Game analysis

Robin BurkeGAM 206

Outlineo Quiz (30 min)o Game analysis

o Ruleso Playo Culture

Quiz

Game analysiso We want to use games as

sourceso primary sources related to

particular periods

o What can we learn?o what questions do we ask to

understand a game?

Frameworko Rules

o formal structure of the gameo how the game workso how outcomes are determined

o Playo what it is like to play the game

o Cultureo how the game makes contact with

society

o If this topic interests you, consider taking GAM 224

Ruleso Rules come in two forms

o operational rulesowhat the players do to play

o constitutive rulesothe inner logic of the gameowhat makes the game workoyou can play without knowing

o Constitutive ruleso are the formal structure of the

game

Examining Ruleso Complexityo Informationo Feedback

Complexityo Some games are clearly

more strategically complex than otherso tic-tac-toe vs goo what about medieval chess vs

modern?o how can we answer this

question analytically?

o "A game is a series of interesting choices" – Sid Meier

Interesting choiceso Coupling

o If a change in one featureo requires a change in another

o Chesso must consider the network of relationships

between pieces when moving

o Contexto If the value of options

o changes with the game contexto Football

o a timeout has a different value at the end of the fourth quarter

o Non-linearityo If small differences in input

o produce large differences in outputo Chess

o one square could be the difference between safe and checkmate

Medieval Chesso Without diceo With dice

Informationo Incomplete information

makes for interesting gameplayo why playing cards have a front

and backo Types of information

o publicoknown to all

o privateoknown to one player

o hiddenonot known by any

Information economyo Games of information often

have an "information economy"o a system through which

ohidden information is revealedoprivate information becomes

public

o Like all economieso based on exchange

o Exampleo hearts

Feedbacko Feedback is a mechanism

for a system to link its current state to its behavior

o Exampleo thermostat

omeasures the temperature of the room

o if too lowo turn on the heat

o if OKo turn off the heat

Two Typeso Negative Feedback Loop

o "inhibition"o As the state changes, the loop acts

to move it in the direction of its previous state

o Exampleo thermostat

o Positive Feedback Loopo "excitation"o As the state changes, the loop acts

to move it in the direction that it is moving

o Exampleo automobile turbochargero home team advantage

General principleso Negative feedback loops

o increases system stabilityo makes the game last longero magnifies late successes

o Positive feedback loopso destabilizes the systemo makes the game shortero magnifies early success

o Positive feedback is usually essentialo propels a player to victoryo otherwise, game can go on forevero one reason that three-player

games are difficult to design

Questions to asko What is the formal structure

of your game?o How are the player's

choices made interesting?o Is there a knowledge

economy?o What feedback mechanisms

exist?

Experientialo What is the game like to

play?o cannot be answered by

analysiso you must play the gameo not always enough?

o Exampleo awari

o What makes a game "fun"?

Core mechanico What is it that players do?

o move pieceso draw cards, discardo run around a field

o Are decisions easy to make?o game moves fastero Briscola

o Do they involve strategic calculation?o game moves slowero Chess

o Do they involve private information?o players may try to guess the others'

situationo players may try to deceive each othero Poker

Roles / Simulationo Does gameplay involve

roles that players take on?o Tapp Tarocko President

o Does it simulate or abstract some real activityo Diplomacy

o Fun may be in doing these roleso performanceo wish fulfillment

Narrativeo Game take place over time

o can be said to have narrative structure

o For exampleo every chess game starts the same

o but ends (generally) differently

o there is a story in there

o Simplest exampleo Rock-Paper-Scissors

o For some games this narrative is the whole pointo Game of Life

Questions to asko What makes the game fun?o What do players do to play?o Are there roles?

o What degree of performance is involved?

o What is the narrative structure of the game?o Is it delineated in advance or

emergent?

Culturalo What can we learn from a

game about its creators and players?

o Some obvious places to starto they enjoy its core mechanico they enjoy the roles that the

game provideso they enjoy its narrative

structure

More in-deptho Cultural / societal factors

o Predispose players to enjoy these things?

o Yalom's argumento chivalryo mariolatryo existing role modelso predisposed players to accept

a powerful queen piece