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Elements Of GamePlay. Starting Points for New Ideas. Gameplay New idea for a way to play the game Technology Now we know how to do clothes, we’ll make a clothes designer game… Story I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut on a new planet… Sport Let’s make a curling game? Character
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Starting Points for New Ideas • Gameplay New idea for a way to play the game • Technology Now we know how to do clothes, we’ll make a clothes designer game… • Story I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut on a new planet… • Sport Let’s make a curling game? • Character James Bond game
Inspiration • Story you’ve written • Ideas from movies, books, songs, comics • Market research (What the public wants) • Hybrid: Mix ideas from other games.
Interactivity • Think about the game from the player’s perspective: • What will the player DO? • What will the player see? • Would you want to play it?
Inside-Out Approach • Begin on the “inside” of the game: gameplay • Work “out” to the story and plot • Begin with defining primary gameplay mode
What Players Want • A Challenge • Socialization - or - dynamic solitary experience • Bragging Rights • Emotional Experience • To Explore • To Fantasize • To Interact
What Players Expect • Consistency • To understand the world’s bounds • For reasonable solutions to work • Directions • Accomplish Tasks incrementally • Immersion • Setbacks • A Fair Chance • To Not Repeat themselves • To Not get hopelessly stuck • To Do, not watch
Anticipatory vs Complex Systems • Anticipatory Systems • Try to predict everything the user might do and hardwire the reaction • Complex Systems • Model a complex state for each object • Even un-anticipated actions should follow the physics of the world
Game Perspectives • First-person • Doom • Third-person • Tomb Raider • Side Scrolling • Mario Bros • Aerial - isometric or top-down • Football • Can have multiple modes
Game Settings • Physical • 1D, 2D, 3D • Scale Factor • Grid-based or continuous space • Temporal • Real-time or turn-based • Any variableness? Adjustable? • Environmental • Cultural beliefs, attitudes, values, family structure • Physical surroundings, weather, plants, buildings • Level of detail
Game Settings • Emotional • Character emotions • Player emotions • Ethical • Victory/defeat defines “good” and “bad” • Watch for real-world look without real-world ethics • Realism • How real does the world look? • Chance
Types of Challenges • Physical • Speed/reaction time (twitch games) • Accuracy & Precision (steering / shooting) • Timing and rhythm (DDR) • Learning special sequences of moves (fighting) • Races • Logical Challenges (Don’t use trial & error)
Types of Challenges • Exploration • Doors & Traps game • Mazes • Conflict • Strategy, tactics, logistics • Survival • Defending resources
Types of Challenges • Economic • Accumulate wealth • Efficiency • Acheiving balance / stability • Caring for living things • Conceptual • Understand something new • Deduction, observation • Detective games
Types of Challenges • Construction / Destruction • Build a city • Upgrading • Planning • Destroying • Storytelling • Ask characters what’s going on • Listen to stories • Dicker with merchant
Game Economy • Resources • Ammunition, hit points, life • Sources • Power ups, clips, potion • Drains • firing weapons, being hit
Emergence • Emergence • Desirable aspect of gameplay • Player-unique solutions • As players play, they find a strategy that uses the rules of the gameworld to his advantage • Ex: When all the grubs are gone, a new batch gets dispatched. Player kills all but one • Discovery gives sense of pride to player and spreads by word-of-mouth.
Positive Feedback • Needed for emergence to work • An achievement makes the next easier • Tell the user they are doing well • Draw them into the game • Examples: • Power ups become available • Monopoly: more houses = more money • Better I do, worse for enemies
Controlling Positive Feedback • Introduce negative feedback • Gold is heavy • Ahead in race, more likely to get lost • Introduce element of chance • Game gets harder as you go • Game that does this well is called balanced.
Non-Linearity • Ways in which the user can choose • Types • Story takes different turns (“Choose your own adventure”) • Multiple solutions • Order of levels or puzzles • Selections: You can solve puzzle A or puzzle B
Modeling Reality • More real = more immersive • More real = more compelling • More real = Boring • More real = More frustrating • Ask yourself – Does it add to the game?
Teaching the Player • First few minutes are crucial • Start simply • Introduce controls in a safe environment • Give simple rewards in beginning • Make easy controls (& icons) • Make easy outputs (screens, maps, vitals
Look at the Big Picture • What statements about the world are you making? • Stereotypes • Ethics • Culture • Right/wrong