Chapter 2.1 Understanding Fun

What is Fun? Dictionary: Enjoyment, a source of amusement – but that doesn’t help Important to consider underlying reasons “Funativity” – thinking about fun in terms of measurable cause and effect

Evolutionary Roots We must look to our distant past Young mammals play to learn basic survival skills Games are organized play Human entertainment is also at its heart about learning how to survive Mating and social rules also critical to us

Education == Entertainment Life is all either work, rest, or fun Fun is about practicing or learning new survival skills in a relatively safe setting People who didn’t enjoy that practice were less likely to survive to become our ancestors

Hunting and Gathering For most of our species’ history we were tribal hunter/gatherers Current popular games reflect this Shooters, wargames = hunting Powerups, resources = gathering Sims, MMO = social, tribal interaction

Natural Funativity Theory Basic concept is that all fun derives from practicing survival and social skills Key skills relate to early human context, but often in modern guise Three overlapping categories Physical, Social, and Mental

Physical Fun Sports generally enhance our strength, stamina, coordination skills Exploration is fun Both of local area and knowledge of exotic places Hand/eye coordination and tool use are often parts of fun activities – crafts Physical aspect to gathering “stuff”

Social Fun Storytelling is a social activity A way to learn important survival and social lessons from others Gossip, sharing info w/friends popular Flirting, showing off, finding mates is a key interest in social fun Language has become paramount

Mental Fun Our large brains make humans unique Pure abstract reasoning practice is fun Pattern matching and generation Music, Art, and Puzzles all pattern based Gathering also has mental aspect, categorizing and identifying patterns

Multipurpose Fun Many fun activities have physical, social and mental aspects in combination Games that mix these aspects tend to be very popular Incorporate ways to practice these skills to increase the popularity of games

Definition of a Great Game A great game is a series of interesting and meaningful choices made by the player in pursuit of a clear and compelling goal

A Series of … Choices in Pursuit of a … Goal Must have choice, or it is not interactive Must be a series of choices or it is too simple to be a game Must have a goal or it is a software toy With Sim City and The Sims players may bring their own goals

Interesting and Meaningful Choices Choices may be dull and uninteresting because it was easy to code that way Or it may be the reflection of a lazy designer Meaningful choices are perceived by the player as having significant consequences May not have actual consequences…

Clear and Compelling Goal Clear goals Because it is not fun to flounder aimlessly Avoid the “protagonist with amnesia” cliché Compelling goals are goals that follow the concepts in Natural Funativity Survival is always a compelling goal

A Series of Choices No choice

A Series of Choices Meaningless choices Obviously fold back into same path Players discover this quickly

A Series of Choices Infinite choices Quickly become unmanageable

A Series of Choices Choose wisely Kill off player with any wrong choice Better but frustrating (Dragon’s Lair)

Classic Game Structure A convexity Starts with a single choice, widens to many choices, returns to a single choice

Convexity Qualities Go from one to many to one Can be a level, an act, an episode Can be any kind of choice Geography, weapons, tools, skills, technologies, quests Examples Exploring an island Technology build tree

Fractal Structure Large scale structure repeated on medium, smaller scales, like a coastline In the case of convexities, each circle is not a single choice, but a convexity Age of Empires example Take a defensive stance, create squad to defend left flank, collect resources to build a legionnaire, etc.

A Series of Convexities Many games are chains of convexities Points of limited choice (A) alternate with points of many choices (B)

A Series of Convexities Many overlapping convexities in great games Examples include Halo, Zelda games, Civilization, Diablo II, many others Player can be starting one task or area, in the middle of another, and at the end of a third, all simultaneously

Why Is This Structure So Good? Give the player choice but not an infinitely expanding set of choices Mix of some “any order” choices (B) and some in fixed order (A), blending freedom with linear storytelling Can be structured so players see most of the game, minimizing waste Can have difficulty go up in new levels

Psychological Advantages of Classic Structure Alternating intense learning (A) with time to practice (B) is the best way to master new skills Gradual learning and introduction of new skills at the heart of fun game play “Easy to learn, difficult to master” “Simple, Hot, and Deep”

The Concept of Flow U of C professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi One of his books is “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” Flow is a state of exhilaration, deep sense of enjoyment Usually when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile

The Flow Channel Start with relatively low level of challenge to match starting skill levels Gradually increase challenge Fast enough to prevent boredom Not so fast as to induce frustration

The Flow Channel

The Flow Channel Flow state is common while developing same Physical, Social, and Mental skills noted in Natural Funativity Best to introduce skills one at a time, let player master them, move on to new This results in staggered increase in difficulty (wavy difficulty line)

Difficulty Increase Varies

Typical Game Mechanisms High difficulty increase: Boss monsters, climactic battles, quest resolutions Low difficulty increase: Bonus levels, new resource- and treasure-rich areas, series of easy “minion” enemies Overlap introduction of new skills, areas to explore, tools, enemies

Story and Character Back to “interesting choices” and “compelling goals” – how to achieve? Story and character can add emotional association, strengthen reaction Storytelling has long history, but interactive storytelling can differ critically from traditional linear modes

Interactive Storytelling Blend storytelling with design early Use experienced interactive writers “Do, don’t show” – let players experience story through interaction Make it personal by having players make key choices, events affect them

It’s All About Interactivity Don’t make choices for the player Story should add emotional context to the choices Keep any cut scenes brutally short Break up non-interactive sequences by adding interactivity, even if very simple

Characters Characters can make the game world seem more real and exciting Bold stereotypes may seem crude but are better than colorless characters, and can help avoid boring exposition Bring out character through action, not description or exposition

Gameplay Trumps Story If you have a conflict between gameplay or story, first look for a compromise that favors both Failing that, make sure that the gameplay is good at expense of story Always signal player clearly in narrative to interactive transitions with visuals, audio