"What is a videogame? Rules, Puzzles and Simulation"
Paidea:
Paidea is essentially playing a game just for the fun of it. In the game there are no rules or outcomes and the player just plays for the fun of it. In these games the player normally would have self-defined goals such as creating a building in simcity as said in the article.
One example of a game that is defined by Paidea is Garrys Mod on the source engine. It is a game that lets the users create what they like using materials and textures used in other source games. There are mods on the game that creates rules and pushes it into Ludus such as races to build and racing games using vehicles built by the user. The fact that the game allows the user to create whatever they want gives the player a freedom to create a competitive game if they wish using the game's freedom as a canvas.
Ludus:
Ludus is the polar opposite of Paidea, the game has rules and set definitions of what it takes to win or lose the game. Making the game competitive takes away the freedom of Paidea but gives the player a rule-set in which they follow to win the game.
An example of a game that is Ludus is Quake. There are rules to follow, other sources that can power-up or damage the player during the game and a simple way of winning the game. The game always has a winner and a loser, depending on the game-mode it is normally who gets the most frags, which allows the player to aim toward something, while planning to pick up power-ups to beat the opponent. These factors make the game competitive with a definitive outcome using rules.
There can be some objections to the Paidus/Lupus theory as I mentioned above, Garrys Mod can be modded to incorporate user made game-modes such as racing, shooting or quick building. This gives a Paidea game Ludus ideas, as it has clear rules on how to win and what to do to get there, which is a good example of how both can be used in one game.
Monday 24 October 2011
Week 4 - MDA: A formal approach to games design and game research.
Games are: "systems that build behaviour via interaction"
The article explains a way (MDA) of understanding games in a better light by "bridging the gap between games design and development, game criticism and technical game research".
- Games are like any other consumable product on the market, they are purchased, used and then thrown away most likely.
- MDA explains how consumers "consume" a game and generates it's designing counterpart.
- It's an obvious statement to say the designer and player have different perspectives of the game, but it is important to understand where each is coming from to better a game.
Framework
Designers:
Mechanics -> Dynamics -> Aesthetics
M - How the game works, it's rules and settings.
D - How the game reacts after it's been interacted with.
A - The audiences behaviour while interaction.
Players:
Aesthetics -> Dynamics -> Mechanics
A - The emotions felt by the user (eg. happy when won, frustrated when stuck etc.)
D - Tactical choices in the game (eg. where do you move next)
M - What is actually happening, where is the player positioned, goes back to rules of the game (eg. using dice)
tbf
The article explains a way (MDA) of understanding games in a better light by "bridging the gap between games design and development, game criticism and technical game research".
- Games are like any other consumable product on the market, they are purchased, used and then thrown away most likely.
- MDA explains how consumers "consume" a game and generates it's designing counterpart.
- It's an obvious statement to say the designer and player have different perspectives of the game, but it is important to understand where each is coming from to better a game.
Framework
Designers:
Mechanics -> Dynamics -> Aesthetics
M - How the game works, it's rules and settings.
D - How the game reacts after it's been interacted with.
A - The audiences behaviour while interaction.
Players:
Aesthetics -> Dynamics -> Mechanics
A - The emotions felt by the user (eg. happy when won, frustrated when stuck etc.)
D - Tactical choices in the game (eg. where do you move next)
M - What is actually happening, where is the player positioned, goes back to rules of the game (eg. using dice)
tbf
Week 3 - Formal abstract design tools
"Games are not books, games are not movies. In those media, the tools used......are used to manipulate the viewers or readers, to make them feel or react exactly the way the director or author wants them to. I believe the challenge of computer games design is that our most important tools are the ones that empower players to make their own decisions"
- The industry and all designers need a universal language that everyone can understand. Having a definitive vocabulary makes it easier to critique games and improve them.
- Don't be naive and think that you have to use every tool available to create a great game, some only need a few.
- Use the mistakes you know about games you love so you can use them to make your game better.
- When critiquing games, find the 'concrete aspects' so you can look into the 'Formal Abstract Design Tools'.
Tools
Intention
"Making an implementable plan of one's own creation in response to the current situation in the game world and one's understanding of the game play options"
- This tool links in to last week's reading, by the player looking at the current game state and devising a plan whether it be on the spot within the space of a second, to having all the time in the world to make a choice.
Perceivable Consequence
"A clear reaction from the game world to the action of a player."
- Linking back to the point above, in the game stated in the article "Mario 64", after the player making a plan of what to do to reach the end of the level, there is input into the playing device and "Mario" responds.
Story
"The narrative thread, whether designer driven or player-driven, that binds events together and drives the player forward toward completion of the game."
- The article explains how stories are important and so different in games. There can be an adventure-style story where the player has choices to make to reach the end of the scripted game, but on the other hand there are stories in sports games such as said in the article. Imagine playing a basketball game on "NBA Live", you could send the game to overtime or you could be 100points up by half-time, everything links back into perceivable consequence and intention by the game creating a story using interactivity and planning.
- The industry and all designers need a universal language that everyone can understand. Having a definitive vocabulary makes it easier to critique games and improve them.
- Don't be naive and think that you have to use every tool available to create a great game, some only need a few.
- Use the mistakes you know about games you love so you can use them to make your game better.
- When critiquing games, find the 'concrete aspects' so you can look into the 'Formal Abstract Design Tools'.
Tools
Intention
"Making an implementable plan of one's own creation in response to the current situation in the game world and one's understanding of the game play options"
- This tool links in to last week's reading, by the player looking at the current game state and devising a plan whether it be on the spot within the space of a second, to having all the time in the world to make a choice.
Perceivable Consequence
"A clear reaction from the game world to the action of a player."
- Linking back to the point above, in the game stated in the article "Mario 64", after the player making a plan of what to do to reach the end of the level, there is input into the playing device and "Mario" responds.
Story
"The narrative thread, whether designer driven or player-driven, that binds events together and drives the player forward toward completion of the game."
- The article explains how stories are important and so different in games. There can be an adventure-style story where the player has choices to make to reach the end of the scripted game, but on the other hand there are stories in sports games such as said in the article. Imagine playing a basketball game on "NBA Live", you could send the game to overtime or you could be 100points up by half-time, everything links back into perceivable consequence and intention by the game creating a story using interactivity and planning.
Week 2 - I have no words I must design
A game is an interactive structure of endogenous meaning that requires players to struggle towards goals
Game
- Costikyan explains that games aren't just limited to the platform they are on, games are everywhere and every game is different from each other.
- Games are a plastic medium between the process of doing something and having fun.
- To make sense of games in general, you need to understand what a "game" is and why you play it.
Interactive Structure
- Puzzles/Games -- Puzzles are static with the user figuring out the solution with the use of clues, "Games are not static but change with the players actions."
- Every game needs to define its interaction as it could be many things from moving the character to playing a video.
- If the game reacts to the user's interactivity then it is a game, otherwise it is a puzzle.
- If it isn't a puzzle it's something to do with media as the outcome is not a varied result of the players action, it is a single end result eg. video file/music.
Endogenous
- An endogenous meaning is "caused by factors inside the organism or system"
- Costikyan explains that the games being made create their own meaning. The players figure out what they want to do and how they want to do it, giving it a new meaning every time it is played.
- There are parts in games that are extremely addictive to players, aspects of the game that force the user to want to collect the new item or complete the new quest to get that feeling of achievement that is symbolised throughout the game, giving the game a meaning.
Struggle
- Like Goals/Interactivity, a game without a struggle is a bad game.
- There are many ways to make struggle in a game, one of which is adding competition. The player struggles against another player to win. An example of competition in games is chess. Without the opposition being there, there would be no struggle. Both players aim to create a strategy to beat the opponent and that is where the struggle is created, trying to out-smart the opponent.
- Another example of struggle is role-playing games. If you aren't competing against someone else, you are struggling to reach the next level or struggling to complete a quest to reach the next level.
- Making a game difficult for the player creates struggle, but as Costikyan explains, making something difficult doesn't necessarily mean it will be fun. Creating a game that is fun with struggle is the sign of a good game.
Goals
- Goals in a game link in with interactivity:
- If the game doesn't have a goal but has interactivity then it isn't a game as there is no varied result to the players actions. The audience has nothing to work towards, there is no success.
- If interactivity doesn't have a goal at the end of it then it isn't a game. A goal in a game is something that can be achieved by choosing a varied option with different outcomes.
- At every point in the game the user thinks about the current game state, makes a choice about where he/she stands at the moment in the game and chooses an option to take to reach the necessary goal.
Game
- Costikyan explains that games aren't just limited to the platform they are on, games are everywhere and every game is different from each other.
- Games are a plastic medium between the process of doing something and having fun.
- To make sense of games in general, you need to understand what a "game" is and why you play it.
Interactive Structure
- Puzzles/Games -- Puzzles are static with the user figuring out the solution with the use of clues, "Games are not static but change with the players actions."
- Every game needs to define its interaction as it could be many things from moving the character to playing a video.
- If the game reacts to the user's interactivity then it is a game, otherwise it is a puzzle.
- If it isn't a puzzle it's something to do with media as the outcome is not a varied result of the players action, it is a single end result eg. video file/music.
Endogenous
- An endogenous meaning is "caused by factors inside the organism or system"
- Costikyan explains that the games being made create their own meaning. The players figure out what they want to do and how they want to do it, giving it a new meaning every time it is played.
- There are parts in games that are extremely addictive to players, aspects of the game that force the user to want to collect the new item or complete the new quest to get that feeling of achievement that is symbolised throughout the game, giving the game a meaning.
Struggle
- Like Goals/Interactivity, a game without a struggle is a bad game.
- There are many ways to make struggle in a game, one of which is adding competition. The player struggles against another player to win. An example of competition in games is chess. Without the opposition being there, there would be no struggle. Both players aim to create a strategy to beat the opponent and that is where the struggle is created, trying to out-smart the opponent.
- Another example of struggle is role-playing games. If you aren't competing against someone else, you are struggling to reach the next level or struggling to complete a quest to reach the next level.
- Making a game difficult for the player creates struggle, but as Costikyan explains, making something difficult doesn't necessarily mean it will be fun. Creating a game that is fun with struggle is the sign of a good game.
Goals
- Goals in a game link in with interactivity:
- If the game doesn't have a goal but has interactivity then it isn't a game as there is no varied result to the players actions. The audience has nothing to work towards, there is no success.
- If interactivity doesn't have a goal at the end of it then it isn't a game. A goal in a game is something that can be achieved by choosing a varied option with different outcomes.
- At every point in the game the user thinks about the current game state, makes a choice about where he/she stands at the moment in the game and chooses an option to take to reach the necessary goal.
Week 1 - In the beginning there is the designer
What does Schelle offer to the would be games designer?
There are a few key points in the chapter that outline the skills necessary to be a successful games designer:
- Confidence
- "I am a games designer"
- You don't have to be experienced to design games, start designing and believing that you are a games designer.
- Confidence is a must have - "I'm serious, say them out loud, right now. Don't be shy"
Failures
- Failures are a part of the Games Design industry like every other, it is better to take failure as a learning curve rather than for the mistake it actually is.
- Failing over and over again should be seen as a good thing, as it brings you a step closer to having a "truly phenomenal game"
Skills
- No one can master every skill in the industry, but the more you know the better off you will be.
- Listening as a skill is more important than any other skill eg. listening to co-workers, management and carefully listening to feedback from users gives you more to work with.
- Schelle talks about looking beyond just the audio when listening, explaining that sometimes watching body language and the signs people give off are more important than actually listening.
There are a few key points in the chapter that outline the skills necessary to be a successful games designer:
- Confidence
- "I am a games designer"
- You don't have to be experienced to design games, start designing and believing that you are a games designer.
- Confidence is a must have - "I'm serious, say them out loud, right now. Don't be shy"
Failures
- Failures are a part of the Games Design industry like every other, it is better to take failure as a learning curve rather than for the mistake it actually is.
- Failing over and over again should be seen as a good thing, as it brings you a step closer to having a "truly phenomenal game"
Skills
- No one can master every skill in the industry, but the more you know the better off you will be.
- Listening as a skill is more important than any other skill eg. listening to co-workers, management and carefully listening to feedback from users gives you more to work with.
- Schelle talks about looking beyond just the audio when listening, explaining that sometimes watching body language and the signs people give off are more important than actually listening.
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