Game dev quiz 2

Tiles

have no code, provide a desired visual look, and cannot be interacted with by players.

Rules Salen and Zimmerman

Constitutive Rules, Operational Rules, Implicit Rules

Constitutive Rules

The underlying formal structures that exist below the surface of the rules presented to players.

Operational Rules

The surface-visible "rules of play" that are explicitly written out for a game.

Implicit Rules

Unwritten, implied rules for a game, such as etiquette, good sportsmanship, or access to play space.

Why are rules so important in game design?

Rules are an essential quality of games, Every game has a set of rules, Rules are the formal structure of a game

Essential Qualities of Rules

Rules limit player action, are explicit and unambiguous, are shared by all players, are fixed, are binding, and are repeatable.

States of an FSM

Initial, Final, Current, Transition Fucntion

Finite State Machine (FSM) Components

A series of states, a finite set of possible input events, and a set of state transition arcs.

FSM Benefits

They model game elements, define what happens when a player takes an action, and define how elements react to input.

Games of Emergence

Games where interaction among rules create intricate gameplay, challenge is set indirectly, The designer focuses on interactions among players the environment and game, and players use strategy guides.

Games of Progression

Games where challenges are presented serially via special case rules, challenge is set explicitly, The designer sets up challenge explicitly, challenges are presented directly and consecutively, and players use walkthroughs.

Conway's Game of Life & Complexity

Games are complex systems that result from the interactions of the players and the rule systems that define how they operate.

Gameworld Exhaustion

Occurs when a player has seen and done everything there is to do in the game.

Narrative Exhaustion

Occurs once the game's story has been completely told.

Resource Exhaustion

Occurs when a player runs out of a resource needed to play, such as losing all lives.

Dimension of Challenge

Chris Crawfords break down of challenge into to distinct skill and cognitive types. These being cerebellar, sensorimotor, pattern, spatial, sequential, numerical, resource management, social reasoning

Cerebellar Challenge

Breaking higher-level tasks into fine-grain commands to trigger individual muscles, like weight lifting.

Sensorimotor Challenge

Cerebellar challenges combined with a sensory control loop to receive input and react, like soccer or basketball.

Pattern Recognition

Identifying and reacting to visual or interaction patterns, like in Candy Crush.

Spatial Reasoning

Analyzing the physical positions of game elements to determine future actions, like in Tetris.

Sequential Reasoning

Stringing together long sequences of steps, like puzzle solving or chess moves.

Numerical Reasoning

Requiring the player to perform computations or track things numerically, like in Sudoku.

Resource Management

Effectively using a limited supply of scarce resources to handle problems or achieve goals.

Social Reasoning

Navigating challenges that revolve around social interactions and goals, like in Façade.

Forms of conflict (Chris Crawford) VEPPP

verbal, economic, physical, performance, political

Physical Conflict

Physically attacking or dominating the other player.

Performance Conflict

Striving to get a better outcome than the other player, such as in Mario Kart.

Verbal Conflict

Using insults, boasting, or narrative assaults against an opponent.

Political Conflict

Recruiting allies and undercutting an opponent's social alliances.

Economic Conflict

Affecting an opponent financially, such as in Monopoly.

Gameworld Rules SPECC

savepoint, powerups, expiration, checkpoint, cropping

Savepoints

Point in the game where the player's game state is saved or has the opportunity to be saved.

Checkpoints

Places or moments in a game where a player is not forced to start completely over upon failing.

Cropping

When the existence of some entities is determined by the player's field of view.

Expiration

Entities whose existence in the game is limited by time.

Powerups

Game items that grant extra lives or special abilities to the player.

Pseudo Physical Rules

Rules governing simulated physical properties like gravity, life support (need for consumables to stay alive), and solidity (game entities take up space and have mass).

Core Game Mechanic (CGM)

The essential play activity players perform over and over again; "what the player does".

CGM vs. Gameplay

CGM encompasses only the most frequent interactions, while gameplay encompasses all player experiences with the game systems.

Interactivity Feedback Loop

The essential cycle where a player makes an internal decision, takes an action, and the game creates output and then repeats the cycle.

Additional Points

Challenge is created/designed through the game's rules.

Conflict makes challenge personal and is an essential design element to create challenge in games.

Games must have goals, these are a key component to create meaningful play.

In games of progression, a key element that can be used to create challenge is level design.

In terms of meaningful play, the challenge needed to achieve the goal is the most important.