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Introduction to Cognition and Gaming

Introduction to Cognition and Gaming. 10/14/02: Role Playing Games. Role Playing Games are…. Games of pretend – with rules Cooperative, quantitative(??) storytelling. Types of Games/Players.

sydney-ayers
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Introduction to Cognition and Gaming

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  1. Introduction to Cognition and Gaming • 10/14/02: Role Playing Games

  2. Role Playing Games are… • Games of pretend – with rules • Cooperative, quantitative(??) storytelling

  3. Types of Games/Players • Dramatist: The style which values how well the in-game action creates a satisfying storyline. Different kinds of stories may be viewed as satisfying, depending on individual tastes, varying from fanciful pulp action to believable character drama. It is the end result of the story which is important.

  4. Types of Games/Players • Gamist: The style which values setting up a fair challenge for the players (as opposed to the PC's). The challenges may be tactical combat, intellectual mysteries, politics, or anything else. The players will try to solve the problems they are presented with, and in turn the GM will make these challenges solvable if they act intelligently within the contract.

  5. Types of Games/Players • Simulationist: The style which values resolving in-game events based solely on game-world considerations, without allowing any meta-game concerns to affect the decision. Thus, a fully simulationist GM will not fudge results to save PC's or to save her plot, or even change facts unknown to the players. Such a GM may use meta-game considerations to decide meta-game issues like who is playing which character, whether to play out a conversation word for word, and so forth, but she will resolve actual in-game events based on what would "really" happen.

  6. The Negative Stereotypes • Dramatism: Ham actors playing through arty nonsense • Gamism: Munchkins who want to beat the GM • Simulationism: Rules-lawyers who argue over minutiae

  7. A Good GM… • Adjudicates rules • Facilitates gameplay • Mediates arguments • Creates interesting plots and stories • Instantiates the game world

  8. A Bad GM… • Doesn’t listen to his/her players • Doesn’t adapt the storyline when necessary • Makes arbitrary decisions • Plays favorites • Only runs the game reactively • Refuses to kill off characters

  9. Making good PCs • MARKET-PC, by Rich Staats, Ph.D.

  10. Motivation • Players need to care about something • Opportunities when motivations conflict • Beware cardboard characters!

  11. Appeal • Interest and Identification • How much is the PC like the player?

  12. Rounded • Depth of skills • Applicability in the game world • Things you are comfortable with

  13. Key Aspect • What makes your style different? • What are you really proud of? • Plot hooks!

  14. Expandability • Advance in skill and power • Acquire wealth and titles • Very important in a long-term campaign

  15. Team • Find your niche • Everyone needs to be the hero sometimes • GMs should encourage team play through design

  16. Participate • Beware Frustrated Author Syndrome! • Be flexible • Cooperative effort • Encourage interaction

  17. Conflict • Don’t have conflict for conflict’s sake • Make it interesting for the players • Competing goals (internal) • Competing challenges (external)

  18. Putting the team together • Willing suspension of disbelief • DECEIPT

  19. Desire • If player is not happy with their character, they will not have fun playing

  20. Equilibrium • Often overlooked • Not a good idea to have an assassin and a paladin in the same party

  21. Challenge • Don’t send demi-god characters after a handful of goblins • Players should have adequate mix of skills that complement each other

  22. Expandability • As before, but with group holdings

  23. Interaction • This is a game, after all! • Ladyhawk would make a bad role playing session

  24. Plausibility • Does the PCs/group make sense in the light of the game world? • PC presence should not unravel the campaign

  25. Total • Group should be well balanced • Everybody should be unique • A little bit of redundancy is good

  26. Setting • Present-day Earth-Conspiracy X-White Wolf (Werewolf, Mage, Vampire) • Fantasy-Dungeons and Dragons-Chivalry and Sorcery-Earthdawn-Ars Magica-Exalted

  27. Setting • Future-Shadowrun-Paranoia-Underground • “Custom”-Fuzion-GURPS

  28. Ψ Prox Me Us Them

  29. IGDA meeting! • 7PM @ The Larkin Restaurant (upstairs) • 199 Lark Street Albany ,NY 12210 518-463-5225 • http://www.the-larkin.com • Moderated Discussion: I Don’t Know What You Did This Summer – A discussion on summer internships and industry happenings

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