1. Game Development Essentials An Introduction

2. Gameplay creating the experience
Chapter 6
Gameplay
creating the experience

3. Key Chapter Questions
■ How are a game’s challenges and strategies associated with gameplay?
■ What are interactivity modes and how do they relate to gameplay?
■ What is the relationship between gameplay and story?
■ What is the difference between static and dynamic balance?
■ How can the Prisoner’s Dilemma and the tragedy of the commons be applied to cooperative gameplay?

4. (Battle of the Generals)
Rules
Victory Conditions
(Tekken)
Loss Conditions
(Battle of the Generals)

5. Interactivity Modes Player-to-game Player-to-developer
Player-to-platform
Player-to-player
One-on-one
Unilateral
Multilateral
Team

6. (Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark)
Game Theory
Non Zero Sum [NZS]
(Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark)
Zero Sum
(chess)

7. Game Theory

8. Game Theory Tragedy of the Commons

9. Types of Challenges Implicit vs. explicit
Perfect vs. imperfect information
Intrinsic vs. extrinsic knowledge
Pattern recognition & matching
Spatial awareness
Micromanagement
Reaction time

10. Challenges & Game Goals/Objectives
Advancement
Race
Puzzles
Exploration
Conflict (competition)
Capture
Chase
Organization
Escape
Break the rules (taboo)
Construction
Solution
Outwit

11. Balance Features Consistent challenges
Perceivably fair playing experiences
Lack of stagnation
Lack of trivial decisions
Difficulty levels

12. Balance Static Obvious strategies Trade-offs/economics
Combination (resources)
Feedback (positive vs. negative)
Symmetry (transitive vs. intransitive)

13. Balance Static (Symmetry)

14. Balance Static (Symmetry)

15. Balance Dynamic Destroy Maintain Restore
In Black & White: Creature Isle, players can sometimes destroy order.

16. Summary Rules: victory vs. loss conditions Interactivity modes
Game theory: Prisoner’s Dilemma & tragedy of the commons
Types of challenges
Challenges & game goals/objectives
Static vs. dynamic balance