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Game Design Theory

Game Design Theory. What Is “Good Gameplay”?. Greg Costikyan www.ungames.com www.costik.com costik@costik.com. “The Game” is Plastic. Paintball. Computer. Sports. Console. Online. Casino games. Arcade. The horses. “Folk” Card & Boardgames. Kriegspieler.

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Game Design Theory

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  1. Game Design Theory What Is “Good Gameplay”? Greg Costikyan www.ungames.comwww.costik.comcostik@costik.com

  2. “The Game” is Plastic Paintball Computer Sports • Console Online Casino games Arcade The horses.. “Folk” Card & Boardgames Kriegspieler ...and, of course, wireless. Miniatures “Mass Market” Boardgames Board wargames Roleplaying Games Collectible Card Games Play-by-mail and play-by-email games LARPs LBEs

  3. THEY’RE ALL GAMES But what makes them interesting? What makes one better than another? --We need a critical language.

  4. Interactive? Crawford’s Distinction: Games vs. Puzzles • Are non-digital games “interactive?” If it isn’t interactive, it’s a puzzle, not a game. “Interactive Game” is Redundant

  5. Goals Interaction must have a purpose • Decision-making is the essence of gameplay ...or at least purposeful interaction. Goals, objectives, are what make interaction purposeful Goals don’t have to be explicit SimCity RPGs & MUDs & MMGs But you still have to point players toward goals

  6. Games are Goal-Direction Interaction But goals aren’t enough....

  7. Struggle • Plucky Little England • Surrender • Spit in Hitler’s Eye! Rule Britannia! Britons Never, Ever, Ever Shall Be Slaves! • Competion is one way of creating struggle Other obstacles can do the same The environment, NPCs (RPGs) Puzzles (graphic adventures) Tuning “struggle”: Too hard is frustrating, too easy is dull

  8. Struggle (con’t) You have to make the players work • A game without struggle is a game that’s dead In life, struggle=pain; in games, struggle=pleasure There can be no pate without cornichons.

  9. A game requires players to struggle interactively toward a goal.

  10. Structure • Zimmerman’s “Structures of Desire” “Let’s Pretend”: Unstructured play • Zones of Control: small changes in structure can breed big changes in play Algorithms (=rules mechanics) are the building blocks of game structure Digital game structures affect player behavior in the same way

  11. Structure (con’t) Structure shapes (but does not determine) player behavior • You must define structure intentionally to achieve the effect you desire Game structure is analogous to economics

  12. A game is an interactive structure that requires players to struggle toward goals.

  13. Endogenous Meaning Endogenous: “Caused by factors inside the system.” • Games create their own meanings • Monopoly money • The Bloodforge Hammer Is the Stock Market a Game? “Fiction” vs. “Non-Fiction”

  14. A game is an interactive structure of endogenous meaning that requires players to struggle toward goals.

  15. Interactive Entertainment Can it be anything other than a game? • It could be unstructured It could have no recontextualized meaning It could lack struggle It could be pointless Interactive Entertainment means games

  16. LeBlanc 1: Sensation • Visuals, sound, tactile, muscle pleasure Example: Axis & Allies Sensation increases our pleasure... but it’s not the core of gameplay Wireless games suffer on this score

  17. LeBlanc 2: Fantasy Analogous to “suspension of disbelief” • Abstract games (Chess) have little of this Fantasy helps create endogenous meanings

  18. LeBlanc 3: Narrative Doesn’t literally mean “story” • Games as drama Easier to accomplish in pre-scripted games

  19. LeBlanc 4: Challenge Equivalent to our concept of “Struggle” • At the heart of any game Tuning: Neither too easy nor too hard One area where networked games have an advantage

  20. LeBlanc 5: Fellowship Equivalent to “Community” • Shared, Intense Experiences breed Fellowship Online games excel

  21. LeBlanc 6: Discovery Exploring the world • Hidden information Sheer variety of encounter

  22. LeBlanc 7: Expression Central to RPGs, MMORPGs • Vital to social games Important in some soloplay games Little tricks go a long way

  23. LeBlanc 8: Masochism Submission to structure: the basic transaction we make with games • Frustrating to play with those who don’t buy in Damn frustrating to play with cheaters Gaining goals within the structure is what gaming is all about.

  24. Artists.... Begin with imitation... • Move on to mastery of technique... Ultimately work with intentionality

  25. What makes it a game? What types of interaction? (Are they fun?) • What goals does it support? Does the structure support my objective? What makes it an entertaining struggle? What meanings does it create?

  26. What pleasures does it provide? Sensation • Fantasy Narrative (Drama) Challenge Fellowship Discovery Expression Masochism

  27. One of the most difficult tasks people can perform, however much others may despise it, is the invention of good games.--C.G. Jung

  28. Suggested Readings • Crawford’s Computer Game Design www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Coverpage.html). Various rants: www.costik.com/articles.html Marc LeBlanc’s rants: world.std.com/~mahk/gamedesign.html Game + Design, Eric Zimmerman & Katie Salen, MIT Univ. Press (in press)

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