Introduction to game genres & game design Game critique. What is a game really? What is game design? Game genres. The system - a look at what we can do. Brainstorm.

Six game characteristics Pre-defined rules (a dynamic system) Goals Variable outcome associated with the player(s) Optional real-world consequences. (You can place a bet on the outcome of a game, but you can also choose not to.) Non-gambling: The player influences the outcome. In a game with a theme, a game is a representation of a fictive world.

Two gods (acc. to Chris Crawford) The storyteller: Fly bird, fly. Blow wind, blow. The designer of laws of nature: Birds can fly under certain cirumstances, wind can blow. Gravity. All these combine. (=Designing gameplay.)

Interesting choices Sid Meier: ”A game is a series of interesting choices.” An interesting choice: No single choice should be the best. The choices should not be equally good. The player must be able to make an informed choice.

Monopoly Should I build hotels at the first possible time even if I use all my money?

Gameplay is emergent The rules of a game do not describe every possible game session. From the rules interesting patterns and strategies emerge on a higher level. The strategies in a strategy game or in chess are not described in the rules but are appear as a consequence of the rules.

The open world Even in rule-based systems, some events can still be determined or are at least very likely to happen. The player is likely to accept the goal put forward. Players will tend to do certain things. Players will search for a good strategy. If the good strategy leads to interesting interaction, it is a good game.

Game design is iterative You cannot predict all that is going to happen in the game. People may not share your tastes. Make prototype – test it – fix it – test it.

 All the glitz and glitter poured into games these days, such as expensive art, animation, real actors, or the best musicians, cannot cover up for poor gameplay. (Marc Saltzman)  Not everything is a story!  Are the choices facing the player interesting choices? Are they still interesting the second time?  What are the genre conventions? What does the user expect?  If thinking in terms of storytelling: What ties this particular story/world to an interactive medium?  The designer has to let go. Game design is to set up a system that the players can use as their own.

What do players want? Players want: a challenge, to socialize, a dynamic solitaire experience, bragging rights, emotional experience, fantasize Players expect: A consistent world, to understand the game-world’s bounds, reasonable solutions to work, direction, to accomplish a task incrementally, to be immersed, to fail, a fair chance, to not need to repeat themselves, to not get hopelessly stuck, to do - not to watch. Holder det?

Genre Like different personalities, different genres are distringuished from another by which characteristics predominate... (Dubrow) Do genres exist? No: We can never come up with complete perfect distinctions between genres. Yes: The idea of genre plays an important part in both the production and consumption of games (and other things).

Action-adventure (adventure’s exploration + real time) Real-tids adventure. Fx Jet Set Willy Kort

Genres in the 1980’s PlatformAdventureAction Various: Pac-man (maze), Pengo, Qix, Frogger, Star Wars Driving Action-adventure: Gauntlet, Jet Set Willy.

Sim City (Simulation, but no goal)

Doom - First person shooter (action + some exploration from adventure + first person perspective)

Sims (Sim city in a social context)

Real time strategy (board game + real-time)

Genres ca (That noone agrees about) Gamespot.com

Different genres - different pleasures action RPG adventure strategy simulations Sports Fighting games casual puzzle games

Bruce Shelley on games Differentiate and Innovate, Don't Imitate Interesting decisions = fun. Design by Playing. Provide a Great First 15 Minutes of Easily Accessible Play The Player Should Have the Fun, Not the Designer, Programmer, or Computer Provide Multiple Gaming Experiences within the Box. Gameplay more important than realism.

Next time  Susana Tosca: “Role-playing in multiplayer environments. Vampire: The Masquerade. Redemption” in CGDT Proceedings. København: IT University. p (Kompendium)  Simon Egenfeld-Nielsen: Computerspillene "I sig selv". (Kompendium)  Richard Rouse chapter 17: The Design Document  Astinus: A History of Role-Playing

Try the system diac.it-c.dk/~visichat Create a user, log in, walk around by clicking, right-click on yourself and others. This is: A tech demo of functionality. This is not a complete game. This is not representative of what your final game is going to look like.

Conflicts Minority report (tech misused). Punished for a crime. Peasant vs. Emperor Three brothers. Armageddon … world threatened by asteroid. Revenge … (24 hours) Children’s vs. Parents Lord of the rings (group of heroes vs. overwelming foe … complete task) Bin Laden vs. US Middle east Demonstrators vs. police (WTO) Rich vs. poor Capitalism vs… the alternative Sports Groups fighting for the same thing (such as water) Jekyll & hyde (fight yourself) Memory problem (Memento)

Brainstorm