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Combating the Curse of “More”

Focusing Your Game. Combating the Curse of “More”. Patrick Lipo Hidden Path Entertainment. Who the heck am I?. Who the heck am I?. Game designer / programmer / lead In the game industry since 1993 Not an academic Focus on “action games”. Who the heck am I?. Some recent projects:

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Combating the Curse of “More”

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  1. Focusing Your Game Combating the Curse of “More” Patrick Lipo Hidden Path Entertainment

  2. Who the heck am I?

  3. Who the heck am I? • Game designer / programmer / lead • In the game industry since 1993 • Not an academic • Focus on “action games”

  4. Who the heck am I? • Some recent projects: • X-Men Legends • Lord of the Rings Online • This is Vegas

  5. Big Games! • Multi-million dollar budgets • Teams of 40, 70, 100… • 3+ Years of development time • Lots of features • Awesome! • …right?

  6. Big Games… • Why do large projects sometimes create weak experiences? • Ex: The designers want Diablo

  7. Big Games… • Why do large projects sometimes create weak experiences? • Ex: The designers want Diablo • …while programmers create tech for The Sims

  8. Big Games… • Why do large projects sometimes create weak experiences? • Ex: The designers want Diablo • …while programmers create tech for The Sims • …as the artists start making Halo

  9. Big Games… • Fear of player expectations • Resources without meaning • An excess of ideas • No Limitations

  10. Wait a minute! • No Limits? • Ideas are good! • Cool new stuff is what a game designer does! • …right?

  11. We all need limits • A blank sheet of paper is dangerous • Every project needs to build a box for themselves

  12. We all need limits • What about smaller projects?

  13. We all need limits • What about smaller projects? • Small games have partial boxes built-in • They are efficient because they have to be • But this still doesn’t guarantee a focused effort

  14. The Enemy

  15. “More” • Everyone loves the word “More” • We all want “stuff” in our games

  16. “More” • We all want our games to be cool! • Saying “no” sucks • Stuff adds “value” for the dollar • Extra features just make things better • …right?

  17. Open-World Insanity! • Grand Theft Auto has set a ridiculous precedent

  18. Open-World Insanity! • Grand Theft Auto has set a ridiculous precedent • Breadth in all things is starting to be demanded by audiences

  19. Open-World Insanity! • Ex: Spiderman 2 • The environment looked like GTA • But you couldn’t get in the cars

  20. Open-World Insanity! • Ex: Spiderman 2 • The environment looked like GTA • But you couldn’t get in the cars • Should Spiderman have been able to cruise around in a low-rider?

  21. The Ideal

  22. Focus vs. “Cool Stuff” • Designing a great game is about focus • Every feature takes energy to create! • No matter how small • A good design works within constraints • …or creates its own

  23. Focus vs. “Cool Stuff” • Constraints help you prioritize features to support a game’s objectives • They assure that each feature is worth the cost of entry • They demand that the gamer will notice your efforts

  24. Focus vs. “Cool Stuff” What will impact your players the most?

  25. Focus vs. “Cool Stuff” • This is an unpopular stance to many • Gamers want their games to be everything they could possibly be

  26. Focus vs. “Cool Stuff” • This isn’t an argument for simplicity • Depth is best targeted at carefully chosen places

  27. Focus vs. “Cool Stuff” • Ex: God of War • Simple combat system • Highly polished • Light RPG elements

  28. Focus vs. “Cool Stuff” • Ex: Bioshock • Simplified version of System Shock 2 • Tough cuts to make • Still complicated and deep • …and more successful

  29. Tools for Focus

  30. Verbs • Use verbs to abstract player activities • Keep them “chunky” and high-level • Fight • Explore • Customize • Build • Cook • Expand • Destroy • Solve • Socialize

  31. Verbs • Use verbs to help you group features

  32. Pillar Verbs • Identify a very small number as the Pillar Verbs • These are what the player does 90% of the time

  33. Pillar Verbs • Use them as a razor for prioritizing features

  34. Pillar Verbs • Use them as a razor for prioritizing features • Use them to spot where you are trying to do too much • Ask “what activities will players want most out of this game?”

  35. Pillar Verbs What will impact your players the most?

  36. Secondary Verbs • Verbs that are not pillars are secondary verbs • These are side activities that provide breadth • Alternation of gameplay • Examples: • Half-Life 2 – Driving • Diablo 2 - Crafting

  37. Verb Examples • God of War • Pillar:Fight • Secondary: Upgrade, Explore • Halo • Pillar: Fight • Secondary: Drive • Super Mario • Pillars: Traverse, Collect • Secondary: Fight • Diablo • Pillars: Fight, Acquire • Secondary: Upgrade, Craft • Oblivion • Pillars: Fight, Explore, Customize • Secondary: Collect, Craft • Grand Theft Auto • Pillars: Drive, Fight • Secondary: Collect, Acquire, Upgrade, Drink, Bowl, etc…

  38. Pillar Values • Beyond verbs, what abstract concepts make your game memorable? • Where should your extra love go? • Create short vision statements to serve as your Pillar Values • For education, “Teach skill X” is a pillar

  39. Pillar Value Examples • Ex: X-Men Legends • It’s about a team of heroes, not an individual • The most destructive environments possible • The player’s own team of X-Men

  40. Pillar Values • Make sure that your game screams them • Make them plain and easy to understand • Ask “What are people going to remember most about your game?”

  41. Pillar Values What will impact your players the most?

  42. Pillar Value Examples • Halo • Cinematic set pieces • Unique vehicles • Genre-defining multiplayer experience • God of War • Unapologetically brutal main character • Powerful, visceral combat experience • Epic moments • Devil May Cry • Fast, over-the-top combat • Style over substance

  43. One Last Tool

  44. The Scale of a Game • A ridiculous example:

  45. The Scale of a Game • A ridiculous example: • A warrior fights his way through thousands of enemies

  46. The Scale of a Game • A ridiculous example: • A warrior fights his way through thousands of enemies • Then faces off against his arch-rival

  47. The Scale of a Game • A ridiculous example: • A warrior fights his way through thousands of enemies • Then faces off against his arch-rival • …in a rousing game of Chess

  48. The Scale of a Game • What happens if your Pillar Verbs don’t compliment each other? • Sometimes activities seem “stapled together” • This can happen in educational games • At what level of organization does the bulk of gameplay occur?

  49. The Scale of a Game • Activities happen at various scales in different games • Soul Calibur • Fighting per-person • Ninja Gaiden • Fighting per-room • Dynasty Warriors • Fighting per-legion

  50. The Scale of a Game • Different games make obvious scale choices in environments as well • Grand Theft Auto • Interaction density: ~20m • Stranglehold • Interaction density: ~2m • Flight Simulator • Interaction density: miles

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