MIT OpenCourseWare http ocw mit edu CMS 608 CMS 864 Game Design Spring 2008 For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use visit http ocw mit edu terms CMS 608 17 April 2008 Notes by Clara Rhee Simulation and Abstraction what do you want to abstract in a game complex maneuvers physical stunts different characters health world limits and characteristics what do you get for free say you re playing a LARP playspace character movement traits physics complex metaphors can be made with visual representation see the movement of the character in Passage time becomes horizontal movement is there a game that abstracts celebration 52 card pick up probably a good representation bad game every time you abstract something you re limiting the player s understanding do simulations need to be numerical without abstraction you don t know what s allowed in the game abstractions define possibilities allows you to skip over the boring stuff or make the boring stuff more interesting or make hard things easy abstractions also make certain things morally acceptable destruction of cities war things that should be simulated conflict economical territorial knowledge puzzle games are hard to fit in the simulation model what is Bejeweled simulating abstracting what is the collection of mechanics that makes a system behave the way it does some games can try to make you forget it s a game but that s not really the point not necessarily engaging Milgram experiment was more about submitting to authority real as simulated pain and punishment feasibility what s practical What needs to be abstracted it s just more practical to abstract Philip s Theory on Game Design Concerns separation taking out the boring awkward bits information having lacking game knowledge competition conflict verisimilitude immersion the appearance of reality verisimilitude is completely at odds with separation
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