Fundaments of Game Design Ch 2 Richard Gesick

Game state and game views Game state - a collection of all relevant virtual information that may change during play Game view - the portions of the game state that a player can see game space, the entire area of the game. It may be the board on which the game is played, an enormous MMO, or a single level in a first-person shooter (FPS) campaign.

Players, avatars and game bits Avatar – the “thing” in the game world that represents the player Game bits - the physical items required to play the game

Game Mechanics mechanics are the rules that act upon the players, avatars and game bits, game state and game views, and describe all of the ways to change the game state Typical mechanics include setup, victory conditions, progression of play, player actions, definition of game views (fog of war)

Dynamics A “game dynamic” is the pattern of play that comes from the mechanics once they’re set in motion by players Typical dynamics- race to the end, collection, territorial acquisition, retention dynamics are part of the play experience, but not all are explicitly defined or enforced by the mechanics. metagame - interactions that take place between players outside of the game state player negotiations, discussion, alliances, online chat

Goals / missions / quests Goals typically provide rewards that motivate players to defeat creatures, search for treasure, equip themselves with better and better armor, and compete against their friends. In FPSs, the goal is often to defeat the enemy, capture the flag, or rescue the hostage

Theme the aspect of games that lies outside of the mechanics and yet somehow, when chosen well, can make the mechanics feel more natural.

What comes first?