Tankwar ­Tabletop war gaming in augmented reality Trond Nilsen, Julian Looser HIT Lab NZ / Department of Computer Science & Software Engineering University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand [trond.nilsen,julian.looser]@hitlabnz.org

Introduction Table top games Social Diverse physical interactions Limited in complexity Limited meta-game support Computer games Complex – AI, Simulations Rich visualization and content Mediated social interaction Narrow interaction (mouse, keyboard, game pad) As a merging of virtual and real, augmented reality may allow the development of games that possess the best characteristics of both.

Table top games

Social

Diverse physical interactions

Limited in complexity

Limited meta-game support

Computer games

Complex – AI, Simulations

Rich visualization and content

Mediated social interaction

Narrow interaction (mouse, keyboard, game pad)

As a merging of virtual and real, augmented reality may allow the development of games that possess the best characteristics of both.

Engagement model Based on Stapleton’s Mixed Fantasy Four ways in which players become engaged in games Mental Physical Social Emotional To engage players in each of these ways, we must consider our game’s design in different ways.

Based on Stapleton’s Mixed Fantasy

Four ways in which players become engaged in games

Mental

Physical

Social

Emotional

To engage players in each of these ways, we must consider our game’s design in different ways.

Our Approach Game design Iterative – design, play and evaluate, repeat. Play testing with gamers. The ‘Art’ of game design. Distributed game architecture To support various player / spectator roles, different interfaces are required. AR – Primary player interface (AR lens, paddle interactions) PDA – auxiliary player interface Projection screen – spectator interface Video See Through AR AR-Toolkit Players wear HMDs – their view of the world is mediated Lens-based Interaction See-through selection tool attached to game pad. Focus / Context visualization

Game design

Iterative – design, play and evaluate, repeat.

Play testing with gamers.

The ‘Art’ of game design.

Distributed game architecture

To support various player / spectator roles, different interfaces are required.

AR – Primary player interface (AR lens, paddle interactions)

PDA – auxiliary player interface

Projection screen – spectator interface

Video See Through AR

AR-Toolkit

Players wear HMDs – their view of the world is mediated

Lens-based Interaction

See-through selection tool attached to game pad.

Focus / Context visualization

AR Tankwar – Game Design Real time strategy Players control armies of tanks, artillery and helicopters, attempting to complete mission objectives similar to PC real time strategy games, either competitively or collaboratively. Slow – Speed is adjustable, but default is quite slow Compromise between turn-based tabletop games and rapid PC games Allows ample time for consideration, discussion and interaction (AR interaction is still comparatively slow Non-scrollable 3D landscape If players can scroll the landscape, they are no longer visualizing in the same context, thus some social cues (pointing, gaze) Collaboration aids View frustums – gaze Partial transparencies – see own hands Immersive perspectives

Real time strategy

Players control armies of tanks, artillery and helicopters, attempting to complete mission objectives similar to PC real time strategy games, either competitively or collaboratively.

Slow – Speed is adjustable, but default is quite slow

Compromise between turn-based tabletop games and rapid PC games

Allows ample time for consideration, discussion and interaction (AR interaction is still comparatively slow

Non-scrollable 3D landscape

If players can scroll the landscape, they are no longer visualizing in the same context, thus some social cues (pointing, gaze)

Collaboration aids

View frustums – gaze

Partial transparencies – see own hands

Immersive perspectives

AR Tankwar – Screenshots

AR Tankwar – Screenshots

AR Tankwar – Screenshots

Evaluation - Difficulties Games are hard to evaluate objectively Objective measures do not easily characterize player enjoyment Possibility space is huge, so game design decisions have large impact Games exhibit emergence – the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Thus, decomposition into laboratory tasks is deficient Novelty confounds Observational results Typical problems with AR remain Social interaction is constrained by players wearing HMDs Interaction metaphors not mature Communication between players is observed to be greater Players engage in banter, issue threats, and discuss strategy to a greater degree than in PC games (to be verified empirically) To our surprise, players find the user interface easy to use. Comparative ‘ethnographic’ study to come.

Games are hard to evaluate objectively

Objective measures do not easily characterize player enjoyment

Possibility space is huge, so game design decisions have large impact

Games exhibit emergence – the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Thus, decomposition into laboratory tasks is deficient

Novelty confounds

Observational results

Typical problems with AR remain

Social interaction is constrained by players wearing HMDs

Interaction metaphors not mature

Communication between players is observed to be greater

Players engage in banter, issue threats, and discuss strategy to a greater degree than in PC games (to be verified empirically)

To our surprise, players find the user interface easy to use.

Comparative ‘ethnographic’ study to come.

Future Work Evaluations – as described Re-implementation / enhancement Iterative design New features Exhibition at GenCon 2005. Development of game design guidelines for design of AR table top games. Experimental examination of social communication through HMDs

Evaluations – as described

Re-implementation / enhancement

Iterative design

New features

Exhibition at GenCon 2005.

Development of game design guidelines for design of AR table top games.

Experimental examination of social communication through HMDs

Questions? Contact: xorg@acm.org

Questions?

Contact: xorg@acm.org