Game Design - Lecture 3

GAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

ANDREA @RESMINI :: HIT, HÖGSKOLAN I BORÅS

Andrea Resmini

HT12 / HÖGSKOLAN I BORÅS, NOV 9 2012

Game Design

LD3. FORMAL ELEMENTSOF GAMES

TODAY'S CLASS

A brief recap from L2Formal elementsBreakWorkshop

RECAP: GAME SPACE

Carcassonne, board game

RECAP: GAME SPACE

every game takes place in some kind of space that defines the various areas of a game and the way they are related

FORMAL ELEMENTS

players objectives procedures rules resources conflict boundaries outcome

#1. PLAYERS

how many players? In what roles? Do they cooperate or compete? How?

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

a game for 1 player is different from a game for 2, 4 or 1.000.000 players

CERTAINTY OF NUMBERS

a game for an exact number of players is different from a game for an unknown or variable number of players

NUMBERSGAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

ROLES OF PLAYERS

single-role games are different from multi-role games

SINGLE ROLE

MULTI-ROLEGAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

STYLES OF PLAY

roles can also be played differently according to styles of play. For example:

ACHIEVERS

Increasing character statistics in Oblivion

EXPLORERS

The Far Lands in Minecraft, http://scarilianvids.blogspot.se

PLAYER INTERACTION PATTERNS

players can interact with the game and with one another in accordance to a number of different patterns

BASE BEHAVIORS

these patterns are shaped via base behaviors such as direct conflict, negotiation, trading, or information sharing

SINGLE PLAYER VS GAMEGAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

MULTIPLE PLAYERS VS GAME

Game of Bingo, http://blog.enclaveatwoodbridgecamapts.com/

PLAYER VS PLAYERGAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

UNILATERAL COMPETITION

Letters from Whitechapel, boccobsblog.wordpress.com

MULTILATERAL COMPETITIONGAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

COOPERATIVE PLAYGAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

TEAM COMPETITIONGAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

#2. OBJECTIVES

different games might have very different objectives

CAPTUREGAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

CHASE / RACEGAME DESIGN :: LD 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

Tetris reloaded, divineerror.deviantart.com

BUILD / CREATE

Tetris reloaded, divineerror.deviantart.com

GAME DESIGN :: LECTURE 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

SOLVE / OUTWITGAME DESIGN :: LECTURE 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

EXPLOREGAME DESIGN :: LECTURE 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

FORBIDDEN ACTGAME DESIGN :: LECTURE 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

RESCUE / ESCAPEGAME DESIGN :: LECTURE 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

#3. PROCEDURES

different games might have very different objectives

PROCEDURES IN VIDEOGAMES

game- or system-controlled procedures in videogames allow for much complexity to be hidden from players

#4. RULES

games also enforce rules on what players might do at any given moment

ROLE OF RULES

games rules can define limits, objects, concepts in the game, or restrict or delimit the field of actions

IF YOU PLAY CHESS

you cannot move your king in a position that results in a check

IF YOU PLAY POKER

a straight flush is precisely 5 consecutively ranked cards of the same suit

RULES AND LOOPHOLES

rules can be precious for closing loopholes, balancing or unbalancing a game

DO NOT PASS GO! DO NOT COLLECT $200!GAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

RULES AS TRIGGERS

rules can also determine or trigger events or behaviors and move the game along

#5. RESOURCES

in a game, resources are outright scarce, difficult to obtain and always valuable

LIVES / HEALTHGAME DESIGN :: LECTURE 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

AMMO / UNITSGAME DESIGN :: LECTURE 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

CURRENCY / ACTIONSGAME DESIGN :: LECTURE 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

TIMEGAME DESIGN :: LECTURE 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

#6. CONFLICT

conflict results from the players trying to accomplish the game's goals within the game's rules and boundaries

INEFFICIENCY

games usually offer very inefficient means towards their objectives

CHALLENGES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

games challenge players and provide a sense of achievement through sources of conflicts such as obstacles, opponents, and dilemmas

OBSTACLESGAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

OPPONENTSGAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

DILEMMASGAME DESIGN :: LD3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

#7. BOUNDARIES

boundaries separate the game from everything that is not the game

PHYSICAL AND CONCEPTUAL BOUNDARIES

not all kids in the playground are playing tags, even if they share the same space

IMPORTANCE OF BOUNDARIES

boundaries provide both a set of constraints and context

WHAT IF I COULD

move the goal in a football game out of the field or ask a pair of aces to people playing poker at another table?

CONTEXT

when Quake Tournament ends, you are still on friendly terms with those people you tried to kill viciously just five minutes before

#8. OUTCOME

producing one or more winners and one or more losers is the natural outcome of any game

BALANCING GAMEPLAY FOR OUTCOMES

uncertainty is key, as nobody likes to play when the outcome is easily predicted

OUTCOMES AND PLAYER INTERACTIONS

how a game manages its outcomes depends also on its player interaction patterns

Back in 15, right? Thanks.

WORKSHOP

Let's get going

THAT'S ALL FOLKS

coming up next time isLD4, Dramatic elements and player embodiment

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