Think Game Play!

http://blog.codedread.com/archives/2006/02/12/gdc-2006-advanced-prototyping/

http://www.gamasutra.com/gdc2007/index.php?id=13016

Production CycleConcept designPrototyping (Pre-production)Production

Art conceptStoryboardingWritingLevel designModeling and animationProgramming, behavior and toolsPlaytestingRevisions

Post production

Outside Source: Chapter 5 (Working with System Dynamics)

External Resources: Chapter 7 and 8 (Rollings and Adams)

is an assemblage of entities/objects, real or abstract, comprising a whole with each and

every component/element interacting or related to another one.

Games are SystemsObjectsPropertiesBehaviors

Actions that an object can takeRelationships:

Using Rules, e.g. Damage, Hit Points, ArmorUsing Behaviors, e.g. Sims: character

relationship with objects are based on their needs

Transitive RelationshipsIn game terms: you need B to get to C.Example: you cannot fight the last boss in the

game without accumulating strength through fighting smaller bosses or enemies

Elements of Transitive RelationshipsTiming is important, controlled through your

design: e.g. in FPS: you can control timing and pacing through XP, weapon strength, HP in the level

Challenge vs. Frustration

Setup the objects, properties, behaviors, and relationships to create a balanced GamePlay

Ways to establish balanceManipulating numbersIntroducing chanceManipulating rulesUse trade-off matrixEncoding the game as another balanced

game, e.g. Rock, Paper, Scissors

Avoid Dominant StrategiesAre strategies that gives you a

win no matter what.E.g.

Any game Examples?

Wife Birthday Not Wife’s Birthday

Buy Flowers 10 20

Don’t Buy Flowers

-100 0

Outside Source: Chapter 6 (Prototyping)

(most of this part of the lecture is taken from DIGRA Game Design Workshop primarily done by

Tracy Fullerton)

Physical Prototyping

Physical Prototyping

Modeling the Premise & System

Benefits of Physical Prototyping

• Allows process to focus on game play, not technology.

• Allows more design time, more iterations.

• Allows real-time response to feedback.

• Allows non-technical team members to participate at a high level in design process.

• Allows broader and deeper experimentation.

Dramatic Elements

Dynamic System

FormalElement

s

Rules,Procedure

s,Mechanics

,etc.

Formal ElementsPlayersObjectivesRulesProceduresResourcesBoundariesOutcome

How is the interaction

between the players

organized?

What goals structure the

play?

What rules guide or limit the players’

actions?

How does the play proceed?

What resources are available to players to

accomplish their goals?

How will it end?

Dramatic ElementsPremiseCharacterStoryChallengePlay

Additional MaterialsChris Hecker

http://chrishecker.com/Homepage (lectures, notes)

Chaim Gingold http://www.slackworks.com/~cog/ (lectures, ideas)

Johnathan Blow http://number-none.com/blow/index.html (demos of prototypes, papers, lectures, ideas)

To Do for Oct 10/16Paper Prototype or other kinds of prototypesPlaytesting Report (3 sessions at least), schedule with

Ai Presentation for each group showing:

Paper prototypeNotes from playtestingPlease plan for 7 minute presentation – I will cut you off

if you go longerPresentations are on 10/16 and 10/23, I decide when u goSend presentations by email Monday 10/15 11:59 or

beforeOutcome of presentation: feedback and blog reportsEach student will blog on the presentations they saw,

please use formal and dramatic elements or MDA framework for your analysis. This is graded (see syllabus)