mechanics of magic: seven lessons from game design
Post on 16-Sep-2014
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I've added notes to my popular SXSW presentation on learning from game design to make it easier to understand.TRANSCRIPT
We don’t need no stinkin’ badges
The Mechanics of Magic7 Lessons from game design
See notes: http://www.eleganthack.com/?p=3233
@cwodtke#Magic7
These are the wise people I learned from
Some I interviewed, some I read their books, some I watched their videos, some reviewed this talk…
7 Lessons from game design
1.Find your North Star2.Design for Emotion(s)
3.Use Player Types4.Know Your Mechanics
5.Consider the Elder Game6.Learn to Teach
7.Always be Testing
Find your North StarEvery project needs a goal that everyone agrees is worth doing.
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
FUN
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
The Player Should Have The Fun, Not
The Designer Or The Computer
From a Gamasutra Article “Analysis: Sid Meier's Key Design Lessons”
The algorithms were, of course, very fun to construct and interesting to discuss outside of the game. The players, however, felt left behind -- the computer was having all the fun -- so we cut the feature.
EmotionYour northstar is for the heart, not the head
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Z-3mz3j6U&feature=BFa&list=PL8E8E672C0031DC3AWarning: this video will make you cry. It’s awesome. Watch 4:28-7:20
Design for An Emotion
Conversion is a crap north star
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkeWe have been designing in Black and White. There is a world of amazing emotions in technicolor just waiting
Are all the emotions Uxr’s have to design forFrustrationSatisfactionDelight?
We design in Black and White
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
CONNECTIONacceptanceaffectionappreciationbelongingcooperationcommunicationclosenesscommunitycompanionshipcompassionconsiderationconsistencyempathyinclusionintimacylovemutualitynurturingrespect/self-respect
CONNECTION continuedsafetysecuritystabilitysupportto know and be knownto see and be seento understand and be understoodtrustwarmthPHYSICAL WELL-BEINGairfoodmovement/exerciserest/sleepsexual expressionsafetysheltertouchwater
HONESTYauthenticityintegritypresencePLAYjoyhumorPEACEbeautycommunioneaseequalityharmonyinspirationorderAUTONOMYchoicefreedomindependencespacespontaneity
MEANINGawarenesscelebration of lifechallengeclaritycompetenceconsciousnesscontributioncreativitydiscoveryefficacyeffectivenessgrowthhopelearningmourningparticipationpurposeself-expressionstimulationto matterunderstanding
Needs
(c) 2005 by Center for Nonviolent Communication Website: www.cnvc.org
A better list of words to design for
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
PEACEbeauty communion ease equality harmony inspiration order
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Boys like peace and harmony and order too
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
There is no shortage of
“organization porn” on the
web.
We have a deep seated dream of a place of tidy
harmony.
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Life with Alacrity on his itunes
rating practicehttp://
www.lifewithalacrity.com
/2006/08/using_5star_
rat.html
What if software holding large
collections made it
even easier to create
order?
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
AFFECTIONATEcompassionatefriendlylovingopen heartedsympathetictenderwarm
ENGAGEDabsorbedalertcuriousengrossedenchantedentrancedfascinatedinterestedintriguedinvolvedspellboundstimulated
HOPEFULexpectantencouragedoptimistic
CONFIDENTempoweredopenproudsafesecure
EXCITEDamazedanimatedardentarousedastonisheddazzledeagerenergeticenthusiasticgiddyinvigoratedlivelypassionatesurprisedvibrant
GRATEFULappreciativemovedthankfultouched
INSPIREDamazedawedwonder
JOYFULamuseddelightedgladhappyjubilantpleasedtickled
EXHILARATEDblissfulecstaticelatedenthralledexuberantradiantrapturousthrilled
PEACEFULcalmclear headedcomfortablecenteredcontentequanimousfulfilledmellowquietrelaxedrelievedsatisfiedserenestilltranquiltrusting
REFRESHEDenlivenedrejuvenatedrenewedrestedrestoredrevived
(c) 2005 by Center for Nonviolent Communication Website: www.cnvc.org
Photos fill us with positive emotions
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Facebook ignores that we love to
fiddle with our
beloved objects.
How could this be redesigned?
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
AFRAIDapprehensivedreadforebodingfrightenedmistrustfulpanickedpetrifiedscaredsuspiciousterrifiedwaryworried
ANNOYEDaggravateddismayeddisgruntleddispleasedexasperatedfrustratedimpatientirritatedirkedCONFUSEDambivalentbaffledbewildereddazedhesitant
lostmystifiedperplexedpuzzledtorn
DISCONNECTEDalienatedaloofapatheticboredcolddetacheddistantdistractedindifferentnumbremoveduninterestedwithdrawn
EMBARRASSEDashamedchagrinedflusteredguiltymortifiedself-conscious
DISQUIETagitatedalarmeddiscombobulateddisconcerteddisturbedperturbedrattledrestlessshockedstartledsurprisedtroubledturbulentturmoiluncomfortableuneasyunnervedunsettledupset
YEARNINGenviousjealouslongingnostalgicpiningwistful
PAINagonyanguishedbereaveddevastatedgriefheartbrokenhurtlonelymiserableregretfulremorsefulSADdepresseddejecteddespairdespondentdisappointeddiscourageddisheartenedforlorngloomyheavy heartedhopelessmelancholyunhappywretched
TENSEanxiouscrankydistresseddistraughtedgyfidgetyfrazzledirritablejitterynervousoverwhelmedrestlessstressed out
VULNERABLEfragileguardedhelplessinsecureleeryreservedsensitiveshaky
AVERSIONanimosityappalledcontemptdisgusteddislikehatehorrifiedhostilerepulsed
FATIGUEbeatburnt outdepletedexhaustedlethargiclistlesstiredwearyworn out
ANGRYenragedfuriousincensedindignantiratelividoutragedresentful
(c) 2005 by Center for Nonviolent Communication Website: www.cnvc.org
As well, Game designers are much more comfortable with creating negative emotions than web designers, whoMostly aim for “happy.” But as part of a sequence, a slight negative can increase a positive.
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Actually, this is rather
pleasurable.
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
If I don’t log in
every day, I am
tortured with men I
missed
Obviously Mr. Right
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
“People find role playing cheesy, makes them self conscious. The game forces you into uncomfortable situations.
You take a situation and a pattern and match them up.. It might be a pattern you avoid because you aren’t good at it. And it creates much more teachable scenarios.”
Types vs Personas
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Grace (62/ female/ widowed/ Little Rock, AR.)“I like playing my favorite games online, but if I can play with friends, well that’s even better!” Personal Background: Her husband has passed on. She has two grown kids, both of whom live far away. She misses the kids, but has a fairly large circle of friends that she spends time with. Technical Proficiency: Limited. Can use her browser and her email. MS Word confuses her, and she doesn’t like using it. Doesn’t know what an OS is. Tends to click yes if the browser prompts her to do anything, and will click wildly until things work.History with games: Plays crossword puzzles daily and saves them. Plays card games, PhotoJam, but is offended by South Park cartoons
Game’s opportunity: If Grace can be convinced to participate in community activities, she will become a loyal user of the site. She needs to be sheltered from the sick and twisted content, however.
2001
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Richard Bartle http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm Drawing: Frank Caron http://frankcaron.com
Understanding behavioral patterns in player types, and what features support the behavior desired is also useful.Maybe more useful.
4 Key Engagement Styles in Social GamingCompete
CollaborateExplore
Express
Copyright Amy Jo Kim
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Satisficers
Self-discoveryOptimizers
Socializers
The Core LoopAnd the Mechanics
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkeThis is a core loop for a very simple game. I’m actually shocked we don’t map this on other projects. Amazon’s is Seek, evaluate, buy.
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkeWill Wright on Game Design: http://youtu.be/CdgQyq3hEPo Watch 30:27-33:27 http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1003252
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
SHOP
BUYREVIEW
Loop for amazon, but also
tripadvisor and Yelp
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
SHARE
REACTION CONSUME
Loop for most social sites, from
facebook to instagram to flick
Mechanics
Some of the more sleezy gamification gurus use this term as mind-control tricks. But really they are just what makes games tick.
Sometimes they are rules
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Just in case you need it
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/generic/b597/
Sometimes they are constraints
Pinch
The pinch is the place where you run out of something. I.e. You run out of lives in the arcade, and you reach in your pocked for a quarter. Or twelve.
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
When you run out of
energy, you have toA)Spend
money for more energyB)Ask friends
for help (virals)
C)Go away and come back later
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Cityville has a natural pinch; as your city
grows you need more
land
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Castleville has a pinch
for explorers and
decorators; unclaimed
land is full of mysterious
clues
Sometimes they are manipulations
But it’s ok because I feel something?
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
6 key principles of persuasion by Robert CialdiniReciprocity Social ProofCommitment and Consistency AuthorityLiking Scarcity
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
We’ve got scarcity here, plus a sense of what you have missed, and away to keep you coming
back
AcheivementsReward me
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Celebrate microwins!Actions taken successfully create mini-rewards in the form of doobers (stars and slot-machine sounds).
LeaderboardsThere is a certain satisfaction in kicking a friend’s rear. However, if you have a place where not much social is happening, be sure to motivate me by making me beat my own high score. Don’t make me feel lonely.
Mastery
Crafting in Castleville, and many other games is all about repetition. No real skill is gotten by the player. Is the user really feeling mastery here?
In Bubblewitch saga, like many match-three games, it’s all about beating your own score as well as others. You can see and feel your improvement.
Celebrating
CELBRATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!
The Elder Game
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkeAll game designers I’ve met talk about FTUE (first time user experience) and elder game at a minimum. Almostno web/app developer I speak with discusses these much if at all. Is a tutorial enough?
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Yahoo rewards group
managers with
customization tools
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Okcupid invites you to be a
moderator once you’ve
been an active
member for
awhile
Process
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
A pleasant lie
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
From Art of Game Design, by Jesse Schell. This his process diagram, and looks accurate to me. Game people often talk about “wandering in the wilderness”: the time while you are trying to achieve fun.
AestheticsBeginning Middle and End
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
How most
web site makers
view design
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Grace and Glory enemy concept designs by Yusuke Hashimoto. From the upcoming video game Bayonetta.
Concept design by Min Zhouhttp://minzhouportfolio.blogspot.com/
Graphic design in games is begun day one, and informs and inspires all
product choices
MeasurePretend you have OCD.
Playtestlike you mean it
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkeSid Meir, Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong. Watch 18:40-23:53 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY7aRJE-oOY&feature=BFa&list=PL8E8E672C0031DC3A
Learn how to teach
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
To play Dance Central, you have to
learn the moves
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
They make the learning into a game too– if you can decode the picture, you can get a diamond and skip
the practice
WHAT IF SXSW WAS A GAME?
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Networkers
Partyers
Learners Fame Hos
Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke
Nap in Panel
Check twitter
Party
A good mechanic might
be collecting.
A good pinch, private parties.
Now Playtest!
@cwodtkeThe game:
www.tumblr.com/blog/sxswinning
#sxswinning
Me: www.eleganthack.com
Thank You!sxsw.tv cq1