This document provides an overview of game design concepts and systems, including defining systems as interacting elements with a common goal, using charts to represent attributes of components in systems, different types of information structures that can influence player decision making, the roles of randomness and probability, and economic systems within games. Examples and tips are provided for implementing various systems and mechanics in game designs.
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3. Systems
A set of interacting elements that form an integrated
whole with a common goal or purpose.
Movement
Scoring
Combat
Examples
Economics
Artificial Intelligence
Multiplayer
5. System A, B, C’s
Components: game objects the
player can interact with
Attributes: qualities or
attributes that define the
physical or conceptual aspects
of components
Behaviors: potential actions
that a component might
perform in a a given state
6.
7. What Is A Chart?
A chart is a two-axis grid of information. Along the left
column is a list of components in your systems. In
each column are the attributes in your game.
This is the most useful tool a designer has for
designing a system.
Enemy Radius Normal
Speed
High Speed Damage Hit Points
Womp Rat 5 3 5 1 5
Vorpal
Bunny
10 10 20 2 8
Bug Bear 20 5 10 10 15
8. Literal Values
Literal values are the actual numeric qualities of an
object’s properties.
However, just because the numeric value of one object is
twice the numeric value of the other, that doesn’t
necessarily mean the object is twice as good! There may
be other factors involved.
Enemy Radius Normal
Speed
High Speed Damage Hit Points
Womp Rat 5 3 5 1 5
Vorpal
Bunny
10 10 20 2 8
Bug Bear 20 5 10 10 15
9. Relative Values
It may be difficult to quantify properties early on in the
design phase, so sometimes we use relative values
to express how things should relate to each other.
Enemy Radius Normal
Speed
High Speed Damage Hit Points
Womp Rat LOW LOW LOW LOW LOW
Vorpal
Bunny
MEDIUM HIGH HIGH LOW MEDIUM
Bug Bear HIGH MEDIUM MEDIUM HIGH HIIGH
10. Pro Tips
Make separate charts for each system.
Make separate charts for each rule in the system.
Make charts to compare two or more properties
you are trying to balance.
11.
12. State Machine
The more attributes and behaviors a component
has, the less predictable its actions are.
14. Information Structure
For players to make choices about how to proceed in
a game, they need information about the state of the
game objects and their current relationships to each
other.
How information is structured in a game has a large
influence on how players come to their decisions.
15. Open Information
An open structure
emphasizes player
knowledge and gives full
disclosure on the game
state. It will generally
allow for more calculation-
based strategy.
16. Hidden Information
A hidden information
structure does not reveal
certain data to players
about their opponents.
Players do not receive
certain data about their
opponent and allows for
strategy based on social
cues and deception or
bluffing.
17. Open and Hidden Information
Many games have a mix of open
and hidden information.
The amount of information that
players receive about their
opponents’ states often changes
during the course of the game.
This provides an ever-shifting
balance between strategy based
on knowledge and strategy based
on cunning and deceit.
18. Indirect Control
Some games, like SimCity, do not
allow players direct control over
many game components.
The player can change certain
game attributes to see what
impact that has on the behavior of
game components not under their
direct control.
32. Pro Tips
Use randomness to give players
excitement, challenge, and opportunities to
take interesting risks.
Don’t use so much that gives players
feelings of hopelessness and lack of
control.
When in doubt, ask a math geek for help
with probability.
33.
34. Economics
Many games allow for the exchange of resources
(money, gold, raw materials, manufactured goods,
property) either within the system (such as with
Monopoly) or among players (such as in World of
Warcraft).
Faucets: Ways To Earn Money
Sinks: Ways To Spend Money
36. 1. Download GD1 5 Resources from the
LAFS GD1 website Session 5 page
2. Create a Lemonade Stand game
Editor's Notes
There are three categories of rules, all important to a successful play experience:
Setup involves things you do once at the beginning of a game
Progression entails what happens during a game
Resolution indicates the conditions that cause the game to end and how an outcome is determined based on the game state.
Mechanics are a collection of rules that form a discrete chunk of gameplay.
Systems are collections of mechanics that make up the biggest chunks of the game.
Objects with no relationships between them is a collection, not a system
Relationships can be fixed and linear, or loose, interacting with them based on proximity or other variables
Relationships can be determined based on rule sets or chance
Changes in relationships can be introduced based on choices made by the player
How Did He Get Involved With Computers: His mom bought a computer for him, and he studied computing at Louisiana Tech. He also programmed robots for fun.
Never graduated from college.
First Game: Raid on Bungling Bay Game. Economic simulator behind it. Didn’t sell well in US due to piracy.
Sim City: Broderbund didn’t like that there wasn’t a win/lose. Formed his own company, Maxis. Once Broderbund saw finished version, they wanted to publish it. Big hit with critics and gamers. Women make up 35% of players. Part of the appeal was isometric graphics. Strategy game about topic everyone knows about. Aims are protect the environment.
Sim Earth a disappointment (220 page manual), but overall line does well. EA buys Maxis.
The Sims came about because Wright wanted to do a game about the people in Sim City. EA wasn’t enthusiastic about the concept. By June top-selling PC games of 2000. Game becomes tool of expression, where people can act out what happens in their daily lives.
Design approach: Spends a lot of time in the design phase.
Sims: Best-selling PC Game of All time.