1. Unit 72 Computer Games Design
Gameplay Styles
By James Tedder

2. aims and objectives Session Aim
Understand the principles of gameplay within game design
Objectives
All: Start creation of a group presentation identifying and explaining principles of gameplay within a chosen game
Most: Will complete their group presentation ready to present next week.
Some: Start work creating a short five question Kahoot quiz based on their presentation

3. interaction model
Identifies the way in which the player acts upon the game world; common models include:
Avatar-based: through a character in the world
Omnipresent: the player can act on many places at once
Camera model
Viewpoint of the virtual camera, and its behaviour
Simple models are called perspectives. First- and third- person are common perspectives.

4. single player
In a single-player, player-versus-environment game, the nature of the designer's job is interaction design, where interaction has to do with the player's relationship to the environment.
The designer sets up exploration, sets up puzzles, tells stories.
Story
Single Player: Rely more heavily on compelling stories to draw players in..
Characters
Single player: Must build characters artificially. Therefore they require deeper characterisation of characters in order to create connections. This could be towards sympathetic characters and to develop deeper antipathy towards the game's antagonist(s).
Exceptions
Not firm, fixed rules as some singleplayer games focus squarely on gameplay
Examples include single-player puzzle games such as Tetris or racing games.

5. multiplayer
Not really about the player's relationship with the designer.
About the players' relationships with each other.
The designer's work consists largely of competition design, and of managing interactions among others.
The designer is an enabler of other people's fun. Your work as a designer consists very much of mechanics and balancing. There's a lot less of the storytelling and puzzles and exploration and all that kind of deep immersion, because it's really about the players' interactions among themselves.
Story
Multiplayer: Human players are unpredictable and can not be relied up for a compelling narrative. This means multiplayer games usually focus strongly on the gameplay and competitive elements.
Characters
Multiplayer: Multiplayer games rely upon human-human interaction for its conflict, and often for its sense of camaraderie.

6. narrative Narrative is the way in which the story is told
The easy way to remember the difference between story and narrative is to reshuffle the order of events. A new event order means you have a new narrative of the same story.
Narrative is developed in ‘storyplay’ – the mingling of storytelling and gameplay which allows players influence over both what the story is about and how that story is experienced.
Good game writers can produce complex narratives which anticipate the way interactivity and non-linearity will affect a user’s experience of their story.

7. game setting
Physical: Make the game world suitable to the games storyline/concept by deciding where it will physically take place.
E.g. a football game taking place on a basketball court would not make sense.
Temporal:
Think about the time period for the setting of the game.
E.g Assassins Creed: Unity, was based on the French revolution so the era of the game should be set in the late 18th century.
The time period could effect the equipment and abilities of the player. Think COD: Infinite Warfare vs Battlefield 1

8. game setting,
Environmental: The type of environment and weather conditions the player avatar is facing. This could be the weather, climbing mountains, swimming and snow or sand covered environments. Think how this will affect the player avatar. This could affect movement, avatar visuals or handling in a racing game for example.

9. game setting
Ethical
Game designers sometimes say the requirement for a game is purely that it’s fun.
"We as an industry do have a moral responsibility," says Peter Molyneux. Creator of hits from Black and White to Fable.
"Anyone who does something for a mass market has a responsibility. You tread carefully on the lessons that you teach. That line that 'if a game is fun, it is okay'-that sounds trivial. If it is obvious this is an artificial world and you can't do these things in real life, then that is more acceptable. But if it parades itself as a real world, you have to be careful about that.“
You need to think about your artistic intent. Is the setting educational, informative or simply exploitative of serious issues.

10. First part of a group based presentation. To be created in PowerPoint.
Task Part 1 – Identify and explain the following in a game of your choosing
Identify the interaction model, eg avatar, omnipresence;
Identify the game mode e.g single player; multiplayer. Explain how the game has catered to this mode?
Narrative – Explain the 3 act structure, narrative order and if its linear/non-linear.
Game setting – Explain setting eg physical, temporal, environmental, ethical.
Suggestion: Pick a game similar to one you intend to make
First part of a group based presentation. To be created in PowerPoint.
You have 30 minutes

11. Every game has rules Establish the goal
Define meanings and events to the goal(Win condition)
Define valid activities for play

12. Gameplay – Challenges and actions the games has Sequence of play Goals
Rules define…
Gameplay – Challenges and actions the games has
Sequence of play
Goals
Terminal Condition

13. Rules are things that govern the game. Things you have to do.
Rules summed up
Rules are things that govern the game. Things you have to do.
Or things you can and can’t do.

14. Game goals Needs to be challenging Should include:
Victory Condition
Terminal Condition or Loss Condition
What’s the incentive for the player to reach these goals?

15. challenges
Obstacles players must face to arrive at their goal/objective
Could include:
Physical Coordination, Time pressure, Economic, Pattern Recognition, Conflict, Creation/Construction
They could simple or complex, unique, recurring and/or continuing, large or small
Challenges are established by the rules!

16. Risk & Rewards Risks are created by uncertainty
Makes gameplay more exciting
Competitive games have risk(Losing) and reward(Winning)
Should be found throughout the game on a big(e.g level completion) or small(e.g Opening a chest) scale
Raises level of tension
Makes success or failure more meaningful
Achievements within the game should always include a reward

17. Risk & Rewards Cont. Risks Rewards 1st player to explore
Design for both high-risk and low-risk, however do not favour one over the other.
Can you think of any risks and rewards examples?
Risks
Rewards
1st player to explore
Unlock level/item
Battle an extra monster
Story/advancement of plot
Take a shortcut
Strategic advantage
Extra in game currency
Sound/achievement/trophy

18. player actions
The actions that the player is permitted to take to address the challenges of the game.
Defined by the rules
A fixed selection of actions to choose to attack and accomplish a challenge
Can also include non-goal oriented actions such as taunting an enemy

19. difficulty
The amount of skill required by the player to progress through a game experience, with higher difficulty obviously meaning more skill is required.
Doesn't just refer to reaction time - it can also mean many other aspects of playing a video game, such as memorization and strategy.
Artificial Difficulty: though difficulty selection e.g. Easy, medium or hard
Designed Difficulty: through level design, enemy behavior and puzzle solutions
Overcoming something difficult feels like triumph and this feeling can really add to a player's experience with your game.
You need to be very careful, because there is a fine line between doing this right and doing this very wrong.

20. difficulty Games should be balanced effectively to ensure fairness:
Symmetric Game – All players play by the same rules.
Examples include Chess, Draughts(Checkers), Fifa, Bomberman
Asymmetric Game – Players have different rules and goals
Examples include: Team Fortress 2, Overwatch, Evolve
Balancing a Asymmetric game is particularly tricky

21. Task Part 2 – Identify, explain and add the following
Rules – What are they? Things you can and cannot do.
Goals – What are the victory and loss conditions for the game
Challenges – What does the player have to overcome to reach the goal
Player actions – What the player does to overcome challenges
Risks – Moments of uncertainty that raise tension for the player
Rewards – What do you get for completing goals, challenges and risks
Difficulty - Symmetric or Asymmetric, Artificial or designed
Suggestion: Pick a game similar to one you intend to make
Second part of a group based presentation. To be created in PowerPoint.
You have 45 minutes

22. Gameplay vs game mechanics
Basic game play of a shooting or fighting game is to hit an enemy while not being hit.

23. Golf's basic game play is to hit a ball and reach a designated spot.

24. What is football’s basic game play?

25. Game play Mechanics
Anything a player can do or experience within the game e.g. jump, climb, shoot, make portals, drive, fight, slow or accelerate time is a game play mechanic.

26. Mechanics A driving game
Braking, skidding, reversing, accelerating, crashing, swerving, jumping (ramps), turbo boost…

27. Question - What are the game play mechanics of Tetris?

28. What are football’s mechanics?

29. game mechanics
Inventory
Scoring
Win condition

30. Other things to think about
Balance: Tuning your game's rules so that the components of your game are not ineffective or otherwise undesirable when compared to their peers. E.g. weapon balancing, class balancing.
Feedback: How is the user informed of their positive or negative progress through the game. E.g. quest updates, kill count, health, lives.
Game structure: How do you progress through the game. Is it linear or open world? Has multiplayer ranks? How doe’s the player get to the beginning and end of your game. Is there an end to your game
Addiction: In a positive way, what’s going to keep players coming back. This can often be achieved through the flow of the game. Start off easy and increase the challenge over time. Introduce new gameplay mechanics/unlockables as the player progress’s

31. Task Part 3 – Adding to your presentation - Identify and explain the following
Identify and explain the gameplay and gameplay mechanics.
Include the mechanics of the inventory, scoring and win condition
Identify and explain the games: Balance, feedback, game structure and addiction
Finished? Put a 5 question Kahoot quiz together based on your PowerPoint. Q&A must be relevant and have correct answers. Try and catch the other students out!
Second part of a group based presentation. To be created in PowerPoint.
You have 45 minutes