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