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Session 2 coordinating and basics of game design
Session 2coordinating and basics of game design
Review calendar
DayActivities in the session
in relationship to the project
Monday Oct. 8th Basics on game design
Monday Oct. 15th Basics on educational games
Monday Oct. 22thReport delivery and presentations of your investigation work about each research group. We will need to allocate aprox. 3hrs in this Monday.
Introduction to basics of game design
Definitions
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Figure from Islas Sedano, 2012
Play manifestations
• Being playful
• Ludic activities [ludus is latin word of play]
• Game play
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Source: Salen and Zimmerman (2004). Defining Play. In Rules of Play. Game Design Fundamentals. MIT Press
How old games are?
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How old games are?
“The fact that play and culture are actually interwoven with one another was neither observed nor expressed, whereas for us the whole point is to show that genuine, pure play is one of the main bases of civilization.” Huizinga, 1950.
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Meta classification (1/3)
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Do you know the following terms:
agôn, alea, mimicry, ilinx, paidia and ludus.
Meta classification (2/3)
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Source: Callois, R. (1961) Man, Play and Games. Page 36.
Meta classification (3/3)
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Source: Callois, R. (1961) Man, Play and Games. Page 54.
Digital Game origins (1/2)
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1958Wally
Higginbotham
Digital Game origins (2/2)
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1961Steve RusellSpacewar!
Digital Games
• Video games (timeline of consoles, video history MMO)
• Mobile games ( video snake, photo - trends)
• Location-based games* (e.g. geocatching, visions with AR)
• Pervasive games* (IPerG)
• ARG (Alternate Reality Games)* (experience of the Lost Ring)
* transmedia
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Getting back to the basics
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Getting back to the basics
Knowledge is a form of playing
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Game Systems
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System.... (in engineering)
..... is a combination of components that act jointly to achieve a specific objective.
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System.... (in engineering)
..... is a combination of components that act jointly to achieve a specific objective.
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Ogata, K. (1987) Dynamic Systems. Page 417
System lexicon (engineering)
A component is a particular unit in the function of a system.
A system can be call dynamic when the output depends of an input from the past. That means, systems are changing states or moving constantly to be useful. Example: vehicles, entertainment equipment (TV, radio), computers.
A static system is constant. Example: buildings, bridges, furniture.
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Defining
Games are dynamics systems of interaction approached with a playful attitude .
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Framing games
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Different ways to frame a game as a system:
• mathematical
• social
• representation of meaning
• ..... Source: Salen and Zimmerman (2004). Game Design Fundamentals. MIT Press
Ways to think or frame about the game of Chess
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1. Strictly a strategic and mathematical system.
Ways to think or frame about the game of Chess
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2. System of interaction between players and the game.
1. Strictly a strategic and mathematical system.
Ways to think or frame about the game of Chess
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2. System of interaction between players and the game.
1. Strictly a strategic and mathematical system.
Source photo geograph
Games Lexicon
• Game components
• Game mechanics
• Game dynamics
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Game components
Often includes:
• Aesthetics
• Story
• Technology
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Technology is...
.... essentially the medium in which the aesthetics take place, in which the mechanics will occur, and which the story will be told (Schell, 2008 pg 42).
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Game mechanics • Game mechanics are the core of the
game.
• Taxonomies of game mechanics are incomplete.
Why?
a) involve objective set of rules
b) involve mental models of the players.
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Game mechanics bonus
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Taxonomy of Game Mechanics suggested by Schell.
1. Space
2. Object, attribute and states
3. Actions
4. Rules
5. Skills
6. Chance
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Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #1: Space
Examples:
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Source image tic-tac-toe Source image pool table
Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #1: Space
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Examples:
Figure based on Schell’s concept
Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #2: Object, Attributes and States
• Objects: characters, tokens, scoreboards, anything that can be seen or manipulated in your game. Objects have one or more attributes, one of which is often the current position in the game space
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Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #2: Object, Attributes and States
• Attributes are categories of information about an object.
• Each attribute has a current state.
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Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #2: Object, Attributes and States
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Source image monopoly
Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #2: Object, Attributes and States TIP
SECRETS
Who is aware of which attributes and their states?
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Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #2: Object, Attributes and States TIP
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A B
C D E
fates
game
Player 1
Player 2
Player 3
Figure based on Schell’s concept
Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #3: Actions
• Operative actions - simple actions that the player can take.
33Source image checkers
Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #3: Actions
• Resultant actions - are only meaningful in the larger picture of the game.
Resultant actions are not part of the rules, but rather actions and strategies that emerge as the game is played.
Interesting emergent actions are the hallmark of a good game. (Schell, 2008)
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Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #3: Actions TIPS
• Tips to think for resultant actions:1) Add more verbs carefully (shoot, buy, sell,
drive, run...).
2) Verbs that can act on many objects.
3) Goals that can be achieved more than one way.
4) Many subjects
5) Side effects that change constrains35
Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #4: Rules
• Fundamental mechanic.
• Define the space, the objects, the actions, the consequences of the actions, the constrains on the actions and the goals.
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Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #4: Rules
• Most important rule specify the game’s goal:
1) Concrete
2) Achievable
3) Rewarding
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Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #5: Skill
• Mechanic that focuses on the player instead of on the game. Skills can be general be divided in:
1) Physical skills
2) Mental skills
3) Social skills
• Pay attention in the distinction between real skill VS virtual skill
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Schell’s TaxonomyMechanic #6: Chance
• Chance = uncertainty = surprise.
• Chance support interactions between all the other previously Mechanics.
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Game dynamics
Once players are playing the game is possible to see the game mechanics in movement, so the game dynamics unveil.
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Card games
Card games to look at:
Battle line - strategic with random elementsNo Thanks! - random elements prevail, pushing your luckFive Crowns - dynamics change each round and the rules do not
Dominion - deck building game Hex Hex - strategy game focus on a battle systemMagic: The Gathering - collective card game (CCG) Netrunner - Asymmetric card game by the creator Magic.
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Questions ?
