Breaking the rules players in the magic circle breaking rules to win

COSC 4126 breaking rules Review of Rules  magic circle is the domain of rules  rules limit player action – inefficiency  rules are explicit, unambiguous  rules are fixed, binding, repeatable  three levels: constituative operational implicit

COSC 4126 breaking rules Review of Digital Rules  constituative rules are the underlying algorithms and data structures of the software  operational rules are defined in the interfaces between game and player  implicit rules extend to ‘platform’ assumptions  with game as referee, rules are ‘enforceable’

COSC 4126 breaking rules Game schemas related to rules  emergence – complex systems based on rules for traversing game space  uncertainty and risk  information systems – capacity, uncertainty and information  information access – who knows what  cybernetics - feedback positive and negative  challenge – goals, form of play, utility, competition and cooperation

COSC 4126 breaking rules Breaking rules  player profiles measured along three axes: adherence to rules passion for winning degree of lusory attitude — +

COSC 4126 breaking rules 1. Standard player  casual player who plays for diversion, social contact: adherence to rules passion for winning degree of lusory attitude — +

COSC 4126 breaking rules 2. Dedicated player  professional or hardcore player including pro athlete or Las Vegas gambler: adherence to rules passion for winning degree of lusory attitude — +

COSC 4126 breaking rules 3. Unsportsmanlike player  disrespect for spirit of play, breaking implicit rules finding loopholes: adherence to rules passion for winning degree of lusory attitude — +

COSC 4126 breaking rules Degenerate strategies  to take advantages of weaknesses in game design to guarantee success (exploit)  characteristic of unsportsmanlike and dedicated players Lenat’s AI OR “transformative play”

COSC 4126 breaking rules Reacting to Exploits  change rules BASKETBALL  dribbling, 24 sec shot clock, 3 sec rule, 3 point shot  play evolves FOOTBALL  forward pass

COSC 4126 breaking rules 4. Cheat  shows respect for magic circle but breaks rules to win: adherence to rules passion for winning degree of lusory attitude — +

COSC 4126 breaking rules 5. Spoil-sport  no respect for meaning of game or lusory attitude: adherence to rules passion for winning degree of lusory attitude — +

COSC 4126 breaking rules Refereed games  ambiguity of some rules  referees prevent and/or punish rule violations  scale of severity for rule violations determines punishment  breaking rules becomes part of play  implicit rules surround the formal (violated) rules

COSC 4126 breaking rules Digital cheating  Easter eggs – extra features (secret rooms, etc) programmed in by defiant game programmers  Cheat codes – special inputs to strengthen player’s position (DOOM)  “Culture based” guides, walkthroughs  Workarounds – digital exploits

COSC 4126 breaking rules Cheating in digital game play  multi-sessioning – playing several characters in an online game to gain advantage  code hacking – high score lists, modifying code  spoilsport hacking – crashing game networks

COSC 4126 breaking rules Rule-breaking and design 1.reacting to the player types – design games with different types of player in mind. 2.making rule-breaking part of the play – Bernard DeKoven  makes player a designer

COSC 4126 breaking rules DeKoven on rule breaking  player attitude: breaking rules to seek a better game  players are ‘authorities’ – set rules not just follow them become designers, even a game community  designers behave like this in beta- testing

COSC 4126 breaking rules DeKoven on ‘design rule’ breaking  creative designers should be breaking out of the ‘genre’ design rules

COSC 4126 breaking rules A rule breaking example: Monopoly  The Landlord’s Game 1904