I have no words & I must design by Greg Costikyan Currently a Games researcher at NokiaContextLots of Games out thereDo these things have anything in common? What is a game?What is a game anyhow?Not a toyNot a StoryIt Demands ParticipationSo What is a Game?Other Things that Strengthen GamesSlide 11What do these myriad form of games have in common?I have no words & I must designby Greg CostikyanCurrently a Games researcher at Nokia2Context“I Have No Words” was written in the early 1990s, at a time when virtually nothing had been written on the subject of game design as a discipline, before game studies as a discipline or Game Developer magazine existed. This piece was written with emphasis on decision making and may be less applicable to games that depend on fast action.Greg Costikyan is an inductee of the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame For a Lifetime of Accomplishment in the field3Lots of Games out thereITS ALL GAMING!!Cart-basedComputer CD-ROMNetworkArcadePBM (Play By Mail)PBEMMass-Market AdultWar gamesCard gamesTabletop RPGsLARPs (Live Action Role Playing)FreeformsPaintballVirtual RealitySportsHorses4Do these things have anything in common? What is a game?How can you tell a good one from a bad one?Good game !!Good book… does that help you write a better oneGame designers need to analyze games–Understand them–Understand what works–Understand what makes them interesting5What is a game anyhow?Its not a puzzle – Puzzles are static–Present logic structures to be solved w/assistance of clues–Games are NOT static and change with player’s actionsThink of games on a continuum Crossword 100% puzzle Zork 90% puzzle – 10% game–Characters move from setting to setting allowable actions vary by setting and inventory changes with action.Almost all games have some degree of puzzle-solving, even military strategy games require players to solve puzzle of making optimum attack6Not a toySim City is not a game at all, but a toy.Will Wright makes a comparison to a ball–Offers many interesting behaviors for your to exploreBounce It, Twirl it, Throw itDribble itCan play multiple games with it–It provides a world that the player may manipulate, but provides NO objective–You may chose one…–BUT Sim City itself has no victory conditions, NO Goals, –It is a Software toy. –A toy is interactive, BUT games have goals7Not a StoryStories are inherently linearGames are inherently non-linear –Depend on decision makingHow would gamers feel if game master says“I don’t want you players to do that, because it will ruin the story?Gaming is NOT about telling stories8It Demands ParticipationTraditional art forms have passive audiences.Admire a painting, you may imagine things in it, you may see something other than what the artist intendedWhen reading a book… Most of it is in your head…You are receiving the authors words.Enter the game.–Games provide a set of rules–But players create their own consequences–Like MusicThe Designers provide the ThemeThe Players provide the Music–A democratic art form for a democratic age.9So What is a Game?Players make decisions –Manage resources through game tokes in the pursuit of a goalOpposition –Competitive games–Real interest is about struggling toward a goal.–After you win you fill the thrill of victory!Game Tokens – entities you manipulate directly–Resources are things you manage efficiently to achieve a goal–Tokens are your means of managing themWithout tokens you have a system that operates with out much player inputGiving the player a sense of control and it makes the game more interesting.10Other Things that Strengthen GamesDiplomacy–Whenever multiple players are involved they are strengthened with diplomacy–Games permit diplomacy if players can assist each otherColor–Color counts a lot and some games work solely because color–Some games suffer because their lack their of.–Pageantry, detail & sense of place can add greatly to emotional appeal, BUT don’t over do it and make it look appealingSimulation–STAR Wars: The Role Playing Game–He adds simulations of the move, to encourage players to attempt far-fetched cinematic stunts–Using the system to reflect something about the atmosphere and ethos of the films.–Can also improve character identification11Other Things that Strengthen GamesVariety of Encounter–Random elements are never wholly random, they are within a range of possibilities–Randomness can be useful.. It is one way to provide variety–Players like to encounter the unexpected–With inadequate variety, it gets boring quicklyPositive Identification–Character identification is a common theme in fiction and games–Lends emotional power to a story–In a sports game the identifying position is YOU,Making the game more important to YOURole Playing – provides position identification, the feeling that the world is alive and colorfulSocializing – When designing think about social issues and how the game encourages or discourages socialization.–How can you encourage better socializingNarrative tension- The story should become more gripping as it proceeds until climatic resolution12What do these myriad form of games have in common?All involveDecision makingManaging Resources in pursuit of a goalHow can we tell a good game from a bad one?Terms to analyze game appeal–Decisions–Variety of encounter–Compelling–Narrative Tension–Role Playing –Socializing–Color–Simulation–DiplomacyGaming is a artform! Be mindful of what it takes to make it