CS4043 Week 1Lecture 2

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CS4043Week 1Lecture 2

• What is a game?
• Chapter 1(The Art of Computer Game Design)
• Book Available online
• http//www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book
  /Coverpage.html

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In this lecture

• What do we mean by the word game?
• What are the main classes of games?
• What attributes characterise games?

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What do we mean by the term game?

• We need to know boundaries
• What actions characterise games?
• What skills do you need to be a game designer?
• Will an experienced game player be a good game
  designer?

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Categories of games

• Board games
• Card games
• Athletic games
• Childrens games
• Computer games

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Board Games

• Playing surface with movable pieces
• Pieces associated with players
• Playing surface is the environment
• Environment beyond control of player
• Consider the positioning of pieces

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Card Games

• Deck of Cards 2 factors rank and suit
• Rules of the game
• Matching combinations of cards
• Analyse potential combinations

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Athletic Games

• Physical skills
• Game versus competition
• Amount of interaction between players
• Perform some task optimally

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Childrens Games

• E.g Hide and Seek
• Challenging?
• Social Interaction
• Improvised games?

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Computer Game Genres

• Skill and action
• Adventure games
• Role playing games
• Simulation
• Strategy

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Characteristics of games

• Fundamental characteristics of games
• Representation
• Interaction
• Conflict
• Safety

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Representation

• A game is a closed formal system that
  subjectively represents a subset of reality
• What do the terms in this definition mean?
• Closed?
• Formal?
• Subjectively represents?
• Subset of reality?

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Closed, Formal System

• Closed
• Game is complete and self-sufficient
• No ref to anything outside the game
• Disputes
• Formal
• Rules explicitly stated
• System
• Collection of parts linked in complex ways

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Subjectively represents

• Is a game a subjective or objective
  representation of reality?
• What does the game represent from a players
  perspective?
• Fantasy
• Games versus Simulations

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Subset of Reality

• Does a game represent a subset of reality
• Complexity
• Comprehension
• Focus

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Characteristics of games

• Fundamental characteristics of games
• Representation
• Interaction
• Conflict
• Safety

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Interaction

• Static versus dynamic media for representing
  reality
• Investigate causes and effects
• Games versus Puzzles
• Soccer versus Rubix cube
• Puzzles component of a game

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Interaction

• Games versus Stories
• Sequencing of events
• Level of Detail
• Element of Surprise
• Games versus Toys
• Ability to manipulate audiences experience
• Compare stories, games, toys

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Games versus Stories
The Art of Computer Game Design by Chris Crawford
(Chapter 1)
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Interaction

• Social
• Nature of challenge
• creating your own solution versus discovering
  the designers solution

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Characteristics of games

• Fundamental characteristics of games
• Representation
• Interaction
• Conflict
• Safety

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Conflict Safety

• Conflict
• Obstacles passive or dynamic
• Violent or non-violent
• Safety
• Computer Games exclude the physical reality
• Link between actions and consequences
• Devoid of consequences?
• Gambling
• game?
• Financial risks