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Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay

Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?. Randy Smith rsmith@ionstorm.com. Harvey Smith witchboy@gmail.com. rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com. Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay

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Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay

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  1. Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent GameplayWould the Real EmergentGameplay Please Stand Up? Randy Smith rsmith@ionstorm.com Harvey Smith witchboy@gmail.com rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  2. Intro • Harvey Smith—Deus Ex/Invisible War • Randy Smith—Thief 1/2/3 • Ion Storm aesthetic goals • Improvisational (player-authored) gameplay • Benefits from large gameplay possibility space • Emergence provides more explorable space rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  3. Our Topic • How to Add Meaningful Emergence to Video Games • Topics that have been covered elsewhere: • History of Emergence • Emergence and Narrative • Emergence and Uncertainty • Benefits and Costs/Risks of Emergence rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  4. Focus • Less Theoretical, More Practical • Related to modern game system design • Skewed toward large-scale action games • Emergence within a game system context • No player psychology, social influence, etc. • Focus on the system space of game • Power-ups, Weapons, Tools, Monsters rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  5. Disclaimers • Emergent gameplay isn't necessary to design good games • No holy wars, despite the provocative title of the presentation rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  6. Takeaway • A practical approach to creating meaningful emergence in your own game designs. • You are a game designer • You design game systems • You want to focus on emergent gameplay • How do you accomplish this? rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  7. Outline • Preamble • Intro to Emergence • Creating Emergence • Creating Mechanics that result in emergent game dynamics • Qualifying Emergence • Creating emergent gameplay that results in meaningful game aesthetics • Wrapping Up • Q & A rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  8. I – Intro to Emergence • Definitions • Vocabulary • Examples rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  9. A Typical Real-World Definition • A discernable, higher-level behavior of a system which is not immediately obvious by looking at the low-level rules that govern the system’s behavior. • …let’s look at an example of real-world emergence rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  10. Global Warming rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  11. Global Warming rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  12. Global Warming rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  13. Global Warming rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  14. Global Warming rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  15. MDA Framework • A rules-oriented approach to game design • Mechanics—The rules of the game • Dynamics—Real-time rules interactions • Aesthetics—Human emotional responses rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  16. Emergence in Video Games(our definition) • A second order game Dynamic created by the interaction of first order game Mechanics. rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  17. Example 01: GTA3 • Player accidentally flips his car, which explodes, injuring nearby pedestrians who begin to attack him • Player takes a jump  • Car flips and lands upside down  • Car explodes  • Nearby pedestrians are injured by explosion  • Pedestrians begin to attack player rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  18. Example 01: GTA3 • Player accidentally flips his car, which explodes, injuring nearby pedestrians who begin to attack him • Player takes a jump  • Car flips and lands upside down  • Car explodes  • Nearby pedestrians are injured by explosion  • Pedestrians begin to attack player • Note that there is no explicit Mechanic describing this behavior rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  19. Example 02: Tactical Shooter • Indirectly Connected game Mechanics • Gas barrels Leak poison when ruptured • Poison Kills enemies and players • Bullets Kill enemies, and Rupture gas barrels • Weapons Fire bullets when dropped • Enemies Fire bullets, and Drop weapons on death • Player shoots guard  guard drops gun  gun goes off when it hits the ground  bullets rupture barrel  poison leaks out  poison kills other enemies rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  20. Example 03: Thief • In order to injure a nearby guard, player ignites an oil puddle by knocking a candle off a table • Player throws a box at a table  • Table wobbles  • Candle falls off table  • Candle falls into oil puddle  • Oil puddle ignites  • Nearby guard is injured by the flames rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  21. MDA Framework rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  22. MDA Applied to Emergence • Mechanics • The rules of the game • You modify Mechanics to alter emergent interactions • Dynamics • Real-time interactions between Mechanics • Mechanics connecting to each other • Where emergence happens • Aesthetics • Human emotional responses • Wider exploration space, emergent narrative rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  23. II – Creating Emergence Quantitative • Mechanics • Connecting Mechanics Together • Relevant Technology • Populating the world with Mechanics rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  24. Where Mechanics “Live” • Power-ups • “When guns hit the ground, they fire off bullets” • Environmental Objects • “When barrels are damaged, they release poison gas” • Simulations • “Cars can flip upside down when they land from jumps” • Autonomous Agents • “If pedestrians take damage, they attack whoever is responsible” • Etc. rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  25. more aboutAutonomous Agents • Can act independently, possibly react dynamically to situations • Guard AIs in Deus Ex and Thief • Cars and Pedestrians in GTA3 • The Bat in Adventure • Special properties • Emergence without direct player intervention • Make the world feel alive • Create dynamic situations rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  26. Creating Emergence by Adding Indirect Connections • Emergence fails to happen when Mechanics aren’t indirectly connected • Emergence can be created by adding more indirect connections – making the Mechanics “listen to” each other • Guard with torch slips on oil puddle  • Guard falls to the ground • Nothing else happens rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  27. Creating Emergence by Adding Indirect Connections • Emergence fails to happen when Mechanics aren’t connected • Emergence can be created by adding more connections – making the Mechanics “listen to” each other • Guard with torch slips on oil puddle  • Guard falls to the ground  • Guard drops torch  • Torch ignites oil puddle • …let’s talk more about connecting Mechanics rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  28. The Tactical Shooter Example • Indirectly Connected Game Mechanics • Gas barrels leak poison when ruptured • Poison kills enemies • Bullets Kill enemies, and Rupture gas barrels • Weapons Fire bullets when dropped • Enemies Fire bullets, and Drop weapons on death rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  29. Visualizing All Mechanics rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  30. -1 Mechanic rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  31. -2 Mechanics rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  32. Getting Mechanics to Connect • Again, it helps to have a rules oriented approach • It’s tempting to spam the world with Mechanics, to pile them on • Mechanics are independent, but indirectly connected • Some Mechanics are more highly connected • How do you get the best return on your investment? • Choose Mechanics that have relationships to each other rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  33. Example from DX:IW:Choosing Where to Invest • Prismatic Resonator Biomod • Fewer Indirect Connections • Beam Triggers (3 types) • Bot Domination Biomod • More Indirect Connections • All robots (8 types), Cameras, Turrets, Spiderbombs • Bots are improvisationally useful for combat, door opening, setting traps, etc • Players started using spiderbombs to open doors rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  34. Player Improvisation • Players ‘Unlocked’ Doors with Spiderbombs • Indirectly Connected Game Mechanics • Spiderbombs • Spawn Spiderbots • Spiderbots • Obey All Bot Rules • Susceptible to Bot Domination • Susceptible to EMP • Explode If Damaged Post-EMP • Bot Domination • Possess Bots • EMP Bots Post-Ejection • Doors • Can Be Locked/Lockpicked • Destroyed By Explosions rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  35. Player Improvisation rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  36. Invest in Related Mechanics • If you’ve already got these Mechanics: • Flamethrower can catch enemies on fire • Burning enemies can catch furniture on fire • Add more elements and Mechanics having to do with fire, e.g.: • Fire extinguishers • Oil puddles • Dynamite • Candles • Water arrows rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  37. Supporting Technology • Takeaways • Some technology supports the implementation of emergence better than others • Need to work with technologists to evaluate your technology status rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  38. Supporting Technology • Explicitly hard-coded Mechanics are messy and difficult to support • You might forget to implement one of them rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  39. Supporting Technology • The Stimulus System is a generalized way for objects to listen to each other • You can describe objects intuitively rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  40. Supporting Technology • Easier to create and modify connected Mechanics • More reliable and likely to create improvisational emergence rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  41. Ion Storm’s Supporting Technology • Stimulus System • Generalized channel for objects to listen to each other • Don’t have to explicitly hard-code Mechanics • Property System & Object Hierarchy • Quick and easy creation and editing of objects • Scripting System • Quick and easy to describe resulting behaviors • Oil puddle: “When I receive fire stim, turn into a fire puddle” rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  42. Populating the world with Mechanics • For Mechanics to connect, they typically have to exist in physical proximity to each other. • How rich is your world with Mechanics? E.g. – how many gas barrels exist in your world? • How often are the connected Mechanics in proximity to each other? E.g. – do you ever place guards near gas barrels? rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  43. Examples of World Population from Thief • Negative example • Fire elementals that re-light torches when guards are nearby in Thief • Good idea, but Fire elementals and Guards / Torches were never in the same levels rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  44. Examples of World Population from Thief • Positive example • Player shoots arrow at a candle to knock it over  arrow misses and hits metal door instead  nearby guard hears sound and comes to investigate • Physical surface, Sound Propagation, and Lighting house Mechanics in Thief • ..and they populate the world exhaustively. • What elements already exist in your world which you can add Mechanics to? rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  45. III – Qualifying Emergence Qualitative • Aesthetic Goals • Meaningful Emergence • Involving the Player rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  46. What are your Aesthetic Goals? • What do you hope for emergence to contribute to your game? • Deus Ex = Empower many emergent solutions • Thief = Creating the occasional sublimely tense moment of emergent challenge • GTA3 = Simulate a dynamic, responsive, living world; Enable emergent mayhem • All three = Authoring your own experience (emergent narrative) rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  47. Meaningful Emergence • In accordance with aesthetic goals • The player perceives the events • Impact on gameplay experience, Not just some wacky outcome • No gameplay relevance: Prox mine wall climbing • Gameplay relevance: Spider bomb door unlocking • Meaningful to the fantasy • Violates fantasy: Age of Empires sheep rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  48. How involved is the player? • Does the player have input into the Mechanics which create emergence? • Theoretical Game: There is a factory with lots of robots interacting emergently. If they touch you, you die, but they don’t react. Get to the other side. rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  49. Robot Factory Game rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

  50. Player Perception of Emergent Experiences • Reactive – does not require player input • “Emergent challenge” – a challenging situation that develops emergently • E.g. – the previous robot factory example • E.g. – pedestrians in GTA3 turn hostile toward the player rsmith@ionstorm.com hsmith@ionstorm.com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up?)

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