gd (prefi1)

Gameplay 

defined as choices, challenges, or consequences that players face while navigating a virtual environment

Rules

define the actions or moves that the players may make in the game (and also those that they cannot make)

Victory Conditions 

correspond to how players should win the game

Loss Conditions

specify how players lose the game 

Implicit loss condition 

is common in games that require competition between the player and other players or non-player characters

Explicit loss condition 

when the player loses because his character dies or runs out of vital resources

Interactivity Modes

originates with the player, which illustrates how important the player’s decisions are in the game-playing process

Player-to-game

a very common form of interactivity, especially when it involves single-player mode/ the player is interacting only with the game itself and the platform

Player-to-player 

is the connection between players: how they communicate with each other and ways in which they play the game together

Player-to-developer 

most commonly illustrated in chat rooms and discussion forums available on the game’s website

Game Theory

focuses on the types of conflicts that exist in games and how players might respond to these conflicts

Zero-Sum

Involve situations where players have completely opposing interests

Non-Zero Sum

Involve situations in which players do not have completely opposing interests

Prisoner’s Dilemma

This illustrates what happens when all players try to compete with each other in an NZS situation

Explicit

intentional, immediate and often intense

Implicit

not specifically added to the game but is an emergent feature of the game itself

Perfect Information

yields logical challenges, where players assimilate the information and use it to decide on the best course of action

Imperfect Information

players are provided with only a fraction of the information needed to make the best decision.

Intrinsic Knowledge

This is gained from within the game world

Extrinsic Knowledge

This is gained outside the game world and applied to the game

Spatial Awareness

players usually have to navigate through environments

Resource Management

referred to as micromanagement in games that involve a high level of detail, it is one way to allow the player to have many options in the game

Reaction Time

significant when the speed at which a player responds to a challenge is directly related to the speed at which the player’s character reacts in the game

Advancement

Reaching a higher level in the game

Race

Accomplishing something before another player does 

Analysis

Applying mental processes to solving riddles and cryptic codes

Exploration 

Moving into new areas and seeing new things; satisfies the curiosity of the player

Conflict

Disagreements or combat between characters, used in almost all game genres to provide dramatic tension

Capture

Taking or destroying something belonging to an opponent without being captured or killed in return; remains one of the most overarching game goals across all genres

Chase

Catching or eluding an opponent, often by utilizing either quick reflexes or stealth strategies

Organization

Arranging items in a game in a particular order, often by utilizing spatial and pattern-matching strategies

Escape 

Rescuing items or players and taking them to safety, often involving analytical reasoning and resource management. 

Taboo

Getting the competition to “break the rules”, often involving physical or emotional stamina

Construction

Building and maintaining objects, common in process simulations; involve resource management and trade

Solution

Solving a problem or puzzle before or more accurately than the competition does involving analytical reasoning and knowledge application

Outwit

Applying intrinsic or extrinsic knowledge to defeat the competition

Balance

If players perceive that games are consistent, fair, and fun

Consistent challenges

Players should experience gradually more difficult challenges. 

Perceivably fair playing experiences

Players shouldn’t be doomed from the start through their “mistakes.”

Lack of stagnation

Players should never get stuck with no way to go on

Lack of trivial decisions 

Players should be required to make only important decisions in the game, even in games that incorporate micromanagement

Difficulty levels

Players should have a choice of difficulty, or the level should adjust to the player’s ability throughout the game