This chapter introduces key concepts and terms in game design, including mechanics, gameplay, player and designer models, goals and objectives. It discusses how games exist within a frame that provides context for player choices and consequences. The chapter also covers systems design approaches, the role of feedback and constraints, and how games can be designed for different audiences and their motivations for playing.

1. Chapter 2.2
Game Design

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Overview
 This introduction covers:
– Terms
– Concepts
– Approach
 All from a workaday viewpoint

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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

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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.