is this thing on?. game design workshop orientation

Is this thing on?

Game Design Workshop

Orientation

Orientation Overview

Part I: Workshop Format

Part II: Outline Our Formal Approach

Part III: Formal Approach in Detail

Part IV: Iterative Design

Part I: Introduction

In this part we will: Explain the workshop high concept

Describe the format

Introduce the faculty

About The Workshop

This is the sixth year Hands-on Focused on iteration Grounded in a formal approach to

game design Intended to be open-ended

Things You Won’t Learn Here How to get a job as a game designer How to write a design document Where game ideas “come from” How to get your game funded How to use a level editor

In Other Words...

It’s not about the Business(Getting a job, pitching a game, getting funded)

It’s not about the Profession(Writing documents, tracking bugs, using tools)

It’s about the Craft(Making games that are fun)

What You’ll be Doing

Playing games Analyzing games Critiquing games Modifying games Refining games

Workshop Format

Small-group activities. Main Exercises Electives (choose 1 of 3 activities) New: Uber-elective

Introducing the Faculty

Myself Austin

Grossman Jonathan Hamel Robin Hunicke Frank Lantz

Andrew Leker Steve Librande Art Min Randy Smith Tim Stellmach

A Few Ground Rules

Please attend the whole thing Collaborate, Share, and Encourage Save the “meta-discussion” for the

very end Turn the laptop off

Part II: A Formal Approach

In this section, we present: A formal framework for game design

A view of the designer-player relationship

Game Design “Frameworks” Paradigms for organizing our

understanding


understanding Example Frameworks:

The 400 Project Design Patterns


understanding Example Frameworks:

The 400 Project Design Patterns

Separate from the process

Our Framework

Grounded in a formal approach

Organized around the designer-player relationship

The Designer-Player Relationship

Designer

Player


Designer

Player

GameGame


Designer

Player

Creates ConsumesGameGame


Designer

PlayerBook



Designer

PlayerBook

Movie



Designer

PlayerBook

MoviePainting



Designer

PlayerBook

MoviePainting

Chair



Designer

PlayerBook

MoviePainting

ChairCar



Designer

PlayerBook

MoviePainting

ChairCar

Pizza

GameGameCreates Consumes


Designer

Player

The difference is the way that games are consumed.

GameGameCreates Consumes

Media Consumption Example:A Theatrical Play The “design team” knows: Script Lighting Acoustics Seating Intermissions

Games, by Contrast

The designer doesn’t know: When will the player play? How often? For how long? Where? With Whom?

And most importantly... What will happen during the game?

Obligatory Editorial

This lack of predictability is the essence of play.

It should be embraced, not eschewed.

Games as Software

Code

Games as Software

Code Process

Games as Software

Code RequirementsProcess

Games as Software

Rules


Games as Software

Rules Game“Session”


Games as Software

Rules “Fun”Game“Session”


A Design Vocabulary





A Design Vocabulary

Mechanics

RequirementsProcess

“Fun”Game

A Design Vocabulary

Mechanics Dynamics

A Design Vocabulary

Mechanics AestheticsDynamics

The MDA Framework


Definitions

Mechanics: The rules and concepts that formally specify the game-as-system.

Dynamics: The run-time behavior of the game-as-system.

Aesthetics: The desirable emotional responses evoked by the game dynamics.

The Designer/Player Relationship, Revisited

Designer

Player


The Player’s Perspective

Player


The Designer’s Perspective

Designer


Three “Views” of Games

But they are causally linked


The Building Blocks: Formal Models No Grand Unified Theory Instead, lots of little models Models can be formulas or

abstractions We can think of models as “lenses” Discovering new models is an

ongoing process

MDA is a “Taxonomy” for Models Knowledge of Aesthetics Knowledge of Dynamics Knowledge of Mechanics

Knowledge of the interactions between them

Properties of Good Models

We want our models to be: Formal (well-defined) Abstract (widely applicable) Proven (known to work)

On any given game, we expect to use several different abstractions, not one big one.

Part III: MDA in detail

In this part, we discuss Aesthetics, Dynamics and Mechanics in detail.

The Designer’s Perspective

Designer


Understanding Aesthetics

We need to get past words like “fun” and “gameplay.”

What kinds of “fun” are there?

How will we know a particular kind of “fun” when we see it?

Eight Kinds of “Fun”


1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure


1. Sensation2. Fantasy Game as make-believe


1. Sensation2. Fantasy3. Narrative Game as unfolding story


1. Sensation2. Fantasy3. Narrative4. Challenge Game as obstacle course


1. Sensation2. Fantasy3. Narrative4. Challenge5. Fellowship Game as social framework

Game as uncharted territory


Sensation Fantasy Narrative Challenge Fellowship Discovery


1. Sensation2. Fantasy3. Narrative4. Challenge5. Fellowship6. Discovery7. Expression Game as self-discovery


1. Sensation2. Fantasy3. Narrative4. Challenge5. Fellowship6. Discovery7. Expression8. Submission

Game as mindless pastime

Charades is “fun”

Counter-Strike is “fun”

Final Fantasy is “fun”

Clarifying Our Aesthetics

Charades isFellowship, Expression, Challenge

Counter-Strike isChallenge, Sensation, Competition, Fantasy

Final Fantasy isFantasy, Narrative, Expression, Discovery, Challenge, Masochism

Each game pursues multiple aesthetics.Again, there is no Game Unified Theory.

Clarifying Our Aesthetics

Clarifying Our Goals

As designers, we can choose certain aesthetics as goals for our game design.

We need more than a one-word definition of our goals.

Some examples…

Formulating an “Aesthetic Model”

For each aesthetic goal: Write a formal definition List criteria for success List modes of failure

Serves as an “aesthetic compass” These are often reusable

Goal: Competition

Definition: A game is competitive if players are emotionally invested in defeating each other.

Success: Players are adversaries. Players want to win.

Failure: A player feels that he can’t win. A player can’t measure his progress.

Goal: Pirate Fantasy

Definition: A pirate fantasy conforms to the genre conventions of pirate movies, and permits the player to engage in certain kinds of anti-social pirate behavior.



Success: Empowerment Independence Greed Treachery Prey upon Weak



Success: Empowerment Independence Greed Treachery Prey upon Weak

Failure: Vulnerability Compassion Generosity

Dra

ma

tic

Te

nsi

on

Narrative Time

Conflict Resolution

Climax

Goal: Drama

Definition: A game is dramatic if: Its central conflict creates dramatic

tension. The dramatic tension builds towards a

climax.

Goal: Drama

Success: A sense of uncertainty A sense of inevitability Tension increases towards a climax

Failure: The conflict’s outcome is obvious (no

uncertainty) No sense of forward progress (no inevitability) Player doesn’t care how the conflict resolves.

Aesthetics Summary

Have an aesthetic vocabulary Articulate your aesthetic goals Formulate aesthetic models

On to Dynamics...

Understanding Dynamics

What about the game’s behavior can we predict before we go to playtest?

How can we explain the behavior that we observe?

Formalizing Game Dynamics

RulesInput Output

State(Player)

(Graphics/Sound)

The “State Machine” Model

Examples: Chess, Counter-Strike

Some examples…

Models of Game Dynamics

Again, no Grand Unified Theory

Instead, a collection of many Dynamic Models.

Dynamics models are analytical in nature.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Chance

in 3

6

Die roll

Example: Random Variable

This is a model of 2d6:

Room

Too Cold

Too Hot

An Ideal Thermostat

Thermometer

Controller

Cooler

Heater

Example: Feedback System A feedback system monitors and regulates its own

state.

Example: Operant Conditioning The player is part of the system,

too!

Psychology gives us models to explain and predict the player’s behavior.

On to Mechanics...

Where Models Come From

Analysis of existing games

Other Fields: Math, Psychology, Engineering…

Our own experience

Dynamics Summary

Models of Dynamics are analytical

They help us Explain and Predict

They can come from other fields, existing games, or our experience.

Understanding Mechanics

There’s a vast library of common game mechanics.

Examples

Cards Shuffling, Trick-Taking, Bidding

Shooters Ammunition, Spawn Points

Golf Sand Traps, Water Hazards

Mechanics vs. Dynamics

There’s a grey area Some behaviors are direct

consequences of rules. Others are indirect. “Dynamics” usually means the latter.


There’s a grey area Some behaviors are direct

consequences of rules. Others are indirect. “Dynamics” usually means the latter.

Dynamics and Mechanics are different views of games.


There’s a grey area Some behaviors are direct consequences

of rules. Others are indirect. “Dynamics” usually means the latter.

Dynamics and Mechanics are different views of games.

Dynamics emerge from Mechanics.

Mechanics Summary

Knowledge of game mechanics is largely encyclopedic

A vocabulary of mechanics is a design tool as well as a communication tool.

Dynamics emerge from Mechanics

Interaction Models

How do specific dynamics emerge from specific mechanics?

How do specific dynamics evoke specific aesthetics?

Example: Time Pressure

“Time pressure” is a dynamic. It can create dramatic tension. Various mechanics create time

pressure: Simple time limit “Pace” monster Depleting resource

Moving Forward…

Let’s hope the future brings us: A rich aesthetic vocabulary A eclectic library of game mechanics A catalog of formal models: Aesthetic,

Dynamic, Interaction

In other words, “Formal Abstract Design Tools”

Part IV: Iterative Design

Wherein we discuss the relationship of MDA to the iterative design process.

TestTest AnalyzeAnalyze

ReviseRevise

What Is “Iterative Design?”

We’re not limited to “tuning” Parameter tweaking

“Fiddling with knobs”

MDA in the Process

Aesthetic Models help us: Articulate our goals Point out our game’s flaws Measure our progress

Dynamic Models help us: Pinpoint our problems

Both kinds help us: Evaluate possible revisions

Learning From the Process

Between iterations, we re-evaluate: Our goals Our models Our assumptions

Sometimes we need to revise our own thinking as well.

The Iterative Design Process

When we start Know our aesthetic goalsWhile we iterate Aesthetic and dynamics models

guide our wayBetween Iterations Learn from the process

Time for Coffee...

After the break, go to the classroom that matches the color of your poker chip:

Blue C1Red C3White C4

Part V: Some Common Themes Here are some themes you’ll see

throughout the workshop.

Designer

Player


Theme: Dynamics and Fantasy Our game dynamics have meaning within our

game’s core fantasy.

That meaning may or may not be compatible.

In order to remain faithful to our subject matter, dynamics and fantasy must be in alignment.

Theme: State Space and Design Flexibility The state space of a game is the set of

possible states the system can be in.

The larger the state space, the easier it is to make changes.

As we modify our design, we can expect the state space to grow.

Slides: www.8kindsoffun.com

Marc [email protected]

Andrew [email protected]

Art [email protected]

Tim [email protected]

Randy [email protected]

Steve [email protected]

Austin [email protected]

Robin [email protected]

Frank [email protected]

Jonathan [email protected]

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