Complexity and Emergence in Games (Ch. 14)

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Complexity and Emergence in Games(Ch. 14)
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Deterministic Games

• Every players action has a single pre-determined
  outcome?
• Yes Deterministic game

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Chance Games

• Every players action has a single pre-determined
  outcome?
• No Chance game

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Perfect Information Games

• Does the player knows all information about the
  current state of the game?
• Yes perfect information game

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Imperfect Information Games

• Does the player knows all information about the
  current state of the game?
• No imperfect information game

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Categories of Digital Games (from Artificial
Intelligence perspective)
Chance
Deterministic


Chess
Perfect information
Chutes and Ladders
Civilization
Imperfect information
FPS

• Borderline games that could be classified either
  way?
• It is going to happen unless we use math
• As usual just provide a clear explanation

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Seven Schemas

• Schema Conceptual framework concentrating on one
  aspect of game design
• Schemas
• Games as Emergent Systems
• Games as Systems of Uncertainty
• Games as Information Theory Systems
• Games as Systems of Information
• Games as Cybernetic Systems
• Games as Game Theory Systems
• Games as Systems of Conflict

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Have You Ever Been Surprised in a Game?

• Was it scripted?
• Was it a result of Game Design?
• Could a game developer be surprised from emerging
  behavior?

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Systems and Complexity
(this is not quite computational complexity, but
its related)

• Reminder
• What is a system?
• Why can game be viewed as systems?
• Systems Complexity ways in which parts interact
  within a system
• Elevator example
• Four categories of systems complexity
• Fixed
• Periodic
• Complex
• Chaotic

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Complexity and Meaningful Play

• Are these two related?
• What happens if there is no interaction between
  play elements?
• Example Grid game
• Lets add complexity relations between play
  elements
• Does it achieves meaningful play?

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Emergence

• Behavior of the overall system is greater than
  its parts
• Example simple operational rules yet
  unpredictable results are attained
• Obvious example complex operational rules and
  operational rules
• However complex rules doesnt make game harder.
  Example?

• Chess last century versus current century
• Warcraft

• Chess
• Go

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Classes of Object Interactions

• Coupled objects are linked or affect with one
  another
• Non-gaming Example ant colony
• Game example?
• Context-dependent changes are not the same over
  time
• Non-gaming example behaviors of the colony under
  attack versus harvesting
• Game example?
• Emergence in a system occurs when interactions
  are coupled and context-dependent
• To achieve emergent behavior in a game Tuning
  (or iterative design) is needed

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Example of Emergence Game of Life

• http//www.bitstorm.org/gameoflife/
• Note It is coupled and context-dependant
• But is it a game?