gamedesign

GameDesignProcessGettingContentIdeaforaGame•Mostgamesbeginwithasingleidea•Ideacanrevolvearound•Acharacter[JamesBond]•Gameplay/genre[AtwitchFPS,aRTSgame,…]•Asport[Football,Baseball,Snowboarding,…]•Astory/quest/goal[Atime-traveladventure]•Anewtechnology[Motioncaptureofprobasketballplayers]•Ideamaybeoriginal,old,orhybrid•TheSims,Civilization,…Inspiration•Makeagameaboutastoryyou’vewritten•Mixexistingideasfromothergames•Stealideas(butnotcharacters)fromothermedia:books,movies,comics,...•Marketresearch:surveys,focusgroups,…•Takeacurrentideaanddoitbetter:•Bettertechnology-graphics,sound,AI,...•Betterstory•Differentenvironment•Brainstorm,throwoutlotsofideasSidMeier“Ifinditdangeroustothinkintermsofgenrefirstandthentopic.Like,say,‘Iwanttodoareal-timestrategygame.OK.What’sacooltopic?’Ithink,formeatleast,it’smoreinterestingtosay,‘Iwanttodoagameaboutrailroads.OK,nowwhat’sthemostinterestingwaytobringthattolife?Isitinreal-time,orisitturn-based,orisitfirst-person,…’”ErnestAdam’sViewonGameDesign•Computergamesexisttofulfilldreams•Dreamadream.Thenthinkofwhatitwouldbeliketoliveit•DreamofBeingSomeoneElse•PresidentoftheUnitedStates•AMovieDirector•AnOlympicSkater•ARockClimber•TheWorld’sGreatestProgrammer•AUniversityProfessor•Notallgamesfitthis…Interactivityistheraisond’êtreofComputerGames•Ask“Whatistheplayergoingtodo?”•Thisquestioncomesbeforeallothers•Donotgetsidetrackedwithstory,character,coremechanics,artwork,orANYTHINGelseuntilyouknowtheanswertothisquestionInside-OutApproach•DON’Tbeginatthebeginning.Begininside&workout•Startwiththeprimarygameplaymode•Definethatmode,thenmoveontoothers•Player’srole•Interactionmodel•Perspective•Setting•Challengestheplayerconfronts•Mechanicsthatcreatethosechallenges•Actionstheplayertakestoovercomethem•Createsupportingmateriallater•Itisalwayseasiertofixthestory,UI,etc.thantofixanuninterestingorunplayablegame.ThePlayer’sRole•Whoistheplayertryingtobe?•Criticalforrepresentational/realisticgames•Insinglegamemayhavemultipleroles/multiplemodes•Football–manager,coach,player•Ifyoucan’tdescribeitclearly,itwillbeconfusingfortheplayerInteractionModel•Asanavatar•Asinglecharacterorobjectthatrepresentstheplay•Player’sactionsarelimitedtotheavatar’slocation•Omnipresence(butnotnecessarilyomniscience)•Playercanactinmanyorallplacesintheworld•Chessisanobviousexample•Notomniscience:e.g.,fogofwarPerspectives•First-person•Doom,Quake,…•Third-person•TombRaider•Sidescrolling•Sonic•Aerial–isometric/top-down•Isometric:Starcraft,Football•Topdown:TotalAnnihilation•Contextsensitive•ResidentEvilExampleofMultipleGameModes•DungeonKeeper•Management–isometric,omnipresent,strategic•Mapmode–top-down,omnipresent,fewactions•Possession–first-person,avatar,tactical•Soccer•Management-FIFA•Playcalling–isometric,omnipresent,strategic•Playexecution–isometric/first-person,avatar,tactical•SidMeier’sPirates!•Sea/isladmap:isometric,omnipresent,strategic•Citymap:topdown,omnipresent,stealth•Duel/Dance:firstperson,avatar,tacticalGameStructure•Therelationshipbetweenmodes•Someenteredbyexplicitchoice•Someenteredaspartofnaturalprogression•Statediagram:GameSettingDimensions•Physical•Temporal•Environmental•Emotional•Ethical•“Realism”(Abstractvs.Representational)ThePhysicalDimension•Dimensionality•2-D,3-D,4-D(multiple3-Dspaces)•Don’tchoose3-Djustbecauseitiscool!•Scale•Howbigistheworld?•Howbigarethingsrelativetoeachother?•Boundaries•Whathappensattheedgeoftheworld?•Doesitharmsuspensionofdisbelief?TheTemporalDimension•Istimemeaningful?•Doesthepassageoftimeitselfchangethegame?•Canbemerelycosmetic•Realtimeorturnbased?•Variabletime•InTheSims,timespeedsupwhilepeoplesleep•Anomaloustime•Timegoesfasterforsomethingsthanothers•Cantheplayeradjusttime?•OftenseeninflightsimulatorsandRTSgamesTheEnvironmentalDimension•Culturalcontext,intheanthropologicalsense•Beliefs,attitudes,values,socialsystems,familystructure,keyceremoniesandrituals,history•Physicalsurroundings•Landscape,flora,fauna,weather,manmadeitems:buildings,vehicles,clothing,weaponry,furniture,art•Levelofdetail•Whatcantheplayersee?Whatcantheplayertouch?•GraphicalStyle•Styleofthesetting,butalsostyleofyourdepictionTheEmotionalDimension•Emotionsofcharacterswithinthegame•Emotionsyouhopetoinspireintheplayer•Mostgamesarenotemotionallysubtle•Emotionslimitedto“Yahoo!”and“Damn!”•Considerothers:•Jealousy,grief,anger,greed,disdain•Howwillyouinspiretheseemotions?TheEthicalDimension•Inpassiveentertainment,viewerbringtheirownethicalsystemtothework•Ininteractiveentertainment,wegivethemone•Thevictoryconditiondefineswhatis“good”•Playersmustconformtoourmoralitytowin•Gamesgetintotroubleundertwoconditions:•AgameishighlyrepresentationaloftherealworldAND•Itsethicsarehighlydisjointfromtherealworld•ItisOKtokillaliensandrobotsrealistically•ItisOKtokillpeopleunrealistically•but…TypesofChallenges•PhysicalChallenges•Speedandreactiontime(twitchgames)•Accuracyandprecision(steeringandshooting)•Timingandrhythm(dancegames)•Learningspecialmoves(fightinggames)•Races–achievingsomethingfirst•Logicalchallenges(puzzles)•Shouldbebasedonanunderlyingprinci