The Play Experience

1. The Play Experience Robin Burke GAM 224

2. Outline • Admin • Play • Experiential aspects of play • The Core Mechanic • Examples

3. Design Project • Group project • teams assigned by me • 20% of course grade • Peer assessment • classmates assess design • group members assess each other's contribution • Two projects • Card game • Level for Katamari Damacy • Shared theme • Alien Abduction!

4. Design Project #1 • Card game • You play the aliens • Goal • abduct a complete human family • King, Queen, Jack • experiment on them and return them • without being detected • Resources • Hearts ♥: Life support • Clubs ♣: Cloaking • Spades ♠: Fuel • Diamonds can be used for other purposes or discarded

5. Milestones • 5/1: Draft of the rules of the game • should be playable, but possibly not finalized • 5/7: Presentation submission • PowerPoint • submitted to Course On-Line • 5/8: Presentation in class • everyone must attend • 10 minutes / team • 5/8: Final rules

6. Process • Teams assigned by me • Leader's job • communicate with team to arrange meetings • submit materials to COL on behalf of the team • Everyone's job • Get acquainted • Write down team members' names • Stay in touch • Can email via COL • COL "groups" established for each team • Can use the COL chat room • Meet regularly • Let me know if there are difficulties

7. Teams • Team 1 • Nieves,Miguel (L) • Lane,Marcellus • Mota,Juan P  • Tahir,Rashad Ali  • Team 2 • Haley,William (L) • Gerber,Brian A  • Guida,Nicholas T  • Team 3 • Behrens,Scott (L) • Quintana,Jasmine  • Rothberg,Adam J.  • Team 4 • Ofer,Boris (L) • Nielsen,Paul J  • Ortega,Lester • Team 5 • Luna,Jonathan  (L) • Castellanos, Roberto • Chokshi,Jay S  • Team 6 • Hitpas,Michael T (L) • Doran,Timothy M  • Steacker,Liam Price  • Team 7 • Smolyar,Alec J (L) • Mendelsohn,Max A  • Ayala,Andres Ivan 

8. Play • New unit • What are rules for? • Rule create play experiences for players • When we design rules • We must have player experience in mind

9. Play • a very complex phenomenon with deep roots • animal play, esp. among the young • in most primate species, adults play • Play is a kind of performance

10. To play • Requires that you acknowledge the "performance" that is happening • and that the performance is somehow not real • "we're not really fighting" • This is where the "magic circle" comes in • the theatre stage is a magic circle • we know that no one actually dies during a staging of "Hamlet" • murder is performed for a communicative purpose

11. Source of great confusion • Critics say that violent games makes kids violent • more so than movies, TV • because they are interactive • this makes the game "real" • so kids are practicing real violence • But even puppies know the difference between "play" and "real" • by age 9 or so, kids have a strong sense of the difference between performance and reality • this is the same age that they start to take a great interest in games and rules

12. Kinds of play • Caillois' categories • Agon • competition • Alea • chance • Mimicry • role-playing • Ilinx • disorientation

13. Agon • Greek word for competitive struggle • n.b. "agony", "antagonist" • Competitive play • The goal is to defeat an opponent • especially another human opponent • Winning demonstrates superior mastery of some skill • Examples • any competitive sport, chess, Warcraft

14. Alea • Latin word for dice • Chance-based competition • The goal is to win • but it is fate that decides • Winning demonstrates one's luck • or perhaps one's understanding of probability • Examples • Sorry, Thunderstorm, Lottery

15. Mimicry • The assumption of a role • The goal is to sustain the role • through acting and improvising • Success demonstrates one's ingenuity and empathy for a character • Examples • "House", Dungeons & Dragons, Any MMORPG

16. Ilinx • No simple translation • "the inducement of vertigo" • "creation of disorientation" • Is this play? • how else to categorize play activities like "Crack the Whip"?

17. Caillois' Play Taxonomy

18. Application • Most video games combine multiple forms of play • Wind Waker • Mimicry component • through the avatar • Agon component • combat (ritualized) with other characters • Alea component • random treasures appear when exploring • NBA Street • ?

19. Play Schemas • Play of Experience (4/19 and 4/24) • the "core mechanic" • what is the activity of the game • Play of Pleasure • fun • what makes the game enjoyable • Play of Meaning • coherence • how does the game create meaning • Narrative Play • story • what makes the game tell a story • Play of Simulation (4/26) • verisimilitude • what makes the game feel "real" • Social Play (5/1) • Play quiz (5/3) • Play paper due (5/10)

20. Pleasure • What makes a game fun? • Difficult question • Fun is hard to define • Two answers • reinforcement • system of rewards and punishments • keyed to mastery of game skills • flow • state of total involvement • induced by tight feedback, concentration and compelling environment

21. Example • Wind Waker • player is periodically rewarded with new artifacts (weapons, etc.) • some artifacts let the player defeat enemies • rewards of ability • some artifacts let the player access new parts of the map • rewards of access

22. Meaning • The play of a game gives rise of a system of meanings • Symbols • red cross = health powerup • blood stain on the floor = proximity of monster • Semiotic system • the linking of different symbols to a "language" unique to the game • This is part of what we mean by being "immersed" in a game • we "see" the game world as a complex web of meanin • just like the real world

23. Aporia and Epiphany • Aporia • doubt, difficulty in establishing the truth of something • Epiphany • the moment of realization or recognition • Many games confront the player with objects / situations of unknown meaning • produces aporia ("What am I supposed to do now?) • through interaction with the game world the player discovers what to do ("Aha") • Epiphany is a reward • "I have solved the puzzle" • often also of access or ability • But it also is an enhancement of meaning • our understanding of the game world become deeper

24. Example • Wind Waker • a variety of environments • volcano • forest • ocean • mountainside • monsters • each has a preferred environment • player learns what monsters to expect • abilities / weapons • weapons are effective against different kinds of monsters • weapons are made available when needed for puzzles / monsters in a given environment • boss • boss monster related thematically to the environmental level • player • learns what to expect in each environment and how to respond

25. Narrative • Every game has a narrative structure • tension / relaxation • Some games add many other narrative devices on this structure • Final Fantasy • Halo • Others very little • Asteroids • Soul Calibre

26. Narrative descriptors • Detailed characterization • appearance • backstory • Cut-scenes • video • in-game • Text

27. Example • Wind Waker • dialog • cut-scenes • intro / preview • rewards • characters

28. Core Mechanic • What the player does to play • Performative loop • perception of the game world • analysis of the situation • selection of action • performance and evaluation of action • Different games emphasize different aspects

29. Terminological note • This is not how everyone defines the term • some would describe this as the "primary gameplay mode" • We will use our book's definition

30. Core Mechanic 2 Evaluation Perception Analysis Execution Decision

31. Thunderstorm • four dice • object • to be the last player whose house is not struck by lightning • rules • player rolls all available dice • if no ones are rolled • player adds to "house" drawing • if house is already complete, it is struck by lightning and player is out • if at least one 1 is rolled • all of the dice with ones are removed from play • play passes the next player • if all dice are ones • all four dice are back in play • house • seven elements

32. Thunderstorm • Perception • Analysis • Decision • Execution / Evaluation

33. Eight and out • deck of cards • 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A • in four piles by suit • object • to be the last player with the most points • rules • each player draws one card from each pile • if an Ace is drawn • that deck is removed from play • all other decks are reshuffled • if all drawn cards are Aces, • all four decks are back in play • if no Aces are drawn • the player makes a tally mark • if a player collects eight marks • he is out

34. Eight and Out • Perception • Analysis • Decision • Execution / Evaluation

35. Core mechanic themes • Limited number of core mechanic themes • common to many video games • often combined • Most common • aimed attack • strategic battle • collection • exploration • race • puzzle

36. Aimed attack • Characteristics • Conflict with fast-moving opposing force • Examples • Asteroids • Centipede • Soul Calibre • Basic elements • Perception • range of enemy • Analysis • available moves • my strengths / weaknesses • opponent's strengths / weaknesses • Decision • move to use • Execution / Evaluation • move, attack, defend, impact

37. Strategic battle • Characteristics • Conflict with slow moving opposing force • Gathering and deployment of resources • Examples • Civilization III • Warcraft II • Chess • Basic elements • Perception • range / configuration of enemy • available resources • Analysis • available moves • strengths / weaknesses • resource exploitation • long-term consequences • Decision • force deployment • force development • resource acquisition • Execution / Evaluation • direct units • consequences may not be immediate

38. Collection • Characteristics • accumulation of something • Examples • PacMan • Katamari Damacy • Basic elements • Perception • location of items • obstacles • Analysis • path to items • avoidance of obstacles • Decision • trajectory to follow • Execution / Evaluation • move, grab

39. Exploration • Characteristics • Exploration of a large unknown environment • Examples • Legend of Zelda (all) • Myst • Basic elements • Perception • opportunities for traversing the world • obstacles • Analysis • navigational options • overcoming obstacles • Decision • where to go • Execution / Evaluation • move

40. Race • Characteristics • Rapid traversal of defined path • Examples • Mario Kart • F-Zero GX • Basic elements • Perception • path of motion • Analysis • desired trajectory • vehicle capabilities • Decision • optimal trajectory • Execution / Evaluation • adjust speed, steering

41. Puzzle • Characteristics • Solving logical puzzles • Examples • Mastermind • Tetris • Lemmings • Basic elements • Perception • puzzle elements • Analysis • reasoning • Decision • likely solution path • Execution / Evaluation • attempt solution or partial solution

42. Combinations • Race + Aimed Attack • Mario Kart Double Dash!! • Exploration + Aimed Attack + Puzzle • Zelda, Metroid, Halo, Tomb Raider, etc. • Exploration + Strategic Battle + Puzzle • KOTOR, Pokemon, many RPGs • Exploration + Puzzle • Myst, classic adventure games

43. Core mechanic • Specific instantiation of the thematic ideas • what kinds of moves? • what must be perceived? • complexity of decisions

44. Example I: Asteroids • Perception • trajectories of avatar, asteroids and enemies • Analysis • collision probabilities • shooting opportunities • Decision • orientation, thrust, fire • Execution / Evaluation • button presses • success in maneuvering / destroying • Real time • the loop is quick

45. Example II: NBA Street

46. NBA Street Core Mechanic • Perception • location of players, ball and basket • score, power-ups • Analysis • game situation • offensive / defensive opportunities • Decision • motion • action • pass, shoot, tricks • Execution • button combos • Evaluation • successful of action • scoring • trick points

47. NBA Street • Mechanic is very like a fighting game • Aimed attack but with • Combos • Accumulation of points for stronger trick moves • Can think of this as a sports game • with a fighting mechanic

48. Kingdom Heart: Chain of Memories

49. Wednesday • Core mechanic exercise