Computer Game DesignKinds of GamesPlatformsLanguagesToolsTrendsSlide 7Slide 8Bartok: A Game Design ExerciseSlide 10Slide 11Bartok: Asking the Right QuestionsBartok: Modifying the RulesWATCH OUT FOR PLAYTESTING FLUKESSlide 15Bartok: Making Your Own RulesBartok: DiscussionThe Definition of GameBernard Suits's DefinitionSlide 20Slide 21Sid Meier's DefinitionSlide 23Tracy Fullerton's DefinitionSlide 25Jesse Schell's DefinitionSlide 27Keith Burgun's DefinitionSlide 29The Nebulous Nature of DefinitionsSlide 31Slide 32Why Are Definitions Important?Computer Game DesignCIS 487/587Bruce R. MaximUM-Dearborn2Kinds of Games1.Adventure 2.Role playing3.Sports4.Card games5.Arcade games6.Flight simulators7.3d games8.Children’s games3Platforms1. Computer – Windows/Direct-x (Mac or pc)2. Video games – console games3. Mobile Games (phones and tablets)4. Multi-player gamesa. Peer to peer – modemb. Pc networkc. Client server4Languages1. Assembly2. C 3. C++4. C#5. Java6. Flash7. html55Tools1. Sound digitizer2. Music editor or sequencer3. Graphics tools like photo shop4. Video digitizer5. Video camera’s6. Graphics library7. Game engines6Trends1. 3D technology•Motion capture2. Virtual reality•Improve interaction devices3. Really good AI•Allow games to react to users dynamically•Build really good opponents7Trends4. Specialized play hardware•3D accelerator cards•Wave audio•Force feedback devices5. Web games (interactive)6. Mobile games7. Mixed reality gamesThe next 25 slides come from Gibson8Bartok: A Game Design Exercise•Bartok is a classic card game that is similar to the commercial game Uno•All you need to play are three to five players and a standard deck of playing cards–Break into groups of 3-5 players each–Remove the Jokers from the deck–Shuffle the cards9Bartok: A Game Design Exercise•Objective–Be the first person to run out of cards•Standard Rules:–Deal 5 cards to each player•The remaining cards become a draw pile–Flip over the top card of the draw pile to start a discard pile–The person to the left of the dealer plays first, and play proceeds clockwise–Each player must play a card onto the discard pile that matches the suit or number of the top card of the discard pile.–If she can’t, she must draw a card.10•Example11The player can choose to play any one of the cardshighlighted with blue borders (7C, JC, 2H, 2S).Bartok: Asking the Right Questions•Analysis–Is the game of the appropriate difficulty?–Is the outcome of the game based more on strategy or chance?–Does the game have meaningful, interesting decisions?–Is the game interesting when it's not your turn?12Bartok: Modifying the Rules•Each group should pick a number (1 – 3)•Based on the number, add the following rule to the game:–Rule 1: If a player plays a 2, the person to her left must draw two cards instead of playing.–Rule 2: If any player has a card that matches the number and color (red or black) of the top card, she may announce "Match card!" and play it out of turn. Play then continues with the player to the left of the one who just played the out-of-turn card. This can lead to players having their turns skipped.–Rule 3: A player must announce “Last card” when she has only one card left. If someone else calls it first, she must draw two cards (bringing her total number of cards to three).13WATCH OUT FOR PLAYTESTING FLUKES•A strange shuffle or other external force can cause one playtest of the game to be very different from others•You must playtest several times to ensure that you experience an average playtest and not a fluke•However, you must also note any flukes that happen because they can also happen to players14Bartok: Asking the Right Questions•How did the single rule change the game?•Have the answers to your questions changed?–Is the game of the appropriate difficulty?–Is the outcome of the game based more on strategy or chance?–Does the game have meaningful, interesting decisions?–Is the game interesting when it's not your turn?•Discuss the changes to these answers for each of the three rules•Changing a single rule can have a drastic affect on the feel of the game!15Bartok: Making Your Own Rules•Now, how do you want the game to feel?•Try designing a rule to make the game feel more like this specific emotion–Change only one rule at a time–Test with the new rule and see how it feels•You don't need to complete an entire game if the rule really doesn't feel right–Work with your group to make the game your own16Bartok: Discussion•What game feel was your team seeking?•What rule(s) did your team create?•How well did they work?17The Definition of Game•Several very smart people have tried to define game"A game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles" – Bernard Suits, The Grasshopper (1978)"A game is a series of interesting decisions" – Sid Meier"A game is a closed, formal system that engages players in a structured conflict and resolves its uncertainty in an unequal outcome" – Tracy Fullerton, Game Design Workshop (2008)"A game is a problem-solving activity, approached with a playful attitude" – Jesse Schell, The Art of Game Design (2008)"A game is a system of rules in which agents compete by making ambiguous, endogenously meaningful decisions" – Keith Burgun, Game Design Theory (2013)18Bernard Suits's Definition"A game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles" – Bernard Suits, The Grasshopper (1978)•Attempt to create a definition that encompassed all kinds of games–Sports–Board Games–Make Believe19Bernard Suits's Definition"A game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles" – Bernard Suits, The Grasshopper (1978)•Accurate definition of game, but doesn't teaching designers how to make good games•Referred to make believe as "open games"–A game with the sole goal of continuance of the game–However, some open games have other goals20Bernard Suits's Definition•Passage by Jason Rohrer (2007)–Several possible goals:•Moving as far to the right as possible before dying (exploration)•Earning as many points as possible by finding treasure chests (achievement)•Finding a wife (socialization)–These goals are mutually exclusive–The game is about experiential understanding (goal one)•Players are complicit in the