Is this thing on?

Game Design Workshop Orientation

Orientation Overview  Part I: Workshop Format  Part II: Outline Our Formal Approach  Part III: Formal Approach in Detail  Part IV: Iterative Design

Part I: Introduction  In this part we will:  Explain the workshop high concept  Describe the format  Introduce the faculty

About The Workshop  This is the sixth year  Hands-on  Focused on iteration  Grounded in a formal approach to game design  Intended to be open-ended

Things You Won’t Learn Here  How to get a job as a game designer  How to write a design document  Where game ideas “come from”  How to get your game funded  How to use a level editor

In Other Words...  It’s not about the Business (Getting a job, pitching a game, getting funded)  It’s not about the Profession (Writing documents, tracking bugs, using tools)  It’s about the Craft (Making games that are fun)

What You’ll be Doing  Playing games  Analyzing games  Critiquing games  Modifying games  Refining games

Workshop Format  Small-group activities.  Main Exercises  Electives (choose 1 of 3 activities)  New: Uber-elective

Introducing the Faculty  Myself  Austin Grossman  Jonathan Hamel  Robin Hunicke  Frank Lantz  Andrew Leker  Steve Librande  Art Min  Randy Smith  Tim Stellmach

A Few Ground Rules  Please attend the whole thing  Collaborate, Share, and Encourage  Save the “meta-discussion” for the very end  Turn the laptop off

Part II: A Formal Approach  In this section, we present:  A formal framework for game design  A view of the designer-player relationship

Game Design “Frameworks”  Paradigms for organizing our understanding

Game Design “Frameworks”  Paradigms for organizing our understanding  Example Frameworks:  The 400 Project  Design Patterns

Game Design “Frameworks”  Paradigms for organizing our understanding  Example Frameworks:  The 400 Project  Design Patterns  Separate from the process

Our Framework  Grounded in a formal approach  Organized around the designer-player relationship

The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player

The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Game

The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player CreatesConsumes Game

The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Book CreatesConsumes Game

The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Book Movie CreatesConsumes Game

The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Book Movie Painting CreatesConsumes Game

The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Book Movie Painting Chair CreatesConsumes Game

The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Book Movie Painting Chair Car CreatesConsumes Game

The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Book Movie Painting Chair Car Pizza Game CreatesConsumes

The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player The difference is the way that games are consumed. Game CreatesConsumes

Media Consumption Example: A Theatrical Play  The “design team” knows:  Script  Lighting  Acoustics  Seating  Intermissions

Games, by Contrast  The designer doesn’t know:  When will the player play?  How often? For how long?  Where? With Whom?  And most importantly...  What will happen during the game?

Obligatory Editorial  This lack of predictability is the essence of play.  It should be embraced, not eschewed.

Games as Software Code

Games as Software Code Process

Games as Software Code Requirements Process

Games as Software Rules CodeRequirementsProcess

Games as Software Rules Game “Session” CodeRequirementsProcess

Games as Software Rules “Fun” Game “Session” CodeRequirementsProcess

A Design Vocabulary Rules“Fun” Game “Session” CodeRequirementsProcess

Code RequirementsProcess Rules “Fun” Game “Session” A Design Vocabulary Mechanics

Requirements Process “Fun” Game A Design Vocabulary Mechanics Dynamics

A Design Vocabulary Mechanics Aesthetics Dynamics

The MDA Framework MechanicsAestheticsDynamics

Definitions  Mechanics: The rules and concepts that formally specify the game-as-system.  Dynamics: The run-time behavior of the game-as-system.  Aesthetics: The desirable emotional responses evoked by the game dynamics.

The Designer/Player Relationship, Revisited  Designer  Player MechanicsAestheticsDynamics

The Player’s Perspective  Player MechanicsAestheticsDynamics

The Designer’s Perspective  Designer MechanicsAestheticsDynamics

Three “Views” of Games  But they are causally linked MechanicsAestheticsDynamics

The Building Blocks: Formal Models  No Grand Unified Theory  Instead, lots of little models  Models can be formulas or abstractions  We can think of models as “lenses”  Discovering new models is an ongoing process

MDA is a “Taxonomy” for Models  Knowledge of Aesthetics  Knowledge of Dynamics  Knowledge of Mechanics  Knowledge of the interactions between them

Properties of Good Models  We want our models to be:  Formal (well-defined)  Abstract (widely applicable)  Proven (known to work)  On any given game, we expect to use several different abstractions, not one big one.

Part III: MDA in detail  In this part, we discuss Aesthetics, Dynamics and Mechanics in detail.

The Designer’s Perspective  Designer MechanicsAestheticsDynamics

Understanding Aesthetics  We need to get past words like “fun” and “gameplay.”  What kinds of “fun” are there?  How will we know a particular kind of “fun” when we see it?

Eight Kinds of “Fun”

 Sensation Game as sense-pleasure

Eight Kinds of “Fun”  Sensation  Fantasy Game as make-believe

Eight Kinds of “Fun”  Sensation  Fantasy  Narrative Game as unfolding story

Eight Kinds of “Fun”  Sensation  Fantasy  Narrative  Challenge Game as obstacle course

Eight Kinds of “Fun”  Sensation  Fantasy  Narrative  Challenge  Fellowship Game as social framework

Game as uncharted territory Eight Kinds of “Fun”  Sensation  Fantasy  Narrative  Challenge  Fellowship  Discovery

Eight Kinds of “Fun”  Sensation  Fantasy  Narrative  Challenge  Fellowship  Discovery  Expression Game as self-discovery

Eight Kinds of “Fun”  Sensation  Fantasy  Narrative  Challenge  Fellowship  Discovery  Expression  Submission Game as mindless pastime

Charades is “fun” Counter-Strike is “fun” Final Fantasy is “fun” Clarifying Our Aesthetics

Charades is Fellowship, Expression, Challenge Counter-Strike is Challenge, Sensation, Competition, Fantasy Final Fantasy is Fantasy, Narrative, Expression, Discovery, Challenge, Masochism Each game pursues multiple aesthetics. Again, there is no Game Unified Theory. Clarifying Our Aesthetics

Clarifying Our Goals  As designers, we can choose certain aesthetics as goals for our game design.  We need more than a one-word definition of our goals.

Some examples… Formulating an “Aesthetic Model” For each aesthetic goal:  Write a formal definition  List criteria for success  List modes of failure  Serves as an “aesthetic compass”  These are often reusable

Goal: Competition  Definition: A game is competitive if players are emotionally invested in defeating each other.  Success:  Players are adversaries.  Players want to win.  Failure:  A player feels that he can’t win.  A player can’t measure his progress.

Goal: Pirate Fantasy  Definition: A pirate fantasy conforms to the genre conventions of pirate movies, and permits the player to engage in certain kinds of anti- social pirate behavior.

Goal: Pirate Fantasy  Definition: A pirate fantasy conforms to the genre conventions of pirate movies, and permits the player to engage in certain kinds of anti- social pirate behavior. Success:  Empowerment  Independence  Greed  Treachery  Prey upon Weak

Goal: Pirate Fantasy  Definition: A pirate fantasy conforms to the genre conventions of pirate movies, and permits the player to engage in certain kinds of anti- social pirate behavior. Success:  Empowerment  Independence  Greed  Treachery  Prey upon Weak Failure:  Vulnerability  Compassion  Generosity

Goal: Drama Definition: A game is dramatic if:  Its central conflict creates dramatic tension.  The dramatic tension builds towards a climax.

Goal: Drama  Success:  A sense of uncertainty  A sense of inevitability  Tension increases towards a climax  Failure:  The conflict’s outcome is obvious (no uncertainty)  No sense of forward progress (no inevitability)  Player doesn’t care how the conflict resolves.

Aesthetics Summary  Have an aesthetic vocabulary  Articulate your aesthetic goals  Formulate aesthetic models On to Dynamics...

Understanding Dynamics  What about the game’s behavior can we predict before we go to playtest?  How can we explain the behavior that we observe?

Formalizing Game Dynamics Rules Input Output State (Player) (Graphics/ Sound) The “State Machine” Model Examples: Chess, Counter-Strike

Some examples… Models of Game Dynamics  Again, no Grand Unified Theory  Instead, a collection of many Dynamic Models.  Dynamics models are analytical in nature.

Chance in 36 Die roll Example: Random Variable  This is a model of 2d6:

Room Too Cold Too Hot An Ideal Thermostat Thermometer Controller Cooler Heater Example: Feedback System  A feedback system monitors and regulates its own state.

Example: Operant Conditioning  The player is part of the system, too!  Psychology gives us models to explain and predict the player’s behavior.

On to Mechanics... Where Models Come From  Analysis of existing games  Other Fields:  Math, Psychology, Engineering…  Our own experience

Dynamics Summary  Models of Dynamics are analytical  They help us Explain and Predict  They can come from other fields, existing games, or our experience.

Understanding Mechanics  There’s a vast library of common game mechanics.

Examples  Cards  Shuffling, Trick-Taking, Bidding  Shooters  Ammunition, Spawn Points  Golf  Sand Traps, Water Hazards

Mechanics vs. Dynamics  There’s a grey area  Some behaviors are direct consequences of rules.  Others are indirect.  “Dynamics” usually means the latter.

Mechanics vs. Dynamics  There’s a grey area  Some behaviors are direct consequences of rules.  Others are indirect.  “Dynamics” usually means the latter.  Dynamics and Mechanics are different views of games.

Mechanics vs. Dynamics  There’s a grey area  Some behaviors are direct consequences of rules.  Others are indirect.  “Dynamics” usually means the latter.  Dynamics and Mechanics are different views of games.  Dynamics emerge from Mechanics.

Mechanics Summary  Knowledge of game mechanics is largely encyclopedic  A vocabulary of mechanics is a design tool as well as a communication tool.  Dynamics emerge from Mechanics

Interaction Models  How do specific dynamics emerge from specific mechanics?  How do specific dynamics evoke specific aesthetics?

Example: Time Pressure  “Time pressure” is a dynamic.  It can create dramatic tension.  Various mechanics create time pressure:  Simple time limit  “Pace” monster  Depleting resource

Moving Forward… Let’s hope the future brings us:  A rich aesthetic vocabulary  A eclectic library of game mechanics  A catalog of formal models: Aesthetic, Dynamic, Interaction In other words,  “Formal Abstract Design Tools”

Part IV: Iterative Design Wherein we discuss the relationship of MDA to the iterative design process.

Test Analyze Revise What Is “Iterative Design?”

We’re not limited to “tuning”  Parameter tweaking  “Fiddling with knobs”

MDA in the Process  Aesthetic Models help us:  Articulate our goals  Point out our game’s flaws  Measure our progress  Dynamic Models help us:  Pinpoint our problems  Both kinds help us:  Evaluate possible revisions

Learning From the Process Between iterations, we re-evaluate:  Our goals  Our models  Our assumptions Sometimes we need to revise our own thinking as well.

The Iterative Design Process When we start  Know our aesthetic goals While we iterate  Aesthetic and dynamics models guide our way Between Iterations  Learn from the process

Time for Coffee... After the break, go to the classroom that matches the color of your poker chip: Blue C1 Red C3 White C4

Part V: Some Common Themes  Here are some themes you’ll see throughout the workshop.

 Designer  Player MechanicsAestheticsDynamics

Theme: Dynamics and Fantasy  Our game dynamics have meaning within our game’s core fantasy.  That meaning may or may not be compatible.  In order to remain faithful to our subject matter, dynamics and fantasy must be in alignment.

© Steve Jackson Games

Theme: State Space and Design Flexibility  The state space of a game is the set of possible states the system can be in.  The larger the state space, the easier it is to make changes.  As we modify our design, we can expect the state space to grow.

Slides: Marc LeBlanc Andrew Leker Art Min Tim Stellmach Randy Smith Steve Librande Austin Grossman Robin Hunicke Frank Lantz Jonathan Hamel