2. CS 4455 2
Overview
This introduction covers:
– Terms
– Concepts
– Approach
All from a workaday viewpoint
3. CS 4455 3
The Language of Games
Debate continues over high-level views
Lack of standard (concrete) definitions
– Game (Interactions to elicit emotions?)
– Play (Object of rule-bound play?)
– Aesthetics (Emotional responses during play?)
High-level concepts tricky to articulate
4. CS 4455 4
The Language of Games
Why do we play?
What is the nature of games?
– Not our focus in this class
How is a game formed of parts?
– That’s what we care about here!
Computer games are an art form
– The art of making interactive dynamic models!
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Games Exist in a Frame
The border of a game’s context
– Inside the frame is in the game
– Outside the frame is real life
The world of the interactive dynamic model
Choices have outcomes in the frame
– Varying consequences/weights
– Meaningful choices!
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A Player-Game Model
A model of the player – game relationship
Mechanics Interface System
PLAYER GAME
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Play Mechanics
Gameplay
– Feelings of playing a particular game
– Activities engaged in a particular game
(Play/game) Mechanics
– Specific to game activities
– “What the player does”
– “Core Mechanics” are the central activities
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Seven Stages of Action
(Don Norman, DOET)
Execution
– Intention to act
– Sequence of action
– Execution of action
sequence
Evaluation
– Evaluating
interpretations
– Interpreting perceptions
– Perceiving states
Perceiving
states
Interpreting
perceptions
Evaluating
interpretations
Execution of
action sequence
Sequence of
action
Intention
to act
Goals
THE GAME
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Designer and Player Models
Systems are built from designer mental models
– Design models may only anticipate player goals
Players build mental models from mechanics
– Based on interactions
Designer User
User's
Model
Design
Model
System Image
System
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Goals and Objectives
Objectives and goals can differ
– Players goals reflect their understanding of the game
– Designers must consider how the game communicates
with players
Designer User
System
Find sword
Kill dragon
Rescue princess
Find sword
Rescue dragon
Kill princess
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Aside: Resources
Things used by agents to reach goals
To be meaningful, they must be…
– Useful – provide some value
– Limited – in total or rate of supply
KEY: Needed, but limited!
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Premise Sets Context for Model
The metaphors of action and setting
– Concrete (e.g., Halo back-story)
– Activity based (e.g., Madden)
– Abstract (e.g., Tetris)
Directs the player experience
– Provides a context in which mechanics fit
– Players map game states to the premise
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Player Strategy
People usually reason with commonsense
– A view of linear causation – cause and effect
Complex systems do not behave linearly
– Players need information to support linear strategy
“Game theory” assumes rational players
– But does not assume perfect knowledge
Situation Result
Action
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Aside: HCI and
Cognitive Ergonomics
HCI – Human-Computer Interaction
– Study of…
• Communication between users and computers
• How people design, build, and use interfaces
• Better support for cooperative work
Cognitive Ergonomics
– Analyzes the cognitive representations and
processes involved with performing tasks
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Norman, again (DOET = Design
of Everyday Things)
Norman’s five principles of design
– Visibility
• Making the parts visible
– Mappings
• Understandable relationships between controls and actions
– Affordances
• The perceived uses of an object
– Constraints
• Prevent the user from doing things they shouldn’t
– Feedback
• Reporting what has been done and accomplished
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Systems Design
Two general approaches to design
– Special case
• Experiences built one scene/level at a time
• Anticipate states while pre-scripting events
• Solved by discovering the intentions of the designer
– Systemic
• General behaviors are designed
• Scenes/Levels are specific configurations
• Some events may still be pre-scripted
• Solved by understanding the system
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Systems and Dynamics
Generalizing dynamic behavior is hard
– Dynamics determined by a given architecture
– Feedback/control loops with player in loop
Emergent complexity
– Behaviors that cannot be predicted simply from
the rules of a system
– E.g., John Conway’s Game of Life
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Systems and Feedback
Negative feedback
– Stabilizes the game
– Forgives the loser
– Prolongs the game
– Magnifies late successes
Positive feedback
– Destabilizes the game
– Rewards the winner
– Can end the game
– Magnifies early successes
Positive Feedback Negative Feedback
goal
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Design is all about Working within
Constraints!
E.g., Platform
– General description of hardware and software
E.g., Game Saves
– Save triggers
– Save-anywhere
– Save points
– Coded text saves
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Design to Different Audiences
Why We Play Games – Nicole Lazzaro
– Internal experience
• Enjoyment from visceral activities
– Hard fun
• Challenge of strategy and problem solving
– Easy fun
• Intrigue and curiosity – exploration and adventure
– Social experience
• Stimulating social faculties – competition, teamwork, bonding, and
recognition
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Rest of Chapter
Creativity Section: Brainstorming
– Generating ideas without discrimination
– Evaluation after elaboration
– Can be unfocused
Communication and Psychology
– Useful tidbits
– Lots of courses, books, etc.
