game design with wilson · 2014-09-16 · qualities of a game 1. games are entered willfully.! 2....
TRANSCRIPT
EGD 100
Game Design with Wilson
Hello
๏ Welcome!!
๏ Today is the first day of your adventure. !
๏ Class website: egd100.wordpress.com!
๏ Meeting dates - Monday 7-8pm - 9/15, 9/29, 10/13, 10/27, 11/10, 11/24!
๏ Text: The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Rules of Play
Class Goals
Learn as much about game design as we canStart thinking about game design seriously
Challenge what we’ve learned
Who is this guy?
I’m not a game design guru
I’m a game design guy
What I’ve Done๏ Epic Druid: The Book: The Movie: The Game (PC) - Tower Defense - Designer/Artist!
๏ Ring Raze (PC) - Metroidvania - Designer/Artist!
๏ Ms. Splosion Man (iOS, WP7, PC) - Platformer - QA!
๏ Lure (PC) - Fishing Game - Solo Project!
๏ The Wavy Tubeman Chronicles (Windows 8) - Arcade Shooter - QA!
๏ Exodus (PC) - RPG - Solo Project!
๏ Hagakure (PC) - Hack ’n Slash - Lead Designer/Programmer!
๏ Lococycle (Xbox One) - Vehicle Combat Comedy - QA!
๏ RDOR (PC) - FPS - Team Lead/Programmer/Designer/Audio!
๏ Burger Bonanza (PC) - Interactive Narrative - Solo Project!
๏ I Dig It: Journey to the Core (iOS) - Arcade/Puzzle - Level Designer!
๏ Thumb Crazy (Android) - Head to Head Arcade - Team Lead/Designer/Artist/Programmer/Audio!
๏ Port of Call (PC) - Narrative Adventure - Team Lead/Writer/Designer!
๏ Dragon Raiders (iOS) - Runner - Level Designer/Asset Integration!
๏ Space Colors (iOS/Android) - QA!
๏ Loot Raiders (iOS) - Systems Designer
๏ Ghastly problems
What is game design?
–Jesse Schell
“Game design is the act of deciding what a game should be.”
What that means for us
๏ It takes dozens, even thousands of decisions to design a game.!
๏ Everyone who works on a game takes on the role of a designer to some degree.!
๏ You don’t have to be a hardcore programmer, but you do need skills to back up your design.
Get moar skills - EGaDS Classes
๏ EGD 110: Game Writing - GDC 2.210 Mondays 8-9pm!
๏ EGD 200: 3DS Max - WMB 1.114 Tuesdays 7-8pm!
๏ EGD 210: Unity3D - GDC 6.220 Tuesdays 8-9pm
What it really means
๏ There isn't a perfect game design formula. !
๏ All we have are rules, principles, and artifacts.!
๏ But that won’t stop us from learning as much as we can.
Your job is to create an experience and instill the essence of that experience in as many ways
possible.
Let’s begin our adventure
Are you a boy or a girl?
–Elliot Avedon and Brian Sutton-Smith
“Games are an exercise of voluntary control systems, in which there is a contest between
powers, confined by rules in order to produce a disequibrial outcome”
Qualities of a game
1. Games are entered willfully.!
2. Games have goals.!
3. Games have conflict.!
4. Games have rules.!
5. Games can be won and lost.
–Greg Costikyan
“An interactive structure of endogenous meaning that requires players to struggle towards a goal.”
Qualities of a game1. Games are entered willfully.!
2. Games have goals.!
3. Games have conflict.!
4. Games have rules.!
5. Games can be won and lost.!
6. Game are interactive.!
7. Games have challenge.!
8. Games can create their own endogenous value.
–Tracy Fullerton, Chris Swain, and Steven Hoffman
“A game is a closed, formal system, that engages players in structured conflict, and resolves in an
unequal outcome.”
Qualities of a game1. Games are entered willfully.!
2. Games have goals.!
3. Games have conflict.!
4. Games have rules.!
5. Games can be won and lost.!
6. Game are interactive.!
7. Games have challenge.!
8. Games can create their own endogenous value.!
9. Games engage players.!
10. Games are closed, formal systems.
Magic Circle
๏ Coined by Johan Huizinga.!
๏ Draws on endogenous value, but implies a lot more.!
๏ “In the game” we can have very different thoughts, feelings, and values than when we are “out of the game”.
Qualities of a game1. Games are entered willfully.!
2. Games have goals.!
3. Games have conflict.!
4. Games have rules.!
5. Games can be won and lost.!
6. Game are interactive.!
7. Games have challenge.!
8. Games can create their own endogenous value.!
9. Games engage players.!
10. Games are closed, formal systems.
Flow
What is a game made out of?
MDA Framework
๏ Mechanics - controls, rules of the game!
๏ Dynamics - behavior of the game, emergent gameplay!
๏ Aesthetics - emotional content, visuals, sounds, feels
Let’s try it out
MDA Framework - A better look
The Four Basic Elements - Elemental Tetrad
๏ Mechanics!๏ Story!๏ Aesthetics!๏ Technology
Theme
๏ When the elements of a game come together, you get a theme.!
๏ The more that each element contributes to the theme, it more memorable and stronger it becomes.!
๏ Themes and experiences are interwoven.
Examples of Themes
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Be an adventurerThe player may freely roam over the land of Skyrim, which is an open world environment consisting of wilderness expanses, dungeons, cities, towns and villages.
Cookie clicker
Hoard cookiesBake cookies by clicking on a giant cookie. Use the collected cookies to buy upgrades. Which will get you even more cookies, and more, and more...
Surgeon Simulator
Be a terrible surgeonYou're a surgeon and you gotta replace someones heart.. But you have no idea what you are doing..
Some themes aren’t as resonant as others
Destiny
Be the Guardian of the last safe city on Earth
Wield incredible power. Defend the city. Defeat our enemies. Reclaim all that we have lost.
Zeitgeist
๏ “Spirit of the time”!
๏ The intellectual fashion or dominant school of thought that typifies and influences the culture of a particular period in time.
Questions to ask yourself
๏ What is the experience I want players to have?!
๏ Am I using every means possible to reinforce that?
Today’s Tips
๏ Make a lot of games.!๏ Be prepared for criticism.!๏ Kill your darlings.!๏ Don’t stop learning.
tl;dr
๏ Designers make decisions about a game in order to create experiences.!
๏ There is a set of qualities that exist to some degree in all games.!
๏ Games are made up of different components - they all contribute to the theme and player experience of the game.
Some Game DevelopersWill Wright - Stupid Fun ClubStefano Corazza - Mixamo
Andrew Maul - Trade SecretKyle Brannon - Trade Secret
Scott Reismanis - DesuraNETGlennon Neubauer - Westwood College
Alex Neuse - Gaijin GamesZach Lehman - Emotional Robots
Charlie Cleveland - Unknown Worlds EntertainmentMarkus "Notch" Persson - Mojang
Dave Traeger - DesuraNETNiv Fisher - SpikySnail Games
Mark "Messhof" Essen - NidhoggThomas Grip - Frictional Games
David Helgason - Unity TechnologiesJoe Robins - Unity Technologies
Mircea Marghidanu - Unity Technologies Dan Adams - Unity Technologies
Chris Migleo - Unity Technologies
Robin Hunicke - thatgamecompanyMatt Rix - Magicule
Chris Hazard - Hazardous SoftwareMathieu Mazerolle - Autodesk
Caitlyn Meeks - Unity TechnologiesRichard Hogg - HohokumRicky Haggett - Honeyslug
Ryan Arndt - IGDAIan DiCarlo - Tellus
David Payne - TellusRod Humble - Linden Lab
Marc Mencher - Game RecruiterNateon Ajello - Mixamo
Michael Allar - Emotional RobotsJesse Schell - Schell Games
“In theory, there is no difference between practice and theory. But, in practice, there is.”
Next Time - Players