Mechanics of Magic: Seven Lessons from Game Design

transcript

We don’t need no stinkin’ badges

The Mechanics of Magic7 Lessons from game design

See notes: http://www.eleganthack.com/?p=3233

@cwodtke#Magic7

These are the wise people I learned from

Some I interviewed, some I read their books, some I watched their videos, some reviewed this talk…

7 Lessons from game design

1.Find your North Star2.Design for Emotion(s)

3.Use Player Types4.Know Your Mechanics

5.Consider the Elder Game6.Learn to Teach

7.Always be Testing

Find your North StarEvery project needs a goal that everyone agrees is worth doing.

Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtke

The Player Should Have The Fun, Not

The Designer Or The Computer

From a Gamasutra Article “Analysis: Sid Meier's Key Design Lessons”

The algorithms were, of course, very fun to construct and interesting to discuss outside of the game. The players, however, felt left behind -- the computer was having all the fun -- so we cut the feature.

EmotionYour northstar is for the heart, not the head

Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Z-3mz3j6U&feature=BFa&list=PL8E8E672C0031DC3AWarning: this video will make you cry. It’s awesome. Watch 4:28-7:20

Design for An Emotion

Conversion is a crap north star

Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkeWe have been designing in Black and White. There is a world of amazing emotions in technicolor just waiting

Are all the emotions Uxr’s have to design forFrustrationSatisfactionDelight?

We design in Black and White

CONNECTIONacceptanceaffectionappreciationbelongingcooperationcommunicationclosenesscommunitycompanionshipcompassionconsiderationconsistencyempathyinclusionintimacylovemutualitynurturingrespect/self-respect

CONNECTION continuedsafetysecuritystabilitysupportto know and be knownto see and be seento understand and be understoodtrustwarmthPHYSICAL WELL-BEINGairfoodmovement/exerciserest/sleepsexual expressionsafetysheltertouchwater

HONESTYauthenticityintegritypresencePLAYjoyhumorPEACEbeautycommunioneaseequalityharmonyinspirationorderAUTONOMYchoicefreedomindependencespacespontaneity

MEANINGawarenesscelebration of lifechallengeclaritycompetenceconsciousnesscontributioncreativitydiscoveryefficacyeffectivenessgrowthhopelearningmourningparticipationpurposeself-expressionstimulationto matterunderstanding

A better list of words to design for

PEACEbeauty communion ease equality harmony inspiration order

Boys like peace and harmony and order too

There is no shortage of

“organization porn” on the

We have a deep seated dream of a place of tidy

harmony.

Life with Alacrity on his itunes

rating practicehttp://

www.lifewithalacrity.com

/2006/08/using_5star_

rat.html

What if software holding large

collections made it

even easier to create

order?

AFFECTIONATEcompassionatefriendlylovingopen heartedsympathetictenderwarm

ENGAGEDabsorbedalertcuriousengrossedenchantedentrancedfascinatedinterestedintriguedinvolvedspellboundstimulated

HOPEFULexpectantencouragedoptimistic

CONFIDENTempoweredopenproudsafesecure

EXCITEDamazedanimatedardentarousedastonisheddazzledeagerenergeticenthusiasticgiddyinvigoratedlivelypassionatesurprisedvibrant

GRATEFULappreciativemovedthankfultouched

INSPIREDamazedawedwonder

JOYFULamuseddelightedgladhappyjubilantpleasedtickled

EXHILARATEDblissfulecstaticelatedenthralledexuberantradiantrapturousthrilled

PEACEFULcalmclear headedcomfortablecenteredcontentequanimousfulfilledmellowquietrelaxedrelievedsatisfiedserenestilltranquiltrusting

REFRESHEDenlivenedrejuvenatedrenewedrestedrestoredrevived

Photos fill us with positive emotions

Facebook ignores that we love to

fiddle with our

beloved objects.

How could this be redesigned?

AFRAIDapprehensivedreadforebodingfrightenedmistrustfulpanickedpetrifiedscaredsuspiciousterrifiedwaryworried

ANNOYEDaggravateddismayeddisgruntleddispleasedexasperatedfrustratedimpatientirritatedirkedCONFUSEDambivalentbaffledbewildereddazedhesitant

lostmystifiedperplexedpuzzledtorn

DISCONNECTEDalienatedaloofapatheticboredcolddetacheddistantdistractedindifferentnumbremoveduninterestedwithdrawn

EMBARRASSEDashamedchagrinedflusteredguiltymortifiedself-conscious

DISQUIETagitatedalarmeddiscombobulateddisconcerteddisturbedperturbedrattledrestlessshockedstartledsurprisedtroubledturbulentturmoiluncomfortableuneasyunnervedunsettledupset

YEARNINGenviousjealouslongingnostalgicpiningwistful

PAINagonyanguishedbereaveddevastatedgriefheartbrokenhurtlonelymiserableregretfulremorsefulSADdepresseddejecteddespairdespondentdisappointeddiscourageddisheartenedforlorngloomyheavy heartedhopelessmelancholyunhappywretched

TENSEanxiouscrankydistresseddistraughtedgyfidgetyfrazzledirritablejitterynervousoverwhelmedrestlessstressed out

VULNERABLEfragileguardedhelplessinsecureleeryreservedsensitiveshaky

AVERSIONanimosityappalledcontemptdisgusteddislikehatehorrifiedhostilerepulsed

FATIGUEbeatburnt outdepletedexhaustedlethargiclistlesstiredwearyworn out

ANGRYenragedfuriousincensedindignantiratelividoutragedresentful

As well, Game designers are much more comfortable with creating negative emotions than web designers, whoMostly aim for “happy.” But as part of a sequence, a slight negative can increase a positive.

Actually, this is rather

pleasurable.

If I don’t log in

every day, I am

tortured with men I

missed

Obviously Mr. Right

“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.”

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.

Richard Bartle http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm Drawing: Frank Caron http://frankcaron.com

Understanding behavioral patterns in player types, and what features support the behavior desired is also useful.Maybe more useful.

4 Key Engagement Styles in Social GamingCompete

CollaborateExplore

Express

Copyright Amy Jo Kim

Satisficers

Self-discoveryOptimizers

Socializers

The Core LoopAnd the Mechanics

Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkeThis is a core loop for a very simple game. I’m actually shocked we don’t map this on other projects. Amazon’s is Seek, evaluate, buy.

Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkeWill Wright on Game Design: http://youtu.be/CdgQyq3hEPo Watch 30:27-33:27 http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1003252

BUYREVIEW

Loop for amazon, but also

tripadvisor and Yelp

REACTION CONSUME

Loop for most social sites, from

facebook to instagram to flick

Mechanics

Some of the more sleezy gamification gurus use this term as mind-control tricks. But really they are just what makes games tick.

Sometimes they are rules

Just in case you need it

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/generic/b597/

Sometimes they are constraints

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.

When you run out of

energy, you have toA)Spend

money for more energyB)Ask friends

for help (virals)

C)Go away and come back later

Cityville has a natural pinch; as your city

grows you need more

Castleville has a pinch

for explorers and

decorators; unclaimed

land is full of mysterious

Sometimes they are manipulations

But it’s ok because I feel something?

6 key principles of persuasion by Robert CialdiniReciprocity Social ProofCommitment and Consistency AuthorityLiking Scarcity

We’ve got scarcity here, plus a sense of what you have missed, and away to keep you coming

AcheivementsReward me

Celebrate microwins!Actions taken successfully create mini-rewards in the form of doobers (stars and slot-machine sounds).

LeaderboardsThere is a certain satisfaction in kicking a friend’s rear. 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. Don’t make me feel lonely.

Mastery

Crafting in Castleville, and many other games is all about repetition. No real skill is gotten by the player. Is the user really feeling mastery here?

In Bubblewitch saga, like many match-three games, it’s all about beating your own score as well as others. You can see and feel your improvement.

Celebrating

CELBRATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Elder Game

Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkeAll game designers I’ve met talk about FTUE (first time user experience) and elder game at a minimum. Almostno web/app developer I speak with discusses these much if at all. Is a tutorial enough?

Yahoo rewards group

managers with

customization tools

Okcupid invites you to be a

moderator once you’ve

been an active

member for

awhile

Process

A pleasant lie

From Art of Game Design, by Jesse Schell. This his process diagram, and looks accurate to me. Game people often talk about “wandering in the wilderness”: the time while you are trying to achieve fun.

AestheticsBeginning Middle and End

How most

web site makers

view design

Grace and Glory enemy concept designs by Yusuke Hashimoto. From the upcoming video game Bayonetta.

Concept design by Min Zhouhttp://minzhouportfolio.blogspot.com/

Graphic design in games is begun day one, and informs and inspires all

product choices

MeasurePretend you have OCD.

Playtestlike you mean it

Christina Wodtke www.eleganthack.com @cwodtkeSid Meir, Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong. Watch 18:40-23:53 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY7aRJE-oOY&feature=BFa&list=PL8E8E672C0031DC3A

Learn how to teach

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

WHAT IF SXSW WAS A GAME?

Networkers

Partyers

Learners Fame Hos

Nap in Panel

Check twitter

A good mechanic might

be collecting.

A good pinch, private parties.

Now Playtest!

@cwodtkeThe game:

www.tumblr.com/blog/sxswinning

#sxswinning

Me: www.eleganthack.com

Thank You!sxsw.tv cq1