Transcript Introduction to game genres & game design

Introduction to game genres & game design
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Game critique.
What is a game really?
What is game design?
Game genres.
• The system - a look at what we can do.
• Brainstorm.
Six game characteristics
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Pre-defined rules (a dynamic system)
Goals
Variable outcome associated with the player(s)
Optional real-world consequences. (You can place
a bet on the outcome of a game, but you can also
choose not to.)
• Non-gambling: The player influences the
outcome.
• In a game with a theme, a game is a representation
of a fictive world.
General
games
Chance-based
games
Succes
criteria
Optional
consequences
Rules
Quantifiable
outcome associated
with player(s)
Player
influences
outcome
Simulations /
Toys
Two gods (acc. to Chris Crawford)
• The storyteller: Fly bird, fly. Blow wind,
blow.
• The designer of laws of nature: Birds can
fly under certain cirumstances, wind can
blow. Gravity. All these combine.
(=Designing gameplay.)
Interesting choices
Sid Meier: ”A game is a series of interesting
choices.”
An interesting choice:
• No single choice should be the best.
• The choices should not be equally good.
• The player must be able to make an
informed choice.
Monopoly
Should I build
hotels at the first
possible time even
if I use all my
money?
Gameplay is emergent
• The rules of a game do not describe every
possible game session.
• From the rules interesting patterns and
strategies emerge on a higher level.
• The strategies in a strategy game or in chess
are not described in the rules but are appear
as a consequence of the rules.
The open world
• Even in rule-based systems, some events
can still be determined or are at least very
likely to happen.
• The player is likely to accept the goal put
forward.
• Players will tend to do certain things.
• Players will search for a good strategy. If
the good strategy leads to interesting
interaction, it is a good game.
Game design is iterative
• You cannot predict all that is going to
happen in the game.
• People may not share your tastes.
• Make prototype – test it – fix it – test it.
All the glitz and glitter poured into games these days, such as
expensive art, animation, real actors, or the best musicians,
cannot cover up for poor gameplay. (Marc Saltzman)
Not everything is a story!
Are the choices facing the player interesting choices? Are they
still interesting the second time?
What are the genre conventions? What does the user expect?
If thinking in terms of storytelling: What ties this particular
story/world to an interactive medium?
The designer has to let go. Game design is to set up a system
that the players can use as their own.
What do players want?
• Players want: a challenge, to socialize, a dynamic solitaire
experience, bragging rights, emotional experience,
fantasize
• Players expect: A consistent world, to understand the
game-world’s bounds, reasonable solutions to work,
direction, to accomplish a task incrementally, to be
immersed, to fail, a fair chance, to not need to repeat
themselves, to not get hopelessly stuck, to do - not to
watch.
• Holder det?
Genre
• Like different personalities, different genres
are distringuished from another by which
characteristics predominate ... (Dubrow)
Do genres exist?
• No: We can never come up with complete
perfect distinctions between genres.
• Yes: The idea of genre plays an important
part in both the production and consumption
of games (and other things).
Action-adventure (adventure’s exploration
+ real time)
Real-tids adventure.
Fx Jet Set Willy
Kort
Genres in the 1980’s
Adventure
Platform
Action
Driving
Action-adventure: Gauntlet, Jet Set
Willy.
Various: Pac-man (maze), Pengo, Qix, Frogger, Star Wars
Sim City
(Simulation, but no goal)
Doom - First person shooter
(action + some exploration from adventure
+ first person perspective)
Sims (Sim city in a social context)
Real time strategy
(board game + real-time)
Genres ca. 2002
(That noone agrees about)
Gamespot.com
Different genres - different pleasures
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action
RPG
adventure
strategy
simulations
Sports
Fighting games
casual
puzzle games
Bruce Shelley on games
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Differentiate and Innovate, Don't Imitate
Interesting decisions = fun.
Design by Playing.
Provide a Great First 15 Minutes of Easily Accessible
Play
• The Player Should Have the Fun, Not the Designer,
Programmer, or Computer
• Provide Multiple Gaming Experiences within the Box.
• Gameplay more important than realism.
Next time
 Susana Tosca: “Role-playing in multiplayer
environments. Vampire: The Masquerade.
Redemption” in CGDT Proceedings. København:
IT University. p. 10-18. (Kompendium)
 Simon Egenfeld-Nielsen: Computerspillene "I sig
selv". (Kompendium)
 Richard Rouse chapter 17: The Design Document
 Astinus: A History of Role-Playing
http://ptgptb.org/0001/history1.html
Try the system
• diac.it-c.dk/~visichat
• Create a user, log in, walk around by
clicking, right-click on yourself and others.
• This is: A tech demo of functionality.
• This is not a complete game.
• This is not representative of what your final
game is going to look like.
Conflicts
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Minority report (tech misused). Punished for a crime.
Peasant vs. Emperor
Three brothers.
Armageddon … world threatened by asteroid.
Revenge … (24 hours)
Children’s vs. Parents
Lord of the rings (group of heroes vs. overwelming foe … complete task)
Bin Laden vs. US
Middle east
Demonstrators vs. police (WTO)
Rich vs. poor
Capitalism vs… the alternative
Sports
Groups fighting for the same thing (such as water)
Jekyll & hyde (fight yourself)
Memory problem (Memento)
Brainstorm