Is this thing on

1
Is this thing on?
2
The Last Mile of Game Design

• Marc LeBlanc
• April 2004

3
Programming is the last mile of game design.

• - Jonathan Blow

4
Introduction The Alien Archeologist

• I have two artifacts from Earth to present to
  the Academy.

5
Artifact 1 A Game
6
Artifact 2 A Computing Device
7
Games are State Machines
Input
Output
Rules
(Player)
(Graphics/Sound)

• All games are computer games.
• Game design transcends media.

8
The Punch Line

• Game design is programming.

9
Part I Games as Software
10
This is Not a Programming Talk
Topics I Wont Discuss

• Graphics Sound
• Real-Time Simulation
• Physics
• AI
• Network
• Object Database
• The Console Environment

11
Games vs. Other Software
What makes a program a game?

• Fun!
• That is, games serve an emotional purpose, not a
  pragmatic one.
  
• This isnt a definition.

12
Games as Software
Code
13
Games as Software
Code
Process
14
Games as Software
Code
Requirements
Process
15
Games as Software
Code
Requirements
Process
Rules
16
Games as Software
Code
Requirements
Process
Rules
Game Session
17
Games as Software
Code
Requirements
Process
Rules
Fun
Game Session
18
A Design Vocabulary
Code
Requirements
Process
Rules
Fun
Game Session
19
A Design Vocabulary
Code
Requirements
Process
Mechanics
Rules
Fun
Game Session
20
A Design Vocabulary
Requirements
Process
Mechanics
Dynamics
Fun
Game
21
A Design Vocabulary
Mechanics
Aesthetics
Dynamics
22
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.

23
The Designer and The Player
?
?
Designer
Player
24
The Players Perspective
25
The Designers Perspective
26
MDA is a Taxonomy of Design Knowledge

• Knowledge of Aesthetics
• Knowledge of Dynamics
• Knowledge of Mechanics
• Knowledge of the interactions between them.

27
Part II Aesthetics Explored
28
Requirements Analysisfor Games

• We need to understand the emotional requirements
  of our software.

29
Requirements Analysis

• Scenario The customer wants to cancel an order
  and get a refund.
  
• Actions
• Log onto website.
• Navigate to pending orders page.
• Click cancel button next to order.

30
for Games?

• Scenario The player wants to blow stuff up.
• Actions
• Find rocket launcher.
• Find victims.
• Kick major booty.

31
Whats the Difference?

• With productivity software, the user brings his
  goals to the application.
  
• With games, the application brings goals to the
  user.
  
• Software eschews emergent behavior.
• Games embrace it.

32
We Need an Aesthetic Lexicon

• We need to get past words like fun and
  gameplay.
  
• What kinds of fun are there?
• How will we know a particular kind of fun when
  we see it?

33
Eight Kinds of "Fun"

• 1. Sensation
• Game as sense-pleasure
• 2. Fantasy
• Game as make-believe
• 3. Narrative
• Game as drama
• 4. Challenge
• Game as obstacle course

34
Eight Kinds of "Fun"

• 1. Sensation
• Game as sense-pleasure
• 2. Fantasy
• Game as make-believe
• 3. Narrative
• Game as drama
• 4. Challenge
• Game as obstacle course

• 5. Fellowship
• Game as social framework
• 6. Discovery
• Game as uncharted territory
• 7. Expression
• Game as self-discovery
• 8. Submission
• Game as pastime

35
Clarifying Our Aesthetics

• Charades is fun.
• Quake is fun.
• Final Fantasy is fun.

36
Clarifying Our Aesthetics

• Charades Fellowship, Expression, Challenge
• Quake Challenge, Sensation, Competition,
  Fantasy
  
• Final Fantasy Fantasy, Narrative, Expression,
  Discovery, Challenge, Masochism

Each game pursues multiple aesthetics.
No Grand Unified Theory.

37
Clarifying Our Goals

• As designers, we can choose certain aesthetics as
  goals for our game design.
  
• As with other software, our process is driven by
  requirements, not features.
  

38
Part IV Lets Play!

• Talking about music is like dancing about
  architecture.
  
• - unknown

39
Rules for Three Musketeers

• Players take turns moving one of their pieces.
  No diagonal moves.
  
• Musketeers move by capturing a nearby enemy.
• Cardinals men move to a nearby empty space.
• Cardinal wins if the Musketeers are in the same
  row or column.
  
• Musketeers win if they cannot move.

Starting Board
40
Discussion Questions

• Whats a good strategy for the Musketeers?
• For the Cardinal?

41
Discussion Questions

• What are the aesthetics of Three Musketeers?
• In other words, whats fun about it?

42
Discussion Questions

• When does the dramatic climax of the game
  occur?
  

43
Discussion Questions

• Can we prove that the game halts?

44
Discussion Questions

• 1. What is the maximum number of choices the
  musketeer player can have on his turn?
  
• 2. How many first moves are there?

45
Discussion Questions

• 1. What is the maximum number of choices the
  musketeer player can have on his turn?
  
• 2. How many first moves are there?

46
Discussion Questions

• 1. What is the maximum number of choices the
  musketeer player can have on his turn?
  
• 2. How many first moves are there?
• 3. How many last moves are there?

47
Discussion Questions

• What does this graph look like?

Choices
Time
48
Discussion Questions
Choices
Time
49
Part V The Dramatic Arc
Climax
Falling Action
Rising Action
Time
50
The Dramatic Arc Pervades Game Aesthetics

• Narrative Conflict/Resolution
• Challenge Obstacle/Triumph
• Discovery Novelty/Mastery
• Submission Toil/Reward, Chaos/Order
• Competition Equality/Supremacy

51
So Games are Stories, Right?
52
So Games are Stories, Right?

• Rather, Play and Narrative intersect.

53
So Games are Stories, Right?

• Rather, Play and Narrative intersect.
• The Dramatic Arc is the point of intersection.

54
So Games are Stories, Right?

• Rather, Play and Narrative intersect.
• The Dramatic Arc is the point of intersection.
• Drama is more primal than narrative.

55
So Games are Stories, Right?

• Rather, Play and Narrative intersect.
• The Dramatic Arc is the point of intersection.
• Drama is more primal than narrative.
• Games dont tell stories, they are stories.

56
Drama in Detail

• Drama Requires
• Dramatic Tension
• Rising and Falling Action

57
Drama in Detail

• Drama Requires
• Dramatic Tension
• Uncertainty
• Inevitability
• Rising and Falling Action

58
Dramatic Tension

• Uncertainty The outcome is ambiguous
• Inevitability The outcome is imminent.

59
Drama in Three Musketeers

• Uncertainty Search tree complexity
• Inevitability Depletion of the Cardinals men
• (consider pushing variant)

60
Other Sources of Uncertainty

• Negative Feedback (Crash Team Racing)
• Rising Stakes (Jeopardy)
• Limited Information (Warcraft)

61
Other Sources of Inevitability

• Non-reversible processes.
• Non-renewable resources.
• Perception is important.

62
Denouement in Games

• Games need to resolve their tension.
• Some resolution happens outside the game.
• Many digital games build in post-game resolution.

63
Drama as an Aesthetic Requirement

• We can construct an aesthetic checklist.
• What is our source of uncertainty?
• What is our source of inevitability?
• Are they working?

64
Drama as an Aesthetic Requirement

• We can identify possible modes of failure
• Uncertainty source not strong enough.
• Inevitability hard to perceive.
• Climax comes too early, or too late.

65
Drama is Just One Example

• Not intended as a Grand Unified Theory.
• A single model among many.

66
Thats All!

• Game design programming
• Mechanics ? Dynamics ? Aesthetics
• Emotional requirements analysis
• Three Musketeers
• Drama as a play Aesthetic

67
Questions?

• Slides
• www.algorithmancy.org
• (www.monkeyjump.com)
• Game
• www.oasisgame.com
• Email
• mahk_at_world.std.com

68
Steve Jackson Games
www.sjgames.com