified, perhaps corrected

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Noise-based games

Telephone circle Charades

noisy communication channels

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Redundancy-based game

crossword puzzlesmost letters in the puzzle are over-specified

by both a vertical and horizontal clue, though clues are (intentionally) noisy

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Inputs and information transmission

(raw) mouse actions (left, right, down, up, click, double click)

(raw) keyboard input component selection sets (menu,

radio button, slider) textfieldcoding, capacity, noise, redundancy e.g., adding the ‘deke’

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Information theory – knowledge

information as game content - data and structure meaningthe “stuff” that can be encoded, transmitted, corrupted, receivedAND hidden, forgotten, learned, reorganized,

acquired, memorized,...e.g. playing cards can reveal or conceal

information

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COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Knowledge categories of games

Perfect information – all players know complete state of the game e.g., chess, backgammon, monopoly

Imperfect information – players do not know complete state of game most card games, battleship,

minesweeper, adventure games

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Categories of information in games (Pearce, 1997)

1. Known to all players board position

2. Known to only one (some) player(s) hand of cards

3. Known to no players draw pile

4. Randomly generated throw of dice

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Games based on information changing categories

card games – information is revealed to players

learning information known to no players is a focus of many digital games– Myst (data), Sims (principles)

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

digital games and information

powerful manipulation of information hidden processes, not just data reorganization of information information tools for the player (views,

pause, snapshots, organizers)

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Combining information 1 and 2 Enchanted Forest (handout)

information as knowledge information as function of uncertainty

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Uncertainty in games

All games have uncertainty Bernard deKoven, 1978:

“Imagine how you would feel if, before the game, you were already declared the winner. Imagine how purposeless the game would feel.”

Why are sports televised live?

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COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Uncertainty in games

All games have uncertainty without uncertainty, a player’s action

cannot have meaning uncertainty about game outcome is

related to at uncertainty (?)in moves:

action result game outcome

change of state

? die

chess

?

discernible? pit

integration

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Uncertainty in games

Epstein, 1977:For a move or a game, the player can feel:1. certainty – result known2. risk – probabilities of results known in

advance3. uncertainty – no idea of outcomee.g. roulette – move: risk, night at casino:

uncertaintychess - move: ceertainty, game uncertainty

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Uncertainty and randomness

uncertainty does not require randomness chinese checkers middle game (result of

complexity) tic-tac-toe NOT

uncertainty produces fun/motivation, opportunity for emergence chinese checkers multi-step jump

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Randomness: using probability

constituative factor: probability distributions

operational factor: how is random result generated?

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Pure chance games

Chutes and Ladders – where is the fun? operational rules – the actual activity moves have risk but outcome is

uncertain: chutes and ladders produce sudden

reversals end game delays front runner (compare

with chinese checkers)

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Pure chance games

Lotteries operational rules include constituatively

meaningless choices (pick numbers, scratch) that acquire cultural meaning by operationalizing

COSC 4126 information and uncertainty

Fallacies about probability

Typical game players will misunderstand expected value

overvalue longshots misunderstand independent events and

exclusive events believe in the “law of averages,” so runs of

failure make success more likely believe rare bad events won’t recur but rare

positive ones will overemphasize good outcomes believe in luck