1 / 87

Is this thing on?

Is this thing on?. Game Design Workshop. Orientation GDC 2008. About The Workshop. Started in 2001 Hands-on Focused on iteration Grounded in a formal approach Intended to be open-ended. What It’s NOT about…. How to get a job as a game designer How to write a design document

gemma-hinton
Download Presentation

Is this thing on?

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Is this thing on?

  2. Game Design Workshop Orientation GDC 2008

  3. About The Workshop • Started in 2001 • Hands-on • Focused on iteration • Grounded in a formal approach • Intended to be open-ended

  4. What It’s NOT about… • How to get a job as a game designer • How to write a design document • Where game ideas “come from” • How to get your game funded • How to use a level editor

  5. In Other Words... • It’s not about the Business(Getting a job, pitching a game, getting funded) • It’s not about the Profession(Writing documents, tracking bugs, using tools) • It’s about the Craft(Making games that are fun)

  6. What You’ll be Doing • Playing games • Analyzing games • Critiquing games • Modifying games • Refining games

  7. Marc LeBlanc Mind Control Software Andrew Leker Mind Control Software Steve Librande Electronic Arts (Spore) Tim Stellmach Vicarious Visions The Faculty • Jonathan Hamel BreakAway Games • Clint Hocking Ubisoft • Robin Hunicke Electronic Arts (LA) • Frank Lantz Area/Code

  8. A Few Ground Rules • Please attend as much as you can • Collaborate, Share, and Encourage • Save the “meta-discussion” for the very end • Turn the laptop off • Fail Early. Fail Often. • Fail Sooner. Fail Faster.

  9. Let the Games Begin! Go to the room matching your poker chip • Blue: 3005 • Red: 3007 • White: 3020

  10. SiSSYFiGHT 3000

  11. Overview SiSSYFiGHT simulates a playground fight between little girls.

  12. Overview Each girl begins with 10 Self-Esteem chips … and the goal of the game is to reduce your opponents’ self-esteem to ZERO!

  13. Overview When there are only one or two players left with any self-esteem, they win the game!

  14. Setup Each player starts with: 1. Three “Action” cards 2. Six “Target” cards, 1 “No Target” card 3. Ten chips. Each player plays a different color. Choose a color and put it in your badge holder.

  15. Rules Each Round: • Choose an “Action” and “Target” in secret. • Reveal cards simultaneously • Resolve actions • All communication must be public. • When you run out of chips, you’re out. • When one or two people are left, they win.

  16. Actions • Solo: • Target discards one chip. • Team: • If anyone else teams against this target, she discards two chips per attacking player. • Defend: • Not an attack – choose “No Target” as your target. • If no one targets you: lose one chip. • Else, lose half the chips required (round down).1  0, 2  1, 3  1, 4  2, etc.

  17. Coffee at 11:00 • Play until then • Come back here at 11:15

  18. General Observations About Sissyfight?

  19. What’s fun about SiSSYFiGHT? • What kinds of fun did you experience? • Can we get more specific than “fun?”

  20. What’s fun about SiSSYFiGHT? • What kinds of fun did you experience? • Can we get more specific than “fun?” • Intrigue: Negotiation, Cooperation, Betrayal • Challenge: Tactics, Problem Solving • Drama

  21. How do we get from… • Cards • Chips • Rules

  22. To… • Intrigue • Challenge • Drama • Cards • Chips • Rules

  23. What’s missing? “Rules” “Fun”

  24. The causal link… “Rules” “Behavior” “Fun” This is what sets games apart…

  25. Games As Software “Rules” “Behavior” “Fun”

  26. Games As Software “Rules” “Behavior” “Fun” Code Process Requirements

  27. Mechanics “Behavior” “Fun” Process Requirements A Design Vocabulary

  28. Mechanics Dynamics “Fun” Requirements A Design Vocabulary

  29. Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics A Design Vocabulary

  30. Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics The MDA Framework

  31. Definitions • Mechanics: The rules and concepts that formally specify the game-as-system. • Dynamics: The run-time behavior of the game-as-system. • Aesthetics: The desirable emotional responses evoked by the game dynamics.

  32. Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics  Player Designer The Designer/Player Relationship 

  33. The Player’s Perspective Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics  Player

  34. Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics  Designer The Designer’s Perspective

  35. MDA • A “Taxonomy” of Design Knowledge • Aesthetics • Dynamics • Mechanics • …and the interactions between them.

  36. Aesthetics of SiSSYFiGHT • Fellowship: Negotiation, Cooperation, Betrayal • Challenge: Tactics, Problem Solving • Narrative: Drama

  37. Competition, Random Attacks Equality Scourge Cooperation, Team Attacks Dynamics of SiSSYFIGHT

  38. Mechanics of SiSSYFiGHT • Turn-based • Hit Points • Public Communication • Simultaneous Action

  39. SiSSYFiGHT Fiction • Does SiSSYFiGHT do a good job of conveying its subject matter? • How can it do better?

  40. SiSSYFiGHT Fiction What other fictional genre or subject matter could the mechanics of SiSSYFiGHT simulate?

  41. Exercise • Choose a fictional genre and/or setting that might fit this game. • Adapt the game to your chosen subject matter. • Keep in mind the aesthetic qualities we identified in the breakdown. • How can the rules of the game be changed to best support your fiction?

  42. Brainstorming • Everyone Grab a Sticky Pad

  43. When I Say “Go…” • You will have 90 seconds. • Write down as many genre ideas as you can. • One to a sticky note. • Keep it Short ( 5 words) • No idea is too dumb. • Work in silence.

  44. Ready? • Go!

  45. Pens Down! With your group: • Get on your feet! • Find some wall space • Stick your ideas to the wall • Put like ideas together • Look for critical mass • Narrow down a fiction to work on.

  46. Exercise: • You’ve chosen a setting or fiction for SiSSYFiGHT. • Adapt the game to your chosen subject matter. • Keep in mind the aesthetic qualities we identified at the beginning. • How can the rules of the game be changed to best support your fiction?

  47. Lunch at 12:30 • Work until then • Sign up for Electives in 3005 • Come back here at 2:00

  48. Welcome Back • Continue working with your group • Be ready to present at 3:00

  49. Exercise: • You’ve chosen a setting or fiction for SiSSYFiGHT. • Adapt the game to your chosen subject matter. • Keep in mind the aesthetic qualities we identified at the beginning. • How can the rules of the game be changed to best support your fiction? Be ready to present at 3:00!

  50. Discussion • Let’s compare solutions. What different approaches did we take?

More Related