By killing the Prince, the player can choose from a variety of rewards that satisfy different motivations and provide progression within the game. Specifically, the rewards should relate directly to gameplay and mastery, allow for more autonomy and choice, and foster relatedness through reputation or new social opportunities. This helps engage players intrinsically by satisfying their needs for competence, autonomy, and social connection.

1. KILL THE PRINCE
ADDRESSING PLAYER MOTIVATIONS
Justin
ACHILLI

2. JUSTIN ACHILLI
• Started
at
White
Wolf
in
1995
• Le3
and
came
back
a
bunch
of
9mes
• Now
at
Red
Storm
(Ubiso3)
• Freelancing
for
Onyx
Path
Publishing
• Vampire:
The
Masquerade
• Vampire:
The
Requiem
• WOD
MMO
• Assassin’s
Creed:
Revela0ons
• Social
games
on
Facebook
• Unannounced
AAA
project
INTRODUCTION
WHO THE HELL IS THIS DUDE?

3. KILL THE PRINCE and you can choose your reward
SHITLOADS
of
Dracula
POINTS
Why Do We Play Games?
What About Games is Rewarding?

4. PART 1
MOTIVATION and reward

5. TYPES OF MOTIVATION
EXTRINSIC INTRINSIC
• Because
someone
• For
its
own
sake.
else
told
me
to
do
• Because
it’s
fun.
it.
• To
learn.
• Because
you’ll
kick
my
ass
if
I
don’t.
• Because
it
contributes
to
my
• Because
I’ll
get
image
of
myself.
something
for
it.
Motivation and Reward
WHY DO Players DO WHAT THEY DO?

6. TYPES OF REWARD
EXOGENOUS ENDOGENOUS
• Unrelated
to
the
• Directly
related
to
the
ac9vity.
ac9vity.
• Ex.:
Eat
this
weird
• Can
make
you
be3er
sandwich
I
found
in
at
the
ac9vity.
the
garbage
and
you
• Ex.:
Buy
one
book,
get
can
have
a
book.
another
book
free.
• Ex.:
Shoot
an
alien
and
• Ex.:
Kill
the
vampire
you
can
have
some
Prince
and
you
can
points.
have
some
vampire
powers.
Motivation and Reward
WHY DO Players DO WHAT THEY DO?

7. Rewards: Trigger and Frequency
Trigger
Interval:
A
length
of
9me
The
human
mind
is
hard-­‐wired
Ra0o:
An
ac9vity
or
ac9on
to
enjoy
surprise.
Frequency
Fixed:
Consistent
In
video
games,
a
variable
ra9o
reward
scheme
is
the
most
Variable:
Occurring
at
effec9ve
combina9on
for
long-­‐
different
9mes
term
reten9on.
Trigger
+
Frequency
=
Reward
Motivation and Reward
WHY DO Players DO WHAT THEY DO?

8. THEREFORE
(motivation)(reward)
= how much the player cares
Motivation and Reward
WHY DO Players DO WHAT THEY DO?

9. PART 2
Motivation In Play

10. motivations inform the game experience
MASTERY AUTONOMY RELATEDNESS
Overcoming
challenge
Ownership
of
fate
Recogni9on
of
Competence
Voli9on
Accomplishment
“Flow”
Agency
Context
Comparison
Motivation in play
WHAT DOES A PLAYER Need?

11. Mastery
• Controls
and
HCI
• Game
systems
• An
understanding
of
how
to
effect
change
in
the
game
space
• Difficulty
of
overcoming
challenges
“I’ll
use
a
monofilament
katana
to
kill
the
Prince
and
protect
myself
from
his
blood
rockets
with
my
armor-­‐plated
trenchcoat
that’s
also
warded
against
Thaumaturgy.
Then
I’ll
go
Crinos.”
Motivation in play
WHAT DOES A PLAYER Need?

12. AUTONOMY
• Freedom
to
explore
• Not
just
geography,
but
also
conceptual
constructs
and
system
combina9ons
• Sect
and
clan
dynamics,
Traits,
the
Tradi9ons,
Discipline
permuta9ons,
etc.
• Se^ng
one’s
own
goals
• Choosing
who
and
what
to
interact
with,
as
well
as
how
“Once
I’ve
killed
the
Prince,
shall
I
become
the
next
despot
in
his
stead?
Should
I
tear
down
the
reminders
of
his
tyranny?
Might
I
even
cede
the
domain
to
the
Sabbat?”
Motivation in play
WHAT DOES A PLAYER Need?

13. RELATEDNESS
• The
presence
of
other
people;
a
shared
experience
• Coopera9on
and/
or
compe99on
• A
sense
of
cause
and
effect
• Apprecia9on
for
what
the
player
has
done
• Reputa9on
“Do
you
know
who
I
am?
I’m
the
motherfucker
who
killed
the
Prince!
<guitar
solo>.”
Motivation in play
WHAT DOES A PLAYER Need?

14. Flow: ChAllenge Difficulty
Flow
is
a
state
of
cosmic
awesome.
Too
Hard
(frustra9on,
anxiety)
• Being
in
the
zone,
finding
the
Muse,
“at
one
with
the
Challenge
Difficulty
universe,”
etc.
• Immersion
in
the
challenge
and
the
environment.
• The
op9mal
manifest
of
Too
Easy
(boredom,
apathy)
player
capability
and
challenge
posed.
Time
and
Player
Skill
(Character
Competency)
Motivation in play
WHAT DOES A PLAYER Need?

15. PART 3
Framing the Result

16. Name Your Reward
• Came
from
playing
the
game.
• Only
marginally
related
to
playing
the
game.
• Have
lidle
real
meaning
in
the
context
of
the
game.
SHITLOADS
• Suggest
rather
than
demonstrate
mastery.
• Minimal
relatedness
to
the
game
world.
of
• Offer
an
unrelated
sense
of
progression.
Dracula
• Infinitely
repeatable…
POINTS
…but
why
bother?
Framing the Result
Satisfying the Needs

17. Name Your Reward
• Came
from
playing
the
game.
• Relates
to
playing
the
game.
• Has
meaning
in
the
context
of
the
game.
• Points
back
into
the
game.
• Makes
the
player
beder
at
the
ac9vity
that
generated
it.
• New
avenue
of
mastery.
• More
opportuni9es
for
autonomy.
• Establishes
new
relatedness
to
the
game
world.
• Indicate
numerous
elements
of
progression.
Framing the Result
Satisfying the Needs

18. Progression
Specific
rewards
suit
a
wide
variety
of
players.
• Narra9ve
progression
• Character/
cumula9ve
progression
• Feature
progression
• Compe99ve
progression
• Social
progression
Without
some
element
of
progression,
the
story
of
the
character
is
nonexistent.
Framing the Result
Satisfying the Needs

19. PART 4
Practical Application

20. Your Friend, the Core Loop
Loops
are
flexible
Objective
• Loop
your
loops
• Short-­‐,
medium-­‐,
and
long-­‐term
• Account
for
player
mo9va9ons
• Individual
and
collec9ve
• Scale
challenge
difficul9es
result
challenge
• Results
include
rewards
• Vary
results
and
rewards
Practical Application
Understanding Your Chronicle

21. Short-Term Loop: Killing the Prince
Discover the nature of the
enemy
Who are these vampires
kicking our asses? The
Information, XP
Prince’s Flunkies! Outrun or
overcome.
Practical Application
Understanding Your Chronicle

22. Medium-Term Loop: Killing the Prince
Find the Prince’s
vulnerability
Information, Catalog the Prince’s
Leverage, XP
transgressions
Practical Application
Understanding Your Chronicle

23. Long-Term Loop: Killing the Prince
Settle the vendetta
Vengeance,
Reputation, Kill the Prince
Opportunity, XP
Practical Application
Understanding Your Chronicle

24. Nested Loops: Not Just for Programmers
Any
number
of
short-­‐term
loops
Any
number
of
medium-­‐
term
loops
Any
number
of
long-­‐term
loops
Practical Application
Understanding Your Chronicle

25. Rewards: When and What?
• Vary
reward
triggers
and
frequency.
• Interval
and
ra9o
• Fixed
and
variable
• Vary
rewards
by
mo9va9on
(intrinsic
&
extrinsic).
• Vary
rewards
by
progression
type.
• An9cipate
a
great
deal
of
narra9ve
progression
in
a
storytelling
game.
• The
humble
Experience
Point
is
a
marvelous
reward
in
almost
every
case.
• Find
your
troupe’s
sweet
spot.
Practical Application
Understanding Your Chronicle

26. Contact+ References
PENS
model:
hdp://www.immersyve.com/
Csikszentmihalyi’s
Theory
of
Flow:
hdp://www.psychologytoday.com/ar9cles/199707/finding-­‐flow
Endogenous
Rewards:
hdp://chrishecker.com/Achievements_Considered_Harmful%3F
Koster’s
Theory
of
Fun
(Learning
as
a
Reward):
hdp://www.theoryoffun.com/
f
facebook.com/jus0n.achilli
t
@jachilli
www.jus0nachilli.com
GO Further
Contact + References

27. thank you