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Orthogonal Unit Differentiation

This presentation by Harvey Smith from Ion Storm discusses Orthogonal Unit Differentiation (O.U.D.), a key game design principle applicable across genres. O.U.D. emphasizes the importance of distinguishing game units—like characters, enemies, and vehicles—by granting them unique and strategically different abilities. By facilitating meaningful decision-making through distinctive roles, game designers can create richer gameplay experiences. Learn how O.U.D. can expand the possibility space in your games, enabling players to engage with the environment in intentional and strategic ways.

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Orthogonal Unit Differentiation

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  1. Orthogonal Unit Differentiation • Harvey Smith • witchboy@ionstorm.com

  2. Intro – Ion Storm (Austin) • An EIDOS Studio • Deus Ex (PC/PS2) • Deus Ex 2, Thief 3 • Action-RPG Focus

  3. Intro – Harvey Smith • Unit Differentiation Is Universally Relevant • Deus Ex 1 & 2 (Action-RPG) • Fireteam (Team Sports) • Technosaur (RTS) • Cybermage (Shooter) • Ultima VIII CD (RPG) • System Shock (Action-RPG) • Super Wing Commander 3DO (Flight Sim)

  4. Overview – O.U.D. • (O)rthogonal (U)nit (D)ifferentiation • A Talk About Game ‘Pieces’ • Units, Enemies, Monsters, AI’s • …And How Their Differences Facilitate/Create Gameplay

  5. Overview – O.U.D. • Beginner To Intermediate • Recognizable Examples • Minutes To Learn, Years To Master

  6. Overview – O.U.D. • Abstract In Application • Relevant To All Genres, Cross-genre • Employs Generally Applicable, Useful Design Terms

  7. Primary Terms -- Differentiation • Orthogonal • Unit • Differentiation • Game Design Principle • Granting Heterogeneous Qualities • Primary Functionality • Rogue Sneak Attack vs. Wizard Spellcasting • Secondary Traits (Durability, Speed, Damage) • Rogue 6 HP’s Vs Wizard 4 HP’s • In the Name of Strategic Interests • Facilitates Meaningful Decisions

  8. Primary Terms -- Unit • Orthogonal • Unit • Game Piece Categorization • Enemy, Character Class, Vehicle, AI, Troop • Example – Fire Elemental • Differentiation

  9. Primary Terms -- Orthogonal • Orthogonal • Related To Functional Axes • Math Term – “Right Angled” • Orthogonal Axes Have Nothing In Common • Example Properties – Armor vs. View Cone • No Amount Of X Will Move Y (And Vice Versa) • Design Vernacular • “By Degrees” • “Hidden Math” • Unit • Differentiation

  10. High Concept – O.U.D. • Orthogonally Differentiating Game Units Encourages (Intentional) Strategic Play and Expands the Game’s Possibility Space • O.U.D. – A Useful Design Concept • High Contrast Roles For Each Game Unit • Facilitates Meaningful Decision Making • Allows Designers/Players to More Fully Take Advantage of the Game’s Environment • End Result – Interesting Units (Not Just Minor Variants)

  11. Tangential Design Concepts • Intentionality • Goal – Playing According To Plan, Not Randomly • Player Should Understand The Game • Empowered to Make Meaningful Decisions • Feedback • Info About Game State • Usually In Response To Player Actions • Emergent Gameplay (2nd Order Consequences) • Game Behaviors Arising From Rules Interactions • Agency • The Player’s ‘Obvious’ Impact On The Game

  12. Orthogonal Axes • X And Y Are Purely Orthogonal • No Amount Of X Provides Any Movement Along Y (And Vice Versa)

  13. Orthogonal Axes • Math Metaphor – Spanning the Possibility Space

  14. Archers Vs. River Transport

  15. Lesser Vs. Greater Archers • Roughly Homogenous • Basic Function -- Arrows • Slight Numerical Differences • Damage Values, Hp’s • Mostly Overlap • Two Lesser Equals One Greater • Not Orthogonally Differentiated

  16. Archers Vs. River Transport • Mostly Heterogeneous • Different Primary Functions • Arrows Vs. River Crossing, Troop Transport • Little Overlap • No Amount Of One Equal To Other • Orthogonally Differentiated

  17. Archers Vs. River Transport • Game Budget – Two Units • Which Provides the Greatest Range of Possibility? • Archer/Archer • Very Narrow • Archer/Transport • Very Wide

  18. Litmus Test – Orthogonal • Unit X and Unit Y – Different Primary Roles • Tactical Deficiency of Unit X Can Be Compensated For By Unit Y • Tactical Deficiencies of Unit X Cannot Be Compensated For By Additional Unit X

  19. Litmus Test – Orthogonal • Archers vs. Riverboats • Archers Fire Arrows, Riverboats Transport • (Unit X and Unit Y – Different Primary Roles) • Archers Cannot Transport, Riverboats Can • (Tactical Deficiency of Unit X Can Be Compensated For By Unit Y) • Any Number of Archers Don’t Equate To Even One Riverboat (Vice Versa) • (Tactical Deficiencies of Unit X Cannot Be Compensated For By Additional Unit X)

  20. Litmus Test – Not Orthogonal • Lesser Archers vs. Greater Archers • Both Archers (Primarily) Attack • (! Unit X and Unit Y – Different Primary Roles) • Both Archers Share Deficiencies • (! Tactical Deficiency of Unit X Can Be Compensated For By Unit Y) • Two Lesser Archers Are Equal To One Greater Archers • (! Tactical Deficiencies of Unit X Cannot Be Compensated For By Additional Unit X)

  21. High Concept – O.U.D. • Orthogonally Differentiating Game Units Encourages (Intentional) Strategic Play and Expands the Game’s Possibility Space • O.U.D. – A Useful Design Concept • High Contrast Roles For Each Game Unit • Facilitates Meaningful Decision Making • Allows Designers/Players to More Fully Take Advantage of the Game’s Environment • End Result – Interesting Units (Not Just Minor Variants)

  22. Example – Adventure • Orthogonally Differentiated • Black Bat • Dragon(s) • Only Differentiated By Degree • Green Dragon • Red Dragon • Gold Dragon

  23. Orthogonal Axes – Adventure • Bat vs. Dragon • Mostly No Overlap • Entirely Different Roles

  24. Orthogonal Axes – Adventure • Dragon • Attacks Player • Vulnerable To Sword • Guards Objects

  25. Orthogonal Axes – Adventure • Black Bat • Does Not Attack Player • Invulnerable To Sword • Steals and Redistributes Objects

  26. “By Degrees” – Adventure • Dragons • Mostly Overlapping • Similar Roles • Minor Differences

  27. “By Degrees” – Adventure • Dragons • Attack Player • Movement Speed • Chomp Speed • Sword Vulnerability • Guard Objects • Different Objects • Minor Variations • Yorkle – Fears Gold Key, etc

  28. Benefits Of O.U.D. • Spans the Design Space • Differentiated Player Experience • Developmental Efficiency • Communicates Role Of Unit • Makes Differences Obvious • Allows Tactically Meaningful Decisions • Exploits Primary Dynamic Game Element (Units)

  29. Benefits – Coverage • Greater Possibility Space – Spans the Design Space • Provides Greater Range of Options • Emergent Gameplay • Different Units Require Different Tactics • Memorable Player Experience

  30. Benefits – Efficiency • Functionally Different Units • Fewer Units Equate to Interesting Gameplay • Provide Combinatorial Range • Change Value Based On Context • Engage the Player Tactically • Cosmetically Different Units • Get Old Fast – You Need More Units

  31. Benefits – Clarity • O.U.D. Communicates Role Of Unit • Mapping Context To Function Is Useful • Player Gets It -- Fireman Unit Puts Out Fires • Player Baffled – Green Dragon vs. Red • Provides Clues (Or Inspiration) • About Potential Tactics with Unit • Tactics Specific to Area or Situation • Riverboat Useful At River • Less Differentiated Units Are Harder to Parse • Paladin vs. Holy Knight – Subtle Difference • Paladin vs. Necromancer – Much Clearer

  32. Benefits – Tactics • Tactically Meaningful Decisions • Interesting Trade-offs • Unit Synergy • In Combination Or In Opposition • Archers Transported By Riverboat • Archers Attacking Riverboat From Shore • Empowers the Player • Play with Intentionality • Win or Lose, Player Experiences Agency • Player 1 Uses River Strategically, Transporting Archers • Player 2 Fails to Employ Riverboats • Player 1 Wins – Both Players Understand

  33. Benefits – Exploiting Units • Primary Dynamic Game Element • Environments Are Mostly Static • Units Move and Change • Units Often “Create Gameplay” • Player’s Primary Tools (Pawns) • Empowers Designers to Fully Employ Tools • Game Supports River Transports • Designers Can Use Rivers Strategically

  34. Synthesis • Orthogonally Differentiated Units • Clearly Defined Roles • Clear Feedback About Function • Consistent Behavior Rules

  35. Populous Units • Populous: The Beginning • Warriors • Melee Combat • Immune to Conversion If Engaged • Priests • No Combat • Can Convert Enemy Warriors

  36. Emergent Gameplay • Initial Wave of Warriors – Enemy Warriors Stop Near Priests • Listen to Conversion Chant • Now Converted – Standing Guard Near Priests • Successive Waves of Warriors – Engage Newly Converted Warriors • Fighting Warriors Can’t Be Converted • Player Rings Base with Priests • First Wave of Warriors Converts • Successive Waves Are Not Converted • Second Order Consequence – Player Must Actively Defend

  37. Differentiation By Degrees • Or, When To Deviate From O.U.D. • When It Makes Sense • Context/Player Expectations • Sniper, Medic, Engineer, MultipurposeCommando • Licensed Characters • To Avoid Over-complication • One Healer Cures Poison, Disease, Damage and Sells Magic Potions • Not Meaningful Differentiation • Video Games Usually Feature Hybrids • Almost No One Does Purely O.U.D.

  38. Meaningful Differentiation • (Healer Example) • O.U.D. Not A Formula For Fun • You Must Differentiate Meaningfully • Units Are Infinitely Divisible • Differentiation Should Swing the Tactical Situation Significantly • Should Allow For Tactical Outcome/Change • Victory • Defeat

  39. Hybrid Example – DX Bots

  40. Hybrid Example – DX Bots • Medbot • Common Functions • Responds To Alarm • Can Be Destroyed • Can Be Piloted • Bot Vulnerabilities • Orthogonally Differentiated Primary Role • Heals • Differentiated Minor Functionality • Hover Movement

  41. Hybrid Example – DX Bots • Repairbot • Common Functions • Responds To Alarm • Can Be Destroyed • Can Be Piloted • Bot Vulnerabilities • Orthogonally Differentiated Primary Role • Recharges/Repairs • Differentiated Minor Functionality • Treaded Movement

  42. Interesting Related Ideas • O.U.D. Applied To Emotional Behavior • Iconic Personas Respond Differently • Systems That Allow/Encourage Players to Design Orthogonal Units • Instead of Min/Maxing • RPG’s, Strategy Games, Starship Games

  43. Summation – High Concept • Orthogonally Differentiating Game Units Encourages (Intentional) Strategic Play and Expands the Game’s Possibility Space • O.U.D. – A Useful Design Concept • High Contrast Roles For Each Game Unit • Facilitates Meaningful Decision Making • Allows Designers/Players to More Fully Take Advantage of the Game’s Environment • End Result – Interesting Units (Not Just Minor Variants)

  44. Summation – Last Thoughts • O.U.D. – Representing Units By Game Mechanics • Not Just By Fiction Or Art • Unit Differentiation Allows Designer and Player to More Fully Explore Your Game’s Design Space • Orthogonal Differentiation Can Be Applied to Many Game Design Elements • Weapons, Powerups, Traps, etc

  45. Additional Design Terms • If You Downloaded This… • Look Into The “Notes” Section of the Tangential Design Concepts Slide

  46. Goodbye And Good Luck • Special Thanks • Doug Church, Rob Fermier, Tim Stellmach, Art Min • Ion Storm Austin

  47. Orthogonal Unit Differentiation • Harvey Smith • witchboy@gmail.com

  48. WWW – Slide Location • http://www.witchboy.net/ • Harvey Smith • witchboy@gmail.com

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