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Game analysiso We want to use games as
sourceso primary sources related to
particular periods
o What can we learn?o what questions do we ask to
understand a game?
Frameworko Rules
o formal structure of the gameo how the game workso how outcomes are determined
o Playo what it is like to play the game
o Cultureo how the game makes contact with
society
o If this topic interests you, consider taking GAM 224
Ruleso Rules come in two forms
o operational rulesowhat the players do to play
o constitutive rulesothe inner logic of the gameowhat makes the game workoyou can play without knowing
o Constitutive ruleso are the formal structure of the
game
Complexityo Some games are clearly
more strategically complex than otherso tic-tac-toe vs goo what about medieval chess vs
modern?o how can we answer this
question analytically?
o "A game is a series of interesting choices" – Sid Meier
Interesting choiceso Coupling
o If a change in one featureo requires a change in another
o Chesso must consider the network of relationships
between pieces when moving
o Contexto If the value of options
o changes with the game contexto Football
o a timeout has a different value at the end of the fourth quarter
o Non-linearityo If small differences in input
o produce large differences in outputo Chess
o one square could be the difference between safe and checkmate
Informationo Incomplete information
makes for interesting gameplayo why playing cards have a front
and backo Types of information
o publicoknown to all
o privateoknown to one player
o hiddenonot known by any
Information economyo Games of information often
have an "information economy"o a system through which
ohidden information is revealedoprivate information becomes
public
o Like all economieso based on exchange
o Exampleo hearts
Feedbacko Feedback is a mechanism
for a system to link its current state to its behavior
o Exampleo thermostat
omeasures the temperature of the room
o if too lowo turn on the heat
o if OKo turn off the heat
Two Typeso Negative Feedback Loop
o "inhibition"o As the state changes, the loop acts
to move it in the direction of its previous state
o Exampleo thermostat
o Positive Feedback Loopo "excitation"o As the state changes, the loop acts
to move it in the direction that it is moving
o Exampleo automobile turbochargero home team advantage
General principleso Negative feedback loops
o increases system stabilityo makes the game last longero magnifies late successes
o Positive feedback loopso destabilizes the systemo makes the game shortero magnifies early success
o Positive feedback is usually essentialo propels a player to victoryo otherwise, game can go on forevero one reason that three-player
games are difficult to design
Questions to asko What is the formal structure
of your game?o How are the player's
choices made interesting?o Is there a knowledge
economy?o What feedback mechanisms
exist?
Experientialo What is the game like to
play?o cannot be answered by
analysiso you must play the gameo not always enough?
o Exampleo awari
o What makes a game "fun"?
Core mechanico What is it that players do?
o move pieceso draw cards, discardo run around a field
o Are decisions easy to make?o game moves fastero Briscola
o Do they involve strategic calculation?o game moves slowero Chess
o Do they involve private information?o players may try to guess the others'
situationo players may try to deceive each othero Poker
Roles / Simulationo Does gameplay involve
roles that players take on?o Tapp Tarocko President
o Does it simulate or abstract some real activityo Diplomacy
o Fun may be in doing these roleso performanceo wish fulfillment
Narrativeo Game take place over time
o can be said to have narrative structure
o For exampleo every chess game starts the same
o but ends (generally) differently
o there is a story in there
o Simplest exampleo Rock-Paper-Scissors
o For some games this narrative is the whole pointo Game of Life
Questions to asko What makes the game fun?o What do players do to play?o Are there roles?
o What degree of performance is involved?
o What is the narrative structure of the game?o Is it delineated in advance or
emergent?
Culturalo What can we learn from a
game about its creators and players?
o Some obvious places to starto they enjoy its core mechanico they enjoy the roles that the
game provideso they enjoy its narrative
structure
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