1. COMP 585: Serious Games

2.  Entertaining  Simplified models  Easier to focus  Keep focus as long as possible

3.  Pronunciation: CHEEK -sent-m ə - HY -ee

4.  Space  Objects  Actions  Rules  Goal (he includes this under rules)  Skill  Chance

5.  Continuous vs. discrete  Number of dimensions  Boundaries  Sub-spaces  Multiple models

6.  Tic-Tac-Toe  Monopoly  Billiards  Lacrosse  Rock, Paper, Scissors

7.  Characters  Weapons  Power-ups  Objects  Tokens  HUDs, dashboards  …

8.  Attributes (the adjectives)  States of attributes  Static or dynamic  State diagrams: transitions and triggers  Communicating states  What should the player know?  How much state can a person track?  Secrets: who knows what

9.  3 classes:  Private  Public  Unknown  Secrets: who knows what  Design Issues  What should the player know?  How much state can a person track?

10.  Chess  Poker  Draw  Stud  Blackjack  Concentration  Rock, Paper, Scissors

11.  Two types:  Operative (movements)  Resultant (intents): capture strategy  Interesting games are defined by resultant actions KEYS:  Probably the key to innovative games  How to make the player feel they have unlimited options with limited actions

12.  Add more actions  Let actions act on more objects  Multiple ways to reach a goal  Avoid dominant strategies  Many subjects (active objects)  Side effects changing constraints

13. Foundational (abstraction) Operational (how you play) Behavioral (how you act) ConceptualWrittenUnwritten Sniderman

14.  Different for Different Modes  Full game  Within game  Minimize time spent there or lose the bigger game  Enforcement  Players  Referees  Computer (architecture)

15.  Simply stated and understood  Between a tag line and a tweet!  Must be  Concrete  Achievable  Rewarding (both in gaining and seeking)  Choices:  Series or single  Short or long term  But if more than one, MUST be related

16.  Types  Physical (sports, controllers)  Mental (problem solving)  Social (reading opponents, psyching opponents)  Goal is improvement  Real vs. virtual  Balance!

17.  Probability = looked for possible outcomes  OR = add probabilities  AND = multiply probabilities  Probability distributions  Expected values

18.  Probability  Skill of understanding chance  Human element  NOT just expected value  Risks and regrets