Pre-Game Show Rules for 3-to-15: Two players alternate turns. On your turn, pick a number from 1 to 9 You may not pick a number that has already been picked by either player. If you have a set of exactly 3 numbers that sum to 15, you win. Formal Design Tools: Emergent Complexity, Emergent Narrative

Pre-Game Show Rules for 3-to-15: Two players alternate turns. On your turn, pick a number from 1 to 9 You may not pick a number that has already been picked by either player. If you have a set of exactly 3 numbers that sum to 15, you win. Formal Design Tools: Emergent Complexity, Emergent Narrative The Punch Line:

Formal Design Tools Emergent Complexity, Emergent Narrative A rant by MAHK GDC 2000

Q : What is the most over-used word in all of game design?

A:A: “Fun”

Down with “Fun!” A short list of “fun” games: Acrophobia EverQuest Sim City Starcraft You Don’t Know Jack Tetris Alpha Centauri Quake Myst FreeCell When trying to make good games, “fun” only gets you so far.

Rules, Models, and Techniques Formal Design Tools Well-defined Abstract (i.e. cross-genre) Day-to-day utility Well-understood application context Lenses, not value statements

Lecture Overview A few more words on “Fun” Games as Complex Systems Aesthetics of Emergent Complexity –Emergent Narrative Creating and Managing Emergent Complexity Largely Taxonomical

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun”

1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun” 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun” 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe 3. Narrative Game as drama

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun” 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe 3. Narrative Game as drama 4. Challenge Game as obstacle course

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun” 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe 3. Narrative Game as drama 4. Challenge Game as obstacle course 5. Fellowship Game as social framework

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun” 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe 3. Narrative Game as drama 4. Challenge Game as obstacle course 5. Fellowship Game as social framework 6. Discovery Game as uncharted territory

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun” 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe 3. Narrative Game as drama 4. Challenge Game as obstacle course 5. Fellowship Game as social framework 6. Discovery Game as uncharted territory 7. Expression Game as self-discovery

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun” 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe 3. Narrative Game as drama 4. Challenge Game as obstacle course 5. Fellowship Game as social framework 6. Discovery Game as uncharted territory 7. Expression Game as self-discovery 8. Masochism Game as submission

Rules Input Output State (Player) (Graphics/ Sound) The “State Machine” Model Part 1: Games as Complex Systems

Definitions Properties that cannot be simply inferred from a system’s rules. Emergent Complexity (“Emergence”) A system that possesses or exhibits emergent complexity. Complex System

Example: Conway’s Game of Life The Rules: A grid of cells, each cell is either “alive” or “dead.” Each cell has 8 neighbors. Count each cell’s live neighbors –2 or 3: Stay alive –Exactly 3: Become alive This is called a “Cellular Automaton.”

Conway’s Life is a Complex System Static Patterns: Block, Honeycomb Dynamic Patterns: Blinker Moving Patterns: Glider Patterns of Patterns: Beehive, Glider Gun The rules are inadequate to describe the system’s behavior.

Examples in Games Chess: Attack & Defense, Discovered Check, Knight Fork, etc. Go: Eyes, Life & Death patterns, Tesuji Magic: The Gathering: Card Combos, Deck Archetypes EverQuest: “Trains,” “Kiting,” “Kill- stealing”

Part 2: Aesthetics of Emergence What makes Emergent Complexity “fun?”

Emergence and Discovery The emergent properties of the system form an explorable space. More complexity means more space.

Emergence and Challenge A game’s emergent properties form its “strategic vocabulary.” New scenarios and obstacles can emerge.

Emergence and Narrative So there I was...

Emergence and Narrative Narrative emerges from game events. Complexity gives you infinite monkeys. A game’s fantasy gives meaning to the narrative.

Emergent vs. Embedded Narrative Emergent narrative occurs as short vignettes. Embedded (Authored) narrative works well for major story arcs.

Narrative in Thief Embedded narrative: –serves as a “frame” for interaction. –limited to short, discrete, non-interactive moments. –(Also consider: letter-boxing of Zelda 64 cutscenes) During the actual gameplay, narrative is largely emergent.

Emergence and Fantasy Emergent properties don’t necessarily support the metaphor. Contradictions are common, creating absurd fantasies.

© Steve Jackson Gameswww.sjgames.com

Absurd Fantasy Trouble Spots Sci-Fi/Fantasy simulations –Simulation reveals flaws & side effects Sports Sims –Emergent properties must be replicated faithfully.

Other Perils of Emergence Degenerate strategies (“exploits”) Unintended feedback systems. –Overly stable –Overly unstable

There’s no substitute for playtest! Prototype early Playtest often

Quick Summary Emergence can create: Discovery Challenge Narrative Fantasy (tricky) Unexamined: Sensation Fellowship Expression Masochism

Part 3: Models of Complex Games How do we make these things?

Common Characteristics Individual elements are simple. Rich interactions Game state has many elements. Random initial conditions. Complexity does not mean lots of rules.

Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous Homogeneous: Many similar elements (Life) Heterogeneous: Many distinct elements (Magic: The Gathering) A Spectrum, not a Dichotomy Most modern games are heterogeneous.

Creating Complex Systems: A Heterogeneous Approach Create multiple systems. Keep individual systems simple. Create interactions (“cross-terms”) between systems. Focus on system interaction, not system complexity.

Examples Magic: Creature Combat, Card Economy Civilization: Unit Movement/Combat, City Sim, Diplomacy Thief: AI behavior, Sound Propagation, Combat Individual systems are mini-games, but don’t stand on their own.

Tiered System Structure Create a few solid “foundation” systems. Build a second tier of cross-term-inducing features. Foundation remains fixed, while the second tier grows over development time. Examples –Thief: Lockpicking –Magic: Enchantments –Civilization: Tech

Tiered System Structure Foundation systems will survive the development process. Enables incremental development of second tiers. Landmarks for system exploration.

System Interactions: Feed-In One system’s state directly controls the rules or parameters of another. Magic: Card Economy feeds into Combat Alpha Centauri: Diplomacy feeds into Economy.

Bi-directional Feed-in is Feedback Stable: Resist change (Thermostat) Unstable: Amplify change (Snowball effect)

System Interactions: Resource Exchange Resources serve as a medium for system interaction.

Resource Exchange: Competition Two systems consume the same resource. Magic: Spells & Creatures compete for mana.

Resource Exchange: Transmission One system produces a resources that another consumes. Civilization: Cities produce units; Combat consumes them.

Resource Exchange: Transformation A system converts one resource into another Starcraft: Repairs turn raw materials into hit points.

Resources are Energy Energy can be created by –Production –Transformation –Transformation “arbitrage” Exploits can manifest as “energy spikes.”

Preventing Energy Spikes Build in time constraints to: –Production –Transformation Understand and tune your exchange rates. It’s OK to grow, just don’t grow too quickly.

Summary Emergence can create: Challenge, Discovery, Narrative Emergence can thwart Fantasy. Create Cross-terms between simple systems –Feed-in –Resource exchange

More Info These slides: www2.lglass.com/~mahk My “Complexification” by John Casti ISBN: Life32: psoup.math.wisc.edu/Life32.html