1. Solving the Design Puzzle From Management to Execution Alexandre Mandryka gamewhispering.com

2. Who’s this guy? Born in Paris Trained in biology Worked for 5 years in France Moved to Canada in 2005 Studio level positions at Ubisoft and Relic

3. The Thesis We are playing a huge stakes game without mastering one of its core pillars

4. Design? Each discipline executes on the vision Design is just one of them... Different roles can be held by same people But beware! Vision Game Features Coding Design Features Art Creative direction Design (different types)

6. Invention of Cinema Sons of a photographic plate maker Inventors and engineers Inspired by Thomas Edison Created a camera/projector “Le cinematographe” (1894) Louis and Auguste Lumiere

7. Reverse angle shots (1911) First celluloid film (1888) Film continuity Scope effect Gradually developing a vocabulary and a grammar About 25 years to get there

8. Media evolution The essence of the video game medium is still being to be explored

9. How did Movies gained specificity? Shared expertise with literature and theater But also specific technical area – Lighting – Photography – Cinematography Academic study Only a mastered technique can be expressive

10. What is the path for games? Shared expertise with literature cinema and digital arts But also specific technical area – 3D – Engineering – Programming – Design Academic study for most Except design...

12. “Every story has been told” Stanley KubrickJoseph Campbell

13. Tristan and Isolde XIIth century Lancelot and Guinevere

15. In games  No unnecessary risk Different consideration in stories

16. Agon Confrontation Be the best Be in control Seek challenge Victory Alea Accept fate Relinquish control Embrace chance Passivity Hope Mimicry Imagination Play a role Explore a consistent invention Make believe Ilinx Destroy the stability of perception Vertigo On the brink of loosing control Explore your limits All of these require action Four core game pleasure types Roger Caillois

17. Movies-Games comparison Movies Technical birth Slow maturation Allowed theorization Close from literature Empathy is the vector Video games Technical birth Ultra quick growth Limited academic support Singular medium Interactivity is the vector En Pathos InFeeling Passive mediumActive medium

18. MANAGING DESIGNERS Motivation Career Progression Creative Management

19. My understanding of management  Evaluate  Train  Motivate  Assign tasks  Teamwork Creative work  Need to feel safe to take risks Competency Autonomy Purpose Intrinsic needs (Works for games too) About skills

20. What are the skills of a designer? No shared understanding No one gets it – Not your family – Not your boss – Not yourself, at least not me Competency

21. What academia offers

23. You enjoy driving cars? Become a mechanical engineer and do what you love!

24. Design skills – Game Design System design: AI, economy, game rules  Logic, mathematics, probabilities Interaction design: Controls, interfaces, feedback  Ergonomics, biomechanics, cybernetics Motivation design: Learning, reward, difficulty  Psychology, learning theory, motivation theory

25. Design skills – Level Design Gameplay implementation: Challenge creation, obstacles meet abilities  Analysis of game’s core challenge Environment creation: Building spaces to naturally draw the player through  3D engines and tools, architecture, landscaping Theatrics: Environmental storytelling, mood setting  Staging, cinematography techniques

26. Design skills – Narrative Design Writing: Dialogue/screenplay, prose  Literature, creative writing Narrative Interface Design: Designing methods to convey story to the player  Media studies, media psychology, communication Player-Centric Plotting: Engaging the player as protagonist - Don’t tell, don’t show, let me play it!  Psychology? Literature theory? + Method Acting

27. How to select schools Focus on theoretical training Be wary of making full games Production focus or implementation Vision Game Coding Design Art Pr. Moriarty and his Perlenspiel Not design design Media and their users Communication, design and aesthetic Interfaces and scriptwriting Architecture and urbanism...

28. Academic background in games Free to play monetisation – Analysts & Economists  Establishing a better metric that “Fun” Ph.D. combinatorial mathematics Dr Eyjolfur Gudmundsson Lead Economist at CCP Amy Jo Kim behavioral neuroscience Ph.D.

29. Creativity Being creative? Autonomy  Artists  Programmers  Designers  Managers NOT Creativity is aimed downwards Find the most adapted solution to problems

30. Tale of a micromanaging structure “Why do you like him as a lead designer?” “Because he’s fast” “But would you want your lead programmer to be fast?” “Hmmmmm …”  Design was considered as implementation only Lead Game Designer 

31. Function Creative Process Needed for each discipline Different steps require different skills and level of experience You want expertise at each level Respect each level as a black box  Autonomy black box Intention Function Solution Feature Functional requirement Analysis Implementation

32. A mix of things Required for Creativity  Self-esteem  Respect of others  Respect from other Establish the design specialties Establish the related skills Responsibilities / Black box Ensure proper processes and collaboration Purpose Malsow’s hierarchy of needs

33. Last word on creative management “Think out of the box” So go watch: MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday Ideas44448 David Rock

34. UNDERSTANDING DESIGN Eradicate the Fun

35. The ‘fun’ This is design’s metric It’s totally broken It doesn’t fly with other disciplines We’re confused between the fun of playing and the fun of creating games It is vague, inefficient and so risky to use!

36. Designing with the ‘coolness’ principle Idea Cool Idea Cool We have it!

37. Cool Swell LOL Fun U MAD BRO? LOL Backlog

38. Make the game more exciting for fans Functional requirement More goalsMore speedMaintain skill

39. Game VS Toy Rules, what you can, or can’t do Winning/Loosing conditions Nothing is forbidden Everything is allowed  Investigate the relationship between rules and player strategies

40. Rules VS Player strategies

41. No Rules  Dominant strategies Ground pound Knock out punch Submission

42. Limit player efficiency to allow different styles to be viable The intention: Boxing is “the noble art”

43. 2 kinds of rules Touchdown: When any part of the ball, legally in possession of a player inbounds, breaks the plane of the opponent’s goal line, provided it is not a touchback. Direct rules – How to win (Optimal strategy)Indirect rules – Limit unwanted dominant strategies Upkeep system Rested XP

44. What if there’s no offside? What is the effect on optimal strategy?

45. Offside Because we want midfield play to be relevant

46. What is the effect of Offside?  Makes Hockey a contact sport

47. Sum of 4 runs Intended experience Precision The most regular wins Controlled risk

48. Intended experience Fearless The most outrageous wins Best of 2 runs

50. Halo’s 30 seconds of fun accuracy EngagementEnemy killed Out of ammo Player Choice Reload Grenade Melee average good

51. Understanding design “The fun” is a lie Design is a second order problem You don’t control the player Based on intention – Encourage the behaviors you want – Discourage those you don’t  Think in terms of optimal strategy

52. Last word Yale graduate in literature Looks like Robert Redford Acting method can help us Not for storytelling But for gameplay Jeffrey Yohalem

53. Alexandre Mandryka alex@gamewhispering.com gamewhispering.com