Gameplay design patterns presentation at dragon's lair, stockholm, sweden 2014 01-30
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Transcript of Gameplay design patterns presentation at dragon's lair, stockholm, sweden 2014 01-30
Gameplay Design PatternsA language to support game design
Staffan Björk
Interactive Institute & Gothenburg University
Takeaway
The idea behind Gameplay Design Patterns
How these can be used to externalize your knowledge
How these can be used to develop game concepts
Who am I?
Associate Professor, Gothenburg University
Senior Researcher, Interactive Institute
Gamer Not so much game
designer Made one game – a paper-
rock-scissors pancake game where all game components are eatable…
Differences between Design and Craftwork
Knowledge transferal Crafts are primarily learned
by imitation Practitioners can not
motivate why one does things one way
Unintentional trial-and-error experiments
Information about designs are only recorded in the produced artifact
Challenges in Gameplay Design
Exploit new platforms and technologies Understanding differences between games Explore value of different design
possibilities Explain values of novel game concepts Gain understanding within teams Communication between developers and
stakeholders Depersonalize intended gameplay Describe gameplay problems Specify foci of gameplay evaluations
13/58
Design is typically a Wicked Problem
Characteristics of Wicked Problems Not understood until after solutions are found Have no stopping rule Solutions are not right or wrong Every problem is essentially novel and unique Every solution is a 'one shot operation' Solutions have no given alternatives
How to Mitigate Wicked Problems? Methods Language to discuss aspects or parts of the problem
Design Languages
Convey meaning In design process In product
Components Collection of elements Principles of
organization Qualifying situations
15/58
Gameplay
The goal-driven activities related to a game system whose values are solely described in direct relation to that game system
Boundaries Not Diegetic Aspects Not Interfaces Aspects Not Narrative Aspects But these are often interrelated in game designs
Gameplay Design Patterns
A way to describe reoccurring design choices Offers possible explanations to why these design
choices have been made Codify unintentional features so they can be
intentional choices in later designs A guide of how to make similar design choices in
game projects What is required to make a pattern emerge What consequences do a pattern have? Not only problem solving
Gameplay Design Patterns a way to describe components on all levels within the design language
Gameplay Design Pattern Examples
Power-Ups Game elements that activate time-limited advantages when
collected
First Person Views Players are shown the game world as if they were inside it
Aim & Shoot The act of taking aim at something and then shooting at it
Cut Scenes Sequences of storytelling where players cannot act
Parallel Lives Game elements that when individually lost do not interrupt
gameplay, but do so when all are lost. High
High Score Lists The storing of scores after games have finished so the they
can be compared
But what about Game Mechanics?
“methods invoked by agents, designed for interaction with the game state” (Sicart, 2008) Inspired by OO-programing
“game mechanics are best described with verbs” (Järvinen, 2008) Move, Attack, Climb, Take, Push, etc.
Agents not only players
What is the difference?!?
Basically, relations Sicart does talk about the need to trace
relationship but does not argue for documenting general relations Only specific ones found in specific games
Patterns includes more abstract phenomena Not only verbs Observable features and experiences
Gameplay Design Pattern Relations
Small changes in a game can have large effects on gameplay and overall game experience This due delicate balances, risk/reward, meaningful choices, etc.
Patterns related to each other Explains effects of having a pattern Proposes possible causes for a pattern to be in a design Provides alternatives how to make a pattern emerge in a design Suggests ways of modifying patterns Alerts of possible incompatibilities
Types of relations
Can Instantiate α→β Parallel Lives → Attention Swapping
Can Modulate β(α)→β⃰ Game World ( First-Person Views ) → Game World ⃰
Can Be Instantiated By α←β Cut Scenes ← Dedicated Game Facilitators
Can Be Modulated By α(β)→ α⃰ High Score Lists ( Tiebreakers ) → High Score Lists⃰
Potentially Conflicting With α≠β First-Person Views ≠ God Views
Relations between GDPs
Randomness Luck
Limited Foresight
Cards
Fixed Distributions
Drawing Stacks
Surprises
Analysis Paralysis
D6 D8D4 D10 D12 D20
Dice
Mechanics, Dynamics, Aestheticshttp://algorithmancy.8kindsoffun.com/
Marc LeBlanc(Ultima Underworld II, System Shock, Flight
Unlimited, Terra Nova, Thief I-II, Deus Ex, NFL 2K2, NBA 2K2, Oasis, Field Commander)
MDA - Eight Kinds of "Fun"
1. SensationGame as sense-pleasure
2. FantasyGame as make-believe
3. NarrativeGame as drama
4. ChallengeGame as obstacle course
5. FellowshipGame as social framework
6. DiscoveryGame as uncharted territory
7. ExpressionGame as self-discovery
8. SubmissionGame as pastime
Different Levels of Patterns
Patterns fit into the MDA framework Mechanical gameplay patterns
E.g. Power-Ups, Aim & Shoot, Cut Scenes
Dynamic gameplay patterns E.g. Red Queen Dilemmas, Choke points
Aesthetical gameplay patterns E.g. Player Adaptability, Camaraderie
Tension
Enemies
Levels Permadeath
IrreversibleEvents
CharacterDevelopment
Talenttrees
Increased statisticsFog of War
Uncertainty of Information
Luck
Combat
Randomness
LingeringEffects
TimeLimits
Loss ofControl
Helplessness
Transferof Control
Instakills
ChallengingGameplay
DifficultyLevels
StimulatedPlanning
Save-LoadCycles
ProgressEvaluations
PositiveFeedback
Loops
AvalancheEffects
SpectacularFailure
EnjoymentReplayability
ThematicConsistency
Higher-LevelClosures as GameplayProgresses
Stealth
Movement
Poison ExplodingObjects
BudgetedActionPoints
2-phaseActions
Risk/Reward
IncompatibleGoals
Achievements
Trade-offs
Ironman Mode
Micro-management
Inventories
EquipmentSlots
Equipment
SurpriseAttacks
RoamingEnemies
Line ofSight
PrivilegedAbilities
EmotionalEngrossment
TechnologyTrees
RotateIn Place
Time UnitSystem
Most patterns mention from X:EU and X:UD (Green indicates presence in both games, red only in X:UD, and blue only in X:EU). Solid lines indicate instantiating relations and
dashes lines modulating ones. Boxes without outlines are mechanics.
Identify Design Spaces within Games
Basically analyzing games to see how well they contain features some theory describes Identifies specific design possibilities Lacking features are also design possibilities
Examples Designing believable NPCs
Own agenda, Dissectible bodies…
Social NPCs Dialogue systems
CRPGs genres using combat patterns
40 games/series 300+ patterns…
Four main categories Ubiquitous Cluster Distinguishing Flavor Meta
Dark Patterns
“Patterns used intentionally by a game creator to cause negative experiences for players which are against their best interests and likely to happen without their consent.”
Examples Grinding Playing by Appointment Pay to Skip Pre-Delivered Content Monetized rivalries Social Pyramid Schemes Impersonation
Advantages of Design Languages
Explain values of novel game concepts Understand differences between games Gain understanding within development teams Communicate with stakeholders Exploit new platforms and technologies Depersonalize intended gameplay Describe gameplay problems Specify foci of gameplay evaluations