1. Game Art and Design Unit 3 Lesson 3 Procedure and Rules
International Technology Education Association

2. Big Idea
Knowledge of the basic skills and components of any field makes one uniquely prepared to perform at a high level in that area.

3. Formal Element: Procedure

4. Procedures Steps in a game that do not affect the outcome of the game.
Help the game proceed
to the desired outcome.
Example: shuffling the cards.
There are four basic types of procedures.

5. Types of Game Procedures
Starting Action: How to put the game into play.
Progression of Action: Ongoing procedures after starting the game.
Special Actions: Conditional to other elements or game state.
Resolving Actions: Bring gameplay to a close.

6. Examples of Game Procedures
Connect Four
Choose a player to go first.
Each player, in turn, drops one color checker down any of the slots.
Play alternates until one player gets four checkers of one color in a row.

7. Examples of Game Procedures
Connect Four
Choose a player to go first – Starting Action
Each player in turn drops one color checker down any of the slots – Progression of Action
Play alternates until one player gets four checkers of one color in a row – Resolving Action

8. Examples of Game Procedures
Super Mario Brothers
Select Button: Use button to select the type of game
Start Button: Press button to start Left
Arrow: Walk to the left
Right Arrow: Walk to the right

9. Examples of Game Procedures
Super Mario Brothers
Select Button: Use button to select the type of game – Starting Action
Start Button: Press button to start game – Starting Action
Left Arrow: Walk left – Progression of Action
NO Resolving Action – Resolution is controlled by the game system

10. Procedures in Digital Games
Can have more complex game procedures.
Players do not need to know the procedures at first, the game will enforce them.
Procedures often work behind the scene, responding to situations and player actions.

11. Defining Your Procedures
It is important to keep in mind the limitations of the environment in which your game will be played.
Non-digital games – make sure the procedures are easy to remember and follow.
Digital games – consider what type of input/output devices will be used - keyboard and/or mouse.

12. Formal Element: Rules

13. Game Rules Affect the outcome of the game Define objects and concepts
Define game objects and define allowable actions by the players
Restrict actions
Restrict effects

14. Game Rules Consider these questions: How do players learn the rules?
How are the rules enforced?
What kinds of rules work best in certain situations?
Are there patterns to rule sets?
What can we learn from these patterns?

15. Game Rules
Generally laid out in the rules document of board and card games.
The players must remember and enforce the rules.
In digital games, rules may be explained in the manual, or may be designed into the program.
The program enforces the rules.

16. Game Rules Rules may close loopholes in a game’s system - Monopoly:
“Do not pass go, do not collect $200.”
This rule is applied when a player is sent to jail from any spot on the board.
It’s important because a player could make the argument that moving past “Go” entitles him to collect $200, turning a punishment into a reward.

17. Game Rules Too many rules make a game unplayable.
Too few rules make a game too simple and unchallenging.
Poorly communicated rules may confuse or alienate players.
Even in digital games, where the rules are kept by the program, players need to understand the rules so they do not feel cheated.

18. Examples of Game Rules
Poker: A straight is five consecutively ranked cards.
Chess: A player cannot move the king into check.
Go: Players cannot make a move that recreates a previous situation on the board.
WarCraft II: In order to create knight units, a player must have upgraded to keep and build a stable.

19. Rules Define Objects and Concepts
Games do not inherit objects from the real world; rather, they create their own objects and concepts, usually as part of the rule set.
Even if the objects or concepts are familiar, they still need to be defined by the rules.

20. Rules: Chess Uses objects that relate to the real world.
Each piece has a specific rule pertaining to its movement on the board.
The pieces also have a value associated with them:
King, Queen, Rook,
Bishop, Knight, Pawn

21. Big Idea
Knowledge of the basic skills and components of any field makes one uniquely prepared to perform at a high level in that area.

22. Game Art and Design Unit 3 Lesson Procedure and Rules Images student work, photos by Phyllis Jones, and clipart
International Technology Education Association