Post on 16-Sep-2014
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The Mechanics of Magic
7 lessons from game design
@cwodtke www.eleganthack.com
I do not have New Year’s Resolutions
These are the wise people I learned fromSome I interviewed, some I read their books, some I watched their videos, some reviewed this talk…
I have New Year’s projects. One year it was games
What is the first game you can remember?
FIND YOUR NORTH STAR
Every project needs a goal that everyone agrees is worth doing.
FUN
Go here to watch full talk: http://youtu.be/VWu4Nu0F4eg
Brenda Romero nee Braithwaite at TEDx Phoenix @br
DESIGN FOR AN EMOTION
Conversion is a crap north star
Surprise & delight
AFFECTIONATEcompassionatefriendlylovingopen heartedsympathetictenderwarm
ENGAGEDabsorbedalertcuriousengrossedenchantedentrancedfascinatedinterestedintriguedinvolvedspellboundstimulated
CONFIDENTempoweredopenproudsafesecure
EXCITEDamazedanimatedardentarousedastonisheddazzledeagerenergeticenthusiasticgiddyinvigoratedlivelypassionatesurprisedvibrant
HOPEFULexpectantencouragedoptimistic
GRATEFULappreciativemovedthankfultouched
INSPIREDamazedawedwonder
JOYFULamuseddelightedgladhappyjubilantpleasedtickled
EXHILARATEDblissfulecstaticelatedenthralledexuberantradiantrapturousthrilled
PEACEFULcalmclear headed
comfortablecentered
contentequanimousfulfilledmellowquietrelaxedrelievedsatisfiedserenestilltranquiltrusting
REFRESHEDenlivenedrejuvenatedrenewedrestedrestoredrevived
AFFECTIONATEcompassionatefriendlylovingopen heartedsympathetictenderwarm
(c) 2005 by Center for Nonviolent Communication Website: www.cnvc.org
PEACEbeauty communion ease harmony order
There is no shortage of “organization
porn” on the web.
We have a deep seated dream of a
place of tidy harmony.
There is big business in
selling peace and order
Frustration
AFRAIDapprehensivedreadforebodingfrightenedmistrustfulpanickedpetrifiedscaredsuspiciousterrifiedwaryworried
ANNOYEDaggravateddismayeddisgruntleddispleasedexasperatedfrustratedimpatientirritatedirkedCONFUSEDambivalentbaffledbewildereddazedhesitant
lostmystifiedperplexedpuzzledtorn
DISCONNECTEDalienatedaloofapatheticboredcolddetacheddistantdistractedindifferentnumbremoveduninterestedwithdrawn
EMBARRASSEDashamedchagrinedflusteredguiltymortifiedself-conscious
DISQUIETagitatedalarmeddiscombobulateddisconcerteddisturbedperturbedrattledrestlessshockedstartledsurprisedtroubledturbulentturmoiluncomfortableuneasyunnervedunsettledupset
YEARNINGenviousjealouslongingnostalgicpiningwistful
PAINagonyanguishedbereaveddevastatedgriefheartbrokenhurtlonelymiserableregretfulremorsefulSADdepresseddejecteddespairdespondentdisappointeddiscourageddisheartenedforlorngloomyheavy heartedhopelessmelancholyunhappywretched
TENSEanxiouscrankydistresseddistraughtedgyfidgetyfrazzledirritablejitterynervousoverwhelmedrestlessstressed out
VULNERABLEfragileguardedhelplessinsecureleeryreservedsensitiveshaky
AVERSIONanimosityappalledcontemptdisgusteddislikehatehorrifiedhostilerepulsed
FATIGUEbeatburnt outdepletedexhaustedlethargiclistlesstiredwearyworn out
ANGRYenragedfuriousincensedindignantiratelividoutragedresentful
(c) 2005 by Center for Nonviolent Communication Website: www.cnvc.org
Should we avoid negative emotions? Can negative
emotions be fun?
• More pleasure and excitement inactive failure than in success• However: passive experience offailure makes players disengage.• Attaining a goal DECREASES
player arousal and interest.Ravaja, Niklas, et al. The Psychophysiology of Video Gaming: Phasic Emotional Responsesto Game Events. Digital Games Research Association International Conference 2005. Read it:http://tinyurl.com/7rsfz
Obviously Mr. Right
Could Coffee meets bagel play up the anguish of missing a match in a fun way that engages you more deeply?
“People find role playing cheesy, makes them self conscious. The game forces you into uncomfortable situations.
You take a situation and a pattern and match them up.. It might be a pattern you avoid because you aren’t good at it. And it creates much more teachable scenarios.”Dan Brown’s Communicating Design Game
PICK YOUR NORTHSTAR
Until my players feel _____, I will not ship
TYPES VS PERSONAS
Grace (62/ female/ widowed/ Little Rock, AR.)“I like playing my favorite games online, but if I can play with friends, well that’s even better!” Personal Background: Her husband has passed on. She has two grown kids, both of whom live far away. She misses the kids, but has a fairly large circle of friends that she spends time with. Technical Proficiency: Limited. Can use her browser and her email. MS Word confuses her, and she doesn’t like using it. Doesn’t know what an OS is. Tends to click yes if the browser prompts her to do anything, and will click wildly until things work.History with games: Plays crossword puzzles daily and saves them. Plays card games, PhotoJam, but is offended by South Park cartoons
Game’s opportunity: If Grace can be convinced to participate in community activities, she will become a loyal user of the site. She needs to be sheltered from the sick and twisted content, however.
2001
Richard Bartle http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm Drawing: Frank Caron http://frankcaron.com
4 Key Engagement Styles in Social Gaming
Compete
CollaborateExplore
Express
Amy Jo Kim amyjokim.com @amyjokim
Satisficers
Self-discoveryOptimizers
Socializers
What if Amazon was a Game?
WHO ARE THE PLAYER TYPES?
LOOPDELOOP
This is a core loop for a very simple game. Start with fish eggs, that you grow into fish that you sell to buy more valuable fish eggs
Will Wright on Game Design: full talk: http://youtu.be/CdgQyq3hEPo
Build defense and offence
DefendAttack
SHOP
BUYREVIEW
SHARE
REACT CONSUME
WHAT IS YOUR CORE LOOP?
I get knocked down
You ain't ever gonna keep me down.
But I get up again
MECHANICSSome of the more sleezy gamification gurus use this term as mind-control tricks. But really they are just what
makes games tick.
Rules are Mechanics
Just in case you need ithttp://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/generic/
b597/
SOMETIMES MECHANICS ARE CONSTRAINTS
Pinch
The pinch is the place where you run out of something. I.e. You run out of lives in the arcade, and you reach in your pocked for a quarter. Or twelve.
SOMETIMES MECHANICS ARE MANIPULATIONS
But it’s ok because I feel something?
6 key principles of persuasion by Robert CialdiniReciprocity Social ProofCommitment and Consistency AuthorityLiking Scarcity
ACHIEVEMENTSReward me
Celebrate microwins!Actions taken successfully create mini-rewards in the form of doobers (stars and slot-machine sounds).
Celebrating
CELBRATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!
LeaderboardsThere is a certain satisfaction in kicking a friends bum. However, if you have a place where not much social is happening, be sure to motivate me by making me beat my own high score. Not feel lonely.
Leaderboards are used extensively to motivate behavior
But it can lead to abuse
Amazon handles it by retiring players. Digg got rid of their leaderboards
ART FROM THE START
WEB$ITE
We treat designer like flip this house:
give them wireframes and tell
them to make it pretty
Grace and Glory enemy concept designs by Yusuke Hashimoto. From the upcoming video game Bayonetta.
Concept design by Min Zhouhttp://minzhouportfolio.blogspot.com/
Learn how to teach
In Bubble Witch Saga,
they give you only a couple instructions in the first
level
And in the next level they teach you a few
more game elemnts, slowly
revealing the play.
In Tiny Wings, the first level has your finger light up when you should touch the screen
To play Dance Central, you have to learn the moves
They make the learning into a game too– if you can decode the picture, you can get a diamond
and skip the practice
SO YOU THINK YOU ARE USER CENTERED?
Playtest like you mean it
Sid Meir, Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong.
Full talk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY7aRJE-oOY&feature=BFa&list=PL8E8E672C0031DC3A
HOMEWORKPlay Bastion http://supergiantgames.com/index.php/media/How do these principles apply?1.What was the North Star?2.What Emotion(s) do you feel?3.Who are the Player Types?4.What’s the core loop?5.How did you learn to play?6. How does the art/music shape the game?
CHRISTINA WODTKEwww.eleganthack.comwww.boxesandarrows.com@cwodtke
I can’t be bought, but I can be rented. Image form Baston: great game!https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bastion/id537773100?mt=8