Game Design - Lecture 4

GAME DESIGN :: LD4 – DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

ANDREA @RESMINI :: HIT, HÖGSKOLAN I BORÅS

Andrea Resmini

HT12 / HÖGSKOLAN I BORÅS, NOV 9 2012

Game Design

LD4. DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

TODAY'S CLASS

A brief recap from LD3Dramatic elementsPlayer embodimentBreakWorkshop

RECAP: FORMAL ELEMENTSGAME DESIGN :: LECTURE 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

For example, resources. But also rules etc

DRAMATIC ELEMENTS

challengeplaycharacterpremisestory

ROLE OF DRAMATIC ELEMENTS

they variously connect a game to its player, emotionally

#1. CHALLENGE

in games it means tasks that are satisfying to completeand require just the right amount of work

CHALLENGE IS PERSONAL

challenge is individualizedand determined by the abilityof the player in relationship to the game itself

CHALLENGE IS DYNAMIC

it is also dynamic and requires that a game adapts constantly to hold the interest of learning or differently skilled players

CHALLENGE IS SUBJECTIVE?

is there then a way to look at challenge that is not definedby individual experience?

THEORY OF FLOWGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Gingerbreadhouse.co.uk

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN EXPERIENCES

people describe enjoyable activities in similar ways

ABILITY

FRUSTATION

BOREDOM

WHAT IS FLOW?

in flow experiences, action and self-awareness merge and effortless concentration on the task at hand happens

WHEN DO WE HAVE FLOW?

flow happens in goal-directed activities, bounded by rules,which require skills

AND THAT INCLUDES TUG OF WAR ...GAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

… AND VIDEO GAMESGAME DESIGN :: LECTURE 3 – FORMAL ELEMENTS OF GAMES

LOSS OF SELF-CONSCIOUSNESSGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

The Ceej: Singing In The Shower

TRANSFORMATION OF TIMEGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Bullet time in in Max Payne 3, PS3

EXPERIENCE BECOMES AN ENDGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Clement Lefert, tumblr.com

THE PARADOX OF CONTROL

exercising or experiencing a feeling of control largely means that the outcome is unsure, which means a person is not in complete control

GAMES WRESTLE CONTROL AWAY FROM USGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

#2. PLAYGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

PLAY REQUIRES ENGAGEMENT

but gameplay can engage players in many different ways

COMPETITIVE PLAYGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

CHANCE-BASED PLAYGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Game of Bingo, http://blog.enclaveatwoodbridgecamapts.com/

MAKE-BELIEVE PLAYGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Nottingham.ac.co.uk

VERTIGO PLAYGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

#4. CHARACTERGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Lara Croft, Tomb Raider

WHY ARE CHARACTERS USED IN GAMES?

characters are used for embodiment and storytelling reasons, psychological reasons and symbolic reasons

EMBODIMENTGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Player embodiment in Dead Space

STORYTELLINGGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Aragorn as a non-player character, War in the North

PSYCHOLOGICAL REASONSGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Mirror's Edge

PSYCHOLOGICAL REASONS

a character helps mirror the audience's fears and desires

SYMBOLIC REASONS

Shadow of the Colossus

GAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

SYMBOLIC REASONS

a character helps representlarger ideas, metaphors, and allegories

PROTAGONIST VS ANTAGONISTGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

The Avatar and the Guardian, Ultima VII-IX

BOUNDING CHARACTER AND PLAYER

what does a character want or need? what does the player hope or fear?

BALANCING AGENCY AND EMPATHY

a pre-written character the player should simply watch from the outside vs an avatar

EMPATHYGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Little Big Planet

AGENCYGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Ultima IX, character creation

FREE WILL vs PLAYER CONTROL

THE SIMS MARIO DASTAN AVATAR

TYPES OF PLAYERS

we also have different types of players, as we mentioned in LD3. Competitors, explorers, storytellers, achievers, jokers

REMEMBER ACHIEVERS?

Increasing character statistics in Oblivion

GAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

#4. PREMISEGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Worlds of Ultima, Origin Systems

ROLE OF PREMISES

a well-executed premise bounds the formal and dramatic elements in a game and heightens the players' experience of the game itself

PREMISES PREVENT ABSTRACTNESSGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

PACMAN HAS A PREMISEGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

#5. STORY

in most simpler games, story is just a souped-up premise and nothing more

SUPER MARIOGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

TENSION IS UNAVOIDABLE

even with well-written story-driven games there is a constant tension between storyline progress and free development

GAME EVENTS AND THE PLAYER

how can a player shape in-game events or modify their course when a story unfolds?

SHOULD A PLAYER BE ALLOWED TO?GAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Mark Hamill in Wing Commander III

osatelegraph.org

SKYRIMGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

ASSASSIN'S CREEDGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

PRINCE OF PERSIAGAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

HOW DO BOARD AND VIDEO GAMES DIFFER?GAME DESIGN :: LD4 -- DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

USE OF THE STORYLINE

one answer is in the way video games handle conflict and weave it into the storyline

PREMISE AND STORY: JAWSGAME DESIGN :: LD4 – DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

PREMISE AND STORY: DONKEY KONGGAME DESIGN :: LD4 – DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

ONE KEY DIFFERENCE ...

Mario's success in freeing his belle from Kong is in the hands of the player, unlike Brody's

… BUT A GENERAL PATTERN

stories follow a general pattern of exposition, climax and resolution called the dramatic arc

RESOLUTIONNARRATIVE TIME

EXPOSITION

CLIMAX

DRAMATIC ARC AND 1H MINI-ARCS

all forms of storytelling make use of the dramatic arc for engagement. Games also deploy shorter, session-based, 1h mini-arcs to keep players going.

PREMISE AND STORY: LORD OF THE RINGSGAME DESIGN :: LD4 – DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

PREMISE AND STORY: PRINCE OF PERSIAGAME DESIGN :: LD4 – DRAMATIC ELEMENTS AND PLAYER EMBODIMENT

Prince of Persia, Sands of Time

Back in 15, right? Thanks.

WORKSHOP

Let's get going

THAT'S ALL FOLKS

This is it for this class. Thanks for following!

Game Design - Lecture 4

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