Fundamentals of Game DesignChapter 4: Continued

SE 3GB3Chris Harrington

11-Feb-13

Outline

• The Dimensions of a Game World– The Physical Dimension– The Temporal Dimension– The Environmental Dimension– The Emotional Dimension– The Ethical Dimension

• Realism• Summary

The Dimensions of a Game World

• Many different properties

• Two Categories for the Properties– Quantitative (ex Size.)– Qualitative (ex Mood.)

• Related properties are the Dimensions

Physical Dimension

• Spatial Dimensionality• Scale• Boundaries

Spatial Dimensionality

• 2D• 2.5D• 3D• 4D

Scale

• Scale refers to both the absolute size of the physical space represented, as measured in units

Boundaries

• A line that marks the limits of an area; a dividing line.

The Temporal Dimension

• Variable Time• Anomalous Time• Letting the

Player Adjust time

The Environmental Dimension

• Cultural Context• Physical Surrondings• Detail• Defining a Style• Overused Settings• Sources of Inspiration

The Emotional Design

• Influencing the Players Feelings

• Limitations of Fun• You cant Paint Emotion

by Numbers

Design Rule: Avoid Implausible Extremes

• Don’t make your game about the fate of the world if you are serious about producing emotional resonance with your audience; the fate of the world is too big to grasp. Make your game about the fate of people instead.

The Ethical Dimension

• Moral Decision-Making• Violence in

video games

Moral Decision Making

• Simple Ethics: Clobber the bad guys, protect the good

• Preachy material can be off putting

• Difficult decisions are at the heart of good story telling

The Peculiar Morality of America’s Army

• Teaches how real soldiers are meant to fight in two ways

• Players must act in conformance of the actual disciplinary requirements

• Both Sides see them selves as US soldiers (perspective)

Violence in Video Games

Realism

•Simplification of the real world•Can have realistic graphics but unrealistic physics•Let R rep. Realism• 0 <= R < 1

(cannot equal 1, no game can be entirely realistic)

The End(of Chapter 4)

Bibliography • Adams, Ernest. Fundamentals of Game Design. Berkeley, CA : New Riders,

September 14, 2009• Pictures

– http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/49/26/victory_6.jpg

– http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/video-game-violence-2.jpg– http://www.ithp.org/articles/violentvideogames.html – http://fable.wikia.com/wiki/Fable– http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/replicate/EXID55249/images/a14dg4(1).jpg– http://varungenius.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/right-and-wrong-decisions1.jpg– http://neuronarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/emotion.jpg– http://richtaveras.com/static/media/uploads/zinnia/time-warp.jpg