game production: game design · after the game, the player shall have a stronger self-concept the...

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Game Production:

game design

Fabiano Dalpiaz

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Outline

1. The role of the game designer

2. A possible design process

3. Formal elements

4. Dramatic elements

5. Conceptualization

6. Prototyping and Playtesting

Lecture contents

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Game designers existed way before videogames

Board games are ancient

Things have changed though!

From hobby to profession

Virtual worlds

Interactive capabilities

Multimedia

Yet, the basic principles are not that different

History

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Envision how a game will work during play

Objectives

Rules

Procedures

Dramatic elements

The orchestration of these elements should deliver the immersive experience of the game

I.e., the whole is more than the sum of the parts

Main responsibility

From Merriam-Webster online dictionary

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Breaking the rules of the game: content that circumvents previously established rules or design

The game “Bayonetta” features “witch time” as a way for the character to dodge more agile enemies

Halfway through the game, “gold-plated” enemies are introduced – witch time does not apply here!

Orchestrating the elements: bad examples

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/171446/the_anatomy_of_a_bad_game.php?print=1

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No growth: the game is repetitive, same objectives, same types of enemies, etc.

The game “Resonance of Fate” features a very unique combat system with massive customization

However, all the mechanics is experienced very (too) early!

Orchestrating the elements: bad examples

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/171446/the_anatomy_of_a_bad_game.php?print=1

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Look at the game through the player’s eyes

Often ignored principle

Essential to create solid gameplay

Graphics, story line, features are secondary

Should not be distracted by production aspects

This is delegated to the producer and to technical directors

Be objective

Hard to do after some time spent on the game

To cope with this, use playtesters

An advocate for the player

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Passion for games and play

Essential to craft truly innovative games

Communication skills

Can you explain your concept?

Good listener too

Teamwork

Process

Good processes shall be put in place to avoid deviations

Even in the design phase

In the production phase, the producer is responsible for this

Core traits

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Inspiration

Look at the world in terms of its underlying rules

Can you make real life playful?

Look at other games, read, …

Creativity

Come up with new ideas

Some people are naturally creative, others need more systematic thinking

Core traits

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Principle: involve the player in the design process

Proposed by Fullerton in her book

Many other design processes exist (see Marries’ guest lecture)

However, this process is sensible and has been successfully applied in practice

Playcentric design

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1. Brainstorming

Set player experience goals: what interesting situations is the player going to encounter?

Come up with game concepts/mechanics for those goals

2. Physical prototype

Pen and paper version of the game

Playtest the physical prototype

3. Presentation [optional]

To secure funds to hire the prototyping team

Include demo artwork and solid gameplay

4. Software prototype

Often more than one prototype

Playtest the prototype

Steps for each design iteration

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5. Design documentation

Turn notes into a comprehensive document

This is the game design document

May be in the form of a wiki…

Doesn’t end with the design phase

6. Production

7. Testing

Steps for each design iteration

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3. Formal elements

These are the elements that play an essential structure in traditional (non-video) games

Players

Objectives

Procedures

Rules

Resources

Conflict

Outcome

What are formal elements?

… not this kind of formality

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3. Formal elements

Invitation to play

How to make a person become a player?

Create an engaging invitation

Number of players

Should be very clear, as it is a key determinant for success

E.g., think of a single-player-only version of World of Warcraft

Tetris is mainly single player though…

Roles of players

Not all the players adopt the same role!

i. Players

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3. Formal elements

i. Roles of players: Mastermind

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3. Formal elements

i. Roles of players: Mastermind

Role 1: code makerRole 2: code breaker

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3. Formal elements

i. Player interaction patterns

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3. Formal elements

Objectives give players something to strive for

They define what players have to accomplish

Within the rules of the game

They should be challenging but achievable

Different players may be assigned different objectives

Other types of objectives

Partial objectives

Mini-missions

Player-determined objectives

ii. Objectives

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3. Formal elements

ii. Objectives, examples

Civilization IV

Pro Evolution Soccer 2014

GTA V

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3. Formal elements

The methods of play through which players achieve their objectives

Questions to consider

Who can use the procedure?

What exactly does the player do?

Where and when?

How to access the procedure?

Types of procedure, depending on the game progress

Starting action

Progression action

Special actions

Resolving actions

iii. Procedures

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3. Formal elements

Rules define game objects and allowable actions by the players

How are rule learnt?

How are rules enforced?

What type of rule works best?

Think in relation to the players

Too many rules confuse players

Good communication is key

iv. Rules

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3. Formal elements

Assets that can be used to accomplish certain goals

Just like in real world

Virtual (usually)

Should be appropriate for the game genre

Potions wouldn’t make much sense in Fruit Ninja

Resources shall have

Utility: why having useless resources?

Scarcity: if infinite, no challenge for the player

v. Resources

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3. Formal elements

Lives

Units: the size of the army in Civilization

Health

Currency

Actions: three actions per turn

Power-ups

Inventory

Special terrain: extracting gold from the terrain

Time

v. Resources, some examples

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3. Formal elements

Conflicts emerge when players try to accomplish the goals within the rules and boundaries

Conflict can be designed

E.g., to inhibit easy solutions

Create sense of competition or play

How to create conflict?

Obstacles

Opponents (AI bots or other players)

Dilemmas

vi. Conflict

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3. Formal elements

Must be uncertain to hold the players’ attention

Not all games have a definite outcome though

Think of massive multiplayer online role-playing games

... or of simulation games

The outcome depends on the interaction pattern

Single player vs. game: win or lose, or score

Player vs. player: win or lose

vii. Outcome

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Formal elements create the game experience

Dramatic elements engage the players emotionally

Give a context to gameplay

Integrate the formal elements into a meaningful experience

Challenge and play are in all games

Other techniques are only in certain games

Premise

Character

Story

What are they?

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A non-challenging game is hardly going to be successful

Challenge is individual

A child who is learning to count may find a math educational game for kids challenging… but not an adult

Challenge is dynamic

The same obstacle may be challenging at the beginning of the game, but unchallenging later on

The theory of flow

[Csikszentmihalyi]

i. Challenge

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Challenge requires skill

Flow occurs most within activities that are “goal-directed and bounded by rules […] that require the proper skills

Merge action and awareness

Use all the player’s relevant skills to absorb her attention

Clear goals and feedback

In real life, goals are not clear

In flow experiences, goals are clear and feedback is immediate

Concentration on the task at hand

Distract the player from other thoughts

Clear user interface

i. Challenge: the theory of flow

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The paradox of control

People enjoy exercising control in difficult situations

However, there is no feeling of control without uncertainty

Hard to mix these factors in a game

The loss of self-consciousness

Get the player immersed in the game

After the game, the player shall have a stronger self-concept

The transformation of time

Transforming hours into minutes

i. Challenge: the theory of flow

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The freedom of movement within a more rigid structure

Emergent experience

Personal expression

Not all players behave the same way! [Bartle]

Competitor: plays to best others

Explorer: seeks outside boundaries

Collector: acquires items, trophies, history, …

Achiever: wants to achieve ladders, levels

Joker: plays for fun, or to annoy others

Artist: driven by creativity

Director: loves to direct the play

Storyteller: creates/lives worlds of fantasy

Performer: puts on a show for others

Craftsman: wants to build, engineer, …

ii. Play

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Establishes the action of the game within a setting or metaphor

Without premise, many games would be too abstract

The player would consider the game anonymous

iii. Premise

Simple (yet effective) premise:

Space Invaders – defending your

planet from aliens

How about this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ3eYA7H674

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ3eYA7H674

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The agents through whose actions a drama is told

How to devise the right characters?

Psychological: the character as a mirror for the audience’s fears and desires

Representative for a segment of people

Historic

…

Protagonist vs. other characters

iv. Character

Vs.

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iv. Character vs. avatar

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Degree of control

“Free will”: AI-controlled character

Mixture: player-controlled with elements of simulation

“Automation”: full player-control

Evolution of non-playing characters

Games have a plethora of non-playing characters

They become more dynamic

Increasingly important in many dramatic structures

Artificial Intelligence progress is key here

iv. Character

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The story should be uncertain

However, traditional storytelling methods are hard to apply

In a movie, the director resolves the uncertainty in the story

In a game, the player has to resolve this uncertainty

Backstory (extended premise) Vs. Branching story

v. Story

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No single answer exists

Depends on the game genre

In a simulation game, little or no story is necessary

Inspiration from traditional storytelling

Read books

Watch movies

Play board role games

Continuous decision-making

Different outcomes depending on the taken decision

v. Story: how to make it compelling?

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The deep and intricate design of a fictional world

World map

History

Cultural studies of inhabitants, languages, governments, politics, economies, etc.

Examples

Tolkien’s Middle-earth

World of Warcraft

Star Wars

vi. World building

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All the dramatic elements mentioned above are important

But the most important is conflict

We have seen the notion of formal conflict before

Dramatic conflict

Create an antagonist

Increase narrative tension

Face the antagonist at the end of the game

vii. The dramatic arc

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Coming up with an idea may be hard for some

However, the real challenge is to flesh the idea out

Creativity does typically follow a cycle [Csikszentmihalyi]

Preparation: get immersed in the topic

Incubation: the idea is subconscious

Insight: the “aha” moment

Evaluation: is the idea original?

Elaboration: The longest part of the process

How do you come up with an idea?

Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration (Thomas Edison)

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Disciplined brainstorming is perhaps the most used one

State the challenge

Avoid criticism

Playful environment

Don’t discard ideas

Don’t go too long

Alternative techniques exist

Techniques to help conceptualize

Idea cards Mindmap

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You had a great brainstorming session: lots of ideas

But still, no game!

Idea refinement is what follows. Focus on

Technical feasibility

Market opportunity

Artistic considerations

Business/cost restrictions

Finally, turn the refined idea into a game

Formal elements

Dramatic elements

System mechanics

Refining your idea

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Irrespective of your (team’s) skills, a game design is never good enough prior to testing

How to do that? Via prototypes

Not only digital prototypes

Physical prototypes are the starting point

Starting physical

Card-based prototype of battleship

First-person

shooter

prototype

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The final game will be a digital game

Once the physical prototype has been refined, go digital

The task is to map the ideas so far and the mechanisms / rules of the physical prototype into a videogame

But a prototype is not a complete game!

Focus on some areas

Going digital

Focus areas (not all need to be covered)

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Playtesting is essential

The game will be played by players, not by the development team

Feedback is essential, as early as possible

The best feedback is testing the game itself

Its concept

Its physical prototype

Its digital prototype

…

Do you want a game product, or just a nice idea?

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Iterative approach is crucial

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As many diverse people as possible

Yourself

Confidants / friends

People that you don’t know

The right people

Target your audience

Recruit motivated people

A playtest session

Intro (2-3’)

Warm-up discussion (5’)

Play session (15-20’)

Discussion (15-20’)

Wrap up (short)

Who should test the game?

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References

1. Lewis, Chris, Noah Wardrip-Fruin, and Jim Whitehead. "Motivational game design patterns of 'ville games." Proceedings of the International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games. ACM, 2012.

2. Hunicke, Robin, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek. "MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research." Proceedings of the AAAI Workshop on Challenges in Game AI. Vol. 4. 2004.

Mandatory

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References

This material is largely based on the book by Tracy Fullerton entitled “Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games”, 3rd edition

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., 1990.

Salen, Katie, and Zimmerman, Eric. The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2006.

Bartle, Richard. “Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players who Suit MUDS.” April 1996. http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm.

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