Prototyping for

Fun & Profit

Engagement & Metaphor

Borut PfeiferPlush Apocalypse Productions

Some Definitions

en gage ment⋅ ⋅  [en-geyj-muhnt] - the act of engaging or the state of being engaged.

Engage - to attract and hold fast: The novel engaged her attention and interest.

Metaphor - something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol.

The Unconcerned

• Game about Iran post-election riots

• Mother & Father lose Daughter in crowd

• Puzzle-based gameplay moving through crowds

• Swap characters to solve puzzles (Lost Vikings)

• Purpose: Convey empathy w/Iranian people, inform about the political/social situation, through engaging gameplay

Prototyping and Iteration

Prototypes

• Quickly get info you need for creative decisions

• Different prototype axes:– Experiment (test) vs. Exploratory (generate ideas)– Aesthetic vs. Mechanic vs. both (careful!)

• Thematic statement:– Clarify the core message(s) of the game.– NOT A PITCH STATEMENT (only for you)

“Only by looking to everyone as individuals can we movepast group/systemic struggles and save ourselves.”

Typical Prototyping Tips

• Fail fast – use short prototype cycles.

• Build it to throw away.

• Constraints stimulate creativity.

• Don’t develop story, levels, visuals, etc. until gameplay is engaging.

Typical Prototyping Pitfalls

• Produces simple mechanics – not often thematically deep

• Can prototype gameplay that will never work in fictional context.

• Making the wrong prototype – reject mechanics that would work w/more advanced visuals.

• Keep changing ideas, don’t finalize any.

Aesthetic Prototypes/Look Development

Avoid if possible!

Evaluate scale, speed, timing.

Look needs to be representative, but lo-fi:– May lack in some areas of fidelity (animation)– Fallback to debug shapes/text.– Important for serious games, look must convey theme

Visual feedback must be:– Easy to distinguish (color, contrast, outline, movement)– Contextually appropriate– Frequent (simple actions + lots of feedback ~= fun)

Look Prototype• First work on project• Test perspective/scale/speed/timing• Separate (but also evaluate) color palette, style, etc.

Mechanic Prototypes/Gameplay Development

• Clear player goal(s)

• Give feedback on progress– How well are they achieving goals?

• Player feedback on available actions– What actions can they take to achieve goals?– How effective will those actions be?

Serious Game Mechanics

Metaphorical mechanics fail when they’re:

• Simplistic: can trivialize the subject

• Over-generalized: applies a stereotype

• Mismatched: conveys additional unwanted elements

• Poorly skinned: slapped on existing game

• Used in repetitive context: also trivializes

The Unconcerned Gameplay Prototyping

• Interleave engaging elements with serious ones:– Searching – looking for daughter– Strategic differences between father/mother (both for

puzzle purposes & rhetoric)

• Analyze mechanics for metaphorical inconsistencies.

• Prototypes– Finder/Waypoints– Line of Sight/Uncover area– Crowds– Split city location/crowd gameplay

Finder Mechanic Prototype

• Experiment - test mechanic depth

• Finder arrow – shows daughter’s possible direction (bounces around)

• Ask people about daughter

• Answers hone in on direction to exit level

• Certain characters respond to father vs. mother

• Added multiple waypointsFinderProto.wmvFinderProto.wmv

Finder Mechanic Prototype

• Goal relatively clear

• Effects of asking not clear w/randomization.

• Making the asking mechanic more clear/less random makes it over-generalized.

• Thematically – seek out individuals in crowd

Line-of-Sight Prototype

• Exploration – how might this work?

• Require player to search space by uncovering areas

• Goal – certain % uncovered

• Added crowds - sight blocked by crowds.

• Have to get into a crowd to see inside/thru it.

• Crowd entry based on father or mother

Line-of-Sight Prototype

Line of Sight Prototype

• Goal not clear

• Progress partially clear

• Thematically – not related to individual/group relationships.

• Crowds still required discrete class/role boundaries (stereotypical).

• Might work as optional completion goal

Crowd Prototypes

• Explore crowd-based puzzles• Characters can’t move through some crowds. • Break up crowd to open path.

• Added crowd direction– Focused crowds restrict player movement– Use crowds as gates with switches

• Added moving crowds to unblock obstacles

CrowdProto2.wmvCrowdProto1.wmv

Crowd Prototypes

• Moving crowds: not really logical for medium/large crowds

• Basically a locked door “puzzle”

• Thematically – loses focus on individual

• Crowd boundaries have to be explicit either/or – strong gender/class statement

Split City/Crowd Prototype

• Experiment with separating puzzle & exploration

• City locations – explore w/simple environment obstacles (lock/key)

• Enter crowds – move people to get through (push/pull block puzzle)

• Must enter each crowd to uncover level (shown in mini-map)

SplitCrowdProto3.wmv

Split City/Crowd Prototype

• Engaging (goals & feedback ok)

• Thematically – contrasts group & individual behavior

• Diagonal movement problems:– Overhead grid spacing affords diagonal movement.– Make the puzzle harder, didn’t want them– Can it be solved visually?

Crowd Look Dev Prototype

• Test faux 3D view• Eliminates affordance/feedback of diagonals• Emotional impact – feel closer to characters

Crowd Puzzle Metaphors

Add variation with different crowd units.

Random elements? Not easily understood.

Analog mechanics? Don’t fit in puzzle context.

Internal class variation: – Behaviors don’t apply to all members of a class– Some behaviors might apply to multiple classes – Communicate through multiple, noisy channels (like

character’s random idle animation)

Crowd Puzzle Units

• Added unit behaviors like:– Injurable person: push limit, need to help– Vocal protesters: attract people– Linked: attempt to stay side by side– Avoiders: inclined to move away automatically

• Metaphors better avoid stereotyping• Requires character animation to test playability.• But structure allows work on plot, levels, etc.• Characters larger onscreen, saved redoing art!

CrowdUnitsProto.wmv CrowdPuzzleProto2.wmv

Collected wisdom

• Understand purpose of prototype (explore/ experiment, mechanic/aesthetic)

• Thematic statement focuses creative decisions

• Refine feedback of player goals, progress, and actions

• Avoid over-simplified, stereotyped, mismatched, or inappropriately repetitive mechanics.

• Fail fast! Decide faster!

Thanks

• Dan Boutros• Amanda Williams• Dren McDonald

The Unconcerned:http://plushapocalypse.com/theunconcerned

Prototyping advice? Email: borut_p@yahoo.comTwitter: @plushapoBlog: http://plushapocalypse.com/borut