Game Tuning Workshop Is this thing on?

Game Tuning Workshop Game Design and Tuning Workshop Orientation Marc “MAHK” LeBlanc GDC 2004

Game Tuning Workshop Orientation Overview Part I: Workshop Format Part II: Outline Our Formal Approach Part III: Formal Approach in Detail Part IV: Tuning

Game Tuning Workshop Part I: Introduction In this part we will: Explain the workshop high concept. Describe the format. Introduce the faculty.

Game Tuning Workshop About The Worshop This is the fourth year. Hands-on Focused on tuning. Grounded in a formal approach to game design. Intended to be open-ended.

Game Tuning Workshop Things You Won’t Learn Here How to get a job as a game designer. How to write a design document. Where game ideas “come from.” How to get your game funded. How to use a level editor.

Game Tuning Workshop In Other Words... It’s not about the Business. (Getting a job, pitching a game, getting funded)

Game Tuning Workshop In Other Words... It’s not about the Business. (Getting a job, pitching a game, getting funded) It’s not about the Profession. (Writing documents, tracking bugs, using tools)

Game Tuning Workshop In Other Words... It’s not about the Business. (Getting a job, pitching a game, getting funded) It’s not about the Profession. (Writing documents, tracking bugs, using tools) It’s about the Craft. (Making games that are fun)

Game Tuning Workshop What You’ll be Doing Playing games. Analyzing games. Critiquing games. Modifying games. Refining games.

Game Tuning Workshop A Few Ground Rules Please attend the whole thing. Collaborate, Share, and Encourage. Save the “meta-discussion” for the very end.

Game Tuning Workshop Workshop Format Small-group activities.  Main Exercises (3)  Electives (choose 1 from 3 each day)

Game Tuning Workshop Introducing the Faculty Myself Jonathan Hamel Robin Hunicke Frank Lantz Andrew Leker Steve Librande Art Min Harvey Smith Tim Stellmach Bernie Yee

Game Tuning Workshop Part II: A Formal Approach In this section, we present A formal framework for game design. A view of the designer-player relationship

Game Tuning Workshop Game Design “Frameworks” Paradigms for organizing our understanding.

Game Tuning Workshop Game Design “Frameworks” Paradigms for organizing our understanding. Example Frameworks:  The 400 Project  Design Patterns

Game Tuning Workshop Game Design “Frameworks” Paradigms for organizing our understanding. Example Frameworks:  The 400 Project  Design Patterns Separate from the process.

Game Tuning Workshop Our Framework Grounded in a formal approach. Organized around the designer-player relationship.

Game Tuning Workshop The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player

Game Tuning Workshop The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Game

Game Tuning Workshop The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Game CreatesConsumes

Game Tuning Workshop The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Game CreatesConsumes Book

Game Tuning Workshop The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Game CreatesConsumes Book Movie

Game Tuning Workshop Definitions Mechanics: The rules and concepts that formally specify the game-as-system. Dynamics: The run-time behavior of the game-as-system.

Game Tuning Workshop The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Game CreatesConsumes Book Movie Painting

Game Tuning Workshop The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Game CreatesConsumes Book Movie Painting Chair

Game Tuning Workshop The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Game CreatesConsumes Book Movie Painting Chair Car

Game Tuning Workshop The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Game CreatesConsumes Book Movie Painting Chair Car Pizza

Game Tuning Workshop The Designer-Player Relationship  Designer  Player Game CreatesConsumes The difference is the way that games are consumed.

Game Tuning Workshop An Extreme Opposite Example: A Theatrical Play The “design team” knows: Script Lighting Acoustics Seating Intermissions

Game Tuning Workshop Games, on the Contrary The designer doesn’t know: When will the player play? How often? For how long? Where? With Whom? And most importantly... What will happen during the game?

Game Tuning Workshop Obligatory Editorial This lack of predictability is the essence of play. It should be embraced, not eschewed.

Game Tuning Workshop A Formal Model of “Game Consumption” Rules“Fun” System Behavior

Game Tuning Workshop The Player-Designer Relationship, Revisited  Designer  Player Rules“Fun” System Behavior

Game Tuning Workshop The MDA Framework MechanicsAestheticsDynamics

Game Tuning Workshop Definitions Mechanics: The rules and concepts that formally specify the game-as-system.

Game Tuning Workshop Definitions Mechanics: The rules and concepts that formally specify the game-as-system. Dynamics: The run-time behavior of the game-as-system. Aesthetics: The desirable emotional responses evoked by the game dynamics.

Game Tuning Workshop Three “Views” of Games MechanicsAestheticsDynamics But they are causally linked.

Game Tuning Workshop The Building Blocks: Formal Models No Grand Unified Theory Instead, lots of little models Models can be formulas or abstractions. We can think of models as “lenses.” Discovering new models is an ongoing process.

Game Tuning Workshop MDA is a “Taxonomy” for Models Knowledge of Aesthetics Knowledge of Dynamics Knowledge of Mechanics Knowledge of the interactions between them.

Game Tuning Workshop Properties of Good Models We want our models to be: Formal (i.e. well-defined). Abstract (i.e. widely applicable). Proven (i.e. known to work). On any given game, we expect to use several different abstractions, not one big one.

Game Tuning Workshop Part III: MDA in detail In this part, we discuss Aesthetics, Dynamics and Mechanics in detail.

Game Tuning Workshop The Player’s Perspective MechanicsAestheticsDynamics

Game Tuning Workshop The Designer’s Perspective MechanicsAestheticsDynamics

Game Tuning Workshop Understanding Aesthetics We need to get past words like “fun” and “gameplay.” What kinds of “fun” are there? How will we know a particular kind of “fun” when we see it?

Game Tuning Workshop Eight Kinds of “Fun”

Game Tuning Workshop Eight Kinds of "Fun" 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure

Game Tuning Workshop Eight Kinds of "Fun" 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe

Game Tuning Workshop Eight Kinds of "Fun" 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe 3. Narrative Game as drama

Game Tuning Workshop Eight Kinds 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

Game Tuning Workshop Eight Kinds 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

Game Tuning Workshop Eight Kinds 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

Game Tuning Workshop Eight Kinds 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

Game Tuning Workshop Eight Kinds 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. Submission Game as pastime

Game Tuning Workshop Clarifying Our Aesthetics Charades is “fun.” Quake is “fun.” Final Fantasy is “fun.”

Game Tuning Workshop Clarifying Our Aesthetics Charades: Fellowship, Expression, Challenge Quake: Challenge, Sensation, Competition, Fantasy Final Fantasy: Fantasy, Narrative, Expression, Discovery, Challenge, Masochism Each game pursues multiple aesthetics. Again, there is no Game Unified Theory.

Game Tuning Workshop Clarifying Our Goals As designers, we can choose certain aesthetics as goals for our game design. We need more than a one-word definition of our goals.

Game Tuning Workshop What is an “Aesthetic Model?” A rigorous definition of an aesthetic goal. States criteria for success and failure. Serves as an “aesthetic compass.” Some examples…

Game Tuning Workshop Goal: Competition Model: A game is competitive if players are emotionally invested in defeating each other. Success:  Players are adversaries.  Players want to win. Failure:  A player feels that he can’t win.  A player can’t measure his progress.

Game Tuning Workshop Goal: Realistic Flight Simulation Model: Flight dynamics match user expectations. Success:  Match a mathematical formula, or,  Pass our “realism checklist,” Failure:  Counter-intuitive system behavior.

Game Tuning Workshop Goal: Drama Model: A game is dramatic if: Its central conflict creates dramatic tension. The dramatic tension builds towards a climax.

Game Tuning Workshop Goal: Drama Success:  A sense of uncertainty  A sense of inevitability  Tension increases towards a climax Failure:  The conflict’s outcome is obvious (no uncertainty).  No sense of forward progress (no inevitability).  Player doesn’t care how the conflict resolves. On to Dynamics...

Game Tuning Workshop Understanding Dynamics What about the game’s behavior can we predict before we go to playtest? How can we explain the behavior that we observe?

Game Tuning Workshop Formalizing Game Dynamics Rules Input Output State (Player) (Graphics/ Sound) The “State Machine” Model Examples: Chess, Quake

Game Tuning Workshop Models of Game Dynamics Again, no Grand Unified Theory Instead, a collection of many Dynamic Models. Dynamics models are analytical in nature. Some examples…

Game Tuning Workshop Example: Random Variable This is a model of 2d6: Chance in 36 Die roll

Game Tuning Workshop Example: Feedback System A feedback system monitors and regulates its own state. Room Too Cold Too Hot An Ideal Thermostat Thermometer Controller Cooler Heater

Game Tuning Workshop Example: Operant Conditioning The player is part of the system, too! Psychology gives us models to explain and predict the player’s behavior.

Game Tuning Workshop Where Models Come From Analysis of existing games. Other Fields: Math, Psychology, Engineering… Our own experience. On to Mechanics...

Game Tuning Workshop Understanding Mechanics There’s a vast library of common game mechanics.

Game Tuning Workshop Examples Cards: Shuffling, Trick-Taking, Bidding Shooters: Ammunition, Spawn Points Golf: Sand Traps, Water Hazards

Game Tuning Workshop Mechanics vs. Dynamics There’s a grey area.  Some behaviors are direct consequences of rules.  Others are indirect.  “Dynamics” usually means the latter.

Game Tuning Workshop Mechanics vs. Dynamics There’s a grey area.  Some behaviors are direct consequences of rules.  Others are indirect.  “Dynamics” usually means the latter. Dynamics and Mechanics are different views of games.

Game Tuning Workshop Mechanics vs. Dynamics There’s a grey area.  Some behaviors are direct consequences of rules.  Others are indirect.  “Dynamics” usually means the latter. Dynamics and Mechanics are different views of games. Dynamics emerge from Mechanics.

Game Tuning Workshop Interaction Models How do specific dynamics emerge from specific mechanics? How do specific dynamics evoke specific aesthetics?

Game Tuning Workshop Example: Time Pressure “Time pressure” is a dynamic. It can create dramatic tension. Various mechanics create time pressure:  Simple time limit  “Pace” monster  Depleting resource

Game Tuning Workshop Moving Forward… Let’s hope the future brings us: A rich aesthetic vocabulary. A eclectic library of game mechanics. A catalog of formal models: Aesthetic, Dynamic, Interaction In other words, “Formal Abstract Design Tools.”

Game Tuning Workshop Part IV: Tuning In this part we will: Define tuning. Present a formal approach.

Game Tuning Workshop What we mean by “Tuning:” Tuning is an iterative process. Test Analyze Revise

Game Tuning Workshop We’re not limited to: Parameter tweaking “Fiddling with knobs”

Game Tuning Workshop MDA in the Tuning Process Aesthetic Models help us: Articulate our goals. Point out our game’s flaws. Measure our progress. Dynamic Models help us: Pinpoint our problems. Both kinds help us: Evaluate possible revisions.

Game Tuning Workshop Learning From the Tuning Process Between iterations, we re-evaluate: Our goals. Our models Our assumptions. Sometimes we need to revise our own thinking as well.

Game Tuning Workshop The Tuning Process Before we start: Know our aesthetic goals. While we iterate: Aesthetic and dynamics models guide our way. Between Iterations Learn from the process.

Game Tuning Workshop Time for Coffee... After the break, go to the classroom that matches the color of your poker chip: Blue C1 Red C3 White C4

Game Tuning Workshop Part V: Some Common Themes Here are some themes you’ll see throughout the workshop.

Game Tuning Workshop Theme: Dynamics and Fantasy Our game dynamics have meaning within our game’s core fantasy. That meaning may or may not be compatible. In order to remain faithful to our subject matter, dynamics and fantasy must be in alignment.

Game Tuning Workshop © Steve Jackson Games

Game Tuning Workshop Theme: State Space and Design Flexibility The state space of a game is the set of possible states the system can be in. The larger the state space, the easier it is to make changes. As we modify our design, we can expect the state space to grow.